Page 9 of Cursed Shadows

From the corner, the bound man comes to life again, the veins in his arms protruding against his pale skin as he violently rocks and moans. Master Ash rises from beside the fire and goes to the man’s side.

“Atacomitewithdrawals,” he says, as if he feels the need to explain the man’s condition to us. I suddenly wonder if I appeared the same when theAtacomitewas forcibly leached from my body. Regardless, the man’s agony now makes sense. It’s a hell I would wish on no one.

“What is this place?” I ask.

“It’s whatever you need it to be,” replies Master Ash, facing me for the first time. He studies me for a few moments, his eyes narrowed. I wonder if he can see through my façade.

“Revenant, show them to their accommodations,” he barks and retrieves a bucket from beneath the man’s cot. Master Ash begins to wring out the wet rag inside it. Delicately, he soaks up the sweat around the man’s forehead.

Baron leads us to the far side of the room. Then, he faces the wall and closes his eyes.

“Reveal Passage,” he says in a low voice. Almost immediately, a wooden door appears in the stone wall. Through the door is a dark hallway with scattered doors along either side.

“Can we trust him?” Cambion whispers to Dragan, who looks at Baron and shrugs.

“We don’t have much of a choice at this point,” Dragan admits, and inhales deeply. Then he faces Master Ash. “You’ve helped me, and you’ve helped us,” he says as the latter simply nods. Dragan reaches inside his pants pockets but Baron stops him.

“There’s no need for payment,” he says, shaking his head. Dragan looks surprised but pulls his hands out of his pocket all the same.

“I never thought I’d encounter kindness in Grimreap,” Cambion says once we’re out of earshot of Master Ash.

“All things require balance,” Baron replies, opening the door to a large room, revealing a bed and a wash basin. It’s nothing much, but the sight of the bed makes my chest swell. Suddenly wanting nothing more than to relax my weary body, I walk over to the bed. Dragan is right behind me. I sit down and he stands above me as if he’s acting the part of sentry.

“Now it’s time for you to start explaining a few things,” Cambion says as he faces Baron and the rest of the group enters the room. Thoradin closes the door behind us.

“I have nothing to explain,” Baron responds drolly, eyeing the door and moving closer to it.

“You have plenty to explain,” Dragan puts in. “For starters, how is it possible that you’re even standing here, talking to us?”

“I don’t know,” Baron says, and eyes both of them with suspicion before he wraps his arms against his chest. “Perhaps I should be the one asking the questions. Why do you boththinkyou know me?”

“Why do we know you?” Cambion asks incredulously. “Baron,” he begins but Baron pulls back at the sound of his name.

“And why do you continue to call methatname?”

Cambion frowns, then looks at Dragan who returns his gaze with raised brows. “Because it’s your name,” Dragan explains as he faces Baron. Thoradin is quiet in the far corner of the room and Flumph floats over to the bed, takes a seat on the pillow beside me, and is quiet for once.

“I don’t know that name and never have,” Baron responds icily. I can tell he doesn’t trust us, and by his body language, he might believe Dragan and Cambion are feeding him lies.

“You don’t know your name?” Cambion asks.

“My name is Revenant,” Baron insists.

Everyone is quiet for a few seconds. Baron is the one who breaks the silence. “You should take this opportunity to sleep for a few minutes. You can’t stay here long. It’s not safe in this city.”

“You still haven’t—” Cambion starts, but Dragan interrupts him with a shake of his head.

“He’s right. We need to rest,” Dragan says. Cambion spears him with a cross expression for a moment or two but finally nods.

Then, everyone begins to move toward the door to leave. I can only assume there are more rooms for the rest of our group, but after the drama of the day, no one is eager to go their separate ways. There are still so many unanswered questions. For now, though, there isn’t anything I can think about beyond the call of the pillow. I’m leaning heavily into the bed and can barely keep my eyes open.

But I don’t want Dragan to leave me. He’s the one I trust the most, and he’s the only one who seems to care about me. Physically, he’s definitely the most menacing. I glance up at him to find him already looking down at me.

“Will you stay with me?” I ask in a small voice.

He seems surprised, but then must realize I know I need his protection. He merely nods.

The others start filing out of the room as Flumph floats into the air and throws his hands on his hips. “Hey, Baron, er, Revenant guy, you gonna give us some eats?”

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