Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Addie felt her cheeks getting hot with a blush.
“Oh, thank you,” she said, smiling back shyly. It had been a long time since she’d had a guy pay so much attention to her and she couldn’t help feeling flattered. Also, so what if he thought he was descended from a spider lady—or a lady spider, depending on how you looked at it. Lx Sambla was definitely the most charming man she’d ever met—the exact opposite of her grim and grumpy Protector.
They passed through the long stone throat of the palace into a smaller and more intimate room. There were various low, comfortable-looking couches and armchairs scattered around, as well as shelves of books and lamps which emitted a warm, golden glow.
“Ah, the Library.” Lx Sambla smiled warmly. “I understand, my lovely one, that you’re an academic,” he remarked to Addie.
“Oh yes—yes, I am.” She nodded, blushing again. “I’d love to read some of these books. If I’m allowed,” she added. “The Translation Bacteria I was given aboard the Mother Ship should make it possible for me to understand them.”
“But of course you are allowed! Pick any one you like” Sambla made a sweeping gesture with one hand that encompassed the many bookcases around the perimeters of the room. “Every book here has something to do with the lore of Sheelash. So in a way, every one is a holy text.”
“Really?” Addie looked around in surprise. There were hundreds—possibly thousands of books here. The Vargans must be extremely devout in their worship of the Spider Goddess, she thought. It was a good thing that Sheelash was just a legend—she wouldn’t want to meet the creature she’d seen in the tapestries for real!
“Yes, really. Please feel free to help yourself to reading material whenever you like,” Lx Sambla told her. “But for now, let me ring for your ladies so they can get you to your chamber where you can change for the feast.”
He picked up a small silver bell which Addie hadn’t seen earlier and rang it exactly three times—ding! ding! ding!
The high, silvery notes were still hanging in the air like crystal raindrops when four almost identical women came quickly into the room. They all had sleek black hair with a platinum blonde stripe down the center and all of them were tall and thin, like Lx Sambla.
Well, all but one, Addie saw. The fourth member of the quartet was considerably shorter—only an inch or two taller than Addie herself. She was also plumper—nearly plus-sized, especially compared to the other three who were almost anorexically thin.
“Here they are—your lovely ladies,” Lx Sambla said, gesturing proudly. “This is Teeza, Peeza, Leeza, and Sparki.” He nodded at them in turn and they nodded back at the mention of their names. The short, plump one was Sparki. She gave Addie a friendly wink that made her smile back.
She’s the one, she thought to herself. Whenever she studied a new culture, she always tried to find one person to get especially close to so she could interview them and pick their brain. She had an idea that the short, friendly Sparki was going to be the person who gave her an inside view of the Vargan culture.
“Girls, this is Lssa Addison, an emissary from the Kindred Mother Ship,” Lx Sambla went on, continuing with the introductions. “She’s a very important person and she’s going to be meeting The Council of the Aged later on, at the feast. Please take her to her room and be sure she’s dressed appropriately.”
“Hello!” trilled the four ladies-in-waiting, coming to surround Addie.
“And here is where I leave you. For I, too, must prepare for the feast.” Lx Sambla relinquished Addie’s arm at last but made a great show of bowing over her hand. “I cannot wait to see you wearing our native Vargan style, my lovely one,” he said to her as he straightened up. “I’m certain you’ll look absolutely stunning.”
Addie felt her face get hot with a blush again and she smiled and nodded back at him.
“Thank you so much, Lx Sambla.”
“You’re more than welcome. I will be counting the hours until we meet again.” He bowed once more, deeply, and then turned smoothly away.
“Well, you must be very important if Lx Sambla is interested in you!” one of the tall, thin Vargan ladies-in-waiting said.
Addie wasn’t sure it was Teeza, Peeza, or Leeza—she had already forgotten which of them was which. It wasn’t too surprising, considering that all of them had the same pale skin and black hair and were all dressed in nearly identical long black dresses. In fact, they all looked kind of Goth—right down to the black lipstick and fingernail polish all of them were wearing.
Only Sparki, the short lady-in-waiting, was different. She was wearing bright pink lipstick and fingernail polish which stood out against her black dress.