When I woke, my body ached with the abuse I had given it over the past few days. I was now regretting not giving myself the chance to recover properly. The hard ground hadn’t exactly made the best bed.
Blake was next to me, his eyes cautious until he noticed me peeking at him.
“Morning,” he said awkwardly, as he pulled himself away and sat a few inches behind me.
I rolled over on the grass so the view of the lake was visible behind him. He looked uncomfortable.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. I couldn’t look at him. I was such a coward. I was afraid of the flush that I could feel creeping into my cold cheeks. It wouldn’t be hard to miss.
Having him sleep next to me had resulted in the best night sleep I had had since, well, the last time I had slept in his bed. My face flushed hot at the memory.
I pulled my hair out of my long messed up braid and brushed my fingers through it to get out the tangles. It was a goo
I sunk lower into the warm water, my muscles soaking in the heat and helping them to relax. I had already spent ages simply soaking in the tub and letting the bubbles from the soap refresh my skin. I scrubbed at my hair with the putrid smelling shampoo provided, but rinsed it with my own body soap which I had taken from my room in Callad.Once I felt satisfied with my cleanliness and as relaxed as I thought I could get, I moved back into the bedroom, fixing up my clean shirt and pants before slipping on my boots.Noise from the street outside echoed loudly within my room, and I moved to the window to look out of it. The streets of Ruen lay spread out beneath me. It was a tangled mess of mismatched houses and windy streets mashed together to create the city. In the darkness, under the full moon, everything was cast in a ghostly light that created a beautiful, idyllic effect.A scream below snapped me from my daydream and voices began shouting and screaming
Blake came the next morning, just as he said he would, to take me home. I shuddered at the thought. Home. Did I really have a home when I thought about it? I was homeless. A wanderer of the streets, stealing scraps of food wherever I could, just to get by and to survive another day. I had become so accustomed to the life I was beginning to lead. But I was just kidding myself; it was all a lie.Now I would have to go back to reality and give up everything that I had become so used to. I looked down at my boots, feeling a heavy weight settle in on my stomach.My heart sank even further as Blake led me through the crowded, curving streets of Ruen. People streamed along beside us, their faces joyous and excited. The cooling season festival began tonight, meaning that everyone was on a high as they waited out the day until night came and the celebrations would begin. I yearned to be a part of the crowd as they babbled animatedly about the performers that would be here this
I sat in the chair fidgeting with my clothes, waiting for the questions to start, but Blake was too preoccupied with other things. He ran his hands through his hair and mumbled to himself, his movements agitated and erratic.Something big must have been happening for him to act that way. He paced back and forward across the small room we had been given from the inn owner.This inn was not as exquisite as the last. The innkeeper was a cheery young woman with rosy cheeks, and a bubbly personality, but had a keen ear for gossip, much the same as the last. I was glad to have been passed out when Blake had brought me in. Right now I didn’t need to deal with people sticking their nose into my business. But I bet she was all excited about me. Someone being brought in unconscious was always going to be a subject of interest.“Whereishe?” Blake growled suddenly.I jumped off the chair in surprise and Blake gave me a look that
I blinked away the blood, pulling at the manacles that bound my hands. Boggs stood above me his slimy hair messed around his red face. It looked like he had been running.I tugged on the manacles, feeling them bite into my wrists as they cut into my skin. I hissed with the pain.“Don’t fight, soon enough we will be on our way out of here.”“Why?”Boggs laughed, a slow drawl. “I thought you were supposed to be clever?”“Isla promised.”At the mention of Isla, fear entered Boggs’ features, which he masked with a sullen look. “Isla knows nothing about this. She thought I was working for her.” He smiled bitterly. “And the whole time I was reporting to another agent. Someone far more powerful, someone who is paying through the nose for you. They will be more than pleased.”I wanted to laugh. He was foolish. The Magicians would have been so proud. I had done
Midnight continued to walk slowly, constantly moving forward. The motion of his walk was a gentle sway that lulled me into a half awake – half asleep state.Hours seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. I hadn’t even taken into account where we were or how much time had passed, but my aching body could feel it.I lifted my head to feel a soft brushing against my arm. I jerked away, only to realise it was just a branch.I blinked hurriedly, finally aware of where I was. I was back at the lake.My knees crumbled as soon as I slid off Midnight and I fell hard at the edge of the lake, the sand biting into my soft skin. I punched at the water as the emptiness consumed me. I felt completely and utterly alone. But it was my choice, my decision. This thought kept repeating itself in my head – my choice, my decision. Something I should have taken control of a long time ago.With a nasty stab, I realised this was the first real decision I ha
I had woken up the next day beside the lake, my body weary and hunger pains rolling through my stomach. I managed to catch a small sea creature and harvest some weeds from the water, but neither satisfied the deep craving for food.It seemed that during my time with the magicians, I had forgotten what it felt like to be truly hungry. To not eat for days on end. I had become pampered.I sat at the edge, throwing rocks in the water, disturbing the glassy calm surface.My world felt like that water. Calm and undisturbed until a rock had been pelted my way, upsetting the peace and creating waves that crashed into my life and broke apart the foundations of my world.My reflection wavered as the water stilled and it became clear again for me to see. My hair frizzed out from the braid that was wound down my head, the dark colour doing nothing for my paled complexion. I looked ill. Dark circles were visible under my eyes from lack of sleep and my eyes were red an
“What? What are you talking about? By who?” My mind was reeling. How could Nyssa and Blake have been taken? They were with three other Master Magicians, they should have been perfectly safe. “I really wish they had told you all of this before, but I guess it now falls to me to inform you. Kenai sighed, and he looked as if to age in front of my eyes. He rubbed his temple slowly but his agitation at taking so long pushed hard against my skin. “And so you know, I disagreed with their decision to keep you in the dark about all of this,” Kenai said genuinely, his expression softening almost to remorse. I felt my lip curl in annoyance. Of course they would fight to keep me in the dark. Damn Magicians, and their secrets. Just like Isla had said. Power ruined everything. “There has been a man, who goes by Darkness, in this land for quite some time. In the time much before Axian departed from us. And in that time since Axian’s death he has grown much stronger, stronger even than I think w
The ride was uncomfortable in the small saddle, which resulted in me bouncing around precariously on the edge of it. Deakin wrapped an arm around my waist, slowly at first, as if checking it was okay. When I gave no response he tightened his grip so I was held much closer to his body and the ride became smoother. My muscles began to ache quickly from having to constantly hold myself away from him. Soon, it was too much to maintain, and I let myself slump back against him, knowing I should have felt utterly repulsed, or at least frightened. Even though the thought sickened me to my core, he was warm and comfortable, especially as the weather grew colder at an increasing rate. I had decided that was the thing I hated the most about Deakin. He took away my emotionswhen he injected me so I felt no desire or hatred. I felt no fear or bubbling anger that would have fuelled my actions. It was just a long stretch of nothingness that continued throughout the entire trip and a strange tingle th