Page 43 of A War of Embers

Was there some sort of barrier here to prevent harm happening in Wraithlands? Is that why I seem to be the only one burning up?

Movement catches my eye as I turn to glance back at the group down in the village. The man who was talking to the group moments ago has stripped off his shirt and is currently standing near one of the pyres. Even from this distance I can see the sweat gleaming off his body as he continues talking to Zeke.

He’s sweating. But none of the group appears to be. What does that mean?

I step forward, on the other side of the barrier and feel the heat swamp my body once again. Frowning, I glance down at my feet where I believe the barrier is.

Sure enough fog lulls in small waves towards one of my feet before abruptly stopping. Something is blocking the heat from escaping. But it doesn’t explain why only the guy and I are sweating.

Someone else comes out of the door to one of the houses further down from them. He’s easily spottable through the pyre’s flames, his body gleaming also in the night.

Lady Cirilla walks to him, her hand outstretched for a shake. The blue scarf around her nose and mouth firmly in place as she talks with him, though she’s too far to hear.

Apparently she’ll be patrolling further down in the Wraithlands than Zeke. Meaning I’ll have to somehow skirt by him and the group in the forest to get to her.

For fuck’s sake, can nothing on this journey be easy?

Somehow this is Lady Gwenyth’s fault. I don’t know how since she’s not set anything on this side of the sea in motion, but I blame her all the same. If it wasn’t for her entrapping me in this body then none of this would be happening.

I would be dead.

Frustration pelts at my mind, but I try to breathe through the anger beginning to cloud my vision. I can’t have any of the magic I supposedly wield giving away my location. Although I don’t want to believe it’s my souls calling upon magic, I don’t have any other explanation as to why my body bleeds whenever I call on my sword or become enraged.

Glancing over my shoulder towards the forest, I sigh. Either I backtrack into the forest and go around the group there to get to Lady Cirilla, or I go into the Wraithlands to do the same. Neither is a good option, but those are it.

Unless I want to trek back to Rowan’s estate in the Blood City and wait for their return. Which is entirely out of the question after stalking the caravan all damn day. I didn’t come all this way just to quit.

Standing up straighter, I glance around the village again. It offers easier places to hide with closer tracking. The forest only offers the trees and a longer route.

Decision made, I step through the barrier once again into the sweltering heat. My clothes begin to cling to me as I walk down the hill towards the village, making sure to stick to the shadows of the houses and the few trees grouped together between houses.

I can hear people walking around, murmuring in low voices to one another. I step closer to a house, ducking into the dark shadows and watch several people walk by.

They don’t appear to be creatures lurking within the Wraithlands. Though with Zeke shapeshifting into a dragon, there’s no way to tell who's mortal and who isn’t.

The couple get closer to where I’m hiding, and for the first time I notice their attire. Or lack thereof. Each is practically naked as they stroll hand in hand past me.

My brows draw together as I continue to watch them. Obviously the heat is getting to them too, but neither seems to mind or the state of their undress in public.

Fuck, I wish I could take my top off to cool down.

My sword digs into my back as I lean heavier against the house. It feels as though I’m breathing in steam from a pot of boiling water. There’s a spicy aroma to the air, getting thicker by the minute.

Soon enough I doubt I’ll be able to breathe at all.

I wonder what would happen to my body. In the Blood Sea, I thought I would be eaten by a monster, stuck in the digestive system and eventually spit out in some form. Then, my body would mend back together like all the times before when I was close to the edge but still immortal. With lack of oxygen, will I cease breathing and succumb to the environment around me? Though it seems weird knowing immortals live out here in the Wraithlands, yet they never die. Are they permanently unconscious due to the air?

Tugging on my collar, I step away from the house and continue heading towards the back of the homes, edging closer to where Lady Cirilla is possibly staying. I bet one of the many tents the servants are unpacking belongs to her. It might take me all night to conjure up a route to get in and out, but I won't be drawing Rowan’s attention before I can make my move.

A dizzy spell hits me in the middle of the walkway when I’m between two homes. The world tilts and spins, similar to when I come back into my body after a soul has been activated, but this time I know it’s from the heat. Being vulnerable is not an option, not right now when I’m so close to proving to Rowan I want to die, I can’t be taken out by the heat.

Staggering across the road, I make it to the other house almost blindly, finally connecting my hand to the side of the lodge. Leaning heavily against it, I tug at the end of my shirt to get some air movement onto my stomach.

In the distance, I swear I can hear moaning coming from a few houses away.

Shutting my eyes tightly to combat the sudden onset of nausea the heat is causing, I try to breathe evenly to get control of my body once again. Clawing my fingers up my body, I wrench my hair into my hands and bend over at the waist, desperately seeking cool air to calm this assault.

“You don’t look so good, little monster.”

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