Page 51 of Of Blood & Stone

She disappeared behind the sheet again.

He let out a long sigh.

“It isn’t meant fordecor,” Elnok replied as he tried to stand, but everything became dizzy. He collapsed back on the bed instead.

“Too bad,” she responded. “While you slept, I spent hours convincing everyonenotto arrest and kill you. Thanks to your inability to drink a few sips of wine, we have to share this damned room otherwise everyone thinks you’re going to go on a rampage and curse our kingdom with withering crops and dried riverbeds.” She popped her head out of the sheet again, “So, your rope is collateral damage for the sake of my privacy.”

Elnok rolled his eyes, anger rising in his chest. “Your kingdom is fucking insane.”

“Wonderful. I’ll let the High One know.”

Shit.

Even though he was tired and hungry, he needed to keep in good standing with the High One. He couldn’t afford problems if he was going to find the healing tree.

“What I meant was that I’m not used to this sort of thing. All these rituals and customs…” he said, exasperation in his breath as he allowed some true part of him to be seen, “I’m out of my depth here.”

He waited for her sharp response, but it didn’t come. Instead, she slowly moved the sheet to the side. She was on the ground, legs criss-crossed and face softened.

“Look, let’s just get some decent sleep tonight,” she finally said, “And then we can try this again in the morning. A fresh start.”

“You won’t tell the High One I called your people fucking insane?”

“As long as you don’t tell everyone you’re cursed.”

Relief washed through him. “Deal.”

“Deal.” She motioned to a side table. “Helena made you some salted rice. Should help with your stomach and keep you full.”

She disappeared behind the curtain.

Elnok grunted as he ate the entire bowl. It’d been years since he’d had rice, the last of those crops having died out when he was a young boy. Wistful memories flashed in his mind of those days before his parents died.

Tosh and him learning how to fence together, disobeying their instructors and fighting in the hallways, inevitably disrupting courtly meetings. They’d laughed until they couldn’t breathe; ate chilled grapes in the heat of summer; and listened to their parent’s stories about green trees and bountiful feasts.

Yearning ached in Elnok’s chest. If Aretta’s Willow could cure Orym’s sickness, perhaps it wasn’t a terrible idea for it to cure Tosh as well. If they found it, maybe Elnok wouldn’t just save his friend, but his brother too.

Maybe they could laugh together. Tell stories. Be a family again.

But he’s a monster.

He turned on his side, the bed creaking noisily. Nothing could change what Tosh had done, even if he was cured. Besides, Elnok didn’t have any leads for this damned healing tree. Kharis said to start looking in the temple, but would there really beany information no one else knew about? If the High One didn’t want it found, he’d make sure of it.

Either way, Elnok needed to try.

He’d start the search tomorrow.

Chapter 13

Secret Revealed

Sylzenya had known the cut would hurt, every girl’s first always did, but she’d been foolish to believe it no worse than that of a bee’s sting. While she’d never been bitten by a serpentum, its fangs sinking into flesh, thick and sharp, ripping at her without promise of release, she imagined this to be similar.

Everything within her begged surrender.

Instead, she dug her fingers deeper into the damp soil, the golden light of her goddess’ power trailing wide circles around her wrists, up her forearms, and slicing deep into the soft flesh of her back.

Thump.

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