Chapter 15 #3
“I come here to forget. Or, sometimes, to remember. There are unique concoctions for each.” He sounded sadder and more contemplative than I’d ever heard a vampire be.
“What do you want to forget?”
Tempus began to inspect the heaps of different colored powders on the platter between us.
“Oh, any number of things. Sometimes I like to forget that blood is my only sustenance. Somedays I prefer to remember when a table filled with glazed meats, the day’s fresh catch, and a peppered medley made my mouth water with delight. ”
I was enamored with the idea that they had somehow found a way to unlock centuries-old memories.
He took his finger and dipped it into one of the small piles of bright yellow powder and then ran it across his tongue before closing his lips around it, savoring the remnants.
His eyes rolled back briefly, and when they returned to set on me, they appeared glassy, like tears could burst forth at any moment.
Tempus relaxed his lean frame on the ground beside me, reclining into the soft cushions, his hands behind his head.
While he lay there, surrendering to the effects of the drug, I let my eyes wander with curiosity.
Some groups used tiny metal instruments to separate the heaps of powder into smaller doses.
Others passed around long, decorative pipes and took turns pressing their lips to the bit.
Many arched their necks and released the smoke into the hovering cloud above them, but I spied one woman hold the smoke in her mouth, then pull another woman into a long kiss, white smoke escaping only when their lips parted.
Attendants made their way through the scene with poise and discretion, bending down to remove empty plates and replacing them with new ones or providing damp rags which individuals placed atop their foreheads or over their eyes.
“Does Vastion come here?” I said quietly, not realizing my internal thoughts had become my words.
My tour guide let out a small, amused laugh from where he was still lying. “Your husband wouldn’t be caught dead in this sort of place.”
“So, he doesn’t use…this?” I said, pointing at the powders. “Whatever this is.”
“I didn’t say that. Who knows where the king’s proclivities lie.” Tempus placed a damp rag atop his forehead. “Though he should, he’s so tightly wound. A few medicinal aids might do him some good, don’t you think?”
I didn’t know if I should agree with him, at least not anywhere others could hear our conversation.
He set the rag on the floor beside him and once again inspected the powders before dipping the tip of his finger in a mound of richly colored sepia dust. “Just a bit,” he said, almost as if he was mulling it over to himself.
“What’s that one do?” I asked curiously.
“Excuse my poor manners! I should have offered; would you like to try some?”
I responded quickly, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Have you even seen a human consume any of these ‘medicinal aids,’ as you call them?”
“I suppose you’re right… Well, not since Queen Kesna. She did like to partake with Harden and I when her husband was away.” He said it so nonchalantly, as if I wouldn’t notice or care. “She was human after all. I presume it would be safe for you.”
“Who is Harden?” I replied.
Lord Tempus let out a bizarre giggle, such a strange sound coming from a grown man, especially one as old as him. “This stuff,” he snickered, “I should know better, I become entirely loose-lipped, every time!”
“Who is he?” I asked again, reminding him of my question.
Tempus rolled over on his side to face me, propping himself up on an elbow and gesturing me to come closer.
“The king’s brother, of course.”
I was almost certain that was the man who I saw in the family portrait, but why had I never heard of Prince Harden, and more importantly, why hadn’t I met him?
“When will we meet?” I inquired anxiously.
The expression on Tempus’s face dropped, a brief hint of sadness in his eyes. “Sadly, you will never be graced by His Highness. He has transitioned to the Endless, just like our dear Kesna.”
There was something somber about his sentiment.
I couldn’t be certain, but it felt like there was a strange connection between the three of them.
I dared not pry further. I didn’t know if he would have told me any of this, had it not been for the influences of this establishment.
But I knew I needed to stay sharp and keep my wits about me.
I would not be partaking in any of this, especially if it made you weak to your own secrets and innermost thoughts.
There was no way I could risk sharing anything about my family’s plans.
As I sat there, observing, I realized I now knew for certain that Vastion did have a brother, and that he was no more, and Kesna had befriended the both of them.
If that was true, then Lord Tempus was taking a risk in divulging his knowledge of her, and I felt one step closer to learning the truth of her demise.
But how did their friendship come about in the first place—and curious that same individual had befriended me.
The room began to feel unbearably warm, and my skin was sweltering under the thick blankets and pillows all around my already plentiful layers of clothes.
I could feel myself perspiring, and I wasn’t sure if I had been doing so all along or if this was another sign of my nerves and rising discomfort.
I pushed the plate to the side. “Thank you for showing me this place, but I think I’m ready to go.
I can find my way back if you wish to remain. ”
Tempus sat up abruptly. “Of course not, we still have one more stop!” He dipped his finger into a beige powder and held it up to me. “Sure you don’t want a taste for the journey?”
I dismissed his offer with a shake of my head, watching him lick his finger once more before we rose to our feet.
We made our way back to the entrance as respectfully as our footsteps allowed, but before exiting, he washed his hands in a bowl of water that had been garnished with purple and black flower petals.
A pleasing harmony of lavender and rose wafted gently from the ornamental dish as he completed the ritual, patting his hands dry on a nearby linen.
As we distanced ourselves from the door, my lungs welcomed the air in the Heart, earthy and damp, yet clean, and blissfully absent of noxious vapors.
I didn’t know if I’d stood too quickly or if it was just my eyes readjusting to the brighter lights, but I felt a bit woozy and lightheaded.
Maybe I was just dehydrated. A cold drink sounded amazing.
“Come, dear, you look positively flushed. Our next stop will be both of need and want…”