Page 28 of Serpents of the Night

From his mother’s direction there was a soft sound of air being drawn through the ethin as the queen matriarch tested the air. A rustle followed from her weight shifting upon her cushions. At least, he looked over at her as she raised her cup, her gaze meeting that of everyone as her eyes swept over the platform.

“With the height of the great rains, The Blooming has now begun. Lift your cups and drink with me so that Shangla and Higthar bestow their blessings upon us. Let us be blessed, and the shinara be blessed, so that the next year can return with greater fortune than the last.”

Cups lifted in salute, but Slengral held his still, unconcerned with such rituals that had nothing to do with him and benefited no one in the upper caverns. There was nothing but hunger and hardship there—and still the females of the shinara complained of losing hunters. What cause did he have to drink with them?

He frowned down at his cup, despite the murmur of speculation that rose in the air around them, ignoring everything until he felt the light clasp of his mate’s hand on his. His gaze shifted toward her green fingers resting along the back of his hand, the contrast with his dark blue making her appear as if she were full of vitality and life, and he was her shadow. His gaze slowly lifted until he met her smiling eyes.

“Would you raise your cup to me, then?” she whispered. “We can drink to our home, our friends, and our family.”

A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth, and he tipped his head in agreement. He could drink the golden agar to all of that.

They lifted their cups to each other, the four of them and their nestling, and Slengral relished the experience of witnessing the pleasure of first tasting upon the face of his mate and son. Lori’s laugh of surprise and her broad smile of pure delight engraved themselves upon his heart and were immediately followed by Hashal’s shrill trills before the nestling nearly drowned himself by tipping his cup too far. His nest brothers laughed, humming between them, drawing his contentment deeper as they enjoyed cup after cup, his mother and the noble matriarchs a gorshiga—a ghost—in the shadows lingering beyond their own celebration. His mate’s enchanted expression of awe filled the entirety of his world, her joy bringing something to life within him as she watched the harvest come in upon the numerous colorful wings of males descending from the dark was the most beautiful thing and rivaled any other beauty to be found within The Blooming, whether past or present.

He glanced only once his mother’s way and found an unwanted stirring of pity within his hearts. She watched them, her gaze dimmed and shuttered, her expression closed, hiding her thoughts. There was a stony acceptance and resolution stamped across her face as she held herself stiffly apart. This was the true heart of the shinara—a hard, proud thing dwelling with pain, misery, and regret.

It was good that they had left the Aglatha. There was nothing in the caverns or the shinara itself that he wanted.

Slengral was glad when he was finally able to rise and stretch out his wings, his duty more than paid for as his family prepared to descend from the platform to join in the festivities. Lori’s eyes danced with excitement and even cautious Kehtal seemed to be eager to explore, his wings flittering enough that Daskh was playfully swatting them aside as he lifted Hashal into his arms.

Turning at last to Zathexa, Slengral inclined his head respectfully, unable to offer her anything more. “Blessed Blooming, mother.”

Uttering those last words, Slengral’s wings fanned, and he snatched his mate from Kehtal’s side to hold her close to his hearts as he dropped off the platform’s side. And nothing was sweeter than that moment of freedom as he held his mate in his arms and savored the taste of golden agar lingering on his tongues.

Chapter 23

Lori was surprised how much of the festivities took place at ground level considering how active the night market had been among those flying. It seemed that everyone had come down to the ground to celebrate. There were few of the recognizable smaller males in the crowd not only for their size but for their distinctive two-horned gavo in contrast to the multiple crests of the females. Those that she spotted clung to sides of their mates as the females socialized. They reclined on balconies and filled what appeared to be restaurants where they enjoyed long boards set out in front of them laden with food and cups of golden agar.

She stared longingly into the restaurants as they passed, both wishing she could join and incredibly intimidated by the idea given how crowded it was. Daskh glanced over at her questioningly, his gavo rising slightly as he tipped his head toward the entrance. Of course, he would notice. She gave him a small smile but shook her head, content to observe everything from the street as they passed. It was crowded enough outside, but at least she wasn’t stuck in close confines with much larger Seshanamitesh. She didn’t even dare to go into the shops. Instead, she settled into people-watching, her fascination captivated by the revelry going on around her.

There was so much joy all around her she could hardly believe that she was still in the shinara. Females chatted and laughed together as they glided down the street, several of them carrying some sort of large, woven fans with which they cooled themselves, many of them pausing to inspect bundles of fragrances in decorative bags. Seeing her interest, Kehtal drew her to one of the vendors.

“Pick something, hithana,” he murmured.

The female tending it was a rosy shade of pink and her yellow eyes blinked rapidly in surprise, her gaze darting between them as if shocked to suddenly be presented with a human, and then widening as Slengral and Daskh joined them. It seemed that some things were universal, however, because she suddenly broke into a wide smile, her wings fanning in a small, graceful sweep.

“Welcome. I am pleased to provide you with my best work. Take your time and if you have any questions, I am here to answer.”

Lori inclined her head. “I really am not sure what I would want,” she admitted.

The female’s smile widened as she plucked a small sachet embroidered with numerous golden flowers. “It depends on what you desire. I made many of this blend for The Blooming. The scent promotes health, joy, and serenity. I have others for love and felicity. Strength against hardships and overcoming obstacles, rest and recuperation, and many more.”

Lori bit her lip as she studied the bag in the vendor’s hands before turning her gaze toward the other ones. In terms of practicality, she was pretty sure that she should be begging for one to give her additional strength and confidence if she truly believed aromatherapy worked in that exacting of a way, but her gaze returned to the small sachet in the female’s hand, and she caught herself smiling.

“I think that one would be perfect, actually. A little extra joy couldn’t hurt.”

Kehtal trilled in agreement as the female handed it over. Placing it on a cord, he hooked it around her neck, allowing the scented sachet to drift somewhere below her breasts, the threads glimmering as they caught the light from above.

“It is perfect,” the vendor trilled, her hands clasping in front of her, her eyes brightening happily. “And it looks beautiful with your remarkable coloring. Who knew offworlders could rival Seshanamitesh in such hues.”

Lori blushed at the compliment but gave the female a wry smile. “I’m afraid my remarkable coloring is due solely to a lapet accident.”

A startled look crossed the female’s face, her gavo rising slightly, but she slapped a hand over her mouth just in time to muffle her burst of laughter. She recovered quickly, however, and gave Lori an apologetic smile, her fanned ears flattening back.

“I should not laugh, but perhaps it was Shangla’s blessing. The color suits you... and now you have one of my tokens to take with you, which makes it lovelier still.”

Embarrassed at the unexpected compliment, Lori murmured her thanks as Slengral pressed a bit of metal into the vendor’s hand before curling a wing around Lori and ushering her forward. Leaning into his side, she smiled as she lifted the sachet to her nose and sniffed. A light floral scent washed over her with a honeyed warmth. It reminded her of sunflowers a little but with a hint of something dewy and melon-like. Kehtal beamed at her, ducking in close to Slengral’s side.

“Is it good?”

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