Page 120 of Golden Queen
I got on my hands and knees beside the bed.
"What are you looking for, Sera? I'll help you find it."
"A necklace," I said laying on my stomach and sliding under the bed, reaching around in the darkness with shaking hands.
He didn’t question why I was frantically looking for a necklace. He just got down onto the floor with me and used his fire to light the space under the bed. When it glinted off something silver, I nearly squealed in relief.
Io saw it, held out his hand, and within a heartbeat, the elderwood seed was in his palm—dragged from the far side of the bed by his magic.
He placed it into my hand, and we rose.
"Good?" he asked.
I nodded, putting the chain over my head and tucking it under the coat.
I shot a cursory glance over the rest of my belongings, finding little of importance other than breeches and a loose tunic. Whoever ransacked my chambers had apparently not cared about the few items of men's clothing I owned.
Io stood in the doorway with his back turned while I dressed, not even willing to leave me behind a closed door with no other exits.
I appreciated it. I did not want to be alone. I had spent far too much time by myself in that little cell, either standing or hanging, with only my own thoughts for company.
I pulled on a pair of Tatana's slightly too small boots, and we left the chamber. As we reached the roof again, Io took my hand and held it securely in his as we hurried back to Veles.
"Did you get it?" Aben asked.
I nodded.
"I hope it was worth it," he said, speaking low. "We need to get the fuck out of here before the wyverns catch sight of the dragons and give chase all the way back to the people on the Godsway.
"It’s worth it," I assured him as I climbed onto Veles, the big dragon giving me a rumbled greeting. "I'll tell you why soon," I shouted across to him.
Britaxia was already in the sky as Veles leapt up from the roof. Aben followed quickly, and we joined my white dragon, who was circling above the city.
We raced north—toward Io's men who were flying sentry for the final caravan of refugees from Albiyn, somewhere along the northern Godsway.
I watched my burning city fall away behind me until I could no longer see anything around Io's broad shoulders, and then I sank gratefully back into him, closed my eyes, and slept.
Somewhere east of Gold Harbor, we left Aben and Britaxia in the sky as Io angled Veles down to the glittering reflection of a stream winding through the godsgrass.
I had begged him to find some water so that I could bathe the feeling of the dungeon from my skin. I was already relatively clean. The necromancers had seen to that. And my dragon's silver flames had somehow burned away the remainder of the blood and piss and filth of my trial.
I still felt dirty, though, as if some part of their touches had been left behind on my skin.
I undressed at the edge of the stream while Io looked away. Before I could set my foot into the cold water, he turned, kneeling beside the stream with his eyes downcast. He let one finger trail into the water and in moments, steam wafted from the surface.
"Thank you," I said.
I watched his profile as his lips curved up in a small smile, but he would not turn to look at me.
I did not want him to look at me. I felt...utterly and horribly disgusting. I did not want him to see that.
There was nothing outwardly changed about my body, but I felt the insides were all rotten, like a teeming mass of worms crawling just beneath my skin.
I stepped into the water and waded out as far as I could before I sank under the surface of the river.
I held my breath, squeezing my eyes shut, holding myself under. I let the sound of the water rushing past my ears drown out the world beyond. I hoped somehow it would all disappear if I stayed under long enough—all but me and him and this water. Let it all fall away to nothing.
Hands slid under my arms, and I was hauled up roughly.
