Chapter 3 Azahara #2
Her heart rate increased, and her fingers began to tremble. When he left her side, her eyes rolled back and gave into the darkness.
“See, you need me,” a voice not her own echoed in her mind.
Wake up.
She gasped, her eyes shooting open. She had only been out for a second, as by the time her vision cleared, she saw Kaed moving towards her. Closing her eyes, tears brimmed at the edges, threatening to spill.
Open your mouth. Talk. Her jaw threatened to snap at how hard she was willing it to move.
It felt as though her body was floating, her head jerking back but swiftly being supported by a strong hand. Her vision remained blurry, yet she could make out his figure above her, mouthing something. His lips moved, but no words reached her ears.
She felt another blanket, or jacket, dress over her. It felt heavy, but she knew it would cause the fever to sweat out of her system.
Gentle hands, cold to the touch, once again caressed her forehead, brushing her hair behind her ear. Worry filled his tone as he continued speaking to her.
She was trying to make out what he was saying in her head. She wasn’t going to die. No, Kaed, it’s just…
Fear ran through her body at the prospect of him leaving her like this.
Alone. Her paralyzed body left to be had by whomever or whatever crossed her path.
She went rigid, even more so than she had already been.
No, don’t—no, don’t leave me like this. Please don’t leave me alone. Please. I’m not going to die, I swear…
“So delicious.” A memory, written in perfect detail between the pages of her journal, flooded through her thoughts.
“I cannot wait to tear her apart.” She could feel it in the space left empty within her for fear and pain.
Don’t leave me.
Her eyes went cloudy, and the tears that had been threatening to fall finally did. They ran in rivulets between her eyes, to her ears. The Gorruk were far behind them. However, the thought of being alone, vulnerable in this dark forest, terrified her more than she wanted to admit.
Azahara swore she was shaking her head. She willed her head to move.
“No—”
Yes, yes—come on.
He was staring at her, and all she wanted to do was say something, voice that she didn’t want him to leave her. To stay with her. The urge to let the darkness retake her was so strong that her breathing increased, and her eyelids shuddered.
She took a moment, her hands tightly gripping the blanket beneath her. Her mind cleared. She didn’t think of the aches, the numbness, the rope around her neck, the sewn lips. Her closed eyes were loosening, and when she opened them after several moments, she stared at him.
“Stay.” Finally, her lips parted, and she was able to speak.
To her surprise, she felt his hand rest against her wrist and give her a nod. It was all she needed to feel safe enough to close her eyes and fall into darkness’ embrace.
By the time Azahara woke, the fire had burned out. It was still as dark as it had been when they arrived, but now fog rested low to the mossy ground.
She opened her mouth, relieved it came easily this time.
With a wiggle of her toes and a stretch of her fingers, she confirmed the paralyzing effects had worn off.
It was odd how quickly it had dissipated, but perhaps her body remembered the sensation from before and was able to fight it more efficiently this time.
It didn’t change the fact that her body was aching all over, but at least she would be able to stand and sit on a horse.
Looking to her right, she saw Kaed, who was lying there next to her. He hadn’t covered himself with the blanket, keeping himself separated from her.
A faint smile curved her lips as she let out a gentle sigh. She sat up slowly, making an effort not to disturb him.
Moondancer was peacefully asleep near the tree, indicating that they hadn’t slept for long. Horses typically rested only for a few hours at a time.
It was quiet, with no evidence of anyone but them and the creatures that watched them curiously.
Glancing back down at Kaed, who peacefully slept, she tilted her head slightly to the side.
There was a serene quality to his expression, suggesting that he was comfortably immersed in a deep sleep.
The temptation to extend her hand and caress his cheek was almost overwhelming.
However, she managed to resist the impulse and instead placed her hand gently on his shoulder.
No sooner had she touched him did his eyes flutter open, and he sat up beside her. Taking a moment to clear away any remnants of sleep from his eyes, he scanned her face, his gaze searching every inch. “Are you okay?” His tone laced with concern.
Her cheeks rose with a smile, and she nodded weakly. “I will be okay. Still weak, but the paralysis is over.”
“You scared me.” His voice gentle as if speaking too loudly might cause her harm. “I’m so glad you’re all right.” Surprising her, he placed his hand against her cheek, tilting her face towards him, his eyes searching hers. “I thought I was going to lose you there.”
If she had not been so exhausted and achy, she might have blushed from his comment and stumbled over her words. “Don’t worry about losing me,” she said, not thinking. “I’m harder to kill than you think.” It may not be obvious, but she was.
“A bit too late to tell me not to worry.” He slipped his hand down to her shoulder and sighed. “What was that?”
“A Gorruk-made toxin,” Azahara said pointedly.
“The Gorruk make deadly poison and put it on their arrows and swords, but they also make a toxin that will incapacitate, not kill. They typically dip their fingers and knives into this when they go hunting.” Her eyes met his as she continued, “Thank you for not leaving me, Kaed.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” he said, staring into her eyes.
But only for a moment, as he quickly turned away and began rummaging around to find something.
“You need to drink. Judging by how soaked you are, you’re probably dehydrated.
” The moonlight leaked through the trees, highlighting his face as he passed her the hide filled with water.
“You are right.” She took a drink without hesitation, the liquid drenching her parched throat.
Kaed shifted a bit away from her, taking his hand and placing it beside her without them touching. “How did you know it was a toxin? You could have been, I don’t know, having a heart attack from the infection, for all you knew.”
It was a fair question, and she nodded her head. “I know about it because this is not the first time I’ve been affected by it.”
Her head leaned up towards the night sky, the moon illuminating her blue eyes.
She wondered how she would tell this story to him without exposing too much.
“I was younger, much younger than I am now.” She knew he would ask how old, so she continued, “A child, you could say. Not yet mature enough to understand the world. Far too ignorant.” Her age was always the number one question people asked, but hopefully, Kaed knew never to.
The last thing she wanted to do was lie to him.
“I lived in a village that the Gorruk had targeted. At the time, I wasn’t a good fighter and didn’t know anything about how they attacked.
” Truthfully, this had been around the time Gorruks first showed up in this realm.
Or, at least, in the manner that they are now.
Beasts, with nothing better to do than ravage the lands, kill, maim, and torture the innocents.
“I ran, but I was not fast enough. I’d seen several of my people die from the poison, so when I was stabbed with a knife, they left me in the mud.
I thought I was dead.” Azahara had been trying to help the elderly and children escape through the back of the village when they were ambushed.
She had tried her hardest to be the hero.
Little good that did, there were half a dozen, and they just mowed her down as if she were an ant.
“I recall blacking out, and some indiscernible amount of time passed before I woke in a cell. No—it was more like a cage for dogs. I barely could sit up.”
When her gaze moved back to Kaed, she wasn’t crying, nor did she have an appearance of pain.
“Anyways, I don’t need to give you the gruesome details.
It’s how I found out about the toxin and what the Gorruk were truly capable of.
After they were done with me, they tossed me aside to die.
” She sighed heavily. “Someone saved me, and I woke up several days later in an inn.”
Kaed looked utterly stunned. There was a genuine pain in his eyes as he looked for words to say. She placed her hand on his and patted it. “You do not need to say anything. I was answering your question.”
He shook his head. “No, I just, I am so sorry. That sounds—” He took her hand into his and squeezed it gently. “I’m glad you survived, and honestly, an incredible miracle. Thank the gods.”
They say gods create miracles. Suppose thanking a god in this instance is correct. She thought. Though why would a god put those creatures in this realm in the first place?
She reassured him with a smile, wanting to express her gratitude again but feeling that words alone were becoming repetitive. She resolved to find a way to repay him, whether with a simple dinner or something more significant.
“You are far stronger than anyone I know to have endured that,” he whispered, taking a deep breath as he gently cupped her cheek again.
This time his touch was not to check if she was okay, but to caress her.
It was a moment of tenderness that she wasn’t accustomed to.
His thumb softly traced over her freckled cheek, and a warm smile adorned his face.
“Far stronger,” he repeated, his voice filled with admiration.
Her eyes were rounded as she stared. She didn’t hate this feeling, but it was strange. They both must have realized it at the same time as they pulled away.
She put her hand over where his had been, feeling the warmth that stained the skin. “I appreciate that.” Her voice was a mere whisper. “More than you can even understand.” It caused him to pause, but thankfully he understood not to press.
Kaed nodded and rose to his feet. “Let’s get going.
We still have a while to ride, and the sun should be coming up soon.
” He leaned down, slipped an arm under hers and around her back, and lifted her gently.
With his support, she regained her feet swiftly, and together, using him as a crutch, they made their way to Moondancer.
She did not argue. “I agree. The sooner we can get going, the better.”