He looked back again, confusion and bewilderment plain. He did as she asked, though, and the beauty and vibrancy of his sight unfurled in her mind.
Is that really how you see everything? In Technicolor?she asked.
I don’t know what Tech—what that is, but yes, that is how I see things. Humans can’t see the range of light waves we can. Your vision is dulled in many ways.
That was lame. She liked his images so much more.
Wait, but if my eyes can’t see those things,she said,why can I see them in my mind?
When you use an instrument to help you see things, like the northern lights or ultraviolet light, your brain can process them, correct? My eyes are your instrument. I’m showing you what it looks like through my lens. Your mind can process that.
She supposed that was true. If she’d thought for two seconds, she could’ve realized that.
One would hope,he thought wryly.
His humor was back.Goodie.
No rocks moved into their path as they traveled, and their surroundings remained unnaturally quiet. No critters or creatures scurried within the brush. No birds or anything that might resemble them called out in the sparse canopy. She noted details, the ripe air in some places, smelling of moss and decaying trees, and in others the clean and fresh fragrance of blooming flowers. Strange plants covered the forest floor, some leafy and green, others spindly and browning, still more with an array of colors, like the flower she’d picked the night before. Thick substances, like spider webs, dripped from leaves like cold syrup. Gooey, lace-looking stuff dangled from certain trees.
Her mind drifted as they walked, always listening for that voice-presence but not hearing it. Looking for its influence but not seeing it. Tarian pointed out things that were poisonous, at least to him. Vines to stay away from. Hollows and dark places that mightharbor an unwelcome surprise. Nothing bothered them, though, something that made him increasingly agitated as time passed.
At one point he slowed and looked behind them.
What?she asked, stepping out of the way in case he needed to move.
He shook his head, but a crease had formed between his brows.Nothing. Not long now. Keep your vigilance.
But there was nothing to trouble them. No noise, aside from the wind moving tree branches or an occasional, unexplained drip. They filled their water skins at a small creek he assured her was safe to drink from.
Never drink what you are offered,Zorn’s voice said in her head as they continued on.Only drink from a friend’s cup, meant for their mouth alone.
Tarian held out his water skin.
That rule doesn’t really apply in this setting,she thought dryly.
She held her water skin, the lid off, debating. Humans usually couldn’t drink from a water source like a river or creek because of the animal feces and bacteria upriver, but she had an enhancement that other Chesters didn’t. She healed quickly. Her body was hardier, which surely included her interior. She’d never really questioned that part of things before, but it stood to reason. She could withstand poisons more easily than normal Chesters because of the upgrade. One would assume bacteria would be nothing.
Still, this wasn’t just a bacteria issue. It was water in an entirely different realm, meant for faerie kind, not humans. The very makeup of it could be different.
Though that would be true of all water in Faerie. She’d have to drink something sometime, so she might as well start with the purest sample. Maybe go slow and see if she shat herself in a few minutes…
Your mind is truly a dizzying place,Tarian said when she’d put the container to her lips.
There’s always a lot to think about.
It seems so, yes. It hasn’t been quiet since we started traveling together.
Maybe just walk farther away, where you can’t hear my thoughts. That would be quiet. We’d both be happier then.
He tsked.I didn’t say I wasunhappywith the proximity. Quite the contrary. Besides, what if something jumped out at us? Who would I throw in the way if you weren’t in arm’s reach? I quite enjoy your saving yourself while I stand by.
Lean by, you mean.
He laughed softly, his big back shaking. His inked skin glistened in the sunlight, a light sheen of sweat coating the healing flesh. The obsidian circles glimmered, and it seemed like they were part of him. Not placed there but born there. She was about to ask about it when he stiffened.
What is it?She scanned right and left, then looked behind.Nothing.
It’s too quiet,he said, picking up his pace.It’s never been this quiet.
