Page 65 of Guardian's Heart

"That is really cool, may I?" Silla asked, waiting for my nod before lightly brushing over my marks. Just like when I touched them, my skin didn't feel any different, not like when Zaarek touched them.

"Why don't we have something cool like this?" Silla turned accusingly to Garth.

"We can get tattoos if you like." He shrugged.

His metallic skin shimmered under the sunlight, looking beautiful and magnificent. I was curious about the lines running over his skin, looking like honeycombs, but I knew there was no polite way to ask about them.

"Do they feel different to you?" Silla asked.

"Uhm." My face turned red, and she laughed.

"Sorry, my curiosity sometimes gets the better of me. How about you three come inside? I ordered the cook to prepare a good meal for you. I imagine you're starved for some real food after those atrocious food dispensers."

"Oh, am I ever," I groaned.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Silla took my arm and guided me toward the largest rock-root, which was easily the length of four football fields—if not more—and as tall as a mountain. Another arched over it, and I was sure that from the sky, it must have looked like a giant, unevenX.

Only when we came closer, I noticed smaller root-rock formations underneath and that the ground around it had been paved.

A large moat with a bubbling lava-like substance surrounded the entire structure. Silla turned and called over her shoulder at the men. "Are you coming?" Before she led me over a real-life drawbridge. When we reached the main building, rock, root, whatever it was called, I couldn't stop myself from touching it.

"Aren't they magnificent?" Silla asked.

It didn't feel like either root or rock. Well, a little like rock, but… it was hard to explain, rocks always felt cold to me, whereas trees felt alive in some way. Not like a person or animal, just… I don't know, breathing?

"Come, let me show you." Silla pulled me inside, and I was greeted by the most stunning sight yet. Zaarek had told me that the Pandraxians lived in the root-rocks, but I hadn't imagined this.

Most of the inside was hollowed out. Long, winding stairways led up to many multileveled mezzanines, where I made out knotted doors leading to presumably private quarters.

We kept walking until we were underneath one of the giant arches. Here, too, multileveled mezzanines ran up the walls all the way to the ceiling, but the center was a giant hall with tables and enormous fireplaces, making me think of the feasting hall inside a medieval castle or what I had imagined they would have looked like.

Candles flickered, illuminating the large area brighter than I would have thought possible. Giant tapestries hung from theuneven walls; niches had been carved and were filled with candles and knickknacks.

Several tables had been arranged like an upside-down horseshoe, filled with plates and cups. Silla directed me toward the head of the tables, where two chairs sat slightly elevated. "Here, sit by me." She padded the chair next to one of the elevated ones.

ZAAREK

I wasn't happy thatNova had filled Garth and Silla in on our plans, but the Lord Protector seemed to be taking it better than I had expected, plus, his information about Raasla was important.

"Did he say anything?" I asked Garth as we walked to the giant rock formation that housed his palace and over a bridge that spanned a moat filled with a thick, swampy, lava-like substance that bubbled in many places—presumably from gasses.

Small creatures hopped over the surface, unfazed by the heat, which I could feel even on the bridge.

"They are too light to sink, but anything heavier gets pulled down within ticks, and there is no coming back," Garth explained.

"Nice defense. Are you expecting an attack?"

"Many nasty predators live on this planet," Garth filled me in. "Most only come out at night, and this"—he pointed at the bubbling mess—"keeps us safe. To answer your question, I imagine you're referring to Raasla, the other Space Guardian?"

At my nod, he continued, "He and his mate, Zoe, had the same markings as you. He said he was going in search of a male named Noodar. Does that help?"

"It does." We stepped inside, and he led me into a great hall filled with tables, where I found Nova and Silla. Their heads were close together and they were both smiling, animatedly talking with each other. The sight made my heart leap. I loved seeing her this happy and carefree.

"I appreciate your understanding in this, Lord Protector.”

"Call me Garth. I'm not happy about it, but I do understand. Silla and I… the Cryons did something to her body that nearly killed her. I put everything on hold to find out what it was and how to heal her. So I understand that mating bonds take priority and change you."

We walked up to the dais, and I took the seat next to him while Nock, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, took the seat on my other side.

---