“I need to get out of here,” I pant, still overwhelmed by the sheer mass of heat and emotion in my soul.
“We agree,” they respond without hesitation, as if they are as eager to be free of me as I am to find the woman I should be protecting at this very moment.
“Where is the dragon I brought here?” I ask.
“The golden one sleeps on the shores, waiting for her mistress to return,” one says. “It also seems that she might be attached to you. Goddess knows why.”
“What do you mean?”
“When you were injured, she brought me to your side, ensuring that we came for you. Even then, I was content to let you bleed out, but she…insisted.” Maelira shares a look with the others, and I can almost imagine the scene with the dragon.
A part of me smiles because it reminds me of Arlet. She was always one for insisting as well. She had a focus about her that could be infuriating, but it always led to so much more accomplished than I could’ve imagined. Seraph is the only piece of Arlet I have left. I want to go to her immediately.
Then Maelira says, “You should thank Elanina and her for your life.”
I stiffen. That woman. She ruined everything, but then she fought for me to live. The old woman steps forward slightly, and I stare at her for a long second.
Anger does not even enter my thoughts this time. It is so clear to me now that the only one who ruined my life was me. I shouldn’t have lied. Shifting blame to those without fault is pointless. The truth is that she did me a favor—she made me stop hiding.
Nodding deeply, I say, “I thank you. All of you, really, but especially you, Elanina.”
She nods back, but does not respond. More genuine gratitude flows through me. It is warm and pleasant.
Despite all of the magic pumping in and out of my body, when I try to stand, I sway intensely.
“You need to eat something before you walk,” one of the witches says, irritated.
Another comes through the group bearing a sliced stone fruit and a bowl of something that smells earthy. It is set on the table beside me, and the women watch as I chew the juicy fruit. It is sweet and slightly tangy, but the explosion of flavor on my tongue is unlike anything I have experienced while eating as far back as I can remember.
Was my taste also altered by the procedure?
The thought almost eases the tension of being watched as I finish the slices and then down the bowl of soup. The slightly minty aftertaste is pleasant, and when I put everything to the side and stand, there is no sign I might sway or fall.
The one called Maelira stands back, watching me with a host of witches lined up on either side.
“You should be swift with fulfilling your end of the bargain, for we intend to call upon your king soon,” she says.
I grit my teeth. There are no plans to return to Enduvida until after I find Arlet.
But…doubt enters my thoughts yet again. Technically, I would fly over the Enduar Mountains to reach Shvathemar. I will need to stop to rest.
I close my eyes, letting out a long breath.
To return to Enduvida before getting Arlet would kill me. But if I have to uphold my word and my duty to Teo, I would do it. But I wouldn’t stay long.
“They will know before the week is out. Send your message as soon as you’d like,” I say.
“Good,” Maelira intones. “We expect nothing less.”
I nod to each of the women and then head out of the cave, noting that Elanina has left, and then follow the only path I can see in front of me. Walking up the winding stone hallway, I am still watched.
Heightened sensations prickle over my skin, and I am uncomfortably aware of each and every flex of my muscles, every twitch of my fingers, every beat of the foreign body in my chest.
Should I be moving this fast so soon after the procedure? My wounds were closed, but I feel…off.
I take a second to consciously refocus myself on the purpose before me. The one that will require me to fly away from this place. In the depths of my sickness, I thought I would go straight to Arlet, but that will not work.
That realization is like nails over shale.