Page 134 of Of Serpents and Ruins
Arjax glanced at me then indicated the path with the thick brush. "This way."
Thorns glimmered in the torchlight like little shiny daggers. The mages glanced about with cautious gazes as if taking in the entirety of this place.
My eyes fell on the woman who held the dark-haired man's hand. There was something familiar about her. She had flame-red hair with golden highlights. Bold and elegant whorls and spirals curled across her hands in an inky design. She stared at me, eyes intense as we walked toward the camp.
I smiled a little, struggling to place the memory or the sensation. "I'm Stella. Apparently, I'm queen of Sepeazia."
The dark-haired man shot me an annoyed glare. "Apparently? You don't know?" A bit of stubble highlighted his squared jaw, intensifying the ruggedness of his appearance.
The flame-haired woman's eyes widened as she struck her hand over his muscular bicep. He grumbled something about her ripping flesh, but she kept her gaze fixed on me. "You're another sacrifice, aren't you?"
My pace broke. Yes! That was how I knew her. She was one of the women who had sacrificed herself in that pool, another who had returned after paying the ultimate price.
That flash of awareness blossomed into fuller and richer memories. All of us standing in that pool. The knives across our palms. The rising chant.
"You were one of the eight?" I asked.
She pressed a hand to her chest. "Adira. Were you in Las Vegas?"
"Ihlkit!" I gasped, smiling and somehow feeling a little lighter. "Yes. I'm still reeling a little, to be honest."
Adira shook her head. "I can't imagine what it's like to learn you can shift forms. I thought being told I'm basically a wizard was hard."
The third male released an irritated groan. "How long until we rid that word from your mouth? There is nothing patheticallywizardly about us. Do we use wands? Of course not. Magic is in our blood, the way it ought to be."
Adira's pleasant mouth quirked as she snorted a laugh. "He's a little sensitive about titles. You really can shift, right?"
I chuckled, biting back my own sigh. Oh, that was complicated. "Yeah…it's…an experience. I'll say that."
"I'm still trying to recall everything and figure it out, but—" She sent an affectionate glance up at the dark-haired man and held his hand a little tighter. "It gets easier."
Seeing the quiet love and affection between them despite his gruffness comforted me.
We continued on our way until we reached the camp.
I glanced back at them and slowed so that I was closest to Adira. "Arjax and his cousin will want to feed you," I whispered. It was hard to imagine how they would get out without being blessed with the Vawtrian hospitality.
"He's incredibly tall," she whispered to me. "Are all the men like that?"
I smiled at this. "No. He's not even a water serpent. He’s a Vawtrian, a general shapeshifter. Arjax and his cousin are a little like us. Both were brought here from another world. They seem to have acclimated well enough."
A bright smile flashed over Adira's face. "Then there's hope."
It was contagious, and I laughed as well. "Good news to hold on to."
We certainly needed all that we could get.
We continued to talk as we walked. Her companions had a few questions for me as well, though the man who held her hand—Kage—remained somber, the weight of whatever had brought them here obviously pressing hard on him.
I didn't ask why they needed the venom despite my curiosity. From a few murmurs between them, it sounded a bit like the mages had their own experience with terrifying curses. Myknowledge of potion work was nearly nonexistent. Adira told me about another of the princesses, Ember, who had been kidnapped. Adira herself had been flung through a hell vortex.
As we reached the camp, I saw it had stilled so much from just an hour previously. The crew had already departed, taking with them the first of the supplies as they went to prepare the ship for our journey into the Keening Pass.
Brandt lay on the earth near the fire, still bound. My heart quailed, protectiveness surging through me. I didn't want anyone else to see him this way. My cheeks heated.
"Who is that?" Adira asked, edging closer to Kage.
"Oh." I bit the inside of my lip and released a tight breath. My smile wavered. "That's…that's my husband and the love of my life. The king of Sepeazia." My heart clenched as I said those words. Tears stung the backs of my eyes. Blinking them back, I fidgeted with my hair. "He would greet you and invite you to stay and eat, I’m sure." I paused, sighing. "Actually, he’d probably wish you well on your journey and bless your speedy return and progress. He doesn’t like being delayed places either, but when the curse seizes him…measures have to be taken. It isn’t him, though. Not really."
