Page 83 of Cozy Prisons
“Daxus wanted to put you guys a little further into the woods so he could build a fire pit, but Utharium is refusing to allow it. He’s saying you guys have to be in a central spot. He thinks it's important you be close to him and Palathum. They are considering you as part of leadership now.”
Nataly grimaced. “I don’t want to be in leadership!”
Grace snorted. “Doesn’t matter what you want. The minute the ground started shaking, you went from another adorable human to someone in direct contact with their ancestors. That makes you holy and precious.”
“Then nobody better piss me off or I’ll tell the ancestors to smite them!”
Grace grinned. “I don’t think that’s how it works, but you could try. After talking to Hale, though.”
“Yeah, yeah.” While she’d been resting, the sun had set. It was starting to get chilly, but Grace handed her the omni she’d taken off while Falkilm took care of her feet.
Hanging her feet off the bed, she pulled the omni on. There were glow stones set up all over the place, so there was plenty of light to see the hard ground below. She really didn’t want to walk, but it was impossible to ignore Grace’s request.
Before she could slide off the table, Grace stopped her. “The mover is unloaded, and Merrick’s bringing it over.”
Nataly breathed a sigh of relief. “Great, I wasn’t looking forward to testing Falkilm’s patience by ignoring his orders.”
“Don’t worry, Kiran and Kamie are doing that for you. Not too long ago, the three of them had a lovely fight over on the other side of the pond. It’s amusing to watch a Talin try to be quiet when it’s obvious they want to rattle and roar.”
“Oh, I’ve got inside information on what caused the fight,” Nataly said.
“Tell!” Grace demanded, leaning closer.
By the time Nataly finished relaying the drama, Merrick showed up with the mover covered in pillows. It took some maneuvering, but they got it next to the table and low enough for Nataly to be able to slide over.
When the mover bot lifted up to start walking, Nataly felt like she was in a parade again, except this time it wasn’t fun. When people saw her, they waved and cheered, but had a different tone, like she was to be revered instead of simply friends being silly.
She could only hope this new phase didn’t last long, and she got to go back to being just Nataly soon.
Chapter 26
Nataly
Grace and Merrick guided the bot a short distance away from all the bustle and activity of the encampment. Hale was lying on a blanket on the sandy shore of the pond.
Nothing prepared Nataly for the sight of them. They might’ve been thin and pale before, but at least they’d been moving and alive. Nataly held her breath and stared at Hale. They were so perfectly still that she had to watch Hale’s chest to make sure they were breathing!
“Oh, poor Hale,” Nataly whispered. Merrick made a sympathetic sound, and Grace jumped up on the mover to sit next to her.
Leaning close, Grace spoke in low tones. “I know it’s a lot to tell someone that they are the last hope, but you really are Hale’s last hope.”
Nataly shook her head. “I don’t…I don't even know if…well, anything...”
Grace seemed to understand her jumbled words. “You can’t make this worse. Falkilm is talking about force feeding them and all sorts of other things we both know Hale wouldn't want. Besides, what's the point of keeping a body alive if the soul is determined to leave?”
After letting out a long breath, Nataly nodded. “Fine, can you get me closer without getting the mover stuck in the sand?”
Merrick tapped on the information square in his hands. “Sure.”
Using small movements so the large, awkward mover didn’t step on Hale or the nearby sand, Merrick got the bot close enough for her to slip off the platform and next to Hale with a cascade of pillows. Several landed on their supine form, but they didn’t even flinch.
Now that she was closer, she could see that Hale’s eyes were slit open and staring off into space. They were awake and unresponsive, just like Grace had been. This was so bad.
Merrick was guiding the bot away. Nataly caught Grace’s attention before she left with Merrick. “Could you tell Daxus that I’m here? He won’t handle it well if he finds me gone.”
Grace nodded. “Sure.”
As Nataly watched Grace walk away, an intense image formed in her head. It was of Merrick holding an older version of Maeve while Grace held a baby.
