Page 35 of For the Strange and Surprising

11

Adelaide

Day Seven

My time with Talodus yesterday had left me in deep water. I don’t understand why I said half the shit that spewed from my mouth. Once it was out, there was no way to swallow it back in, though.

I’ll apologize the next time I see him, but I’ll still feel like a fool.

I can’t keep lying to myself, calling it a circumstance of boredom. There are too many things happening for me to feel anything other than utterly overwhelmed.

When I’m escorted into the palace—by one of those women who refuses to talk to me—Isolde is already waiting by the door. The queen smiles at both of us, tipping her head to the retreating Mongrel.

She tucks her arm in mine, pulling me through the oversized hall until we enter a dining room of sorts.

“Let’s get comfortable before Ecaeris joins us. I’d love to hear how training with Talodus and Rinya went.”

My brows draw together as I debate whether I should confide in her or not. I get the sense that she’s safe, that she would be honest with me if she knew I was struggling.

“Can I—Can I ask you something while we’re alone?”

“Of course, Ada.” Concern shines in her amber eyes. “I’m always here when you want to talk.”

“Isolde,” I begin, biting at my bottom lip before I just… word vomit everything.

“I don’t feel like myself, and I can’t understand why I’m acting the way I have been. From one minute to the next, my thoughts and moods switch so quickly that I can’t track them. I go from being worried to missing my home to being attracted to men I know nothing about. I’ve become so inconsistent that sometimes I speak and don’t recognize my own voice. I haven’t been me since I got here.”

She leans closer, angling her head toward me. “Since you got here?”

“The moment I was awoken on the shore by the guards,” I admit, and Isolde jerks back as if I’ve electrocuted her. “What is it?”

“Oh, dear,” she mumbles. “Spiran must be in worse shape than we thought.”

It’s not a name I recognize, and once again, I find myself curiously waiting for her to tell me more. When she remains quiet for too long, I impatiently prompt her to continue.

“Who is Spiran?”

“I haven’t explained enough to you, and I’m sorry for that. I didn’t wish to overwhelm you, though I can see now that was a mistake.”

She sighs and picks at her nails, floundering over where to begin.

“Spiran is where you are, though she was once the element of light—life—in this world. She gave up her physical form to protect our island from her sister. Four dynasties have come and gone in Mongrel's history since then.”

“Okay.” I nod, following along with what I understand. “Dynasties can last anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of years. So, I’m assuming that wasn’t a recent event.”

Isolde touches her chest as she confesses, “Ada, I’ve been leading the Mongrels for over a thousand years. I was the first queen of the Everwar dynasty, and I’ll be the last. When a new ruler takes the throne, that marks the end of the era.”

I nod, though it’s a complex concept to believe. Not the end of the dynasty bit, but the unspoken age that’s suspended in the air between us. I’ll ask more about her later. Right now, I need to know about myself.

“I don’t mean to sound conceited, Isolde, but what does this have to do with my problems?”

“I’m getting there. Give me a moment longer.”

She smiles sadly. “There are four tribes on this island, and though we usually stick to ourselves, we are all Spiran’s people. When she or her subjects are in need, she provides us with life. Sometimes it’s in the form of rain or sun. But other times, it’s in the form of people.”

Isolde points, letting me know that she means me. I can only blink at her, attempting to comprehend that I was the person needed.

“Spiran has been trying to speak to you since you arrived. You finally noticed when she showed you a physical form.”