Page 72 of Voices in the Stars
“Stand back,” they commented instead.
I listened, dropping flat on my feet once again, and moved away. There was a loud creak as the door swung open. Whispers started up around us until it turned into everyone down here yelling at us.
“Close it!” someone screamed from one of the other cells.
“Do you want us to die?” another questioned.
I wanted to slam the door shut myself, but a hand grabbed mine, quickly pulling me inside. The voices stopped once the door was shut once more.
“What the hell is happening?” I asked again. “Are all the doors just unlocked?”
“I’m not sure. I believe so,” they said, glancing over me. “I can’t believe you’re still alive.” Before I could answer, their hand snapped out, pulling the dagger from my grip. “You beautiful person. I’ve been hoping to find this again.”
“It’s been quite useful,” I offered, my mind still reeling.
“I’m sure she has.” Sal chuckled.
“Do you know what’s been going on? How long have you been down here? Has this always been down here?” The questions just wouldn’t stop coming. I had more that I was too scared to voice.
“Hope isn’t completely lost,” Sal muttered, quiet enough I wasn’t certain it was meant for me to hear. “It might not be what I came here to do, but this might be even better.”
“Sal?” I asked, reaching out to them. They jumped when my hand touched their shoulder, pulling their attention from the dagger back to me. “Are you okay?”
They nodded. “I’m fine. Everything will be fine.”
“Okay.” I nodded, keeping my eyes on them. “Can you answer my question?”
Sal sighed, glancing toward the door. “I’ve only been here a couple days, but this is exactly where I wanted to be. The others, not so much. Your boyfriend’s family has been bringing them down here for years. All in an attempt to find you.”
“To find me? Why?” I questioned. Nothing about me was special enough to bring about any of this.
“Why?” Sal’s brows furrowed as they looked back at me. “Do you not remember anything you were being taught as a child?”
I shook my head before explaining the memory loss, being hidden in Donnaway, then only recently regaining some memories back. Several of the details were still foggy. Anything that could have led to this was still locked away. I could remember sitting with the other kids for days on end, but none of what we were told.
“Brothers help me,” Sal muttered, running their hands down their face. “This is going to be harder than I thought. What do you remember?”
“Basic healing. My father talking to the people of Kilrest about the gods and their tales.” The explanation came without me having to think about it.
“He was able to do this because your coven specialized in communicating directly with the gods,” Sal explained slowly, like this was something I should have known.
Which it certainly was. That dull throb started up in the back of my head as I tried to remember. Nothing came back to me, but what he was saying made sense. It certainly explained the last several days I had.
“How do you know this?” I asked, brows furrowed as I tried to sort through my thoughts. Were they the voices I’d heard that helped unlock the memories they stored away?
Sal rubbed the back of their neck before speaking. “That’s a long story.”
“I’m certain we have plenty of time,” I commented.
They nodded at my words, glancing at the empty room behind. Words came mumbling out of them faster than I could understand them. My mind still felt cloudy; trying to understand things currently happening was taking all my focus. I leaned against the door. The cold felt nice against my back, but I would do almost anything to feel true heat again.
Sal turned back to me, a grimace on their face as I was looked over. There was no shame to be found in me. I was certain I looked like I’d been dragged down these roads by a horse, but I couldn’t care. Being alive at this point was all that mattered, even if I was stuck down here.
“Might be easier to show you,” they mumbled.
I waved at them, certain there couldn’t possibly be more this world had to offer that could shock me. “Goahead, then.”
Somehow, this world kept proving me wrong. I was staring at Sal when their appearance rippled like a stone being thrown into a pond. Then they were gone. Instead, I was staring at a man at least a head taller than me. His darker skin glowed in the light from the candle. What looked like curled, black hair was pulled into a bun at the top of his head. The thing I couldn’t stop staring at, though, was his eyes. They were always incredibly bright, but now they had a faint shine, like they were truly glowing on their own.
