Chapter 7

Atlas

My head spun as we walked through the main street of the Legislative District. Of all the scenarios I envisioned as to how the events of the day would unfold once Ajustus informed us the Prism had been found, this never would have entered my mind.

I, a Black Achromatic, had a mate.

The look on my guards' faces would forever remain burnt in my very soul. It was the oddest mix of awe, shock, and hope that this could be the seed of a massive change that had always been deemed an impossible dream. Not only was one of us publicly and legally mated, but I had been blessed.

Every three generations, after he emerged from his chrysalis, the Prism would grant his blessing to a single person. He normally bestowed that honor upon the Primus or Prima, hence why Ajustus had been so eager to appropriate that title. Even now, the foreign power coursed through me, making me slightly dizzy, as if I had overindulged in alcoholic beverages.

The eyespots in my wings felt like gaping holes hungrily absorbing every color. For the first time, I got a glimpse of what it must be like to be an Achromatic White, with the energy of every color flooding your senses, demanding to be channeled into potent magic. And yet, what struck me as an immense upgrade was likely nothing but a trickle in comparison to what Polychromatics could achieve.

I would need to properly master this increased ability. Now, even more so than in my role as Razus of the Black Guard, every action I took going forward would be scrutinized and weaponized against other Achromatics.

A dense crowd lined the streets. We expected as much, as our people would want to bear witness to the Prism journeying through our city en route to what everyone assumed would have been Ajustus's mansion. But that crowd had grown exponentially as word of the unexpected turn of events quickly spread.

My Black Guards had already scattered along the path, keeping the people in check. Although I did not expect any attack or any form of upheaval, the Guards' presence would help prevent anyone rushing us as well as quiet down potential aggressive shouts.

Many faces displayed mesmerized expressions, bordering on religious fervor as they gazed upon the Prism on his floating platform. But a non-negligible number of other bystanders made no secret of their anger and outrage at seeing that one such as me and a Monochromatic off-worlder were chosen as the protectors of the divine Prism.

The one thing that seemed to somewhat appease them was the presence of Ajustus walking in front of us. Despite the humiliating way in which the Prism rejected him, the Chancellor wanted to claim some kind of ownership by taking the lead. It slightly annoyed me. But I still took a shamefully malicious pleasure knowing that I bested him—me, someone he deemed lower than dirt and so far beneath him.

Overhead, the master of keys was flying to go unlock the house. Normally, we would all be flying at only a couple of meters above ground. But as my mate didn't possess any wings—another thing that made her appointment as Prima even more offensive to my people—we agreed to walk instead.

My mate...

I gave her a discreet sideways glance, and a maelstrom of emotions surged through me. Despite our obvious anatomical differences, Venus was very pretty… beautiful even. The way she put the elite in their places still left me reeling. My mate was fierce, strong, and not intimidated in the least by those people who so loved to throw their weight and influence around.

And she chose me. Venus freely picked me.

It's not a real marriage.

The searing pain that cut through my chest at that sad reminder took me aback. I didn't know this female. Yes, she chose me, but not out of love. I just turned out to be the less bad option in a pool of terrible ones. Our union would not be filled with the love, joy, and complicity that tied a true couple. There would be no offspring to embody that love. Anyway, there would be no future for me.

Still, for the next three to four months before my time came, I would get to be a husband. I would get to experience something my brothers could only ever dream about, even if only partially.

Apparently unfazed by the conflicting emotions expressed by the crowd, Venus was taking in the city with undisguised curiosity laced with a hefty dose of admiration. I immediately wondered what she thought of it, and how it compared to the cities of her homeworld as well as the countless others she visited when she traveled through the stars.

I still struggled with that concept despite having now interacted on a few occasions with other off-worlders and seeing their insane technology.

"We are in the Legislative District," I explained, breaking the otherwise comfortable silence between us.

Venus glanced at me, her curious and attentive expression encouraging me to continue. For some silly reason, that made me feel warm inside.

"This is the Senate and seat of our government led by Ajustus," I said pointing at it. "Over there, you can see the courthouse. We have some minor courts scattered in other districts and neighborhoods of the city, but most of the major cases are adjudicated here. And these are respectively the Fiscal Administration Ministry, the Department of Education, and this other one houses Emergency Services."

"What about the Department of Defense?" Venus asked.

"The city only has the Black Guard Headquarters located a few blocks away from here," I replied, amused by her stunned expression. "It serves both as our barracks and command center. We're a peaceful species. There haven't been any wars between the major cities in centuries. We only ever deal with the standard crimes, and the occasional threat from roaming beasts in neighboring forests. Until recently, off-worlders never bothered us. Aside from speculations as to what could lurk beyond the stars, we didn't even know you existed."

"Wow," she whispered, visibly baffled. "So you and your guards ensure the protection of the entire city?"

I shook my head. "Civil Protectors handle the residential areas. They are mostly Gray, Blue, and Pink Monochromatics."

Her brow shot up with surprise. "Really? Why not Blacks?"

I smiled. For a reason I couldn't explain, her genuine curiosity stroked my ego. People usually didn't care much about protective services, except when they needed us.

"Because Blacks are more powerful when it comes to crime prevention as we nullify magic. Since Polychromatics mostly live in the Legislative District, other Monochromatics would struggle to counter potential attacks. Therefore, it is safer for them to deal with the commoners with lesser magic."

She frowned, not with displeasure, but the way one does when trying to solve a mystery.

"What about the Whites?" she asked.

I gave her an apologetic look. "They're outcasts. It's too dangerous to allow them to live within the city walls."

She recoiled and gave me a disbelieving look. "They're too dangerous, how?"

"They can channel every color. In a fit of anger, of panic, or of any other powerful emotional response, they could literally raze the city to the ground, whether intentionally or not."

"You say that as if it already happened before," she replied, her voice tense.

I nodded. "It has happened. Younglings are particularly dangerous where that is concerned. A tantrum by most other colors is fairly easily contained, but by Whites can be devastating."

She pursed her lips, then slowly nodded. "So they're not allowed to come into the city?"

I hesitated. "They're not forbidden to enter, but they're strongly encouraged to keep it to a strict minimum, and only when essential. Before they enter, they must wear a shawl over their wings. It is an occluding cloak that is locked by one of the Black Guards at the entrance of the city so that they cannot channel magic."

The displeased expression on her face shamed me, even though I had nothing to do with instating these laws. From the moment she arrived, Venus had not been exposed to the nicer sides of our culture. Before my time was up and she returned to her own people, I intended to show her that not everything and not everyone on Sylvar was as bad as she probably believed.

She suddenly pointed at a corner building as we reached another intersection.

"Is that a restaurant?"

"Yes," I eagerly replied, grateful for the change of topic.

"What do Prometheans normally eat?" she asked, her previous enthusiastic curiosity having returned.

"Meat, vegetables, and grains. From my understanding, our diet is fairly similar to yours. Except for fish and seafood. We do not consume those," I explained.

That took her aback. "No fish? Why is that?"

"Eating them often results in poisoning," I explained. "It's not all the time. It comes and goes, without any clear explanation. For certain periods of time, they will be entirely safe to consume. And then during others, they will have certain toxins that will prove lethal to us."

"That is strange. Are these periods always the same or on a predictable cycle?" she asked, looking troubled.

I shook my head. "It seems entirely random. For this reason, it was deemed safer to simply stop eating them rather than risking poisoning. Daily testing would be impossible to maintain in a viable fashion, especially for those who would make a living out of that industry. There's an environmental explanation, I'm sure. Unfortunately, our scientists have not figured it out yet."

"Yeah, I think you might be correct."

She opened her mouth to say something else likely on that topic, but her eyes widened as she noticed something to my left. Curious, I glanced in that direction to see what caught her attention.

"Is that a hair salon?!" Venus exclaimed, pointing at it.

"It's an aesthetician boutique," I gently corrected. "They offer hair care, shine scales, trim furs, groom antennae, and mend small tears and fraying in our wings."

The air of excitement on her face took me by surprise. Going to the aesthetician qualified as a chore, not something people normally were thrilled about.

"That's awesome! But what about mani-pedis?" she asked.

"Mani what?" I repeated, confused.

"Manicures and pedicures," Venus said, as if it was self-evident before showing me her hands. "You know, taking care of nails of both hands and feet."

"Oh!" I said with sudden understanding as we turned the corner into that final stretch towards our destination. "Yes, aestheticians provide grooming services for hand and feet claws."

"But do they paint them?" she insisted.

I recoiled. "No. We do not apply color to our claws."

Her shoulders slumped, and she gave me that wary look people had when asking something they feared would be denied or shot down.

"What about massages?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"Facials? Waxing? You don't have spas?" Venus asked back-to-back, with me apologetically shaking my head after each question.

"Good grief!" she said, looking devastated before a horrified expression descended over her features. "Oh, my God, there's no way I will find my hair care products here!"

My eyes flicked towards the fascinating tight curls of her black hair, neatly plaited into two braids. "I'm not sure what products they are, and I suspect you are correct in that you won't find them here. But if you know the ingredients, I can ask one of our alchemists to try and reproduce it for you."

My heart sank at the defeated look she gave me. We'd barely been married for thirty minutes, and I was already failing my mate. Granted, no one could be reasonably expected to possess off-worlder products we'd never even heard of. But I was determined to fix it. However short our union would last, I intended to be the best husband she could have hoped for.

A few minutes later, we finally reached the Silver Mansion. I still couldn't believe that I would be setting foot inside, this time not as a Black Guard, but as the actual resident. It was one of the fanciest guest houses, reserved for the highest-ranking visiting officials to our city. The elite had to be seething at the thought that one such as I got to call this place home for the next three months.

A strange form of relief washed over me when we finally reached the mansion. Athalix, the Master of Keys, was already standing on the porch with the front door opened. I know the place well for having previously escorted esteemed guests here on various occasions. Judging by the begrudging fashion in which Athalix handed me the keys, he clearly struggled with the idea I would live here. Despite being a Polychromatic himself, he could never hope to sleep in this fancy residence. It had to sting in the worst way knowing that I would.

I'd never been the petty or malicious type. And yet, I couldn't repress a taunting smirk, which further infuriated the male. Venus had an unreadable expression on her face. And yet, at a visceral level, I believed she was also deriving some uncharitable pleasure at his discontent.

Ajustus stood stiffly on the porch next to us, while Pythus and Leodros went inside the house to make sure everything was secure within. It felt odd as I was normally the person leading such inspections. But under the circumstances, I technically qualified as one of the protected instead of the protector.

"This is a tremendous duty that has been bestowed upon you, Razus Atlas," Ajustus said in a pompous tone, projecting far more loudly than necessary.

But then, he always made a spectacle of everything. And in this instance, he was desperately trying to give the impression that he still had some form of control over the situation. Considering that the crowd gathered outside the house—and kept on the other side of the street by the Black Guards—couldn't hear our conversation, this display was even more ridiculous.

"The Senate will expect regular reports as to the welfare of the Prism, as well as regular access to him so that we can make sure all is well," he continued in a commanding tone.

"Reports will not be a problem," Venus interjected in my stead. "As for regular visits, the Prism will have to agree to those."

"Excuse me?!" Ajustus exclaimed, sounding outraged.

"Based on the tingling that appeared at the back of my head the moment you said that, it sounds like Xarin isn't too keen on hosting guests. I can only assume he needs to save his energy for his development," Venus said matter-of-factly. "Therefore, unless it is absolutely necessary or that the Prism himself requires it, I will severely limit random visits. If you need reassurance as to his welfare—beyond the confirmation by your highest-ranking public defender—then I'll be happy to have live conference calls with you to show you that he is fine. Your technology supports it."

By the Lights, there was something insanely sexy about watching my mate verbally slap that obnoxious male in the politest and most reasonable voice possible. Should I be ashamed to be this turned on to have her knock him down another notch or two and remind him that he wasn't in control?

However, as much as his dismay pleased me, I did not miss the spark of hatred in his eyes.

I didn't think he would do anything as reckless as an assassination attempt, but I didn't doubt he would find ways to make Venus's life impossible and undermine her authority at every opportunity.

The protective rage that surged within me left me reeling. The Chancellor would soon discover a far less gentle side of me if he tried to mess with her.

"As there has never been an issue with my reports in the past, I'm certain the Senate will have nothing to worry about," I said, holding the Chancellor's gaze unwaveringly, with a hint of dare in mine.

He pursed his lips and made a noncommittal grunt. "The only thing we care about is the welfare of the Prism."

"And we will ensure it," I retorted in a cool voice. "Now, as I believe my guards have completed their inspection of the mansion, it would be time to get Xarin properly situated and out of the sun. We wouldn't want the heat to dry his chrysalis more than necessary. Good day, Chancellor."

I nearly burst out laughing at Ajustus's expression. He looked like he had bitten into something foul to be summarily dismissed by an Achromatic.

Without waiting for his response, I waved a hand inviting my mate to enter. Pythus and Leodros framed the wide doors into the greeting antechamber. She gave me a smile, the amused spark in her eyes giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling.

We'd only met a few hours ago, and yet an undeniable type of complicity seemed to exist between us. A part of me felt like I'd known her forever. Granted, our similar dislike of the Chancellor and our sincere desire to protect the Prism were truly the bond that linked us. Still, I liked this inexplicable chemistry I felt with this fascinating female.

Ajustus utterly failed to hide his balefulness as he watched Xarin enter the mansion on his hovering platform. The fool didn't seem to realize that the Prism could perceive the negative energy emanating from him. He should know better. He made a disgusted sound then walked down the entrance path towards the street. He spread his arms wide in a victorious gesture to the crowd, who shouted and acclaimed him. I clamped down on the urge to roll my eyes and turned to face the Master of Keys.

I wanted him to leave as well so that I could finally be alone with my mate. She and I needed to sort out how our lives had suddenly been turned upside down.

"As you know, Razus Atlas, the guests of the Silver Mansion are entitled to catering and decoration services. Will the Prima require them?" Athalix asked with constrained politeness.

Venus frowned while I clenched my teeth. With us now being married, he should have asked if both of us required those services. That he only asked if Venus wanted them was a not-so-subtle slight against me. A part of me wanted to call him out on it, but his bitterness wasn't worth my time or energy.

"Catering services would be good so that my mate can focus on adjusting to her new life among us," I said in a neutral tone. "For tonight's meal, please have a sampler platter prepared for her so that she can get a better sense of which dishes of our cuisine appeal the most to her, if any."

He pinched his lips, annoyed to no end to receive orders from me, but merely responded with a stiff nod. I then turned to Venus.

"Would you like to take advantage of the decoration services," I asked her in a gentle tone. "As you can see, the house is entirely white with silver accents, thus its name Silver Mansion. Normally, the decorator helps by adding furniture and other adornments matching the colors of the guests' wings, so that they can draft magic. But as you do not possess wings, do you still want to modify the decoration, or are you content with our surroundings as is?"

"I would definitely want the decorator," Venus said promptly. "This place is stunning but much too plain due to lack of color."

"Very well," I replied with a smile, before glancing at Athalix. "You've heard the Prima. We'll take both services."

He nodded stiffly before taking his leave. It couldn't have been too soon.

"The Prima's belongings have been set in the living area," Pythus explained. "Do you require a unit to guard the house?"

I shook my head. "The security system should suffice. But have a few of the night patrol add this street to their route. And disperse the crowd as soon as possible."

In the morning, I would go gather what meager belongings I had in the barracks.

"Understood, Razus."

He gave Venus a timid smile punctuated with a polite nod, then cast a mesmerized glance at the Prism before taking his leave, shadowed by Leodros.

"Well, that was interesting," Venus said as soon as the door closed behind the guards.

"It certainly isn't how I expected this day to turn out," I said, slightly amused but also still pinching myself over it.

"Believe me, the last twenty-four hours still feel completely surreal to me. Landing here and being appointed as the Prima of a demigod did not feature in my schedule at all," she replied, looking a little overwhelmed.

She opened her mouth to say something else but suddenly blinked then shook her head, as if trying to dispel a wave of dizziness.

"What's wrong? Are you unwell?" I asked, instantly worried.

I unconsciously took a step closer to her, ready to catch her in case her knees wavered.

"What the heck?" Venus whispered, sounding confused. She blinked and shook her head some more.

"What's going on?" I asked, my worry cranking up another notch.

My antennae weren't picking up any airborne substances that could potentially affect her.

"I keep seeing a strange room flashing before me. It has a swirling back wall," Venus said while rubbing her temples.

"The boudoir!" I exclaimed.

"What?"

I smiled. "It appears that Xarin wants us to put him inside the boudoir."

In direct response to my comment, the surface of the Prism's cocoon shimmered with a soft glow.

"He sent me that image?!" Venus exclaimed while gaping at Xarin.

I nodded. "It is the common way the Prism communicates with his Primus, or in this case Prima. It might get tricky to interpret what he means at first, especially if he refers to specific locations. But I know this world well. If you describe to me what you see, I will help you decipher it."

"Oh, wow! That's actually kind of cool. But does that happen often? Does he have frequent conversations with people?" she asked, looking intrigued as she gazed upon the cocoon.

"Frequent, no. Based on history, interactions with the Prism are very minimal during his metamorphosis. It may occur a bit more frequently from time to time, but it's always only with the Prima," I explained while opening the secondary doors of the antechamber into the main living area.

Even though this wasn't a home I had personally acquired for her, seeing Venus's eyes light up as she took in the magnificence of the mansion awakened an irrational pride mixed with longing in my chest. Many a night, I fantasized about picking a home with my mate and decorating it based on her colors. I certainly had plenty of funds for it. After all, I had nothing to spend my wages on.

"Wow! This place is so incredibly luminous!" Venus whispered with awe as we walked past the spacious living area and headed down the wide corridor to the boudoir located on the right side of the house.

I nodded as I gazed at the large floor to ceiling windows covering a large part of the walls, not to mention the many lightwells on the ceiling.

"We need light to see colors and therefore to cast magic," I explained as I opened the door to the boudoir. "That's why most of our residences are single-story buildings with plenty of openings for the light to flood in regardless of the hour of the day. We also space the buildings far apart to avoid creating shadows on each other."

"Which explains those occluding shades for when you guys want to sleep," Venus said with understanding.

"Indeed. However, we do have pretty good night vision. But it doesn't allow us to draft as our vision is then monochromatic," I replied.

We entered the room, and I guided Xarin's hovering platform directly in front of the large fireplace which sat below the feature wall of the room. Sculpted with lumen, the swirling pattern covering the entire wall attempted to replicate the shimmering lights of a magnetic storm. As soon as the platform reached its destination, the cocoon slightly glowed, expressing the Prism's approval.

Here, too, the large windows allowed for plenty of light and gave a stunning view of one of the mansion's three gardens. Two long benches and one large round pouf were laid out in a U-shape in front of the fireplace. All of them were white with silver cushions.

"This is insane," Venus whispered to herself as she stared at the wall.

"What is?" I asked in a soft tone. "The wall matching the image you saw?"

She nodded. "It's crazy how vivid it was. But how does he know what this wall looks like? Has he been here before? And right now, does he see us?"

I hesitated. "I cannot pretend to be an expert as to what powers the Prism possesses. From what we are taught, he cannot see the way you and I do. He hears everything within our normal hearing range, but he perceives things at a psychic and empathic level on a far wider range. It is said that he could communicate with his Primus or Prima even as far as the next city."

"Only the Primus or Prima? Could he contact you if you were in a different city?"

I shook my head. "He established a bond with you. Only you two share that connection."

She nodded slowly while studying the cocoon. "So what happens now? What else do we have to do for him?"

"Nothing," I replied with a smile. "If he requires anything personally—which is unlikely—he will communicate with you with imagery. I suspect he will contact you, but not for himself. My intuition says he has plans for you that he will communicate in his own time."

"Plans like what?" Venus insisted.

I shrugged and gave her an apologetic look. "I'm just a Black Guard. I know nothing of the secrets of the gods."

"You're not just a Black Guard," she countered with an unreadable expression. "You, too, were chosen by the Prism and blessed. I suspect he has a plan for you as well, Atlas."

Her words troubled me, especially because they rang oddly true.

"Time will tell soon enough, I guess."

"It will," she replied in a mysterious tone.

"Come, let me give you the tour so that you can pick the room you wish to sleep in," I said, gesturing at the door.

She hesitated and cast an uncertain look at the chrysalis. "Is he safe here?"

The genuine worry emanating from her instantly had my chest filling with warmth. Once again, she was demonstrating why Xarin chose her. We were nothing to this off-worlder, and yet she expressed more concern for him than our own people had since his return.

"Yes, Venus. He is safe here. No one would dare attack him—not that he is helpless. But this house possesses a great security system, and I will have guards on rotation around the house, whenever I'm not here, and patrols when we sleep. And once again, if he needs anything, you will be the first person he will communicate with."

"Okay, then," Venus replied, looking relieved.

We walked around the house, visiting each of the four bedrooms, two of them large enough to qualify as master bedrooms. After she picked the one closest to the boudoir, I brought her meager possessions to the room.

A powerful sense of longing surged through me when she pointed where she wanted me to put them with an air of gratitude. The domestic feel of it all struck me hard. Even as I reminded myself that I should be grateful to spend the last months of my life playing husband in a true home, it still hurt that it wouldn't be real.

Although I couldn't deny that Venus possessed agreeable features, I wasn't attracted to her in the traditional sense. So why did I feel so sad that we would not be sharing a room like a normal couple?

Because you want to cuddle.

That, too, struck me like a boulder to the chest. Like all Achromatics, I never had a romantic partner. I didn't crave sex per se, but I longed for the affectionate closeness of a gentle embrace. The thought of falling asleep while holding someone special against me clawed at my heart.

Anyway, any weird fantasies I may entertain about her would go nowhere. As she was human, we were probably incompatible anatomically speaking. And even if we somehow were, we couldn't possibly have offspring. Our species were much too different for that.

To my shock, my overly fertile imagination started flashing countless images of what a child born of Venus and me could possibly look like. Dismayed, I even started wondering what it would feel like to hold my own child in my arms.

"I will leave you to settle in," I said, silencing these inappropriate thoughts before they drove me to distraction. "I will be in the other room at the back of the hallway if you need me."

"Okay. Thank you for everything," Venus replied, her dark gaze lingering on me with that strange expression again.

What I wouldn't give to know what thoughts were crossing her mind, and especially how she felt about being married to me.

Forcing a smile on my face, I turned around and left her room.