Page 5 of The Syphon King

“...easy for you, Seer...

“...what?

His shocked tone drew her even closer.

“...when did you see that?

“... to tell me!”

She waited for more, hearing only pieces of whispers. Then nothing.

She quickly ran back to the sculptures, angling her head in deep study at a metal one while Jinxxy nudged at her hand again.

She crossed her arms at her chest, not wanting to give her King anything to fear. She was detached and aloof and invisible. The dog only saw her because dogs saw all things.

He entered the room and again she wondered what in his conversation had shocked him? Then angered him?

“You will stay in my room, and I will have the couch.”

She bit her tongue on the vehement protest of him being on the couch. “Thank you for yourkindness, but the couch is—”

“Too close to the door for you,” he informed, pacing in the living room with his Zen problems.

“I can...make a cot on the floor at the far corner of your room and you can still have your bed, it’s only right,” she said, barely keeping the beg from her calm, quivering words.

“I cannot have you that near me,” he assured.

She lowered her head and nodded. “If you think this is necessary.”

“If you don't like the bed, you may sleep on the floor,” he roughly offered.

She immediately shook her head. “It’s an amazing bed, and I’ll enjoy sleeping in it,” she said. “Every second I’m in it, I’ll be so grateful. And quiet. I’m a quiet sleeper. Where is the bathroom?” she wondered, remembering she made frequent trips to those.

“There is one in the bedroom.” He gave a sound of frustration. “Come so I can show you the functions.”

She unglued herself from the floor, curious over these functions that needed showing. Halfway through his room, she stopped when she found nothing in her memory about any other bathroom to compare.

“Are you ill?” he asked from a doorway in the back wall of his bedroom.

She stared at him, her pulse racing. “I...I can’t remember things,” she said, hurrying on as calmly as she could. Had he siphoned her memories accidentally? Or could they possibly be tied up with the evil he’d mentioned taking?

She stood in the huge room that matched the bedroom except for the long black counter he towered at.

“Come,” he instructed.

She realized his voice was deep and scary, but she wasn’t afraid. Why wasn’t she? Had she forgotten how to fear? She kept a large distance between them, and he moved his hand under the faucet.

She gasped when the water turned on.

He stepped away and said, “Now you.”

She went forward and repeated his example, smiling when the water hit her skin. “And it’s warm,” she marveled over her shoulder, sure she’d never seen anything like it.

Her smile faded at finding his face lowered even though he had dark lenses over his eyes. He turned and went a few feet, gesturing at something behind a wall. “The toilet is automated.”

“Automated?” she wondered, trying to remember what that meant in connection to such a thing.

“It flushes without you touching anything. It knows when to do that.”

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