47. Lina
Lina
M y Dread will give the girl the roll. She will have a full belly tonight. I will stay in my den and eat the wonderful food and make friends. I will be here for a long while.
Astella is out there somewhere. And I will see her one day.
She will find her family and live a wonderful life without me while I stay in this fortress for many, many years to come.
I focus on these images. Simple, concise. I don’t think much more deeply than that.
While the redheaded priestess speaks to the line of Drahkitas and their Drak warriors, I imagine myself staying in this community for years.
I imagine what it would be like, to be content here. With friends.
I imagine the Drak curling Cordy’s hair behind her ear. Such a large, fearsome man, with a gentle caring touch. Is my Drak capable of that?
Yes, I imagine he’s capable. I imagine he’d hold me while I slept and tell me I’m beautiful.
The picture is so clear, I’m lost in it. Lost in the possibility of this beautiful, violent man who adores me. It makes no sense, and yet all the sense in the world.
“Let us start with our most challenging new recruit.”
I blink and the red-haired priestess is directly in front of me, hand out.
“You are a romantic one,” she croons. “While I’m pleased you have high hopes for your life here, he will never be what you want him to be. He will always belong to the Ancient One.”
My cheeks warm. My Dread stares down at me, but I don’t dare look at him directly. I swallow and then accept the priestess’s hand.
I will be here for a long time, I tell myself.
I will make friends and bathe and eat and live a good life here in the fortress.
Once we are closed off in the separate room, I release a breath.
Blythe eyes me carefully. Deidre stands before the golden symbol on the back wall, watching us.
The door shuts, but Blythe remains, her sharp gaze stuck on my chest.
“Much has changed since we last met,” she says. “I am very sorry your last reading ended in such… chaos.”
I frown at her tone. Does that word have more meaning I’m unaware of?
“It was rather unusual, of course,” Deidre says from across the room. “But there was little we could ascertain from the debacle. The previous reading is lost to us. But today, we will find a new one.”
I swallow and nod.
“It was scary,” I admit.
Blythe steps between me and Deidre, ensuring my attention is centered on her alone.
“Moira has had concerns about you, and that previous reading did not help.” She caresses my cheek.
I don’t know who she’s talking about. “But it’s very clear to me that she is being paranoid.
You are nothing of concern to the Ancient.
A lovely girl who caught the attention of a powerful man.
Do you know what he has agreed to in exchange for claiming you? ”
I frown. “I didn’t think he needed to agree to anything.”
“Usually, no. But he caused a heap of trouble to claim you, so to keep you, we required a commitment. He has bowed to every request we have made. It is clear you have much power over him. Use it. Use it, and we will reward you.”
“How would I use it?”
Her smile is cruel. “I believe you can figure that part out on your own. He is important now. He is Nihilian Drak. Do you know what that means?”
“It means he is a leader?”
“Of sorts, but so much more. Inside his body lies the spirit of Nihil. All of our warriors have the spirit, but not all are powerful enough to use the magic. And among those, fewer still are powerful enough to become Nihilian. He has much to prove, since he has accepted that spirit as part of his body.”
I take a step back, hands clenched together. “What does that mean?”
“You will see in time, I am sure. But for now, what you should know is that you belong to a very important part of our prophetic purpose as Drak’yn.
Your Drak warrior will be gone for long stretches of time while he completes his mission of expanding our territory.
When he returns, his body will be weak and the Ancient One will be stronger.
Your role is a very important one. You are to help him recover between his missions. ”
I swallow, uncertain I want to ask for clarification.
She grabs my forearm and runs a long red nail down the length of my veins. “Your blood will sustain him.”
I rip my arm from her grip, but her nail snags on my skin and tears it open.
I hiss and cover the small wound with my other hand.
She simply chuckles. “It isn’t as bad as it sounds, dear. You’ll be fine. You might even fulfill some of those romantic visions you’ve had of your Drak.”
Disgust whips through me.
“Alright, fearful girl. Go complete your reading. You’ve gone from rebellious to romantic quiet easily, so I imagine this will be mundane now.”
Is she taunting me? Making me angry so I’ll expose more of my motives?
I fear the idea of anyone drinking my blood. I fear the thought of the man expected to share my bed being possessed by the spirit of Nihil. What does that even mean?
But I force my mind to obedience, and I allow myself to feel the fear while still accepting my place here. I will be here for a long time. Years. I will see Astella again one day, when she is grown and happy.
Blythe slips from the room quietly. The door clicks shut.
Deidre approaches with a kinder smile. Her grasp is gentle as she pulls me by the forearm closer to the flickering flames.
She takes in a long, deep breath before putting pressure on the cut that Blythe caused, and I watch as a large dollop of blood flows down my arm and to the ground.
It lands in the corner of the star closest to my left foot.
Her brow pinches. “Rupture,” she says. “Odd.”
She closes her eyes, and a sense of ease falls over me. Then, all at once, there is a tug at my heart and her head flies back. Her neck is bent so far I fear she’s broken it.
The image of the scelped man flashes through my mind.
I slowly step farther away. Then, moments later, she relaxes to look at me.
“You have a friend waiting for you,” she says. Her smile spreads. “It makes sense now.”
I pull my am back and again cover my wound with my fingers. “What does?”
Her eyes flash red as she grins. “The little girl you adore so deeply. She’s in our dungeons. And she will die.”