Page 50 of Oracle of Ruin

She looks up at me, her green eyes shining with tears that mirror my own. I thank the gods every day when I look in the mirror that I look entirely like my mother, and nothing like my father.

Kya joins us outside moments later, the blood on her clothes now dried. Amír wipes a smudge off her face before giving her a leg up onto her horse. She wears the blood as a warning, the rest of her figure ensconced in darkness.

Dawn crests the horizon as I spur my mare into a gallop. My sword hangs heavy at my side as I set my gaze on the Hills of Siva.

Amír shoots me a glance. Without words, I already know what she is saying.She might not be alive.

She will be.

She has to be, or I will tear this world apart with my bare hands to get her back.

Chapter24

Verosa

Never have I ever missed my powers more than I do right now. Mavis and Neris are seated close to our fire, crowing over the map Gadsden marked. Meanwhile, Emi is retying my bandages and placing snow atop my wrapped hand in hopes that the cold will numb some of the pain. It is a sweet gesture, but nonetheless, a bit pointless.

“You know, ice is good for things like muscle and bone injuries, not so much splitting your whole fucking hand open,” I try to joke, even though my pinky finger is all but dangling from my hand. The sight makes my head spin and my dinner revolt in my stomach, so I try not to think about it. Emi complained enough, as well, that Mavis tore off some of her shirt for Emi to wrap it with. “If you don’t want to see it,youtreat it,” she had said. Emi swallowed thickly, and even though I told her she didn’t have to, she still did, pausing at any flinch or sign of pain.

“You should have thought of that, then, before wasting my fucking time,” she snaps, her face flushing pink.

I offer a small laugh, but I note the silver lining her eyes. Then without warning, she plops down next to me and lays her head in my lap, curling most of her spine against my stomach. I turn to Mavis and Neris for help, but neither woman offers any words or even a glance in my direction.

I can hear Emi sniffle lightly, and on instinct, bring my good hand down to brush her hair away from her face. “What’s wrong?” I try to make my voice as soft as I can, gritting my teeth through the waiver of pain.

She sniffles again, louder this time. “He shouldn’t have said that, about your friend, I mean. And—” Her voice breaks and it takes several moments before she is able to regain it. “And I’m sorry you lost her.”

My heart softens in my chest. Emi might be young, but she is no stranger to loss either, Neris having mentioned multiple times now that she lost her parents. I had thought as much when I met her and saw the way she clung to Mavis, but she was so young, I hadn’t wanted to consider it.

“Thank you,” I whisper, though the words don’t feel like enough.

The girl doesn’t leave me with much time to dwell on it when she bursts into tears. “I’m sorry for wearing her face when we met. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Pain flashes at the mention of our first meeting, but I push it down. “Hey now, that wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know, and besides, Mavis is the one who did that. She should be apologizing, not you.”

“But I agreed. I knew I was pretending to be someone that you had lost. I should have said no.”

I snort lightly. “You can say no to her supreme will? I wasn’t aware that that was something you could do in this cult.”

“They can,youcan’t.”

“You’re a bitch.”

“Don’t wear it out.” Mavis winks. Her motions are always cold, but she’s developed a bit more personality since we first met.

Our short-lived conversation seems to draw a small laugh from the teen curled on my lap and she finally stops crying. My fingers tangle in her curls and my heart physically aches at the familiarity of it all. Slowly, I set to detangling them, the task proving to be significantly more difficult with one hand. Emi sits silently as I work. Her hair is beautiful and soft despite her obvious lack of care. Slowly, her breathing evens out and she melts under my touch. It does some to soothe the pain in my chest, this new vulnerability to her. I keep playing with her hair, mussing then smoothing it, even as I call out to the other two women.

“Has the map spoken to you yet or have you finally realized you’ve lost it?”

Neris cocks her head to the side in mock pondering. “You know, it did just tell me to leave you out here. I wasn’t going to listen, but now…”

Emi’s tiny fingers dig into my thigh.

I smile and dip my chin towards the girl. “Alas, your child seems a bit attached now. Wouldn’t want to upset her, right?”

Neris comes over at that, her hand reaching out to pinch Emi’s cheek. “Oh, the shit I put up with for you, kid.” She shrieks when Emi licks her hand, then dissolves into a fit of giggles. I can feel each one through my ribs. It is soothing almost, like the feeling of being rocked.

Chapter25

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