The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms - By N. K. Jemisin Page 0,74

called me by a boys name. That was clearly not the source of his horror. His eyes had locked on my forehead and the fullblood circle there.

Its all right, Ter. Tvril came up beside me and put a hand on my shoulder. This is the new one.

Relief restored color to the mans face. Sorry, miss, he said, bobbing a greeting to me. I just well. He smiled sheepishly. You understand.

I reassured him again, though I was not entirely sure that I did understand. The man wandered off after that, leaving Tvril and I to ourselvesinasmuch as we could be alone amid such a horde. I could see now that everyone present wore lowblood marks; they were all servants. There must have been nearly a thousand people in the centeryards sprawling space. Tvril was so good at keeping them unobtrusive that Id had no idea there were this many servants in Sky, though I suppose I should have guessed they would outnumber the highbloods.

Dont blame Ter, Tvril said. Todays one of the few days we can be free of rank considerations. He wasnt expecting to see that. He nodded toward my forehead.

What is this, Tvril? Where did these people?

A little favor from the Enefadeh. He gestured toward the entrance wed just walked through, and upward. There was a faint, glasslike sheen to the air all around the centeryard, which I had not noticed before. We stood within a huge, transparent bubble ofsomething. Magic, whatever it was.

No one with a mark higher than quarterblood sees anything, even if they pass through the barrier, Tvril said. An exception was made for me, and, as you saw, we can bring others through if we choose. This means we can celebrate without highbloods coming here to ogle our quaint common-folk customs like were animals in a zoo.

I understood at last, and smiled as I did. It was probably only one of many small rebellions that the lowblood servants quietly fomented against their higher-born relations. If I stayed in Sky longer I would probably see others

But, of course, I would not live long enough for that.

That thought sobered me at once, despite the music and gaiety around me. Tvril flashed me a grin and let go my hand. Well, youre here now. Enjoy yourself for a while, hmm? And almost at the moment he let me go, a woman grabbed him and pulled him into the mass of people. I saw a flash of his red hair among other heads, and then he was gone.

I stood where hed left me, feeling oddly bereft. The servants celebrated on around me, but I was not part of it. Nor could I relax amid so much noise and chaos, however joyous. None of these people were Darre. None of them were under threat of execution. None of them had gods souls stuffed into their bodies, tainting all that they thought and felt.

Yet Tvril had brought me here in an attempt to cheer me up, and it wouldve been churlish to leave right away. So I looked around for some quiet spot where I might sit out of the way. My eyes caught on a familiar faceor at least, it seemed familiar at first. A young man watched me from the steps of one of the cottages, smiling as if he knew me, at least. He was a little older than me, pretty-faced and slender, Tema-looking but with completely un-Tema eyes of faded green

I caught my breath and went over to him. Sieh?

He grinned. Glad to see you out.

Youre I gaped a moment longer, then closed my mouth. I had known all along that Nahadoth was not the only one among the Enefadeh who could change his form. So this is your doing? I gestured at the barrier, which now I could see above us as well, like a dome.

He shrugged. Tvrils people do favors for us all year; its fitting we should pay them back. We slaves must stick together.

There was a bitterness in his tone that I had not heard before. It felt oddly comforting in comparison with my own mood, so I sat down on the steps beside him, near his legs. Together we watched the celebration in silence for a long while. After a time I felt his hand touch my hair, stroking it, and that comforted me further still. Whatever form he took, he was still the same Sieh.

They grow and change so fast, he said softly, his eyes on a group of dancers near