We both shake our head, but it’s Luiz who says, “Slaves were friendly with each other to a point in the slave dens, but nothing like how we act here in Enduvida.”
Ulla nods, though. "Interesting. Well, if you're going to stand around talking, you might as well make yourself useful. Here, take this basket and start harvesting those amethyst caps. And don't break their stems or they’ll excrete a bitter flavor." She points at a beautiful mushroom with a pale purple top and dots of turquoise.
I nod and take the basket, grateful for something to do as my unease increases.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, almost like a prickling awareness I'm being watched. I turn around, only to find the darkness of the caves, so I return to the mushrooms and Ulla starts humming again. It's a beautiful melody, one that I don't recognize. I ask her about it.
She seems startled that I would notice. Not quite upset, just uncomfortable. "It's a song about our main goddess, Grutabela," she says, her lips tight. "I wrote it a long time ago, when I was more hopeful about finding love."
"It's beautiful," I reply. "Do you still write songs?"
Ulla nods. "Usually for the festival. It will happen soon, I suppose you... You will be there."
I look up at her. “You mean the Festival of Endu?” That’s my wedding date.
Luiz, somewhat oblivious to our strained interactions, announces that he will head to the pot with his bounty, so I turn to look at the Enduar.
She nods. “Yes. That’s the one.”
"I won’t just be there, I will be getting married. Is that a problem?" I start to prod. The jealousy in my chest is unreasonable. I’ve never had to fight for another man, and I don’t know how to handle the jealousy in my chest. It takes mere moments to check and make sure Teo can’t hear my thoughts.
She shakes her head. "No."
"Are you Teo's lover?" I blurt out. The urge to cover my mouth is strong, but I don't want to back down. The suspicion has been creeping since the first time I saw them together. It has wormed its way into my mind, and I can't let it go.
She looks at me, horrified. "You humans have mouths full of dirt. He is yours now, isn't that enough?"
I tighten my grip on my basket. “But you had a relationship?” She rutted him. It shouldn’t make me disappointed.
She faces me full on. I picked a fight with someone too tall for me, yet again. My knees start to shake.
"How old are you, little human?"
I look up at her, refusing to back down. "Twenty five."
She laughs. "Twenty five years?" she cuts off the ugly sound. "Teo is one hundred and four years old. I am ninety-four."
My mouth hangs open in shock. I knew there was a difference in lifespan between humans and Enduares, but the number still catches me off guard. Ulla, despite her stern exterior, suddenly seems fragile and old.
"I didn't mean to..." I trail off, my voice softening.
Ulla cuts me off with a wave of her hand. "It's fine. We Enduares live longer, but it does not make us immune to feelings," she says, her voice low. "Teo and I, we were once lovers long ago. After—It matters not. We have not been together in a very long time."
I nod, unsure of what to say. The revelation brings me little comfort, yet it explains some of the tension between the two of them.
Ulla turns away from me and continues with her work, and I follow suit. The task of harvesting the mushrooms is surprisingly soothing, and I let my hands work almost automatically.
The tension in my soul eases the longer we work. The silence is nice, and when she takes me to a table to cut, she watches me for several moments. I keep my head down and work.
Chapter21
Unakite
TEO
My sword slices through exoskeleton and thearadhlumscreeches just before I slice off its head. Its fangs glint in the spell light and its thick, viscous innards drain onto the ground. I don’t have time to watch the eight long legs twitch before I jab at another spider.
“A little further up next time, Teo,” Vann says, laughing. “You’re spilling out all the good parts.”