Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
FRID
The smoke-like fumes slowly swirled and billowed, filling the air with thick, moist warmth.
With all the strength I had left, I hefted Victor out of the pool.
Momentarily, my vision turned black and blurry, I went past all possible limits trying to get us here.
My stomach was empty, I had not slept or had a sip of water since I left Darragh.
After the extreme burst of energy passed through my system, I had even less strength than before.
Victor was not a large guy, but he was incredibly heavy. I managed to roll his body away from the edge of the pool and froze, listening. Just one more crawler appearing from the dark tunnel would be enough to finish both of us.
I placed Victor on my back and with difficulty, picked up my half extinguished torch. On the way back through the pitch black corridor, I realized that despite not feeling the full effect of the healing water, I could make my way to the main chamber without falling to my knees.
I paused at the edge of the shadowed tunnel to transform and carefully picked up Victor, trying not to hurt him. Staying close to the wall, I got closer to the door and looked around outside. In the distance, I could see numerous crawlers on the streets.
I had to find a safe, secluded place high above. I knew we could not stay on a roof because crawler dragons or the council’s group of assassins could easily spot us from the sky.
My eyes shifted to a structure that stood above all the rest. It reminded me of some type of communal building.
Its decorative facade was made with bricks that were meant to resemble dragon scales, and the roof that, even now, looked almost copper brown.
With all the energy I had left, I lifted myself up into the air.
Still struggling, I gained altitude and made a wide circle examining the roof of the building.
It was really unfortunate that it was so dark outside.
Walking through a building practically blind was very dangerous, but I had no other choice.
Several minutes passed before I spotted a balcony with a thick stone banister and landed, carefully placing Victor’s body on the floor.
The double doors appeared securely shut.
I transformed, taking out my blade. In the dark, I found the door handle and pressed it down hoping that it was not locked from the inside.
With a loud clicking sound, it opened. I frowned, dreading to see crawlers attracted by the noise.
If any crawlers were inside, they would definitely gather round to welcome us into the building.
Slowly switching my weight from my heels to the balls of my feet, I walked into the room.
Nothing happened. Everything seemed quiet, but years of experience taught me to never trust the room before it was fully examined.
Something crunched under the thick sole of my boot and I froze, dreading to hear a familiar growl, but it never came.
I had to find a spot that could be barricaded for the night to hide us.
A little further into the room, I found a candle and immediately picked up the candle holder and carefully blew a wave of hot air on the wick.
The outlines of the dimly lit room revealed a spacious area, filled with boxes, rolled up fabric, dresses on hangers, wooden mannequins, and rows of stacked wooden chairs.
“What is this place?” I whispered.
Not trusting the multiple dark corners and obstacles that remained a potential danger, I scouted the space. Although the main area was free of monsters, the other three walls each had a door, and each door was a possible death trap.
I adjusted the candle and stepped to one of the doors.
Behind it, there was a dark corridor I did not care to explore.
Another door opened to a second, smaller room.
I shut it slowly. The third door had angled slats, and I could see in between them.
I thanked the gods I had found something more promising.
It was a small, closet-like room, filled with baskets and boxes.
I quickly checked the floor and every wall for any gaps or holes, then pulled the stacks of broken baskets out.
It was the perfect space to keep us secured for the night.
I grabbed the fabric from one of the baskets and spread it on the floor of the small storage room.
Then I returned to the balcony and dragged Victor’s body to the storage room and placed him on top of the fabric.
After that, I set the candle on a wooden crate in the corner.
Then I pressed my shoes in the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor, and blocked the door with the remaining boxes.
My hands were shaking when I took off my flying suit, staying in my very well worn underlayers.
Only then I realized that the bag that Alina gave me was missing and I had no clue when I lost it. Before this moment, my only concern was surviving, but now that the immediate danger was over, I realized that we had no food or water for the flight back. But that was a problem for tomorrow.
With a groan, I crouched beside Victor. His chest was rising and falling steadily, and his skin had returned to its natural tint.
I sighed and reached to unbutton his suit.
In the light of the candle, I noticed that his wounds were already barely distinguishable on his skin.
His eyelashes flickered as he slept. He had the most beautiful skin tone, cool, with a slight pink undertone to it.
When he laughed, a faint blush colored his cheeks and the combination of his light gray eyes and fairly dark eyelashes explained his never failing success with females.
I pulled his leathers off, nearly exposing him completely.
The fabric of his underwear slid below his hip bones, exposing some sort of an inked design on the side of his hip.
Blood rushed to my face. If he knew what I was doing, what I was thinking, I would never hear the end of it.
I could still remember when I brought a guy I was dating to meet the others.
Victor was with some loud mouthed tavern woman.
Her dress was partially undone on top, poorly accommodating her watermelon sized boobs.
She was laughing at something Victor said and everything about the sight irritated me.
Sol was flirting with one of his girls, and Tynan was watching my date with his usual indifference.
I was angry with them because they were always mean to my dates.
At the end of the night, when I confronted Tynan and Sol about their behavior, Sol was the one who responded:
“Does he remind you of anyone?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Look closer. Don’t you see the resemblance?”
That was the moment when I realized that all the men I was ever interested in were blond with light eyes. But, that did not mean that I secretly preferred them all to look like Victor. It was just something I found attractive. There was no harm in that. We all had a type. It meant nothing.
Once again, I glanced at Victor, his toned and beautifully proportioned body.
His well defined, muscular shoulders and lean, well sculpted stomach.
I had seen him without his shirt many times, but never before I could freely gaze at him without fear of being caught.
At last, I removed the rest of his suit and carefully placed it on the floor beside mine.
With all the magic the flying leathers possessed, I expected to find clean and dry clothes in the morning.
I swathed Victor in the heavy, dust-scented folds of fabric and crept closer, pressing my hand against his chest. Just hearing his slow, well measured breaths brought me peace like nothing else could.
I lied there listening to the sounds in the building, not fully believing that we made it to safety.
Finally, I extinguished the candle and made myself comfortable.