Page 31 of Blood Red Woes

“The seas are undoubtedly treacherous. Other than their revered empresses, Laconia is a peaceful kingdom. Or was, I suppose. They had everything they needed, so why bother looking for other kingdoms out there? Once the war was won, the watchtowers became places of refuge for weary travelers and the empresses’ top magical researchers. It sounds as though Frederick’s father is one of those researchers.”

“Except he wasn’t a researcher for the empress of Acadia—he was close with the one from Magnysia,” I say, remembering what Frederick told me.

“Yes. We can assume he believed he was the only one left. Perhaps he thought he’d find others like him on his journey to the castle in the heart of Acadia. Perhaps he hoped the empress of the just remained sane. Since he never returned to Laconia, we can assume he either perished along the way or…”

“Or the empress got him.” I stop when I reach the river. I really, really hope Frederick’s dad didn’t get captured or killed by the empress. If I have to go to the castle, if I have to search the place for his research… if the empress is still somehow alive, I’m not sure what the hell I’m going to do.

I can fight off magical dogs and flocks of crazed birds, but an actual empress with real magical power? There’s no way I’ll stand a chance.

“Even if we don’t find what we’re looking for at Catarin Tower, it might be wise to see if there’s anything else there that might aid you. It is possible other researchers there were looking into things that might help you get back home.”

Rune is right. Even if, say, I have to keep going to Acadia’s castle, there’s a chance the tower might hold answers.

I hop on the water and get a move on.

Once you do something so much, it gets easier. Racing along the surface of the water while avoiding any obstructions in the river is one of them. I’m able to go faster, so fast the wind hurts my face. I imagine it’s similar to the feeling of coming down the highest drop on a roller coaster; I’ve never been on one, but I’ve seen pictures, and some of them are wild.

God, I’d give anything to ride one now.

The deeper into Acadia I go, the less hills I see. More flatlands, more waterways emptying out into the river I travel on. More flowers popping up near the riverbank, their petals and colors things I’ve never seen before. I don’t run into any blighted creatures, thank goodness. It is a boring day, but I make good time and for that I can’t complain.

Hours pass. I can’t put my hood up because of the velocity I’m traveling along the river. The sun scorches my face, and I know I have a pretty gnarly sunburn. I ignore it since there’s nothing I can do about it.

It’s just after midday when Rune comments, “You’re getting very good at this, Rey.”

I gasp. “Is that a compliment? Wow. You’re making me blush.”

He scoffs, instantly irritated by what I said, “You are insufferable. I loathe the fact I am bonded to you.”

I smile. “You know you love me.”

He makes a disgusted sound. “I most certainly do not. Sometimes you are tolerable, and other times you are not. When you make comments like that, I—”

“Get so flustered you resort to petty remarks and try to insult me? Yeah, I noticed.”

Rune mutters, “I’m done talking.”

“No, no! Talk to me, baby. Tell me how good I am again. It really gets me going.”

He doesn’t understand what I mean or how I mean it, because he asks, “Gets you going where? You’re already going to the tower.”

I sigh. It’s so obvious this guy is from this world and not mine. Anyone from my world would understand that I didn’t mean that as in it gets me physically moving. But I don’t feel like explaining how I meant it, so I keep my mouth shut.

It’s probably better that way. Rune lost his name and probably his body, therefore even if I find a way to unbind him from me, he’ll never know what it’s like to…

Well, you know.

Do the deed. Get freaky in the sheets. Dance the night time tango. Play cowgirl and cowboy.

I’m sure I could think of a dozen more euphemisms, but I momentarily lose enough concentration to nearly trip on a sharp rock jutting out in the middle of the river. I manage to jerk to the side just in time to avoid it.

I’m nineteen. I didn’t have the best childhood. Growing up in the system, I made some mistakes. Never had any long-term relationships, but that doesn’t mean I’m naive. I know what sex is, how good it can feel. I also know how awkward and terrible it can feel, so really, it all depends on the partner you choose.

If I never get out of this place, I might not ever have sex again. That’s not a very good thought.

The day passes. The sun starts its descent in the sky, and the few clouds there are turn a pretty pink. The colors of the sky reflect off the water before me, a pretty watercolor of nature. I’m seconds from saying something along the lines of how shitty it’ll be if I have to make camp along the river, but in the far distance, I see what looks to be the outline of a tower. Still miles away, but thanks to the flat landscape around me, I can see the river zigzags around it.

“Catarin Tower,” I say. We’ll make it there in less than twenty minutes, before the sun falls and the world turns to darkness.

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