Chapter 4: Andromeda

Andromeda Celaeno woke up to the sound of wood slamming on stone and a throbbing headache, pain radiating from a small bump at the back of her head.

Stars, not again.

She winced and slowly sat up, squinting at the light shining into her eyes. It was midday, and the sun had perfectly angled itself to shine right where Andromeda had fallen. The window had been left open, and the frame was being knocked into the wall by the ocean breeze. Luckily, her mother was out with a few of her friends and couldn’t catch her daughter unconscious on the floor.

How long was I out this time?

With a sigh, Andromeda pushed herself to her feet, the room spinning. She stood for a couple of seconds, blinking rapidly to clear her vision, before finally walking over to close the window, trapping the breeze outside.

Her reading glasses, round and held by thin metal frames, sat on the floor by her foot. She swiped them up and hooked them onto her shirt. Andromeda gingerly touched the back of her head where it had hit the floor. She reckoned she’d be fine, albeit with a swelling bruise for the coming days. She dusted herself off before going back to her room, trying to remember what she had been doing before she blacked out.

This habit of suddenly falling asleep had been happening for a couple of weeks now. Andromeda would slip away unexpectedly, whenever her body wanted her to, and enter what she liked to call a dream state. They had started out few, with much time in between veiled visions that held almost no meaning most of the time. But their frequency had recently begun to speed up quite a bit, and she didn’t know how much longer she could keep it hidden from her mother. Her father was none the wiser, gone on another one of his business trips.

This one had been about...people? I was in a crowd of people, moving towards somewhere… Her mind struggled to piece together the fragments as she walked into her bathroom.

Andromeda splashed ice-cold water on her face, looking at herself in the mirror. Wild strands of caramel-colored hair sprung from her head, and she half-heartedly brushed it back. Her normally tanned skin was paler than what it used to be, and dark bags sat under her eyes thanks to countless sleepless nights.

She needed some fresh air.

Grabbing her old leather shoes, Andromeda slipped them on and headed outside. The warm breeze greeted her as she started to make her way down the path to the market. She knew it was risky to go out in public, but she trusted herself enough not to slip again so soon.

Hopefully.

As far as she knew, no one else has ever recorded dream experiences like Andromeda’s before. She had searched every library in the Aquae Court city, asked any doctor or scholar she could find, but all they did was give her an exasperated look and tell her to take her nose out of the mythological books. It left her feeling frustrated and alone, no one willing to help her.

She’ll just have to figure it out herself.

The dirt path was smooth under her feet, wide and lightly imprinted with footsteps and hooves. The sounds of the seaside market slowly became a buzz as she neared it, floating along the wind. Tall trees spotted the path with patches of sunlight and shadow, the salty smell of the sea lazily hanging in the air. One more turn on the bend, and the fresh sight appeared in all its glory.

Large, colorful tarps were strung up next to each other, and people bustled around to get to each one. Spices hung in the air with the ocean’s saltiness. Fish, vegetables, fruits, grains, and more sat under the cool shadow of the tarps. People yelled out offerings of clothes, food, medicine, and weapons. Anyone could easily get lost without knowing what was where, the renowned seaside market stretching out farther than she could see.

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She stepped forward and was immediately encompassed in the bustling crowd, the wide beach melting into the ocean behind her. Her shoulders began to relax, and she let herself take a deep breath, closing her eyes for a brief moment. The sun stood over them, squares of shade from the tarps blocking out its bright rays.

“Good day, Andromeda!” called Rohesia, the woman who sold the sweet, dried fruit. She gave her a wave and a smile, her modest, open air shop filled with brightly colored baskets that shined like jewels in the daylight.

Next to her was the new tailor that had moved in the week before, his stand already fluttering with unfinished pieces of cloth. Andromeda gave him a shy nod, not quite remembering his name.

“Andie! Over here!”

A familiar voice called her name, and Andromeda caught a glimpse of her mother weaving her way through the crowd towards her. Her hair was in a short braid, white streaks peeking in between her honeyed twists and exposing her lightly lined face. Small pearls dangled on her ears, ones that Andromeda’s father had given her the last time he was home.

“You’re out of the house! Oh, that’s wonderful, I just finished with the ladies. Come, let’s stroll around for a bit.” She drew closer through the moving crowd, deftly and easily.

“Oh, Mum, I just came for fresh air, that’s all.”

“Shh, you’ve barely seen the sun these past few weeks. You’re so pale. Come with me.”

Andromeda smiled at her mother, even as her insides began to churn. She reluctantly let her take her arm and lead her deeper into the crowd towards one of the many stalls.

As they walked deeper into the market, Andromeda nervously rubbed the birthmark at her wrist. An odd habit, but one she couldn’t suppress. Although the oceanside market was usually a comforting sight for her, she still had plenty to be nervous about. She couldn’t stay out here for long, or else she’d give her mother a fright if she seemingly dropped dead.

She dodged to the left as a group of fishermen cut through the crowd, nets and spears in their hands. They yelled and joked with one another, moving towards the sea where piers and docks were waiting for them to jump in.

They reached her mother’s destination, a stall boasting colorful fabrics and clothes. This one was much bigger, spread out in multiple places and allowing customers to actually enter underneath the tarp.

“Here, pick out something nice for yourself,” her mother said, her arms already deep into a pile of silky blouses. Andromeda chuckled as she stepped away and turned to another table. She rubbed her fingers against the fabrics, eyeing a pair of new shoes near the back. The ones on her feet were wearing away at the soles after she had accidently walked into the sea with them on, ruining the stitching. Her spectacles began to slip off the hem of her neckline, and she took them off and shoved them into her pocket.

Her attention was suddenly drawn away by a sprightly voice.

“You jest, Percy! An element that suppresses our powers? That’s your best one yet!”

The girl’s laughter floated over to Andromeda, and she immediately perked up, straining her ears to hear more.

“You really think I’m joking? I’ve heard whispers from both the Ash and Zephyr Courts, they think such an element exists!”

“Even if it were true, wouldn’t there be a massive uproar? Ophelia would go mad if people found out their Gifts could be taken away.”

Taken away?

“That’s why they’re keeping it a secret. So no one has to know…”

A hum of disapproval. “Whom, exactly?”

“The Courts, the king, I don’t know. But imagine if it does exist. You could use it against anyone!”

“And why would you want to do that?”

“Well, that Strongman bastard who punched me in the jaw yesterday could use some.”

“You easily had that coming, don’t forget…”

The pair slowly walked out of earshot, Andromeda watching them pass between the hanging swatches of fabric and disappearing back into the crowd.

Her interest was piqued. An element to suppress Gifts? Sounded like something out of a story meant to scare young children. It couldn’t possibly be real—nothing even similar to it had been spoken before. So why would it suddenly appear now? Still, she kept thinking about what the young man and woman had said, her mind wandering as it usually did. What could have started such a ridiculous rumor?

“Andie! I found a lovely dress for you here.”

Her mother’s call interrupted her thoughts, and Andromeda quickly turned to rejoin her, thoughts of the conversation vanishing.