Ch. 27
“Irksome”
We walk behind the wagon and Devlyn blocks one side of it and Halfy on the other, behind me. He is not letting me out of his sight anytime soon.
“You will need to take all that off.” Galilea motions to my vest and shirt. She takes a bag that was tied to her waist and places it on the wagon wheel. She starts shuffling through it.
I reach for the buckle on my vest. I unbuckle it and it hits the ground with a thump, from the daggers sheathed inside that gleam past the melted pieces of the leather. The area becomes dark, like a cloud blocking the sun. I reach for the ends of my baggy shirt. My fingers moving over the hard edges of the burnt blackened pieces. I lay it on top of my vest. I look behind me to Halfy. He sits still like a statue. I bring my arms to my chest. Coincidentally, the autumn breeze picks up ever so slightly. My eyes move back in front of me, past Galilea, Devlyn still stands, her wine hair shining in the light. I glance to Galilea who is standing closer to me, her features dark, as in shade, in a shadow….
Little bat…I was threaten for looking at you without your permission, numerous times. Even with a sedative you are still a vicious being, and who knows if there are any rocks over there. No one can see you…Unfortunately…
My face scowls. This is going to be annoying. More voices to fill my brain. Galilea looks at me. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, I am fine… as much as I can be.” The autumn breeze running across my bare skin. This coldness I don’t mind. But I can feel bumps starts to appear over my skin. My muscles twitching. No warm power within me to heat me up.
Galilea mixes some kind of flower and liquid together. “Give me your hands first.”
I pause.
If I am not allowed… no one else is either.
I huff out a breath, Stop talking…
FINALLY. He voices rough in my mind. I’ve been waiting for you to reply. Took you long enough. You did it in your mind, so painlessly.
I feel my face frown. Did I really? Does it even count in my own head? Would that me like talking to myself? My own consciousness? My eyes widen. That stupid shadow of his... A stupid distraction.
Well, I am already trying to figure out how to tune you out. So don’t get used to it.
I move my hands from my chest and place them in Galilea’s. She puts the paste she made over my palms. A sense of heat fills them. Different from Halfy’s nose, the fire of my power or even the warmth from Zanir against my cold skin. This heat tingles through to my fingers to the tips. Almost like fresh burns. The damages disappearing as she starts wiping away the paste before returning it to her bag.
I don’t need your protection, or your ridiculous shadow either.
Who said I was protecting you?
I heard you. In my head. By the creek by the way.
Time to make you squirm, jerkface. I see the shadow shift as I bring my arms up and wrap them around my chest. A shiver moves down. A tap on my shoulder. I spin around. A shadow dancing along the edges of the wagon.
Stop it.
I turn on my heels and am met with a puzzled look from Galilea. Devlyn still behind her looking elsewhere. Thankfully.
You are going to get caught if you don’t cut it out.
Halfy’s body goes rigid. Can he sense him? His shadow? The shadow retreats and the world becomes bright. The sounds of the guards and scouts increase. I hear Devlyn hiss as a scout starts toward the wagon. I squeeze myself tighter. I roll my eyes and the shadow moves back.
I dare anyone to look at me. This sedative only dampens my powers. My powers do not define me. My powers are not what they should fear.
Vicious, little bat. They should fear the rocks you find instead…. Again, who said I was protecting you?
I face scowls again. I shift my weight as Galilea brings a new paste to me. I raise my arm allowing for better access to my burned ribs. This paste is cold and sends needles down my side. I wince.
Let them be curious. As someone who has kicked many of their asses of the training mats. I bet they are curious to see what I hide beneath my leathers and cloths. Only a handful have seen me, bare, and exposed anyway.
I pause, realizing the confession I have made. Why am I telling him anything? I filled my younger years with distractions and carefree days, as much I could, with a deathly beast within, my duties with the clan, Mother, the need to wander, the inability to relax like, ever, and the list goes on. But I have never been truly seen, fully, experienced fully, leaving everything out to be seen, fully. I’m not talking about just my skin. I wince as Galilea hands move along my ribs. I didn’t realize how large this burn was.
A sight I won’t forget.
I snarl through clenched teeth. Galilea’s eyes flick up to mine. I give her a small smile. “It is just a little spicy is all...”
I am not sure how he is able to get under my skin so easily. I didn’t care the night I was trying to wash off the blood from my skin in the lake. I didn’t care when my clothes were ripped to shreds after fighting the Balaur. I don’t even care right now standing behind a wagon in a camp full of scouts and guards…
I preferred it when you weren’t in my head. I am the one who talks too much now and that is completely unacceptable.
I resist my urge to stick my tongue out and gag. Galilea is already side eyeing me like she is second guessing what all she put in my sleeping potion.
Devlyn starts walking to us as Galilea wipes the remaining paste off my ribs. The burn is faded, but pinks fills where the burn was. Another scar to add to my collection of stories on this body.
Stories to tell, with permission of course.
For all things holy, and for Nyx herself, shut up.
A faint laugh echoes in my skull, and a groan leaves my lips.
“Take this.” Devlyn hands me the sleeveless black shirt.
“It’s autumn.” I say taking the shirt and slipping it over my head. Not really proper attire for the brisk rain filled autumn we been having, but I don’t have much else. The shadow retreats as soon as the edge of the shirt meets the waistline of my pants. I grimace. I roll my shoulders as the shirt falls. My arms exposed and the blades of my shoulders. Faint scars of teeth marks running along one blade. My skin pricks as the breeze continues by.
“And take this.” In her other hand is a yellow looking flower. Round in shape, and the leaves are pointed and hard.
Ch. 27
“Irksome”
We walk behind the wagon and Devlyn blocks one side of it and Halfy on the other, behind me. He is not letting me out of his sight anytime soon.
“You will need to take all that off.” Galilea motions to my vest and shirt. She takes a bag that was tied to her waist and places it on the wagon wheel. She starts shuffling through it.
I reach for the buckle on my vest. I unbuckle it and it hits the ground with a thump, from the daggers sheathed inside that gleam past the melted pieces of the leather. The area becomes dark, like a cloud blocking the sun. I reach for the ends of my baggy shirt. My fingers moving over the hard edges of the burnt blackened pieces. I lay it on top of my vest. I look behind me to Halfy. He sits still like a statue. I bring my arms to my chest. Coincidentally, the autumn breeze picks up ever so slightly. My eyes move back in front of me, past Galilea, Devlyn still stands, her wine hair shining in the light. I glance to Galilea who is standing closer to me, her features dark, as in shade, in a shadow….
Little bat…I was threaten for looking at you without your permission, numerous times. Even with a sedative you are still a vicious being, and who knows if there are any rocks over there. No one can see you…Unfortunately…
My face scowls. This is going to be annoying. More voices to fill my brain. Galilea looks at me. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, I am fine… as much as I can be.” The autumn breeze running across my bare skin. This coldness I don’t mind. But I can feel bumps starts to appear over my skin. My muscles twitching. No warm power within me to heat me up.
Galilea mixes some kind of flower and liquid together. “Give me your hands first.”
I pause.
If I am not allowed… no one else is either.
I huff out a breath, Stop talking…
FINALLY. He voices rough in my mind. I’ve been waiting for you to reply. Took you long enough. You did it in your mind, so painlessly.
I feel my face frown. Did I really? Does it even count in my own head? Would that me like talking to myself? My own consciousness? My eyes widen. That stupid shadow of his... A stupid distraction.
Well, I am already trying to figure out how to tune you out. So don’t get used to it.
I move my hands from my chest and place them in Galilea’s. She puts the paste she made over my palms. A sense of heat fills them. Different from Halfy’s nose, the fire of my power or even the warmth from Zanir against my cold skin. This heat tingles through to my fingers to the tips. Almost like fresh burns. The damages disappearing as she starts wiping away the paste before returning it to her bag.
I don’t need your protection, or your ridiculous shadow either.
Who said I was protecting you?
I heard you. In my head. By the creek by the way.
Time to make you squirm, jerkface. I see the shadow shift as I bring my arms up and wrap them around my chest. A shiver moves down. A tap on my shoulder. I spin around. A shadow dancing along the edges of the wagon.
Stop it.
I turn on my heels and am met with a puzzled look from Galilea. Devlyn still behind her looking elsewhere. Thankfully.
You are going to get caught if you don’t cut it out.
Halfy’s body goes rigid. Can he sense him? His shadow? The shadow retreats and the world becomes bright. The sounds of the guards and scouts increase. I hear Devlyn hiss as a scout starts toward the wagon. I squeeze myself tighter. I roll my eyes and the shadow moves back.
I dare anyone to look at me. This sedative only dampens my powers. My powers do not define me. My powers are not what they should fear.
Vicious, little bat. They should fear the rocks you find instead…. Again, who said I was protecting you?
I face scowls again. I shift my weight as Galilea brings a new paste to me. I raise my arm allowing for better access to my burned ribs. This paste is cold and sends needles down my side. I wince.
Let them be curious. As someone who has kicked many of their asses of the training mats. I bet they are curious to see what I hide beneath my leathers and cloths. Only a handful have seen me, bare, and exposed anyway.
I pause, realizing the confession I have made. Why am I telling him anything? I filled my younger years with distractions and carefree days, as much I could, with a deathly beast within, my duties with the clan, Mother, the need to wander, the inability to relax like, ever, and the list goes on. But I have never been truly seen, fully, experienced fully, leaving everything out to be seen, fully. I’m not talking about just my skin. I wince as Galilea hands move along my ribs. I didn’t realize how large this burn was.
A sight I won’t forget.
I snarl through clenched teeth. Galilea’s eyes flick up to mine. I give her a small smile. “It is just a little spicy is all...”
I am not sure how he is able to get under my skin so easily. I didn’t care the night I was trying to wash off the blood from my skin in the lake. I didn’t care when my clothes were ripped to shreds after fighting the Balaur. I don’t even care right now standing behind a wagon in a camp full of scouts and guards…
I preferred it when you weren’t in my head. I am the one who talks too much now and that is completely unacceptable.
I resist my urge to stick my tongue out and gag. Galilea is already side eyeing me like she is second guessing what all she put in my sleeping potion.
Devlyn starts walking to us as Galilea wipes the remaining paste off my ribs. The burn is faded, but pinks fills where the burn was. Another scar to add to my collection of stories on this body.
Stories to tell, with permission of course.
For all things holy, and for Nyx herself, shut up.
A faint laugh echoes in my skull, and a groan leaves my lips.
“Take this.” Devlyn hands me the sleeveless black shirt.
“It’s autumn.” I say taking the shirt and slipping it over my head. Not really proper attire for the brisk rain filled autumn we been having, but I don’t have much else. The shadow retreats as soon as the edge of the shirt meets the waistline of my pants. I grimace. I roll my shoulders as the shirt falls. My arms exposed and the blades of my shoulders. Faint scars of teeth marks running along one blade. My skin pricks as the breeze continues by.
“And take this.” In her other hand is a yellow looking flower. Round in shape, and the leaves are pointed and hard.
