Page 222 of Eldritch
“Good. I’d have hated to spoil their Winter somnial by killing him.”
Sighing, I turned back around to face him. “But to prove that isn’t meant to be my fate, I agreed to be cast into the vein this evening. Should I emerge unscathed, she’ll take my words as truth.” I pressed my finger into his chest. “Which is why I need you to stay away tonight. If they detect that you have anything to do with the black flame, they will doubt me and force me to lay with one of their warriors.”
“And if I kill them all? What then?”
“My father and sister won’t have a safe place.”
“We’ll leave tonight. I’ll track down where they keep the vivicantem and gather enough to make it for a while.”
I blinked and shook my head. “Stay in Mortasia? And what of Cadavros? What if he hunts you down? At least in Aethyria he can’t touch you.”
“I’ve not seen him since the night I fell into Caligorya. Perhaps he’s given up on me.”
“Or he’s waiting for you to find the vein and regain your strength.”
He shook his head, a slight smile tugging his lips. “You are far too smart for your own good.”
“I think you like to lessen my worries by avoiding the obvious.” Curling my fingers around the fabric of his tunic, I matched his stare with unyielding determination. “Let me do this. I’ll prove to them that they can defy the fates that have been written, and they will respect me. Perhaps even let my father and Aleysia stay with them. And then …”
“Then what?”
I loosened my grip on his shirt. “I can return with you to Aethyria.”
Those pensive eyes studied me, undoubtedly searching for the slightest hint of uncertainty in my words. “Is that what you want? Your family is here.”
“You would’ve given up your family to stay with me. The only difference is, going with you instead means saving the world from a plague.”
“It doesn’t spare this world, though.”
A thought I’d contemplated since the moment we’d pulled Aleysia from that pantry. Those creatures would remain ever present in this world, but there were dangers on both sides of the Umbravale. “No, it doesn’t spare them. But at least they’re equipped to fight them. It’s as you said, imagine those creatures with blood magic. If they cross to Aethyria, somehow, or Aethyrians cross here and become infected, they won’t stand a chance.”
His jaw tightened as he seemed to digest my point with grudging contemplation. “The vein is dead, yeah?”
“It is. You see? So long as you stay away from it,from me, it’s a fairly simple task to ensure the safety of my father and sister.”
He let out a sharp exhale and lowered his blade onto the bed beside us. “Fine. I’ll keep my distance. But if any of them attempt to harm you, know that I will kill them. All of them.”
“I believe the priestess is my aunt. I don’t think she means me any harm.”
“My warning stands, regardless.” He leaned forward to kiss me, but I placed a hand on his chest, eyeing something on his face.
“Is that vyrmish guts on your face?”
He reached up to scrape a small fleck of what looked to be bits of meat off his jaw. “Likely from when they exploded, yes.”
“Well, allow me to wash it off you first.”
He offered the first smile I’d seen in a while. “I hear it’s a delicacy.”
“By whom? The dead?” I sauntered over to the basin, not realizing he’d followed after me until I glanced to the side, noticing he was standing at my back. As I reached for the cloth beside the basin, he grabbed it first.
His arm came around, his hand hovering over the basin, until steam rose up from the water. He then dipped the cloth into the bowl and one-handedly squeezed it out, before dragging it across my throat.
The heat sank into my skin, and I closed my eyes, stifling the urge to moan, as he stood at my back and dragged it over my collarbone, shoving the dress off my shoulder along the way. “A bath would’ve been nice, but this will certainly do,” I said with a smile in my voice.
Brushing my hair aside, he kissed my shoulder where he’d washed me and planted a trail all the way to the crook of my neck, where he buried his face, wrapping his arms around me, and held me close for a moment. “I thought I lost you backat that church. When I couldn’t see you through the rubble, I prayed those stones were heavy enough to crush the life out of me.”
“I’m glad the gods don’t seem to favor you.” I felt him smile against my skin, and turning to face him, I took the cloth and dipped it into the hot water, before dragging it over his mouth and cheek, careful to avoid the cuts that crossed over the black veins. My attention lingered on them a moment longer. “Aleysia was infected. The priestess detected it in her and cured her.” I dipped the cloth again and washed his neck and jawline, where tiny vyrmish bits clung to his skin.
