The Opelux and Other Monsters || Book One

CHAPTER 5 (PART 2) - UNKNOWN

As first light crept in through the shielded double doors, turning the curtains a shimmering gold, and a bell chimed five times off in the distance, weariness finally began to pull at my eyelids. I felt myself slipping, being sucked into the dark center of the blue canopy above my head. My breaths lengthened and evened out and the blankets and pillows became clouds around me, lulling me into a sleep something told me I hadn't had in a long time.

And as the distant bell chimed seven times...

The blankets erupted around me and I crashed to the floor, gasping and clutching the sheets that had joined me in my fall.

I had seen eyes. Staring, lifeless gray eyes, a deep hole, burning rain pouring into it, saw and felt myself fall from a small ship high in the sky. At least, that's what I thought I had seen. The harder I thought about it, the more I couldn't be sure. The nightmare faded and faded the harder I tried to think about it. I pushed myself into a sitting position, head on my knees. Whatever it had been, it had been terrible. My trembling limbs and the beads of sweat on my forehead could attest to it.

Something clattered across the floor.

I sprang to my feet, thrusting my palms toward the doors like I was trying to block something coming at me.

I blinked at them. Again, with the strange muscle memory.

"What was that?" a voice called from the doorway.

I looked up, willing my body to calm, and lowered my hands.

A woman peeked in, frowning. "They didn't give you the option of locking the door, did they? Those pricks." She pushed the doors open the rest of the way, nudging the table aside, and came toward me slowly. Her short hair and yellow eyes shone gold beneath the lights of the chandelier and her lavender robe buttoned from left shoulder to right hip, hugging her small figure. She looked young but there were fine lines in her forehead and at the corners of her eyes and mouth.

Her eyes scanned me, the sheets, and the bed. "Did you fall out?"

My legs took an involuntary step backward when she took a step closer. But the sheets restricted the movement. I gasped and toppled sideways.

She rushed to my side, her small hands with their silver fingers grabbing my arms, halting me two inches from the floor. She lowered me the rest of the way and knelt beside me.

I flinched away from her, away from those metallic fingers so similar to the Emperor's eyes. "Who are you?" I tried to sound demanding, but my voice came out hoarse and weak.

"Colleena Thash," she said, her smile soft. She raised a finger in front of my face and the silver tip glowed white. She took my chin with her other hand before I could flinch away again and moved the light back and forth in front of my eyes. "Are you feeling lightheaded?"

I pushed her hands away. "I'm fine."

"Clumsiness then," she nodded. "Let me help you back onto the bed." She took my hand and forearm and helped me up. Her fingers felt like fingers—soft and warm, completely real. But then, why did they look like that?

"I heard you yelling in your sleep from the hallway. You were saying: Save Kade. Don't leave Kade there. What were you dreaming?" Her unusual eyes, lighter than Tritteon's dark, honey-gold, more of a butter yellow, were intense on my face.

"I...don't know," I said truthfully. The name wasn't familiar. "I only remember falling."

"Ah well. Tritteon said you were too tired to get a bath last night. I'm sure he was lying and wouldn't admit he made you so uncomfortable you refused to consider it. I thought I would help you get that taken care of before breakfast." She touched something on my face.