Chapter 74
etiltedhisheadslightlytooneside.
isdamagedsensesoccasionallymalfunctioned.
Waitingfortheringinginhisearstosubside,hebrushedpastthewomanandenteredthetent.
Perhapsshehadburnedherbsagainduringthenight.hediminteriorwasthickwiththebitterscentofsmoke.Mixedwithinit,however,wasanotherpeculiarfragrance,somethinglikeoverripefruitonthevergeofrotting.
twasthatstrangescentthathadbegunclingingtoherskinatsomepoint.
eheldhisbreathforamomentbeforeslowlyinhaling.
henhequietlycalledhername.
“alia.”
oanswercame.
Buthecouldsenseherpresence.
Steppingintothedisorderlyspacelitteredwithbowls,winebottles,anddrinkingcups,hiseyesmovedbusily.
henhestopped.
Besidethedisheveledbedlayaheapofclothes.
ecrouchedbeforealargechestplacedagainstonesideofthetent.
Carefullyliftingthelid,hesawasmallfigurecurledupinside.
Again,hisbodyreactedstrangely.
tfeltasthoughahorse'shoofhadstruckhimsquarelyinthesolarplexus.
Suppressingtheturmoilwithinhim,heplacedahandonhershoulder.
hewomanwithherheadburiedinherkneesslowlyraisedit.
Beneathsoakedeyelashesappearedpureblueeyesuntouchedbyanyimpurity.Cleartearsspreadacrossskinsotranslucentitresembledthatofacreaturedwellinginthedeepsea.
oldingherdampcheeksinhishands,hegentlystrokedherslightlyreddenedchinandtiltedherbowedheadback.
Perhapsshehadscratchedherselfsomewhere.Severalthinmarksranacrossherdelicateneck.
Asheexaminedthemcarefully,acrackedvoiceemergedfrombetweenblood-redlips.
“Didyou...driveawayallthemonsters?”
elookedintohereyesagain.
hedarkblueirises,submergedasthoughbeneathwater,trembledprecariously.
erememberedthefirsttimehehadseenthoseeyes.
hedayheregainedcolor.
heyhadbeenthefirstcolorhesaw.
Atthesensationofsomethingtighteningdeepinhisthroat,hedrewalongbreathandrosewithhisrigidbody.
Soft,supplearmswrappednaturallyaroundhisneck.
erfaintsobsdampenedhistautskin.
“thoughttheyweretakingmeawayagain.”
arkastightenedhisarmsaroundher.
twon'thappenagain.
hewordsthathoveredonthetipofhistonguesankbackintohisthroat.
versincetheaccident,hefoundhimselfswallowinghiswordswheneverhestoodbeforeher.
hewordshekeptswallowingaccumulatedinsidehimlikelayersofsediment.
Frowningattheuncomfortablesensation,asthoughstoneswerecrushinghisinsides,hegentlystrokedhernarrowback,whichtrembledintermittently.
erstiffbodygraduallyrelaxedandmeltedsoftlyagainsthim.
egentlyliftedtheheadrestingonhisshoulderandlookedatherface.
ereyeswerealreadyclosed,asthoughexhaustionhadoverwhelmedher.
isthumbbrushedherdroopinggoldenlashes.Adjustingherslippingbodyinhisarms,hequicklysurveyedtheroom.
Anovercoathungfromoneofthetentpoles.
egrabbedit,wrappeditaroundherbody,andsteppedoutside.
Crossingthecampswiftly,severalmountedwarriorsdismantlingtentscastcuriouslookshisway.
epulledtherobeoverherhead.
versinceshehadbeenlessthanfivecrevetstall,thosemenhadlookedatherlikestarvingwilddogs.
Andthiswoman,thoughshefearedtheireyes,sometimesexposedherselfbeforethemwithouttheslightestdefense.
Asthoughshedid❖оvеl𝚒ght❖(xclusiveonоvеl𝚒ght)notcareifsheweretornapart.
oldinghertighteragainsthischest,hequickenedhispace,asthoughtryingtoshakeoffthoseunpleasantgazes.
nteringhisowntent,helaidherdownuponthebed.
erbody,whichhadbecomenoticeablythinneroverthepastfewmonths,enteredhissight.
Asighroseintohisthroat.
heirritatingthingwasthatherfrailtywasleadingherbeautydownadangerouspath.
iseyesslidoverherthinneck,herslendershoulders,andherprotrudingcollarbonesbeforeturningtowardtheentrance.
heyoungpagewhohadfollowedtoattendhimwasstealingglancesather.
ishalf-deadnervessharpenedatonce.
edismissedalltheattendantsandsecuredtheentrancetightly.
twasnotaparticularlywisedecision.
hetentwassoonfilledwiththesweetscentsheexuded.
Atthestrangethirstthatfeltasthoughhisthroatwereburning,heswalloweddryly.
Roughlybrushingbackhisstill-damphair,hecastanimpatientglanceather.
hepalecheeksstainedwithdriedteartracksenteredhisvision.
Wordsshehadspatoutinterroryearsagoechoedinsidehismind.
“h-thatmansaidso.ikeanaddict...hesaidhe'dkeep...keepcomingbackforme...”
epressedhismolarslightlyintothesoftfleshinsidehischeek.
etastedfaintblood.
appinghistemplewithhisfingertips,hegrabbedthecoatlyinginthecornerofthetent.
Steppingoutside,themetallicscentofbloodfilledhislungs.
Asthoughtryingtoerasetheclingingsweetnesslingeringinsidehisthroat,heinhaleddeeply.
Bythen,Barakanhadalreadyapproachedhim,fullyarmored.
“We'vefinishedpreparations.nceyourtentispackedup,wecanleaveimmediately.Shallwedismantleitnow?”
“Anhourlater.”
Afterabriefpause,arkasspokeinasubduedvoice.
“We'llleaveaftereveryonehashadtimetocatchtheirbreath.”
Anamusedsmileflickeredacrosstheman'slips.
Shrugginghisshoulders,herepliedlightly.
“Asyoucommand.”
hemanimmediatelyturnedaroundtorelaytheorderstohissubordinates.
arkassatonawaterskinrackandgazedtowardtheordenPlains,faintlyvisiblethroughthedenselypackedtrees.
Adrygustofwindscrapedroughlyacrosshischeek.
Somewherewithintheairdriftedastrangelyfamiliarscent.
Whenhadhesmelleditbefore?
esearchedhishazymemorieswhenthedistanthowlofawolfreachedhisears.
urninghishead,helistened.
hemournfulcrystretchedoutfromtheedgeoftheforest.
erweakenedbodycouldnotendurethelongjourney,andshesufferedapersistentfever.
Staringupattheswayingceiling,aliashiftedrestlesslyandbreathedheavily.
hecarriagemovedlittlefasterthanawalkingpace,buteventhatfaintvibrationfeltliketorturetoher.
Clutchingherheadasthoughherskullweresplittingapart,aliashuthereyes.
henasharphornsoundedfromoutside.
adtheyfinallyarrived?
Sheforcedherselfuprightandpeeredthroughthewindow.
Withinherfever-blurredvisionspreadthesightofanendlessplain.
heunfamiliarlandscapemadehereyeswiden.
Adarkbluegrasslandstretchedsofaritseemedtomeettheskyitself.
Strongwindssweptacrossthelushfields.
peningthewindow,shecooledherburningfaceinthechillybreeze.
“hatisKalmor.”
Startledbythesuddenvoice,sheturnedherhead.
Amanridingclosebesidethecarriagehadapproachedwithouthernoticing.
Drawingnearer,heofferedherafriendlysmile.
“Mynameisyron.Wewereintroducedbefore.Doyourememberme?”
Keepingherlipsfirmlyshut,shemerelystaredathimwithwaryeyes.
heman'ssmiledimmedslightly.
Afterstudyingherforamoment,hecontinuedgentlydespitethecoldreception.
“Youseemquiteunwell.”
“...”
“We'llreachaedgoCastlesoon.ookthere.Canyouseethewalls?”
epointedahead.
aliafollowedhisfinger.
Attheendofthehorizonstoodgray-brownwallsthatlookedasthoughtheyhadbeenmoldedfromashandsand.
eaningfartheroutthewindowforabetterlook,shestudiedthem.
aedgoCastleappearedasthoughithadbeenconstructedbypilingtogethercolossalrocks.
hickouterwallsdevoidofdecorationcompletelysurroundedthefootofahill.
Abovethemrosecountlesskeepsandtowersmadeentirelyofstraightlines.
Unconsciously,shewrappedahandaroundthebackofherneck.
Wasitbecausetheplacewhereshewouldspendtherestofherlifelookedsounbearablydesolate?
Achillcreptupherspine.