Chapter 7 #2
So when we’d finished our lunch, we made our way through the temple halls toward the sick-beds.
We rarely had cause to visit this part of the complex, and the place was huge; the passages felt like a maze.
Luckily, Zoe had been here several years ago, and Zoe never forgot anything.
I did not understand how she did it, but she led us right where we wanted to go.
Alex gave a knock and opened the door. The physician, an older man with a friendly countenance, recognized us at once.
He set aside his intricate looking scientific instruments to point us in the right direction, and after warning us to be cautious and respectful of the patient, he sent us on our way.
We traipsed down the row of beds and people until we approached the place he’d indicated, and Alex tentatively brushed aside the thin curtain.
The man propped up on the bed in front of us looked too frail to be the same insufferable oppressor that we knew.
His complexion had turned pale and sallow, surely due to whatever injury was beneath the bandages covering one side of his body.
They wrapped over his shoulder, stretching down his side and under the covers, stained faintly with his blood.
And also…his entire left hand was gone. I gaped at the sight, processing the implication of the bloody stump which had been wrapped tightly by the medics.
Keeper looked up, and when he saw my face, what little color he still had drained out of him instantly. I raised my eyebrow at him in a silent challenge, and he tore his eyes away to gaze irritably back down at his covers.
“Why are you here?” he groaned. “Don’t you four have something better to do?”
“We came to see what happened,” Alex explained, her voice strained with tension. “What—”
“An accident,” he snapped, “and none of your concern.” But in this state, his sneer was much less effective than before.
“An accident?” Alex pressed incredulously. “What sort of accident?”
I tried to manage my expression, and suppressed a snort of laughter. Perhaps he’d tripped and fallen onto a silver scythe. And perhaps it would be fitting to feel guilty about this, but I found that I did not. My intercession was the only reason he still lived, after all.
“Leave me in peace,” Keeper growled, spittle falling from his mouth, “and go be of some use to someone. I realize this is a difficult concept for you four, but I do hope you give it a try. Somewhere else.” He shut his mouth and looked away in a huff, clearly unwilling to say anything further.
We gave a few last awestruck glances, then scrambled out of his presence and out the door.
“Oh my gods,” Sophie raved once we were out of earshot. “Did he lose a duel? I mean, swords are all I can think of to cause that, though I can’t really imagine him holding one.”
“He must have lost something,” Zoe said. “Other than the hand, of course. Almighty Zeus…”
A hush fell over us as we made our way back through the halls; everyone was deciding what to think about the scene we’d just witnessed.
Was it right to feel pity or joy? The latter seemed completely coldhearted in the face of his injuries, but then again, had he not been coldhearted to us?
I felt a twinge of sympathy for his pain, but it was not enough to override my glee.
I dared to break the tense silence by releasing the giggle I’d been holding in so well. At the sound, my sisters loosened up and joined me in laughter. No, he deserved no pity. Soon the giggles were spilling uncontrollably out of our mouths.
“I can’t believe he finally got what he deserved,” Sophie said in awe. “Dear gods, he must have finally angered someone important.”
“Somebody crazy, more like,” said Zoe. “Only a crazy person could do that. Chop a man’s hand off and terrify him into silence? I can hardly believe it. Maybe he did make a mistake with some kind of blade.”
“There’s no way it was actually an accident,” Sophie countered. “How could he have managed to do that to himself? No, I’ll bet he angered someone powerful. He’s really good at upsetting people, after all.”
I nodded in agreement. “I bet you’re right. But either way, now we have a whole afternoon to relax and be glad about it!”
So we made our way back to our room and spent the extra time basking in laziness. Zoe read, and Alex and Sophie caught up on some sleep. I lay in my bed, too, staring up at the high ceiling, picturing the view from just above. The evening could not come quickly enough.
When night finally arrived, I went out again, lantern in hand. I never knew what to do on my way to the gazebos. While I wasn’t technically breaking any rules by going there, I figured I’d only get one excuse for my journey before it began to arouse suspicion.
Tonight my choice was difficult once more.
On the one hand, I could disguise my movement with a slower pace to mimic one of those philosophers who loved to visit the huts.
None of them really came at night, but for most people it would be an easy assumption to make from afar.
On the other hand, jogging was faster. Less time out in the open, less time to reach what I wanted; but a rapidly moving lantern might draw more attention.
I really tended to overthink these types of things.
It was too bad that the risk of meeting near the temple had been determined to be too great for comfort.
Tonight, I reluctantly tried to be good and slow, even though I felt as if each of my footsteps seared excess energy into the ground below.
I crossed the distance, and when I arrived, Thanatos was waiting for me on the bench.
His lips curved into a sultry smile that burned away all thoughts of my day at the temple.
I set my lantern carefully onto the table, then pounced into his lap just as I had the night before, swinging both of my legs to one side.
I sighed happily when he pulled me closer.
It felt so good to be wrapped in his arms again.
“Hi,” he said, and planted a kiss on my lips. Only one, and I was already intoxicated.
“I suppose it wasn’t just my dreams, then,” I murmured, admiring his striking face and the sweeping elegance of his wings. I ran my hands lightly over his shoulders, unable to hold back my affection. “I missed you today.”
“Oh?” he asked, his eyes sparkling. “Did you think of me while attending to the devout? That would amuse me very much.”
My mouth curved into a sinful smile. “How could I? You know I’m not allowed to think dirty thoughts in there.”