Something fizzed behind my breastbone with the gift of trust she’d just bestowed upon me. I could understand completely why she’d given me the alternate before, and, having spent quite a lot of time with the fae, I knew what trust she was extending by allowing me to know her actual given name.
“I stand by my statement that you require ample feeding and rest,Hailon.” The letters tasted sweet on my tongue. “Both can be found here.”
Her mouth twitched, the closest I’d gotten to a smile. “Noted,Seir.” I laughed aloud, the sound of my name from her mouth providing a ridiculous thrill. “Do you have a surname?”
“I have not adopted one. They are not common or required in Hell.” I thought of my brothers, how after being on earth so long, one had adopted his old name as his surname and another had chosen one in a language he was fond of. Perhaps I’d borrow one of theirs.
“I see.” She glanced around. “Where will you sleep?”
I spread my arms. “Right here by the fire.”
“But there’s not even a rug there, only floor. No blanket, no cushion.” A deep frown pulled her pretty features into harsh lines.
“I’ve had far worse,” I assured her. And I had. Rocks and dirt, the fiery pits… several places came to mind. In comparison, a cozy fire and worn wooden planks were downright comfortable. Having seen her previous living quarters, I knew she could relate on some level and did not begrudge her the comfort the single bed afforded one bit.
“That’s silly. Here.” She climbed off the mattress, pulling one of the pillows and some bedding with her. “There’s plenty.” I moved aside and let her maneuver the blankets into a comfortable pallet. She looked it over critically, her hands on her hips, her face relaxing once she was satisfied.
“Much appreciated, kind lady.”
She flushed that pink color again but said nothing as she returned to the bed. A deep sigh followed the rustling of her getting situated under the quilt once more. I made a round of the cabin, stopping in the bathroom to wash up quickly and drain the dirty water from the tub. I made sure the lamps were extinguished and the fire banked before curling up in the little nest she’d made for me.
Soft floral notes from the soap she’d used lingered in the fabric, along with the tang of old blood from before she’d cleaned up. I buried my nose and inhaled, enjoying the contrast.
Her voice was barely above a whisper and heavy with sleep as she said, “It took twenty-three days for them to bring me here. We went through at least three dense forests, and the road went up like we were climbing mountains twice. Once we went so high my ears popped on and off for most of the day. The air smelled of salt water for nearly a week before we got to Olinbourg.
“They gathered wagons and supplies the whole time. We started with one wagon and three men. There were six wagons and twenty-eight men by the time we arrived, but I don’t think anybody but the three in my wagon knew I was there. They were very careful to keep me hidden and gagged.”
“It’s very canny of you to have kept track of things like that.” My heart thumped behind my ribs, strangely heavy. She had impressed me several times already. I would never underestimate her intelligence or ability if this is how she managed through extreme circumstances. I rubbed the heel of my palm against my shirt, frowning as I pulled in another deep breath of lavender and iron.
“They kept my eyes covered, so I’m not sure if my timekeeping was right. They only allowed me out of the wagon after dark, but it always seemed long enough it felt like a day had passed between.” She frowned. “Do you think it will take that long to get back?”
Her shadow danced behind her on the wall. “I don’t know. Collecting such an amount of people and goods along the way is certainly time consuming in itself, but people doing nefarious things often take routes that double back or go inefficient ways to lose anyone who might be following.” I ground my teeth together. Evil was certainly not exclusive to humans, but they had developed some of the most creative ways of expressingtheir darker nature I’d ever seen. Which, as a resident of Hell, was saying something. “I’ve never made that journey without some kind of portal or sifting. Never been to Ravenglen proper at all, that I can remember.”
Her head bobbed gently, her voice thoughtful and quiet. “We should leave as soon as possible.”
I smiled. I liked her spirit, though I worried her body wasn’t quite ready for the trek. “We will. Rest yourself, Hailon.”
“Good night, Seir.”
The crackle of flames and her soft breathing lulled me into a doze and perhaps the first truly peaceful sleep I’d had in ages.
Chapter 5
Hailon
Not waking up until after midday definitely diminished my credibility for arguing that I was well enough to get on the road.
When I rolled over on the plush pillow into a face full of sunshine, I immediately went into a panic. Heart racing, I sat up and had my eyes fixed in the direction my bedroom door should have been in before I realized what was happening. But there was no Ignus tromping up the stairs to retrieve me, no punishment to anticipate for sleeping in.
Instead of my dull room at the house, I was greeted by the soft sound of a big water pot steaming over the fire, the rounded log walls of the cabin, and the rhythmic thud of an axe hitting a stump somewhere outside. It was downright cozy. It would be far too easy to fall into a fantasy about having something like this every single day of a regular, boring life. Unfortunately for me, I’d never had one of those, and it was unlikely I’d get one in the future.
I let out a deep sigh when I moved my feet to get out of bed and heard no chains clanking, felt no bite of metal around my ankles.
My body was still sore and stiff, but my muscles warmed up quickly as I moved around the cabin. I made use of the bathroom, then reapplied the ointment Seir had found to as many of my bruises and scrapes as I could. To really do a thorough job, I would need help and probably a whole second tub, so I had to make some judicious choices. My neck and shoulders were still scratchy, but the burn was easing nicely after using the thick balm. The wound on my wrist thankfully hadn’t been as deep as I’d thought and had scabbed over.
The demon had left me more food on the little table as well, which I happily sat down to enjoy. I probably should have been wary about it, but finally having ample food after weeks of being hungry left me far less suspicious than I should have been. His intentions seemed the very opposite of malicious toward me, besides. In fact, it was a wonder I felt inclined to fight so hard against his company when I tallied up how considerate and helpful he’d already been. I decided it was mostly that I’d always been the caretaker and didn’t really know how to let someone else do that job for me.
As I was wiping up my plate with the last few bites of bread, he came through the door, arms stacked high with firewood.
