NEPHELE
The stormy morning is spent with Alexus, Neri, and Zahira questioning Vice Admiral Eryx’s men one at a time in the lighthouse, attempting to learn all they need to know about the man Vexx left in charge after Neri killed Rooke. Meanwhile, Callan moves around the exterior portions of the home that are shielded from the rain, marking them with runes for protection, cleansing, and invulnerability.
Joran, Keth, and Jaega—with some help from Harmon and the boys—attempt to fix the doors I battered in the great room. They resort to erecting a makeshift exit from two thick slabs they hauled from the stables.
The rain’s tempo builds and then slows. Once the clouds finally move northeast, I decide to burn off my temper by strengthening the construct Alexus erected around the property to shield our presence from the men monitoring the city wall. They will see their fellow members of the Watch lurking about the gardens instead of being trapped in the cage I’ve made for them. There are nine in all, with varying levels of common magick. Thankfully, not much of a threat for the likes of us, but I fear they aren’t who we need to worry about.
As everyone tends to their tasks, I slip into the library and lie down for a rest. My body is so spent after exerting so much energy with magick, not to mention that this makes day number three that I haven’t had any normal sustenance in my body. No matter how strong I might want to be, I am wholly unwell.
It’s the aroma of herbs and spices that wakes me a long while later, causing an instant pang of hunger, though the accompanying nausea is much stronger.
Hand pressed to my stomach, I push my slightly still-damp hair back from my face and sit up, noticing that someone—likely Yaz—has covered me with a soft throw, which is a good thing, because I feel chilled. I glance at the window. It’s been such a gray day, but it must be midafternoon by now.
Feeling as though I need to be more present given our circumstances, I force myself to get up and move down the hall toward the kitchen. Gods, I have to hold my breath against the scents wafting through the door as I peek inside. Joran, Keth, and Jaega are devouring a hearty meal prepared by Yaz and Mari. They don’t see me slip past and head into the great room where I crouch by the fire and try to breathe my way through the chills racing over my skin and this relentless sickness.
About a half hour later, Keth and Jaega stroll into the room too, a look of surprise on their faces at seeing me. I’ve worn a path across the rug in front of the hearth, nervously working Neri’s heart pendant up and down the golden chain around my neck. Beyond illness, my mind is a disaster of worry.
Jaega eyes me and squeezes my hand as they move toward the new doors that lead to the garden. “I’m glad you got some rest, Nephele. But you look like you might need to have some dinner. Yaz has plenty.”
“Yum.” I brighten my face and do my best to make little of it. “I might head that way in a bit, then.”
The couple heads outside to sit in the weak light of a struggling sun to guard our prisoners, while I stay put by the fire. Joran, finishing off a hunk of bread, soon passes through, heading to the gardens as well. He hasn’t so much as glanced at me since he’s been back to himself, and he doesn’t acknowledge me now, which is perfectly all right. We’ve never been friends. We don’t need to be them now.
I don’t stop pacing in his presence. I can’t. I feel awful, so very tired and aching everywhere, but I can’t be still. It reminds me of the time I caught a fever when I was a girl, the way I tossed and turned against misery. Even my skin hurts, like I needsomethingdesperately. Something specific to cure my ill.
Yet I have no idea what that something is.
Adding to my worry is the sliph of quicksilver wriggling in the left pocket on the inside of my jacket. I press my hand to my breast to try and still it to no avail.
Neri wondered how I arrived at the tor so quickly. I’m not ready to tell him that I stole what I believe might be a tiny bit of aether, or that I think it somehow sifted me across the beach. I didn’tdoanything to cause that to happen, or at least I don’t think I did. I’d been scanning the entirety of the tor with what I thought was quicksilver in my hand, trying to decide what to do with my rising anger over Neri leaving me. Then I was just…there.
That can’t be normal or safe, especially given that my sister is currently imprisoned in a Queziran dungeon from three hundred years past because of a mechanism we don’t fully understand. It makes me wonder if Fia was right when she spoke to me and Raina days ago. If Father’s reaper's marks were something more, something handed down through his lineage.
If we’re truly descended from Loria.
Yaz floats into the room, and I stop my pacing as she pauses near the settee. Her round brown eyes grow tender as she looks me over. Even now, she’s dressed so lovely, wearing a flowing sage green dress that compliments her skin, a soft, sun-warmed brown that reminds me of the sands of the Summerlands.
Sincerity and tenderness soften her already sympathetic expression. “Why don’t you come for a bite to eat? Mari is still in the kitchen. We can make you a cheese plate. Or I have more stew heating in the hearth, too. Whichever you prefer.”
I’m aware I must look a sight, bad enough for two people to have now suggested that I try to eat. Unsurprisingly, I still can’t stomach the thought of food, but Yaz and Mari were so glad to see us and so relieved to be out from under the constant threat of the traitorous members of the Watch. I’m sure something as simple as feeding us seems like a task theyneedto perform in order to feel a true return to normalcy here at Starworth Tor.
For that reason alone, I cross the room and take her hand, forcing a smile as I say, “That sounds wonderful.”
In the kitchen, I slip onto a stool at the large wood-topped island in the middle of the room. I take a deep breath and try to steady myself, surrounded by an onslaught of scents.
Mari slides a cup of lavender tea and a plate of warm sourdough bread, soft goat cheese, and clover honey in front of me. I sip the tea, which isn’t so terrible. It quite unexpectedly soothes me a little. As for the food, any other day, I would devour every last morsel. But now, I simply pinch a healthy bite and make myself swallow it. I know my bodyneedsfood, and I don’t want to draw attention to my lack of appetite or seem rude.
As Mari stirs the stew in the kettle that hangs over the fire, Yaz leans her elbows onto the counter across from me, clasping her hands. “You must be so worried about Raina. About everyone.”
I lick a drop of honey from my fingertip, wishing it didn’t make me squeamish. “I am. There’s not really been a moment of peace since we were last here. I would give anything for all of this to magickally resolve.”
She offers a warm yet sad smile. “Being a Witch Walker does tend to make us wish we could wave our hands and change everything for the better, doesn’t it? If only magick worked that way. If only it could mend the damage done by others.”
I pull myself out of my own worries, push the plate aside, and match Yaz’s pose. “Are you two all right? With everything that happened with Finn… I just can’t imagine what you’ve been through.”
Yaz momentarily closes her eyes, and behind her, Mari stiffens, though her shoulders seem so very heavy. They’ve already had this talk with Zahira who let everyone know what occurred upstairs, but it’s clearly something no one would be able to forget.
“We’re blessed by the Ancient Ones that we only heard it happen,” Yaz replies, her eyes filling with sudden tears, her lip trembling. “But Harmon was here. He saw Vexx leave carrying a bloody sack. He knew instantly what had happened.” She wipes her cheeks, and I notice Mari wiping her face too. “He and the boys buried Finn down near the stables with guards watching over them the entire time. Vexx left the guards here, and they’ve remained here since.” She glances over her shoulder. “Mari tried launching fire from the hearth at one of them, but he managed to snuff it out, and then we were threatened. They said they would do to us what was done to Finn if we tried anything else against them.”
