Page 36 of Daughter of the Dark Sea
“Well, if it’ll improve your health.” Her smile grew as she sat, resting her upper body on the bed by Blake’s legs. “Is Koji not entertaining enough for you?” she teased.
He laughed once, wincing to control the pain. “I’ve spent enough days in an infirmary. Countless nights sweating from infections from my . . . father’straining. He liked to think it built character, branding me with wounds, just for me to suffer on the precipice of dying. It made me fearful, of my own family.”
She stilled. Another insight to his past. Her entire being pulsed, elated with receiving information about his life, but also with a deep hatred that someone could harm Blake, especially as a child.
“I’m sorry. That’s awful. What kind of training did he make you do?”
As she reached out her arm, her fingertips brushing Blake’s, his eyes slid shut, exhaustion overpowering him, and he fell into a deep slumber, leaving her question unanswered. Her skin prickled, the itch clawing up her neck and across her scalp. She followed it, her nails scratching until her skin was raw.
For a while, Kora watched his chest rise and fall, as he breathed deeply, making sure those breaths never stopped.
Falling.
Falling through the air—no, thesky.
Laughter bubbled out of her, the sound escaping her lips and carrying on the current of the winds.
She was so free. So . . . alive.
She smiled up at the bright, cobalt, and lavender endless sky. Little tufts of pearlescent clouds drifted around her, and she reached out, gently brushing through the puffs, beads of water clinging to her golden skin. She twirled her fingers, weaving them through the sky as she soared.
Soared downwards, to the glimmering azure ocean.
She was not afraid.
As she approached the welcoming sea, she exhaled an elated sigh, bringing her hands above her flowing, long hair, shimmering like moonlight.
Following the curving sweep of her arms, a thick stream of warm, ocean water rushed out to greet her. It swept under her body, cascading around her, wrapping around her curves until she floated above the surface of fathomless blue.
A gust of briny wind ruffled her hair and she smiled, sensing a presence behind her. She whipped her hand up, palm extended out, sending a blast of water at—
Kora jolted awake, gasping for air as shechokedon water, violently retching on the floor. Salted water pooled on the wooden slats of the med bay, and a shuddering gasp wrecked through her as she ran a shaky hand through her short hair.
What. The. Fuck.
Blake was still asleep, his pale face taut with pain and a sheen of sweat. She sat back in bewilderment. Her black breeches and white shirt were damp, and salt residue coated herharness. Her skin was clammy, her hair curling from moisture, and she couldtastesalt.
The talisman had escaped from under her shirt, now exposed over her heart. Kora tentatively held it up to the dawning light from the porthole. It was changing colour.
Whispering shades of purple, blended with silken midnight blue, transformed into shimmering teal in the teardrop-shape end. She lightly traced it, as the rising sun shone into the med bay, reflecting off the peculiar, metal pendant. Her fingers tingled at the touch, and the sensation travelled up her arms, into the curves of her shoulders, and down into her core.
Wheresomethingrumbled in response.
“You’re still here,” the healer’s unimpressed voice made her jump, and Kora shoved the talisman back under her shirt before turning to face Koji.
His hair was freshly tied upon the crown of his head, not a strand out of place, and he donned the traditional empire attire of black and green. The tunic wrapped around him, tied off with a golden twisted cord. A high collar encircled his neck, with intricate black embroidery of the empire’s insignia.
Attire fit for a renowned healer. They were considered equal to the noble houses for their abilities and knowledge. A priceless skill. Kora nodded silently, her throat tense from choking on mysterious water.
How did that even happen?
Koji’s eyes roamed over her. She was a dishevelled mess. How would she explain the water all over the floor? Or why all her clothes were damp? She stood abruptly, knocking the stool, meaning to block his view of the puddle . . . only to discover the floor was bone dry.
She rapidly blinked. Had she imagined it? Kora almost knelt to touch the parched wood until she realised the room was silent. To her right were seven empty beds.
“He passed during the night,” the healer commented. “His body will be returned to his family.”
His golden sloping eyes gave her a deliberate look. This healer was so irksome. “I suggest you get cleaned up.” Koji began packing books and vials into a brown leather portmanteau bag with brass clips. “We’ll be at Narrowfen Pass within the hour.”
