Music & Famine Part 2 (special preview)

I open my eyes and huff. “It’s too warm in here.”

Keres glances to the fire. “We haven’t even added any wood to it.”

“It’s too hot!” I blurt. “I don’t like it. I don’t like you. So just stop bothering me!” I rush out of the room and down the hallway. I’m still burning up. Everywhere I go, it is way too hot. I just want to get cool. I just want to feel normal again.

I go into the great hall and wade down into the water that has pooled there. I kneel down and dunk my head underneath the cold, icy water. My body feels refreshed and soothed, but I am still molten to my core. Between my thighs, the heat is a dull, throbbing ache. My nipples are hard and the wet fabric that rubs against them only makes it worse. As I pull my head up and my hair drapes over my eyes and sticks to my skin, I peer up at the wide open windows. Beyond them, I see the gray clouds turning black and the veins of lightning within them.

I go outside, stepping along the cobblestone path that leads me up into the clouds. I step inside, hearing the snarling and growling. A flashing light goes by and hisses at me. The little lightning creatures look like a mix of cat and rabbit. They’re big, fat, fluffy things with pointed up ears and slanted eyes. Dozens of them run about the clouds, zigzagging and hissing as I walk amongst them. 

“Aella?” I call out. “Sister?”

“I am busy!” A voice roars and tons of the lightning creatures rush passed me in a flurry. “I can’t be bothered now! Who is there?” Her voice is deep and booming.

“It’s Etude,” I call out.

“Oh! The baby?” I step down into a black cloud where I see Aella sitting in a chair that is surrounded my gears, levers, buttons and a huge glowing screen right in front of her. “What are you doing here?”

Aella is tall with thick arms and legs. Her hair is a wild crown of tight curls and she’s wearing a massive set of goggles in front of gray eyes.

“I had a question,” I reply as a baby lightning creature wanders up to me. I pick it up, letting it bite and gnaw at my fingers. “About the horsemen.”