Page 7 of For the Strange and Surprising

They force me to stop in front of a fountain as the dipshit with the spear talks quietly to a new beast-man. The water fixture is amazing and perplexing. The streams cascade up and out, landing in a bowl. It must be made of glass, because the water doesn’t spill over. The liquid sits, floating above the ground with nothing visible holding it up.

Before I can truly examine it, my back is shoved again, propelling me forward toward a... hut? It looks like a castle and a pile of sticks had a gorgeous baby.

My mind is whirling.

I think I have a concussion, except I don’t recall hitting my head.

The windows are enormous, but the glass appears to be liquid. The surfaces flow like water over rocks. The door we come to is that same way. As we get closer, the water falls to expose the inside corridor. A single drop splashes out of line, and it’s quickly sucked back into formation. My eyes follow the droplet all the way to the slim line of water that the beast-men step over.

Dehydration and too much sun.

That’s the answer to everything I’m seeing.

The corridor is dim and cool with a fine mist in the air that makes my skin feel sticky and wet. The bricks on the floor remind me of the ancient architecture I’ve seen in history books and museums. I feel as though I’ve stepped into a mystical version of eleventh-century Europe.

We come to a set of wooden double doors, and I’m transfixed. Water runs between each plank of wood, glistening as the sun streams through giant, open windows. I finally feel a breeze, and though it cools my heated skin down, I still break into a sweat when I glance ahead of us, into the cavernous room.

A woman sits on what I can only describe as a throne.

She’s all dark hair, fair complexion, and slightly wrinkled across her forehead and around her eyes. Her laugh lines appear as she smiles genuinely at me.

The beast-men surrounding me drop to one knee, and I falter. Am I supposed to kneel? Why would I? Who is she? So, I just stare at her, a small smile lifting my lips against my will because her expression is one of joy and relief. And though I don’t understand what’s happening, it’s contagious.

Every second that passes leaves me with more questions.

“You may take your leave,” she announces regally.

I shrug and turn to walk away. Her laughter fills the room as the beast-men bow and retreat.

“Not you, sweet girl. The guards may leave. You and I have much to talk about.”

I squeeze my eyes closed and will my mind to stop playing tricks on me. When I open them once more, the woman in front of me has her lips pinched together in amusement. Her posture relaxes as she waves me closer.

There’s only one beast-man left in the room, and he rushes over with a three-legged stool for me to balance on.

“Please, sit. I’ve been told that you are Adelaide Storm. Is that correct?”

“How do you—”

She flicks her hand dismissively. “It’s not important right now, sweet girl. We’ll cross that stream when we get to it. I want to know how you got here.”

“I-I was fishing when a sudden storm blew in. A waterspout formed, and my boat wasn’t quick enough to get out of the way. The next thing I knew, I was underwater.”

She nods her head, seemingly interested.

I shrug. “I swam to the shore and passed out. I woke up to one of those monsters poking me with his spear.”

“Oh, goodness,” she gasps, adjusting her posture. “I told them to be gentle. I hope that was their only infraction.”

“If you exclude dragging me up by my hair, then yes.” I smile sarcastically. “They were gentle enough.”

“I’ll take care that they mind their space around you.” Her brows draw down as she frowns. “That kind of behavior isn’t acceptable with you, and they should know that.”

I open my mouth to tell her that she shouldn’t worry about it, but all that comes out is a whispered, “I’m so confused.”

She nods thoughtfully. “I’m sure you are. I remember my first day well. It was rough and a much different time. But it will all start to make sense soon. You may call me Isolde.”

Her introduction is an afterthought, like she hasn’t told anyone her name in years. Given the room and all the items inside, I think that’s probably accurate. She isn’t used to meeting people who don’t know who she is.