I snorted, choking back my laughter too late. How did he get through so easily? Especially when I couldn’t get through it to get tohim.
“Why would you think so ill of us, Namenthien?”the Iris female responded.
In our minds.
Great. More voices in my head.
I kept my mouth shut. I really just wanted to get this over with. I needed a Raephim, not an Iris. I didn’t dare speak that out loud, though. Even if it seemed she could read our minds.
Iris were the second ranking angels and higher ranks to Seraphim. With galactic skin, unseeing eyes that glowed like white lights, and ivory hair tumbling to their feet, they all contained immeasurable ethèr within them. Their power was endless. Breathtaking. They were Revelators. If they sang it, said it, or even whispered it, it would come to pass. And with far more cataclysm then any angel could ever fathom.
Iris were not to be played with. They were so powerful, they didn’t see with their eyes. They saw with their minds.
I felt so exposed, standing here before her. Or them? She had said “us” after all. Stars. I wanted to turn around and fly.
“Raise your heads and look out,” she commanded gently into our minds.
We obeyed her. My nostrils flared at all the ceremonial bowls, baskets, plates, vases, and other items I didn’t recognize. These had to be for the Purification ritual I assumed. Or maybe they wouldn’t be used at all. While the waters in the large ivory basin were iridescent, the surrounding trees, rooted in the clouds, were ivory with golden leaves.
On a dais beyond, stood seven Iris. Each had different colored galactic skin, with their unseeing incandescent eyes. They wore long, lavish robes that fell down their bodies from the neck down in wide silken waterfalls, colored in shades of ivory, sky blue, lavender, and gold. Each one had strong facial features with thick brows, full lips, winged ears, curvaceous bodies, and bone white hair hanging by their ankles. They were gloriously stunning.
“Mortent Quazar and Seraphim Safah, please remove your clothing, down to your bare coverings. Then enter the purification waters.”
“Remove…what?” I looked between the Iris and Quazar, my face flushing. I had to…strip? Stars no. I was not doing it. Iwouldn’t stand here nude with this son of a Fallen King staring at me like the Farasees had earlier in the dawn. Absolutelynot.
“Seraphim Safah, you will obey by will or by force. Choose now.”
The female Iris left no room for debate in her statement. Quazar began unbuttoning his waistcoat, dropping it to the floor as if he was removing shackles from off his shoulders. Then he started unbuttoning the pressed shirt beneath.
“Are you nuts?” I asked him, eyes widening. “You can’t just get naked?—”
“Listen,” he cut in. “Youmay be willing to go toe to toe with an Iris.” He removed the shirt, then started for the buttons of his pants. “Me on the other hand? I’ve been blessed with the wonderful gift of self-awareness. I’m not getting my tail rocked by higher ranks over some exposed skin.”
I watched him drop his pants, kick off his boots, then socks. I couldn’t help staring. Stars. Those hypnotizing eyes. Those full, very kissable lips. Andlights. Those biceps. Strong, muscular…touchable.
I wanted to reach out and brush my fingers down their length. And that stomach. Covered in abs, with a slight sheen of sweat from the heat. But beyond his ripped muscles, my eyes were glued to the inscriptions.
Line after line after line was meticulously inscribed into his skin. I looked them over, but they were in a language I couldn’t understand. They curled around his neck, and went down his torso, arms, hands, stomach. And lower still.
I took a peek at his feet, and saw they were covered, too. Every inch of him had these inscriptions. And between the lettering were different images embedded throughout his body, like linguistic emphasis for the written word beneath it. I blinked several times, mesmerized. Then I remembered I was staring and wrenched my eyes away. Quazar lowered his eyes to mine.
“Well?” He raised a brow. “Titombwe starts at the end of dawn.” He blinked, looking into the cloudy heavens. “The suns are descending, Starling.”
“I told you to stop calling me that.”
“Then stop stalling.”
I glared at him.
“I amnotstalling. This is inappropriate. I am not just going strip myself and?—”
“You can’t be this grownandprude. It just isn’t possible,” Quazar rumbled. “You’re jittery over the body of a male? I’m in my rot…burningmale briefs. Get a grip on yourself. I’m not cleaning the chambers of the Scourgers because you’re afraid of skin,” he snapped. “Drop your stupid gown so we can get this over with.”
He was right. If I didn’t listen, we’d be late for Titombwe, or worse, miss it altogether. I wouldn’t give Kaelthos the satisfaction of sentencing us to be handled by the Scourgers.
I turned around, giving my back to Quazar. Stars. I’d never had to expose myself like this to another male, or an audience of higher ranks, before.
Holy. To whatever end.
