Page 24 of Serpents of the Night

“Jathella.” Her name fell from his mouth with a sound that verged on a threat—a sound that amused her as her the corners of her mouth curled in response. “I was not expecting any summons from my mother. Your timing is bad. Whatever the queen matriarch wants, it will have to wait. Daskh and I were contemplating some amusement for our mate. She is not accustomed to dwelling at such depths nor spending so much time within the nest.”

“Then Queen Zathexa’s timing is excellent,” the guard countered with a quiet chuckle. “The blooming is nigh, and the matriarchs insist on forgoing all of the recent seriousness and the demands of duties for some of our customary celebrations.”

“Celebrations?” he murmured uncertainly.

He scowled at the female as he quickly searched his memory for any reference of any such thing occurring within the shinara. All of his recent experiences with festivities were solely within the human colony, and he felt woefully incapable of comparing them to any memories from his youth before being expelled from the maternal nest.

Jathella’s smile widened, and she inclined her head again, her gavo snapping in agreement. “The blooming,” she reiterated. “It is the time of the dishana blooms that fill the mid caverns, brought on by the greater rains in the heart of the wet season. The first blooms are always celebrated before the harvest begins.”

The harvest. That he remembered. He remembered working his fingers raw along with the other males housed within the haga as they scoured the lower caverns. They labored for long hours, plucking the large blooms and separating the red stamens from which they derived a rich spice as well as medicinal properties from the heavily perfumed flowers that were prized in numerous scented pouches and in oils. It seemed while the haga was put to work that those of the shinara enjoyed the season with the pleasures of festivities.

His eyes narrowed on Jathella. “The queen matriarch commands it?”

She blinked at him in surprise. “Even if she did not—who would not wish to come? And it would be an opportunity for your mate to enjoy the company of more than just the royal court.”

Slengral wavered. He wanted to rebel against the command. He wanted to spit in the face of the revelry that was ignorant of the pain that the males of the haga went through as their scales were often sliced through or lifted away and broken off completely by the twisted thorns that covered the dishana plants.

But then there was his ashlava. Would it please Lori? He glanced covertly at Daskh, his gavo twitching in a silent inquiry. Unfortunately, his nest brother appeared just as uncertain as he felt. With no other recourse, he turned toward Jathella and inclined his head.

“I have no answer for you to take back to my mother, but assure her that we will consider it. We will discuss this with our mate and will attend only if she wishes to. My mother already demands much of us,” he pointed out.

Jathella’s wings twitched uncomfortably. “Do not hold it too strongly against the queen matriarch. There are many responsibilities that she has to bear and the pressure that is put on her is far greater than most others within the shinara. She is only trying to do what is right.”

“What would be right would be to seek out my brother, who is presumably still unmated if rumors are true,” Slengral pointed out.

The female paled. “What you speak of is suicide. Your brother abandoned the Aglatha long ago to retreat into the Vehal. This is not a place any female of the shinara would willingly venture into. Not only are the males of monstrous size but the females are enslaved beneath their yoke. Any one of us who might go for him risks being captured. Not even the hashara would likely be spared. This is the only way.”

Slengral’s jaw clenched. He understood the fears she spoke of, but it did not change his view of his own situation. He was selected for the convenience of the shinara, and it was for their sake that his family was being manipulated and his mate scrutinized.

“And now you see why I shall not answer for my mate,” he growled. “Not only does it disrespect the laws of the shinara, but I refuse to allow any further demands to be put on Lori. Enough is asked of her, and she has been tolerant. I am not inclined to be so.”

“Nor am I,” Daskh hissed from behind him. “We will present the request to our mate. But it is Lori’s decision.”

Slengral smirked as the guard gaped at them. “And you have your answer. We will present your request to our mate and nothing more. You may take some comfort out of the fact that she will likely agree to stave off her own boredom, but if that is the case then we shall follow her pleasure only. We will not be there to entertain the queen matriarch or the noble matriarchs.”

Daskh hissed quietly in agreement, but the sound seemed to bring the guard back to herself as Jathella jerked back with wild snaps of her wings.

“Of course,” she replied rapidly. “I will inform Queen Zathexa straight away. Many thanks.”

Slengral inclined his head, but his eyes followed the female as she whirled away with a rolling flick of her tail and dropped from the nest. Her wings fanned wide carrying her from the nest and out over the shinara. Daskh drew up to his side as he silently watched her.

It was time for his mother, the matriarchs, and the presence watching within the shinara to know that he would not be manipulated and yanked about any longer. While he could not dismiss the needs of the shinara altogether, all would know where his priorities were rightly placed and cease toying with him immediately. Only Lori was his ashlava, and it was only to her that his will bowed, and by her alone, his heart was conquered.

If his mate wanted flowers, he would give her flowers and the most beautiful blooms of the festival. But if she did not then they could all fall into the black abyss for all he cared.

Chapter 20

Daskh tucked a flower into his mate’s hair as Kehtal worked with far more nimble fingers at her other side, weaving in the luminous blossoms. Although dying now that they had been plucked, their petals would remain open wide and their luminescence shimmering from the nectar rich depths would glow for hours still yet. As her skin was still a most brilliant hue of green, Kehtal had spent hours scouring for golden and blue blooms that would complement her coloring in the best way. Daskh could not help but smile in admiration. Green or her customary hue—it did not matter to him. She was always the most beautiful of beings to him.

“Are you certain you wish to go?” Kehtal hedged, drawing a frown from Daskh as he glanced over at the male.

He had some lingering doubts himself, but he was certain that they had all been in agreement just a short time ago to give this to their mate. After all, The Blooming was perhaps safer than any of the evenings they had spent among the noble matriarchs and special guests of the queen matriarch. Why was Kehtal attempting to change her mind now?

“No one can force you to attend the celebration, regardless of Queen Zathexa’s wishes,” Kehtal continued, his golden gaze drifting over their mate’s face. “You can decline her request without fear of reprisal.”

Lori’s eyebrow raised. “And do what? Remain here and count the galthie planted along the walls?”

Daskh chuffed softly as Kehtal’s wings snapped rapidly in a flustered manner.

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