Page 32 of Shadows in Bloom

“Are you going to poison me, girl?” He smirked, but didn’t hesitate to slurp down the soup.

“No. Actually, you should be very thankful that I was in that forest today, or this very well may have been your last meal ever.”

“Ah! Then you weren’t entirely lying.” He gave a thumbs up and handed the spoon back to me.

I grabbed it from his hands and turned my attention back to the pot. “Are we back to this again? It was a passing comment.Nothing more.” There was more bite to my words than I’d intended, and I hoped he wouldn’t notice my frustration.

“Very well.” To my relief, Kaz took the hint and shifted the subject. “Should you ever make your way to Rajandi, I will introduce you to my people’s cooking skills. Nothing compares to our spices.”

Rajandi. I’d heard that name before—it was the place Kallistra had wanted us to go to search for a priestess. “You’re from Rajandi?”

His eyes flicked up. “Have you been?”

“No. No, I’ve only heard about it.”

Rajandi was a city located on the coast, beyond the Sea of Sands. A tropical paradise—if you could make it through the brutal stretch of desert which protected it. It was a twin to the city right beside it, Jakabri. One king ruled over both cities and their outlying villages. Not much else was documented about the land. They were extremely private people who didn’t see many outsiders.

“I miss it.” He ran a hand through his long locs. “I haven’t been back in two years. Planning a visit after this job. About damn time.”

“I’m sure it’s beautiful.” Something about the wistful look in his umber eyes had me wanting to wrap him up in a tight squeeze.

He seemed to notice and rose to his feet. “Don’t go getting all misty eyed on me, girl.” A hand clapped down between my shoulder blades. “I’m going back there, and my door will be open. And when you get there, I’ll cook you up something delicious to return the favor for tonight.”

I didn’t have the heart nor the courage to tell him I had no intention of seeing anyone again after this job. So, I simply smiled. Smiled and filled a bowl of the finished soup for him, scooping up some extra shrooms, as if that would make it better.

Chapter 15

Drenched in a cold sweat and shaking uncontrollably, I shot up from my bedroll, scanning the darkness of night enclosing me, for something to bring me back to reality. For the past eight days of travel, I’d had the same recurring nightmare each and every time I fell asleep, but tonight’s nightmare had differed from the others before it. Though similarly vivid, the people within my dream weren’t changing this time, only the scenarios were. I steered clear of mirrors, reflections, anything that offered the possibility of catching a glimpse of what lay inside. It had worked for seven nights, but tonight…

Alandris was awake on first watch, his face barely visible in the dark of night. Only the light of the moon shone down on him, but it was enough for me to catch his gaze resting upon me. He motioned for me to take a seat next to him, and I obliged, crawling out of my bedroll to meet him. Anything would bebetter than being alone, trying to force myself to stay awake. I didn’t dare risk shutting my eyes again, not if it meant those images would flood my mind once more.

“Did you have a bad dream?” Alandris questioned in a hushed tone, careful not to wake the others.

I scrunched my eyes closed, grimacing as the nightmare came back to me.

“Nairu! It’s time to go!” a woman dressed in rough leathers and a plum-colored cloak called out to me. Her walnut brown hair hung just past her chin in tight curls, her skin a shade of deep bronze. I was certain it was the same woman I’d seen in my dreams the last several nights, though I had no clue who she was outside of them.

“Kyra?”

She sucked her teeth and twirled her finger around one of her curls. “You’re joking, right? Now is really not the time for this.”

I ignored the woman, taking in my surroundings. We appeared to be in an inn room of some sort, judging by the worn-down furniture and lack of décor. Outside of the singular window in the room, the streets were bustling with people running about. It seemed we were smack dab in the middle of a market district in yet another unknown city. It was warm and dry. Perhaps we were further south?

“Come on, Nairu!” Kyra whined, opening the door. “This is our last stop. Aren’t you excited? We will get to go home soon.”

With no other options, I followed Kyra out. She led me by the hand through the packed crowd, down a number ofback streets, and toward a small building the same color as the sandy mountains in the distance. I was unable to decipher the strange, weathered symbols carved on the staircase that spiraled down to the front door.

“Nairu, this temple is one of our people’s last sanctuaries. I’ve been told stories of the priestess here since I was a little girl. If anyone can help you, it’s her.” Kyra rested a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t be afraid. You were born for this.”

As I pushed open the door, the overbearing scent of patchouli and another herb I couldn’t place assaulted me. The room was swirling with smoke, making it difficult to see. Judging from what I saw, the place bore no resemblance to a temple. It was tiny and rundown, riddled with cobwebs and dust, and filled with only a couple of wooden benches, save for the shrine at the back of the room. The shrine, similarly, wasn’t in the best shape. The cracks and crumbling were so severe in some parts that it was difficult to distinguish the image of the God it represented.

From the back room emerged a woman dressed in tawny robes, with various tools hanging from her leather belt. Silky black hair, tucked behind her ears, fell just past her waist. Oddly, she looked very young for someone who was supposed to be famous amongst her people since Kyra was a child. She was stunning, too. A perfectly sculpted face with eyes the shade of marbled jade. The juxtaposition between the woman and the space in which she resided was incredibly jarring.

“Nairu.” She clasped her hands together. “I’ve waited ages to see you. It’s a shame that it’s taken us this long to get together. My name is Nissia.”

“I, um… yes, it is lovely to meet you.”

Nissia turned to Kyra. “Has she not started to…?”

---