Chapter 561: Gods & Faith
The training courtyard was silent, the usual din of steel clashing was gone. With a bit of Green, Stryg molded the stone bench he had created into an open egg-shaped chair with enough room for two. He sat next to Tauri and held her scarlet hand as he channeled White mana into a healing spell.
Tauri winced slightly as the bones in her hand cracked underneath her skin, the connective tissues rearranging themselves back into place. The swelling over her fingers diminished in front of her amber eyes. “You’re getting better at this,” she noted.
“It’s not particularly flashy, but you never know when you need it.”
“Except you don’t really need it, do you?” she said quietly and looked him over. The blue hybrid had always been an enigma to her. Visiting his home in Vulture Woods and meeting his mother had only made things worse. The son of the Last Ebon Lady and the heir of House Veres were two traits she had never thought to find.
With her free hand, she traced her fingers across his face. “I saw when your mother brought you out of the troll king’s palace. Your body was broken. You were covered in blood. I thought…” she swallowed hard. “No one thought you’d make it, except Aurelia. I helped carry you down the mountain… I saw your flesh slowly knit itself back together.”
“Lord Noir believed my mutations would keep me healthy for centuries,” Stryg said. It felt like a weak excuse.
“I’ve never heard of a mutation that can bring you back from the brink of death.”
“Death, huh?” he chuckled bitterly. “You’d be surprised.”
“Stryg.” She grabbed his chin and gently turned his gaze to her. “What aren’t you telling me?”