“Were you watching whatever played out from a distance, or were you in the dream?”Aster’s deep voice rings through my head. Clearly, there’s a difference. Does that mean the dreams where I’m outside watching are not dreams after all, but something else entirely?
The intricacy of it all has given me a headache. I close my eyes. Is something like that even possible? I have no idea. What I do know, however, is that I don’t want to go back to sleep. I’m well aware I need to if I’m to function as a human being, but I don’t want to get accidentally killed while doing it.
At some point, my eyes must have glided shut, because the next time I open them, the few rays of sunshine that make their way through the thick canopy of the trees wake me with a gentle caress on my face.
I hold up the hand that’s been clutching the wound through the night. It’s soaked in blood, and stars blur my vision when I push myself up into a seated position. Void, I’m lightheaded. I close my eyes again, focusing on my breath. “You’ll be fine,” I whisper to myself. “You always are in the end.”
An ashcrawl, Casimir called me. Let’s hope he’s right.
chapter twenty-four
THE TRAIL THROUGH THE WOODS has led me steadily northwest for three days now, and I’m on constant lookout for the border into the Common Territories that run between Airée, Kabar, and Chì. I slump forward in the saddle. The last days were spent in a state of high alert, scanning for Kabarians, while the nights brought nothing but agonizing pain and restless sleep, broken only by a few bells of fitful rest before dawn.
I hold on to Maeve’s saddle, allowing myself to close my eyes, if only for a brief moment. The dizziness comes more often now, and the perpetual movement and lack of sleep don’t help. Why can’t I find the border? Should I have been going more toward the north? But then again, I can recall that Kabar has a northern coastline from the map hanging in the grand hall at the Arc, and I don’t want to end up there. So I continue to follow the narrow trail, choosing to trust that Ero knew what he was doing when he sent me down this path.
Clutching my side, I wince as a stabbing pain radiates through my body. My wound is still bleeding steadily, and this morning the edges of the wound were black. It’s clear that it’s infected, but I have no clue what to do about it.
You need a healer, Laïna.But where can I find one? I’m in the middle of nowhere, with not the slightest hint of a settlement anywhere.
Overcome by a sudden surge of dizziness, I sway in the saddle, struggling to maintain my grip on the pommel.This is not good.I squint against the strong sunlight, cursing it for hurting my eyes. Then I realize the forest must be thinning. I’ve barely felt the sun on my face for days. My heart picks up speed. I must be nearing the end of the path!
A couple bells later, a smile breaks across my face despite my weary state as Maeve and I cross what I believe to be the border into the Common Territories.
I pat her neck. “We made it, girl.” This far, at least.
Maeve all but dances along the dusty path, appearing relieved to have left the bushes behind.
“Easy, girl. I’m injured, remember?” I gently pull back on her reins, breathing a sigh of relief as she complies. I don’t think I would have kept my seat in the saddle otherwise.
Leaning my cheek on her neck, I do my best to get some rest while she walks. It has become increasingly hard to stay upright. I need a healer. And a bed. And rest. Preferably yesterday.
Then a discomforting thought strikes me. Does anyone live in the Common Territories? Or is it simply an empty spot of land to protect the realms from attacking one another? I add it to my book of ignorance. Ero is right: I don’t know very much, and what I do know is less than useful.
I close my eyes again, too tired to keep them open, and even though I vaguely notice how I start to slide to the right, out of the saddle, I’m too tired to fight it.
“THE LASS IS WAKING.”
I blink my eyes open, staring into the friendly face of an elderly human lady.
“Where am I?” I push myself upright and stare down at my half-naked body. My wound has been cleaned, and I’ve got a proper bandage now. The sound of heavy footsteps approaches, and I can hear the rumbling of a deep male voice, and I hurriedly pull the covers up toward my chin.
“C’mon in, young lad. The lass will wake up anytime now. Good thing you got her here in time. Nasty wound she got there, that is. Nasty wound indeed. You did quite right bringing her here. My Sara is as good a healer as they come. Save those Rean magicians. No offense, of course...” The man trails off as he enters the room. His old face, etched with the lines of a life spent outside, crinkles into a mostly toothless grin upon seeing me awake, his eyes disappearing into a sea of wrinkles.
“How did I—” My sentence stops short at the sight of Reü in the doorway. Two thoughts follow in quick succession:Isthatwho the man was talking to?Followed by,What’shedoing here?I narrow my eyes at him, voicing the latter. “What are you doing here?” My voice comes out less than friendly.
Fidgeting with the buttons on his coat, he glances toward the old couple before his gaze settles on me. “Good to see you too, Laïna.”
“He told us he was a friend of yours,” the old man says, his gaze jumping between the two of us. “Isn’t that correct, Sara? He said he was her friend, right?”
The woman, Sara, nods, her gaze wary. “He told us he knew you.”
“He didn’t lie,” I say to her, although I wouldn’t exactly call us friends. “But that still doesn’t explainwhyyou are here.” I stare at Reü.
“It was a lucky coincidence, to be honest,” he says with a shrug as he walks over to sit on my bedside. “You really gave me a scare there, Laïna.” He grabs hold of my hand. “I was on my way to the Eldenpillars when Maeve came running toward me down the road. She’s such a beauty. I would have recognized her anywhere, but you were nowhere to be seen. I grabbed her reins, of course, taking her with me, and then...” He appears shaken. “Then I saw someone in the ditch, and it wasyou.” His teal-blue eyes are wide when his gaze meets mine. “You were unconscious, and you were bleeding from an infected wound on your stomach. I was unsure if you would live at all.”
I give him a sharp look. When did he get so concerned about my well-being? I study his face. Either he’s a very good actor or he’s actually sincere. Hesoundssincere. I scrutinize his face for any hint of dishonesty, but there are no telltale signs. Still, can I truly place my trust in him? After all, he’s the keeper’s nephew, and my experience so far is that he has faithfully followed every instruction given by Marduk.
“Well, then I suppose a thank-you is in order,” I say stiffly. “But I’m afraid I can’t come with you.”
