Flock

Chapter 26

I woke to a rough nudge from Vas. "You've slept enough, I think."

"I don't think so," I grumbled back, snuggling deeper down into the blanket. I don't remember covering myself, so one of the brutes must have had a moment of humanity and tossed it over me.

"Come on, we're going to the gardens."

"What if I don't want to?" I asked, sitting up. I yawned, stretching out my back the little pops of bone a satisfying relief of tension. Vas just stared at me.

"What?" I asked. His stare was making me squirm. I glanced down to make sure my body was covered up—not that he hadn't seen a naked human before I'm sure. Everything was tucked in, so I stared back until he smiled.

"You need a brush—"

I touched my hair and grimaced. My hair was knotted terribly from sleeping with that stupid bun tied up. Vas disappeared into the hallway and returned a few moments later with a brush. He tossed it at me, laughing.

"Hurry up, Prewta is expecting us."

I dragged the brush through my hair. "Is she someone to trust?"

Vas paused, startled. He considered me for a moment before he nodded slowly. "Yes, to an extent."

"What the hell does that mean?" I sighed, exasperated.

"I think it's something you should discuss with Evound. Prewta is a powerful Kriyjia; she has been around for longer than anyone I know. She has seen things that would help you, but—"

"But you're not sure of her motives?"

"Can you ever be sure of anyone's true motives?"

I nodded, seeing the truth in that. "So, where's Evound?"

"Business."

"Cryptic."

"Open-ended questions, Ollie." It was the first time he, or any of the males, had addressed me by name. I felt an odd warming for the monster before me. I shook my head, monster was harsh.

The garden was breathtaking. There was a stone patio where Prewta was perched on a chair, her hair fluttering in the breeze. The grass started where the patio ended, hedges lined the right and left, creating a more secluded area. I didn't really care for the hedges—they didn't block sound, and I couldn't see over them. I didn't know who could be listening on the other side.

The flowers were what enchanted me though. The bright, vibrant colors drew me like a moth to a flame. I wandered toward the flower beds, keeping Prewta in my peripherals. Vas nudged me, but I ignored him, reaching out to cup a particularly bright yellow flower.

The texture was soft and delicate between my fingers. I had never really felt something like this before. Flowers needed light to grow, fertile soil. They were never required for life, and didn't come with the monthly shipments from Above. I don't think I ever saw a real one before; just renderings in old books.

"These are daffodils," Prewta said to me, stepping up beside me. Vas took his leave of us. Prewta cupped a similar yellow flower and leaned in to smell its fragrance. "They are one of the brightest in the gardens, here. They bloom in the early spring—it's a signal to us that our temperatures will begin to rise. Even today is almost too warm for us," she said.

"What are their uses?" I asked, peeling one of the petals down and ripping it free of the flower. The temperature was perfect for me. Just warm enough I didn't need a jacket, and cool enough that I wasn't sweating through my shirt. I wondered if that irked the Kryijia, that we humans were more suited to the weather changes than they were.