Chapter Twenty-Two
THE SOFT WARBLE of birds flutters through the air, peaceful and full of promise. A stark contrast to the immediate awareness of pain throughout my body. Textured cloth wraps along my arms and something is attached to my cheek.
Against my will, I force open my eyes. Stone ceilings stretch out above me and clouds of furs wrap me in their embrace.
Pushing myself up, a weight on my chest holds me down.
Black hair spills out from a messy bun, hints of a snore with each breath.
Helia rests her head on my chest, bronze armor on and spear propped gently against the wall at her side.
Thank the pantheons that smiling doesn’t hurt.
Even with all our flirting, snuck kisses, and time on the road, I’ve never had the chance to just take her in.
The scars across her bare arms telling a hundred stories, the seeming roughness of her hands despite how soft they feel, the promise of a swift death or utter safety deep in those muscled arms. A flutter, a twitch, and her fields of pure green blearily stare up at me.
“Couldn’t wait to take me back into your bed, huh?”
A soft chuckle vibrates in her chest, sending pleasant sensations through me, her unhindered and sleepy smile thrilling me, pushing a measure of pain away.
Helia sits up on her chair and stretches deeply.
If only I had a knack for sculpting; she’s a perfect subject for one of the statues dotting the city.
Squinting in pain, my head begins to throb as I try to sit up.
A cup gets placed gently into my hand. Soothing cool water floods my body, refreshing and rejuvenating.
“What happened Helia? Last I remember, I saw you in that alleyway.”
“I was going to ask you that Skion. Not much happened after I found you. That man died before I could question him. I was able to bring you and Olena back—”
“Olena! Is she okay?!”
Helia sports a kind smile, taking the now empty cup from my hand and replacing it with a small plate of food, urging me to eat.
A fluffy flatbread sits next to pureed beans, a drizzle of olive oil resting on top.
An abominable gurgle of hunger erupts from my stomach.
The first bite is like stumbling upon an oasis in the desert.
“Yes, she’s okay. We were able to get her back and stitched up. She’s quite upset about everything; after we finish, you should visit her. But before that, tell me what happened before I showed up.”
Around mouthfuls of delight, I explain the events of the attack, including what happened with my powers and how easily he ignored them. The peacefulness in the room shrinks bit by bit, storm clouds forming on Helia’s face. I finish both the plate and my story as a few thoughts come to mind.
“Do you know what he was? My powers didn’t work and I launched him into a stone wall.”
She blows a breath, the air whistling out of her mouth.
“I don’t know for sure. He could have been an Aspect or blessed by a god.
” What? Helia reads my mind and continues, “Gods can provide blessings on their followers, each differing in condition and effect. And every Aspect is unique, even from others of their god.”
Let’s get this right. Not only is some unknown god trying to kill me by hiring mercenaries, but now Aspects and blessings, whatever they are, are all in the mix? I’m going to die.
“Aspect or otherwise, he’ll be wandering the afterlife without a head.” The simple brutality makes me stare at her, uncertain if I should be frightened or flattered. I place a hand on her knee and squeeze.
“I’m safe now thanks to you.” Helia gives me a wan smile, grateful for the support but still mired in her anger. “How did you know I was in trouble or even where I was?”
Helia blushes, the storm clouds blown to the side for the time being. “Ah. Well, like I said, Lunos gave me some abilities. One of those is to know where you are if your life is in danger. Your mark and all.”
My eyes narrow at that. “Just when my life is in danger?”
Helia nods furiously, the motion at odds with her usual nature. “Yeah, it would be weird otherwise. I’m no stalker.” We both chuckle as Helia stands and hands me a new tunic. I suppose my old one is soiled with blood.
“Here. We’ll be in Hecalon for a bit longer. Next time, go with others and be armed.”
I move to get up, realizing for the first time that under the furs I am fully naked. Heat immediately shows on my face, understanding that Helia must have undressed me herself. Not knowing if I am more embarrassed or excited only makes things worse.
“Uh, can you turn around for a moment?”
A halfhearted smirk softens Helia’s face, before turning around allowing me to get ready.
“Okay! You can turn back around.” Helia turns and fakes a pout, her strong lips pursing at the loss of seeing me naked.
I stick my tongue out, playing into the joke; we both know what would happen if circumstances were a little different.
“I’m going to check on Olena, but at risk of killing the moment, how long are we staying here? I wasn’t expecting an attack so soon.”
“Already ahead of you Skion. There should be a temple to Lunos here and I’m going to arrange to meet the priests. Our final destination is Askepollo and based on what Lunos put in my memory, I may need their help.”
I nod silently. I suppose it’s important, but I’m not quite sure what to think of Lunos still. Helia has been anything but expected. I wonder what the priests will be like?