The Court of Stars

Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

After stuffing ourselves with lemon pudding and other delicacies, we went back to the Scorpio Palace and bid each other good night. I dragged all the bags into the room and shoved them into my bag. A couple of items I couldn't fit, so I folded them neatly and set them beside it.

I was exhausted, but I needed to take a bath to ease my stress. That's what I forgot! I mentally smacked myself as I realized I didn't grab any bath bombs. Maybe Casey would let me pick a couple up in whatever district we go in first.

Drawing hot water, I sat idly at the edge of the tub, letting the burning liquid run over my hand as it flowed to the bottom. Finally, when it reached the top, I stripped of my flaming crop top and ripped jeans and got into the water. My eyes closed out of reaction from the released tension between my muscles and the steam blowing into my face.

"You better be awake and ready, cupcake, because you're leaving in ten minutes!" The doorknob jiggled, warning me that the person outside of my door would drag me out ready or not.

My body jerked at the freezing liquid surrounding me, my head pounding. I really needed to stop falling asleep in the tub. "Did you just say ten minutes?" My body lunged out of the bathroom, my wet feet slapping ungracefully on the tiles. My hair was going to be wet and my fingers and toes would be as wrinkled as a raisin. Yuck.

"Yes, I said ten minutes! Are you deaf?" It was Norma behind my door, scaring the living shit out of me.

I grabbed a white bardot top and blue striped paperbag waist pants, slipping them quickly on my still soaked body. The sleeves hung off my shoulders and the pants had a fabric belt that I twisted into a bow. My feet slipped into some brown sandals and I hopped around the room, tying them, as I grabbed the rest of my stuff. I put on some light makeup, nothing too extreme, and threw my hair into a messy bun. I looked dingy, but it was the best I could do in ten minutes.

At the time mark, Norma burst through the door, clearly surprised that I was up and semi-ready. She gave my outfit a long look, a grunt of some confusion and acceptance, and a nod of her head out the door. "The Scorpio is waiting for you outside."

I picked up my bag and the extra clothes and stumbled out the door, following Norma to the front. On the street was a floating carriage. It still had the horses attached, beautiful Friesians, but it was missing wheels. It hovered four feet above the ground, tilting back and forth from whoever was inside.

Circinus and Ara waited beside it, their heads poking in the doorway of the transport. They chattered loudly, their voices raising as the conversation went on.

"What do you mean we can't go?" Ara's fist clenched, the tattoos of different symbols and quotes on her fingers stretching.

Circinus threw his hands up, frustrated with something. "You won't last long in diplomatic instances! You'll be torn apart by the other Zodians! And that girl will be more of a problem than anything." I gasped. How rude. I'm not a problem, he's the problem.

A chuckle came from the carriage, along with the Scorpio saying, "The Southern Crown and I will be fine, Circinus. Calm down."

Circinus's face turned a bright red, the same color as his beard and hair. "Calm down? Calm down?"

Circinus was about to go on a long rant, but Casey must've saw me because he said, "Circinus, enough. She's here and we're leaving." Wait. If they're not going, I'm going to be alone with the Scorpio for a month.

Circinus muttered something unintelligible and ripped my stuff from my hands. He put it under the dark red cushions of the lavish carriage. Intricate designs lined the walls, different images reminding me of the library. It was a space black color, absorbing all the other colors but still appealing.