Page 40 of The Demon's Delight
“I may be able to trade some messages. Again, no promises. What did you want to know?”
“There’s a wise woman there, her name is Sal. She’s my aunt. I just need to know if she’s alright.”
“I’ll see what I can do. If I find anything out, I will try to pass word along. I’m not allowed to leave this place until my post expires.”
“When will that be?” I asked.
He smirked and gave a rueful grin. “When it happens, I’ll let you know. Nobody else is very keen on taking this kind of assignment.”
I understood that more than most.
Hailon’s shoulders relaxed, and she inhaled the first full breath I’d seen her take since she’d woken. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
Coltor inclined his head politely. “Can I see your map? Perhaps I can make some much-needed corrections.”
I pulled the small square of parchment out of my pocket, and he scowled at it, using a bit of charcoal from the fire to scribble over the inconsistencies.
“You will be protected here,” Coltor promised, gesturing around himself, indicating the bounds of the ruins. “Beyond this place, take the east road. Keep to the valley. The grasslands further out are full of trouble.”
“Thank you.” I accepted the parchment back, and he turned to go.
“Head north from here once the sun is up. Follow the water. There’s a glade with several springs, and the forest there is a bountiful place. Rest and replenish your food if you need to. After that, go directly toward the sunrise. The water will no longer serve you, it dead-ends in the mountains. Nice to have met you both. Safe journey, I hope we meet again.”
“And you.” We shook hands, and he disappeared into the darkness, leaving us staring at one another as the fire crackled and dawn broke in shades of peach and gold over the horizon.
Chapter 19
Hailon
Breaking camp and moving north was a simple affair. We gathered our belongings after putting the fire out and walked along the bank of the little river in companionable silence.
The odd weather and lack of wildlife we’d experienced on the road because of the heavy magical wards was nowhere to be found down here. Birds sang, insects buzzed, and life thrived in every direction. The morning sun was warm, but the season had noticeably changed since we crossed into the bones of the old castle. Gone was the heat we’d experienced the first few days of our journey. I smiled. Autumn was my favorite.
Aunt Sal was a fan of spring, when everything started to sprout anew and the earth came to life again after months of snow and frost. I, however, craved the serene return to the earth that happened in the fall. I loved the way everything turned over, tucked itself in and prepared for a long nap.
Maybe I was just more tired than I wanted to admit.
Perhaps a quarter hour of walking later, the forest opened up into a broad glade. Coltor’s vague description hadn’t been adequate. This place was a glorious oasis, hidden from prying eyes by dense trees and rock formations. Wildflowers of allcolors and types mixed in with the tall grasses, and someone long ago had taken the time to lay out a walkway of flat stones in patterns around a series of five springs of varying sizes and shapes. Three of the pools were steaming into the heavy morning air.
“Hot springs.” I sighed, every bit of dirt and grime suddenly much heavier on my skin as the prospect of a real bath dangled in front of me.
Seir made a whooping noise and bounded off, startling the birds into flight. He went from pool to pool, testing their temperatures.
“This one,” he said, pointing at the smallest but steamiest spring. “This is the one I’ll be using.” His grin was wide, his excitement infectious. “Come on!”
Setting our things down to the side of the path made of flat stones, Seir quickly gathered more rocks and started up a fresh fire.
“Are we staying that long?” I asked.
He blew gently into the sparks he’d created in the kindling, getting a strong flame to glow around a twig before responding. “I have no expectations or plans,” he admitted. “I know you want to get home as quickly as you can. A fire is always a good thing to have, in any case, and easily put out.” He started adding bigger and bigger pieces until the flames were well fed. “I wasn’t sure how recovered you truly were, to be honest. You didn’t sleep much compared to the effort you expended yesterday, and what little you got seemed less than restful.” Seir stood, dusting his hands off on his pants. “I thought about making it a requirement in my repayment terms that you allow me to carry you, but?—”
“I’m fine.” My knee-jerk response had him lifting an eyebrow. “Really. I could continue on right now if we needed to. On my own feet even; no carrying required.” That eyebrow arched even further, his head tilting forward in challenge. “Icould, I said. Not that I wanted to. Or that it would be easy.” I frowned, realizing I really wasn’t in very good shape, and not resting now could result in me having to take twice as long to recover later. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind lingering in a hot bath for a bit before we do anything of the sort.”
“Was that so difficult?” he teased, fishing out the towels we’d inherited from Widow Callahan’s linens and a cake of soap. “Besides, I don’t have paper or ink so that, too, will have to wait until we return to civilization. I’ll have to humbly request that you take my suggestions for recuperation into consideration before rejecting them out of hand.”
I opened my mouth to protest but shut it as quickly. There was nothing unfair about his request, in fact it was designed to benefit me more than him. My reactionary nature was defensive, but I was trying to school it a little better around Seir. His intentions were never malicious. “I’ll do my best.”
He smiled wide. “Can’t ask for more, then, can I?”
