The Crescent Hour ✓

Chapter 7. Amarant

The three men dismounted. Tamer walked to Clara's horse. He extended his hand out to help her and she took it. His large hand was soft and warm as she pressed her palm against his, using it for support. A rosy color flushed across her cheeks and she swallowed, praying that he wasn’t paying any attention to her face. This was unusual for her. Perhaps his indomitable disposition had left her feeling edgy.

Thankful that she was able to dismount her horse and land on the ground without tripping on her feet, Clara released her hand from his in haste. The lingering warmth was still there, latched on to her fingers even as she wiped her hand along the side of her chemise.

Tamer had strolled to the gates. A man of large build stepped out of the gate house to welcome them. A yellow turban was tied around his head and his torso was covered in a grey waistcoat. Bulbous trousers billowed out from his legs. His eyes were dark pools, darker than the blackest night and hollow like the empty sockets of a skull.

There was something unnerving in those unnatural eyes, as if an unknown mystery churned from the black depths. He bowed to them then his eyes fell on Tamer. Surprise registered on his face but he quickly masked it with a smile.

“Master Tamer,” the guard said in greeting, his tone heavy with a thick accent.

 “Mikail,” Tamer replied.

The man bowed once more then looked at Clara. She returned his stare and a crawling sensation chilled her to the bone marrow as the black pools observed her from head to toe. She felt the urge to wince under his scrutiny but she suppressed it and refused to break eye contact until he looked away.

“Is she a new apprentice of yours?” Mikail asked.

“You know that I never take in any students,” Tamer said. “She’s a guest.”

“Fair enough. I shall guide the horses to the stables. Welcome.”

He stepped aside, ushering them into a wide courtyard. A walkway made of cobbled stones led them to the main entrance of the fortress. Clara stayed close to Eryx and Tamer like a shadow, using their height to hide herself from view. Succulent trees and lit lampposts lined the path. Water trickled from beyond the trees. She guessed there was a fountain nearby, swathed in the foliage.

“It’s a beauty, isn’t it?” Rai slowed his pace to walk beside her.

She surveyed the fortress and admired the wine-colored flags on its walls, the narrow turrets that towered above them and the painted windows that were lit from inside. The flower symbols from the flags were discernible in the darkness. They emitted a white glow on their own.

“Yes it is,” she said.

Eryx pushed the double doors open. They entered the foyer. Muffled laughter and warbled voices laced with a soft tune reached their ears. The noise came from another set of double doors from across them, in an alcove.

“The Feast,” Eryx said. “We must meet Lady Alora first before we join the others. She will be delighted to see you, Tamer-"

Rai sniggered. Tamer glared at both of them. She could tell there was an unspoken understanding among them. In the short amount of time she had spent with them, she had learned that they acted more like brothers than comrades. 

"-and you too, milady. She will be pleased to meet a Distant Traveler."

Decorated in white and red diamond-shaped tiles, the marble floor shimmered under their feet. Its smooth surface reflected their indistinct images. The walls were lavished with tapestries and antique paintings. The ceiling was arched. Floating blue orbs scintillated, sprinkling their light on the brick walls and plunging the room into a cerulean glow. She was reminded of the blue sphere that Eryx had conjured to light the mouth of the cetus except these ones were larger and crackled like the flames of burning embers. A set of concrete stairs curved on either side of the room, disappearing behind the statue of a beautiful woman carved from the finest white stone.