Chapter 10
Ten
Avalon
D espite Hayle’s insistence that I never go down to the bowels of Boellium, I found myself descending past my own floor and down three more flights to the home of the Twelfth. My first impression was that it was loud. There were people laughing, music was playing, and conversations were being yelled over the top of one another. The smell of food cooking permeated the landing. The whole floor felt like a living, breathing creature.
I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I knocked again, but I doubted anyone could hear me over the noise. I pushed it open slowly, unsure of what I was about to see. Viana had suggested that it was an all-day orgy, but when I stepped in, everyone was wearing pants. Most of the guys were without shirts, though, and I felt a flush climb my cheeks.
I had brothers. I’d seen my fair share of man nipples in my life. But there was something about being surrounded by so many unrelated-to-me man nipples that was freaking me out. Why did I keep thinking about their nipples? That was odd, right?
Fuck, I should just go.
“Are you okay there?” A girl shorter than Viana, with shockingly orange hair, appeared in front of me.
“Uh, I’m looking for Viana?”
The girl rolled her eyes and smirked. “She disappeared to her rooms with Polus and Link ten minutes ago, so if you want to talk to her before tomorrow, we better interrupt now. Wait here.” She strode down a short hall and slammed her fist against a random door. “Viana! Avalon Halhed is here to see you!” Thumping once more for good measure, she walked back toward me. “They’ll probably need a minute. Are you hungry? Sit down; we’ll grab you something to eat. Clancy, get Avalon a bowl of the stew that’s on the back burner.”
She pushed me toward the couch, where two other people were sitting, eyeing Braxus like he was about to pounce and tear them to shreds. I’d say that was preposterous, except he’d done that very thing the day I’d arrived. I gave the hound a raised eyebrow, and he huffed, wandering over to sit by the door.
The people on the couch scooted to the left, giving me a spot, their smiling faces welcoming. Clancy appeared with a deep bowl of thick stew that was golden in color. It smelled amazing, spicy and aromatic, and my mouth watered, despite the fact that I’d eaten less than an hour ago. He also edged toward Braxus with a large lamb bone in his hand, placing it on the ground a good four feet in front of the hound and scurrying away. Braxus just yawned and stretched toward the bone, picking it up and gnawing on it like it was the very least of the tributes he deserved.
Chuckling at the hound’s antics, I lifted a spoonful of stew to my mouth, and despite a soft burn, let out a moan of appreciation. “This is amazing,” I mumbled. We didn’t eat many spices in the Ninth Line lands; they didn’t grow easily in the high-altitude cold weather, and we were too far away to trade with the Eleventh and Twelfth lines, who had the right climate to grow such things. So whatever this stew was, it was a damn revelation. “I’ve never tasted anything like it.”
Clancy looked wildly pleased. “We brought the spices with us. We all know the Upper Six are allergic to flavor, so anything served in the food hall will be tailored to their tastes. We stockpile what food we can from scheduled mealtimes and make dishes from home down here.” He handed me a plate with some kind of fluffy bread resting on top like a cloud. “We do tasks for the kitchen staff to get the leftovers as well.”
I was wondering how I could get a permanent invitation to dinner when Viana appeared, her hair mussed but smiling. Two guys stumbled out after her, giving me a wave, but heading over to a large vat in the corner. They poured what looked like wine into wooden cups.
“Hey, Avalon. I can’t believe you’re here. If Hayle Taeme told me to do anything, I’d say, ‘Yes, sir.’”
“Is this before or after he spanked you and told you that you’re a good girl?” the redhead quipped.
Viana threw back her head and laughed. “Hopefully both.” She looked back at me. “Are you here for the orgy?”
My face was physically on fire at this point. I was just waiting to smell the smoke. “Uh. No. Hayle invited me to a party, and said you could come too, if you want. No pressure.”
Viana actually squealed. It was ear-piercing, and I was fairly sure had damaged my eardrum. “Oh my fucking Goddess. An Upper Six party. I bet they have the good booze, Acacia.”
The redhead, Acacia, screwed up her nose. “Yeah, but it comes with a heavy dose of condescension, and guys who are hot but probably couldn’t find the clit if you gave them a road map and step-by-step instructions.” She gave me an apologetic expression. “Hayle Taeme excluded, of course.”
I shrugged. “I don’t sleep with Hayle. He could be shit.”
Viana snorted. “I’ve heard rumors, girl. I think if your dick is that big, you’re good by default.”
“Unless he’s a two-pump pony,” Clancy offered.
“A three-stroke joker,” someone shouted from the other side of the room.
“A preemer-creamer,” Acacia added.
I wasn’t sure if you could die from the embarrassment of being a prude, but I was testing the theory right now.
Viana giggled with delight. “Avalon is going to have to save the poor man’s reputation now.” She looked at the group of people in the room with so much love. What would it be like to grow up in such a close community, bonded by hardship and laughter? “I’d love to attend your stuffy Upper Six party. Goddess knows, you’ll need the backup up there with those sea dragons.” She looked at my tattered pants and oversized shirt. “Is that what you’re wearing?”
I shrugged. “I don’t have anything else.”
Viana looked at Acacia, who was aghast. Glancing over her shoulder at the rest of the room, she clapped loudly. “You know what to do!”
I wasn’t sure how it had happened, but two hours later, I stood in front of the mirror in Viana’s room. I was in a deep yellow dress that Acacia had informed me was dyed with the pods of some of the spices I’d eaten. It was a rough fabric that had been treated with love and respect until it created something beautiful and unique. There was beautiful stitching on the bodice and the hem, and the skirt flowed around my body in a swirl when I walked. It laced up at the back, hugging all my curves in a way that made me look like a siren.
“You guys, it’s beautiful. I promise I’ll take care of it and give it back to you tomorrow.”
Acacia waved me away. “No, keep it. It was always a little long on me, and I’m too lazy to hem it. Besides, I’d never be able to wear it now, because I could never look as amazing as you do in it.” She sighed heavily, but her eyes were shining with mirth.
I spun from the mirror, the fabric swishing with me. “I… I can’t pay you for it. I don’t even have anything to offer you in return.”
Acacia waved a hand. “It is a gift from the Twelfth. We don’t believe in tit for tat. We know that one day if you’re in a situation to help another person, you’ll remember this kindness and how it felt, and you’ll aid the other person.” She sat me down on the chair, pulling out what I assumed was makeup. “Do you know the Twelfth believes that while we are the furthest from the First Line, we are the closest to the Goddess herself? That we survive by honoring her every day—not through pointless dogmatic rituals that make the Upper Six feel vindicated for their cruelty. I mean, we celebrate the small things every day. Helping people, sharing our food, our shelter, our clothing. We thank the Goddess when the seeds take root in our crops, when a baby is born, when we light a bonfire and celebrate life with friends and family. We honor her by living and loving and giving freely.”
Emotion clogged my throat. I might not be close to the First Line, but apparently, I wasn’t close to the Twelfth either. My life had been as cold as our climate, as barren as the mountains that towered around my home.
Choking back the lump in my throat, I murmured, “That’s a good way to live.”
Acacia squeezed my arm. “My mama always said a great tree can’t grow in a desert.”
I wanted to say something, to thank her again, but Viana reappeared, looking beautiful. Her dress was a muted orange that bled down into a deep purple. It should look like too much, but somehow, it was art. “Come on, Avalon! We’ll be late.”
Polus and Link appeared behind her, both dressed for the party. I raised an eyebrow, and the taller one—I was pretty sure he was Link—shrugged. “No offense, but we aren’t letting you go to a party with the Upper Six with only Taeme as protection. The Upper Six can be…” He trailed off, like he was trying to think of a non-insulting thing to call them, his eyes slipping to Braxus.
“Entitled cunts?” Viana supplied.
Link leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Exactly.”
Having met Vox Vylan on several occasions, I couldn’t even disagree. Hayle seemed different, though.
Viana grabbed my arm, and we ran out of the room, Braxus leading us up the stairs. My thighs were burning by the time we got to my floor. “How do you guys climb from down there to the atrium after training every day?”
Snorting, Viana held out a hand. “We’ve always worked hard. Starving might rob the meat from our bones, but that didn’t mean we got to stop.”
Braxus let out a short bark, announcing that Hayle was already there. Hayle’s eyes went wide as he looked at me, and I realized I hadn’t checked my makeup before we left. Hopefully, I didn’t look like a court jester. But the more Hayle stared, the more I worried.
“Sorry we’re late,” I said warily.
Shaking his head, Hayle grinned. “Right on time. Brought a few extras?” he asked lightly, nodding at Polus and Link.
“Didn’t want to walk into the lion’s den without backup.” I wasn’t going to be apologetic about it.
Hayle, however, just laughed. “Fair. Well then, let’s go.” He held out his elbow. “My lady?”
Placing my fingers in the crook of his arm, I told my thundering heart to behave itself. No ties. No waves. That was the goal.
Who was I kidding? I’d failed miserably already.