She passes out bowls of soup, and the pavilion fills with humans and Enduares alike. Sadly, she doesn’t come to speak to me today.
Instead, I focus on the human man who returned to Enduvida. He also joins us in the meal, clinging to the walls, and I watch him carefully. He looks like a lumber yard slave. While we traveled, he practically refused to look at any of us.
“Have any of you started a mating song?” I ask, turning back to the women at my table.
All of them frown, shaking their heads.
“I’m sure someone will soon,” I say brightly.
“How will we ever find one if they keep separating us from the men?” grumbles a newcomer whom I don’t recognize.
“Are they keeping us separate?” Abi asks.
In response, the woman lifts her spoon from her bowl and points at the entrance.
Not eating, I watch the enormous arches that lead to the feasting area. Every now and again, I see a few of the men try to enter the pavilion, presumably to get a closer look at the humans. They look at us like children look at toys—wide-eyed and somewhat hungry.
It's a stark contrast to the blatant possessiveness that Ra'Sa regards me with, but it's not unwelcome.
A few Enduares helping with the meal approach the new guests, hand them food, and send them away. The men leave, looking miserable.
Interesting.
I continue to watch until Estela walks to the front of the tables.
“¿Todos tienen comida?”?1 she says in the human tongue.
We all start to nod.
Estels steps forward, and I can already tell she’s preparing for a lecture. Our eyes meet, and I cast her a reassuring smile when she opens her mouth.
“As you can imagine, living in a cave is not ideal for humans,” she starts. “The lack of sunlight will do cruel things to your mind, skin, and soul. While leaving the cave is an option, we have had problems with vaimpír attacks. Add in the state of our relationships with the giants, and the wisest place to be is here. Luckily, we have a way for you to get sunlight.”
When Estela reaches into her dress's neckline and pulls it down, I perk up. I'd seen the stone embedded in her chest many times, but now there was a curiosity surrounding it that I didn't have before.
Around me, most of the women let out confused noises, moving forward to get a better look at what they may be missing. Her action only shows about half of the actual stone, for I know that it dips down to the bottom of her breasts.
When she can’t pull down her shirt further, a human man walks forward, one who had lived in Enduvida before we arrived.
He has long, black hair and the beginnings of a beard and pulls up his shirt. He's scrawny as far as slaves go. Interestingly, even a few months under the mountain hasn't improved the constant emaciation most experienced in Zlosa.
His crystal isn't the same shape as Estela's; it's more round and much more red, but I imagine it works similarly in function.
I watch with a critical eye, and a woman shouts,“¿Qué demonios es eso?”?2
The beautiful older Enduar reappears, crystals still chiming, and casts a disapproving look into the crowd. I like her—she doesn't act like any of us are breakable.
When I get back, I'll have to make friends with her.
“It’s called a Fuegorra, and it is our most sacred stone,” the new woman calls back into the crowd. “Enduares have used these gems since the dawn of time. They extend your life, help your body heal when you are ill, and signal your mate. The insertion is not painful, I can assure you—especially since we already have several humans who wear them in their chests.”
As she speaks, I notice that a few Enduar men return, waiting at the entrance. And then, the king quietly breaks away from the meal and exits.
Seeing the king walk away makes me anxious. Hearing about the underground customs doesn’t excite me—not when my top priority is finding a way to back to my family.
I start to hurry out of the area and after the king, only to realize I don't know exactly where he went. I walk faster, reaching another cluster of homes, looking around frantically for the house I’d slept in.
It’s nowhere to be seen.