Page 19 of The Goddesses' Gifts

I gasped and let my arms fall to my sides and took three wobbling steps back to lean against the nearest wall.

The boys collapsed into each other and curled into a tight ball of gangly limbs and tears, much like their father and I had as children.

Lobikno and I didn’t have the benefit of a sibling group like they did, just each other when the beatings were too much, or we were denied food for failing a task, and we couldn’t sleep for the pain in our bellies. These two were so lucky to have their older brothers to look out for them.

Their auras were all over the place, though, thrashing and writhing in pain. Lashing out as if searching for the bond we’d just violently ripped out of them. I felt it lap over me, their agony vibrating through the remnants of their magic mixed in with my own. It made me nauseous.

Perhaps killing them would have been the kinder act.

I sat beside them and offered my own aura. It didn’t seem to know what to do at first. After a lifetime of keeping it locked down, as was expected in our culture, asking it to do what it was naturally intended for was just foreign. The thing awkwardly flopped over the boys like a wet blanket instead of the reassuring brush I experienced with Ozanna. At least it stopped their energies from thrashing.

The sound of their sobs though, that did not relent. “Hush, boys,” I murmured. “You don’t want anyone else to hear. They’ll come for us if they hear you cry.” Because I’d exhausted myself and the shield of silence was gone.

My words triggered a well-trained reflex to freeze and be silent in the pathetic pair before me. Their eyes were too wide while they clutched each other, listening for the approach of footsteps. I knew nobody was going to come, but they needed to martial themselves before I could leave.

“You’ll have to stay here for a time,” I murmured, the words slurring and slow. Gods, I was exhausted. “Just a day or two. Lirraco will be here soon. Maybe one of your other brothers too,” I explained, head in my hands. Especially now that there would be four people down here to worry about once the baby was dumped on Ozanna.

CHAPTER 9

OZANNA

Zelfek wasn’t there when I awoke, not that I’d expected him to be. But when I summoned my light, there was a wash basin with unscented soap, a comb, fresh clothes, towels, bed linens and a heavy blanket by the door. I almost cried more stupid tears when I saw they’d included undershorts this time. Zelfek had kept his word and then some!

I hovered by the door for a moment and listened. There wasn’t a stirring of breath or scrape of boots to be heard. I was all but certain that I was left unguarded between meals and visits. I pounded on the door and shouted, “Hello out there!” Nobody answered.

Since I couldn’t be sure how long I would have privacy, I picked up the little tub and started getting ready to bathe. I still felt grimy after my hasty, bloody sponge bath. The basin was just large enough for me to kneel in for a decent clean. It would take a while to fill the tub so I raced against the rush of water, and lifespan of my light, to put clean linens on the bed and spread the blanket out across the mattress. I managed the task before the tub filled, and the light flickered out a few moments after I shut off the water. My light was lasting entire minutes now and I allowed myself a moment of pride in that.

I washed my hair first, before getting in, reducing the time I’d have to spend submerged. Then I climbed in. The cold water stole my breath, and I started washing as quickly as I could. Once dry and dressed, I wrapped my shivering body in the thick quilted blanket and flopped across the bed, letting my hair hang off the edge to help it dry. Then I went back to my daydreams.

The simple pleasure of the blanket inspired me to consider all the little things that brought moments of delight. Like finding the first fat, ripe blueberries of the season. Sunrise on a clear, crisp autumn morning with an equally crisp apple on my tongue. All the commotion of a life-dense forest on a hazy summer day, cooling my feet in the stream before checking my traps for dinner. Returning to the Order’s dormitories over the coldest weeks of winter to share stories and sip herbal tea with my fellow guardians. Doramdir’s hardy laugh. Lhoris’ tender, incidental touch while he smiled at me like a lovestruck fool. Every time Emma announced she’d sprouted a proper finger in the proper place. The way she and Eve giggled together. Lobikno singing. Hell, I even missed Judith’s relentless dedication to the girls.

All such wonderful things—things that reminded me that there was more than what happened in this cold, dark place. Good things that I could get back to if I managed find a way to escape this tomb of a compound.

Lhoris and Lobikno would be here any time now. I’d have to be ready to act and try to meet them halfway. I wouldn’t have any signal to act, so I’d have to remain quiet and listen. If I didn’t hear anything today, I’d slip out for certain tomorrow, armed with my stolen knife.

Footsteps in the corridor pulled me out of my thoughts and into reality. The door creaked open, and two figures stood backlit in pale light.

One was obviously an elf soldier, but the other was small.

A child.

“Dulanzo said you’re to look after this boy,” said the unfamiliar soldier and shoved the child in the doorway with his foot. The momentum caused the boy to tumble over himself before sprawling on the cold floor with a whimper.

“What the fuck?!” I kicked the blanket aside and dashed towards them, too shocked by what I’d witnessed to work up to the anger I knew was coming. The child was so small. Maybe a toddler, though I really had no idea how elven children developed. The poor thing was naked and trembled visibly in the dim light. I had little experience with children, but I scooped up his skinny body and held him protectively against my shoulder anyway.

“I’ll … peel the flesh from your skull!” I snarled at the soldier. The child froze in my arms, holding his breath, perhaps frightened by my tone. He smelled so, so bad—unwashed and unhealthy.

“Promises, promises,” the elf sighed wearily, as if something weighed on him, wore him down. It slowed the momentum of my rage.

“I’ll need more supplies if I’m to take care of him. He needs clothes and we need more towels.” I paused before adding, “Maybe some light?”

“You can’t make light?” The elf laughed at me. “The child can do that for you.”

“What about the other things?” I demanded with a scowl.

“Why not,” he sighed. “Anything else, your highness?”

Under normal circumstances, I’d have told him to fuck off, eat shit, and die. But this elf at least agreed to my request. It wouldn’t serve me to bite back right now.

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