Page 37 of Of Serpents and Ruins
"Buttercup!" I laughed a little as she paced out from another hall and approached me, her steps shockingly delicate, as if she understood she was indoors and needed to use her inside feet. She walked through this place like she owned it.
Auntie Runa shook her head as she approached me from the other side. "I haven't seen Buttercup this happy in ages." She set her hands on her bony hips, her wrinkled fingers contrasting her colorful sash. "Boys, go fetch the trays I set out. They're in the kitchen. Not a full meal but enough to take the edge off and have ourselves a little chat."
The water splashing and a series of excited chirps drew my attention back to the canals. Were my eyes lying to me?
Those weren't sculptures. They were animals, living here in this home.
On the short thick stone wall nearest me rested a real mata mata turtle with a triangular head and dark shell, sunning itself in the shaft of light from the broad circular window. Fish swam in one of the channels, whisking back and forth in a shimmering school, brilliant silver even in the shadows. Two other triceratopses lounged in the water as well. Both were grey and blue with shorter snout horns and deeper curved crest horns. A tiny one, barely the size of an elephant calf, paddled in the water like a little baby hippo. Manatees munched on large clumps of bright seagrass and shiny kelp.
Two of them lifted their heads as I drew near. The largest, with heavy black mottling on its head and an opaque white eye, lifted its whiskered snout out of the water. A series of rapid chirps followed, each one seeming to mount with excitement. The second one, longer and sleeker with a scar along its left shoulder, poked its head out of the water and then blew more bubbles that mixed with the quick calls. They swam toward me, bubbles streaming along them as they vocalized what seemed like excitement.
Buttercup leaned against me as if jealous.
For a moment, I staggered under the unexpected weight. "Whoa, hey there." Reaching up, I stroked along her jaw. "It's all right, baby girl. I'm just saying hello."
The snort that followed suggested Buttercup did not appreciate that answer.
"Don't be a jealous jabber, old girl," Kine scolded, patting her on the side with a softthwap-thwap. He held the tray he'd brought back with one hand as Elias placed the other on one of the small tables near the water's edge.
Buttercup gave him an annoyed glare and huffed again, but she relented when Kine started scratching behind her frill.
I knelt on the edge of the canal. Names came to me easier now. Bubbles and Bobbles. Bubbles had the opaque white eye. Bobbles had the long scar.
I dropped onto my belly and put my hands out, gently stroking each of them. "You remember me?"
"They always remember," Auntie Runa said. "Just like your big spoiled baby there." She pointed toward Buttercup with her cane.
Buttercup snorted again.
Auntie Runa continued as if she didn't hear the triceratops's commentary. "Their true names are Maikiao and Dochana, but you just called them Bubbles and Bobbles when you swam here as a child. Not entirely certain what your thought process was with those name choices." Her smile softened as she shook her head, obviously recalling some sweet memory. "Magic can fool folks like us easy enough. We’re all susceptible to it. But beasties like them and your baby—well, magic won’t fool them."
It was hard not to feel a pang of sadness that I couldn't remember the specifics, only the vague sensations of connection and home. Here I was getting greedy, though. For once, I was feeling like I had returned and I almost belonged. As if things were heading toward right. That was good. This was progress, and I was thankful.
I leaned my face down closer to the water, continuing to stroke the slick skin and bristly whiskers of both the manatees. How many times had I done this in the past? Probably countless. Bobbles liked the underside of his jaw scratched more, while Bubbles liked that little spot right on the center of her forehead. More memories lurked on the edges of my mind, teasing me.
"They all live here with you," I said slowly. "But they're not allowed in all the channels."
"Well, we can't housetrain the manatees," Auntie Runa said with a wry smile, "but the triceratops and all the rest arehousetrained. They know to leave. We rotate the channels to keep them clean."
"Buttercup…" I hesitated, realizing I had been about ready to say she was trained, but was she?
Auntie Runa smirked. "She is."
"My memories are returning so oddly," I said with an apologetic shrug. "I don't even know how to explain it. It's like…they just are here in my mind or waiting on the edges."
"It's probably rather disconcerting," Auntie Runa agreed, "but just continue on with it. You should trust your instincts."
Instincts were odd things. If I listened to them, they would have me riding a triceratops again, dodging pits and holes while at the same time launching myself at a tyrannosaur, throwing myself into Brandt's arms, and kissing him until neither of us could see straight. It might also involve pushing Candy off a ledge.
Auntie Runa handed me a white plate with two chunks of bread. The center of the plate dipped, cradling a fragrant combination of oil, greens, herbs, and salt. "Here. Have something to eat, love. Now I'm sure you have many questions. We're going to have to take this cautiously. Your memories haven't fully returned yet, and, well, no one here knows precisely how to manage something like this. In general, when it comes to other forms of magically induced amnesia, it's considered best to allow as much as possible to return naturally rather than forcing it or inundating you."
"Except we're dealing with curses, and apparently, my husband is set to murder me."
"Yes," Auntie Runa said with a dry smile. She passed out the plates to Kine and Elias as well and then sat on the soft blue bag chair. "That does tend to complicate things."
"And there's the matter of Stella's safety," Kine said. "Even keeping Stella’s return as much a secret as possible, thoseassassins will not be the only ones. If others come here, we will be in trouble. I humbly renew my request that you permit us to bring our weapons into this place as well as the shifting rings."
Auntie Runa leaned back on the cushions. "The curse is weakening all forms of Sepeazian magic throughout the entirety of both continents. To protect this space and honor of the Creator of All, I have recently dedicated it to non-violence."
