Page 58 of A Simple Truth

No, the General was brutal, cocky, absolutely arrogant, and lacking any sort of empathy or remorse for his ruthless actions.

He was the great Destroyer General. Soonthe Emperorof all Esnox.

Lord of Death.

And I was a run-away slave. Daughter of the Dead, with a promise I have yet to uphold.

And nothing was ever going to change that.

“Good morning, Finnleah.”My breath caught in my lungs at his raspy, morning voice. I turned only briefly, glancing over his figure with as much casualness as I could summon.

“Good morning, General,” I replied nonchalantly, returning my eyes back to the large map spread out on my lap. The juicy, green apple loudly crunched as I took another bite, the only dry offering of our skim breakfast I had dug out from our bags just a few moments prior.

“Sleep well?” the General inquired, taking a sip of water out of his metal flask.

“Good, given the circumstances.” I kept my eyes on the map, but my peripheral vision nervously tracked his every movement.

The General opened his mouth, only to close it a second later. The uncomfortable hesitation loitered in the air. And before he could say anything I’d regret hearing, I blurted out, “So, I was thinking…” I nervously twisted the map and the compass once more.

“What were you thinking about?” he asked, taking a few bites of food.

You.

I choked that thought lightning fast, before it could reach my mouth. I coughed, clearing my throat, ignoring his smoky scent filling my lungs, now that he stood only a step away from me.

“Tuluma, my elf maid, spoke of a creature that knew all truths,” I started, though already regretting the words coming out of my mouth. The idea was much more sound in my head, but now, hearing it out loud, it sounded completely insane. The General gestured with his hand to speak as he chewed his food. I rubbed my crinkled nose, cringing, but continued.

“She told me of an immortal creature that could answer any question you’d ask him. And considering we are in dire need of answers, I was contemplating finding it. In the stories, she always talked about crossing four rivers, past the black lake…” My eyes lowered to the map.

“A creature that can give you all the answers?” the General repeated my words, a subtle smirk appearing on his face.

“Yes, I am well aware it sounds crazy. Itisa legend, and I’m not even sure if Tuluma just made it up to scare me into telling her the truth all the time. But we are already here and if we fly past the river crossing...” I pointed to the map, where four rivers came together. “Towards that lake. I bet it would be Dead Water Lake, from Tuluma’s stories. And if Nymphs stay away from Dead Water Lake because demons guard it, the—”

“Okay,” he interrupted me.

“Okay?” I suspiciously raised my eyebrows at him.

“Yes, let’s do it,” he agreed without questioning.

What?His eyes asked.

You’re being dumb.My eyes silently shot back.

“You didn’t even ask what the catch was!” I protested.

“I assumed it was spending another day in these gods-forgotten muggy jungles, getting eaten by swarms of bugs, getting lost in Elfland, captured by Elves, haunted by potential demons, or wasting our time chasing legends?”

“Yes, that too...” I drawled. “But there is also another minor detail—” I returned my eyes back to the map, to the large lake and the rivers. “The creature is called a Pozurachdushi, which in Elvish meansa Soul Eater,because he devours your soul in return for an answer.”

“Sounds like a charmer. Can’t wait to meet him.” The General smirked, taking a loud bite of an apple.

34

FINNLEAH

The gushing winds raced past my ears, my knuckles turning paper white as I held on to the saddle. My stomach twisted with nausea, though this time, I had managed to keep down whatever food I had eaten that morning. A minor win, but a win nonetheless. And I needed all the positive encouragement I could gather as we flew high above the clouds, towards the four-river crossing.

I distracted myself from the terrible heights and the way-too-small of a belt holding me to my seat by replaying every legend and story Tuluma told me over the years, sorting the repeating bits into certain patterns.It could work,I assured myself, though like a shadow, a little doubt crept over my thoughts.

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