Alarms rang in my head as things clicked into place, and my mind was flooded with memories once more—of Miss Aldentach and her teachings, of fucking Melampus and his snakes, the details of his stupid story. How the snakes he’d saved had licked his ears and cleaned them so thoroughly that he was able to understand animals speaking to him since. “Goddamn it, Sera,” I hissed at myself. How had I not remembered that part of the story? I would have never gone near those damn snakes if I did. Not ever, not for any reason would I have willingly let them lick my fucking ears!
