Eternity Glass

XVI: The Color Gods Bleed

Fallon woke up in a sweat. The sun was high in the sky, giving her a hint as to how long she'd overslept. In a blur, she changed into a simple pale yellow dress shirt and jeans before facing the vanity and staring straight at her reflection.

By her appearance, no one could have guessed that she went through a nightmare. She began brushing through her dry hair, sure of only four things.

One, her relationship with Kamalita would always be strained. That much was sealed the second she went under her care, as symbolized by the chains. Taking it a step further, Fallon had that inkling of a feeling that Lita wasn't allowing her to accelerate as swiftly and effectively as she could be, as if the deity was filtering which powers she wanted Fallon to master and which were better off under the rug.

Two, there was a woman named Ethelyn. By the crown of bones, Fallon deduced that she was the woman Eyal fell for. Judging by what Salulla said, she could also assume that the trickster deity had something to do with the fallout, which led to number three.

Salulla called Fallon her "little salvation." Becoming her mentee or having any sort of involvement with her meant saving her from something or someone. Problem is, Fallon wasn't sure who or what exactly she'd be saving her from.

Four, her confusion and irritation about all of those things were magnified by the blood that stained through her undergarments and onto the mattress of the bed. She couldn't find any pads or tampons in the bathroom, so she'd piled tissue paper for the time being and rang for a staff member to bring a new set of bed sheets. Within minutes, a nymph with blue blossoms in her hair and vines around her limbs arrived with what was requested.

"I have the sheets, Miss, but I was unsure of what you meant by sanitary products, so I brought soaps and bath oils or I can call the sprites if you need deep cleaning," she said.

Fallon gaped. It never occurred to her that celestials, guardians, and other magic creatures had different cycles. Or at least in the nymph's case—never had cycles at all. "That's not exactly what I meant." She tentatively explained what she could. If the nymph had no knowledge of the human menstrual cycle, Fallon didn't exactly think that moment was the time and place to explain it, especially as the tissues weren't holding place.

Luckily, the nymph figured it out and, with a blue-tinted blush on her cheeks, left and came back with an assortment of pads and tampons, saying that she didn't know which Fallon would prefer, along with human medicine and tonics for any pains. Not wanting to dismiss the effort, Fallon just took the whole box and thanked the nymph before she left.

After freshening up a bit more and taking an Advil, Fallon gathered her hair into a half-ponytail and pinched her cheeks, prepping herself for a confrontation.

She went to the breakfast room first, not feeling hungry for the french toast and assorted fruits left out for her. Instead, she made herself a cup of coffee and ate a single blueberry. The first person she hunted down wasn't there, so she transferred to the library.

Earth pixies with bark-like skin that used leaves to ride the wind fluttered among the shelves, collecting dirt and doing what they willed with them. One berated her in a foreign tongue, but Fallon could tell that they were not happy with her bringing a drink into the room. Another had to hand her a saucer to silence the first one.

Tristan sat at the end of one of the three long tables positioned in the center of the room, deep into Great Expectations.

Fallon sat on his right and placed the saucer and the mug of coffee down. "You still want in?"

He bookmarked his page and looked back at her with a smile. "What did you come up with?"

"I need you to keep a secret and play along with everything I'll have to do."