Chapter 11 #2
“I know this is a lot to ask, but do you think we can, like, not be in separate rooms?”
His brow furrows as he looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. Maybe I have. It’s been a long day.
“It’s just that we’re so close to Ruvain, and this is unknown territory for me.
I won’t really be able to sleep if I’m in this room by myself.
We don’t have to talk—and I’ll be on the opposite side, as far away from you as possible.
You can even sleep closer to the fire if you want so you can stay all warm and cozy. ”
He sweeps his eyes around the room that’s already swimming with comforting heat.
“Come on,” I tease, smiling. “You know you want to.”
“I really don’t.” He draws in a reluctant breath and then exhales, eyes closed, practicing that patience again. “Fine. Whatever gets you to relax.”
I ignore the relief and mini wave of excitement coursing through me. Excitement is the last thing I should feel about us sleeping in the same room. But if I wake up and he has stuck around, does that mean I’ll be able to trust his word a bit more?
I suppose we’ll see.
Thane ambles in and closes the door.
Dropping my rucksack, I lower into a squat and dig through it. I pull out a quilt as well as a shawl. As I begin spreading the quilt out on the side of the room farthest from the fire, Thane clears his throat.
“Take the spot near the fire,” he insists.
I look from the flames to him. “Are you sure? I don’t mind being over here…”
He gestures to the area with a simple nod.
I collect my things and spread the quilt out next to the wall where I can feel the heat. I now realize my teeth are chattering. I wonder if he’s noticed, and that’s why he’s offered me the spot.
That’s…nice of him.
Oddly, he doesn’t seem to be cold at all.
I settle onto the quilt. It smells like Analla’s perfume—sweet florals and lavender. I may or may not have taken it out of her room because I didn’t want to dirty mine. Who cares? If I save her life, she’ll owe me more than a pleasantly scented quilt.
I remove my bodice, tuck it under my head, and lie down while Thane takes up the corner on the other side of the room across from the window.
A few silent seconds tick by as I listen to the fire roar.
I’m getting warm, but not warm enough. I wrap the quilt tighter around me just as the flames in the hearth grow bigger and brighter.
I shift my focus to Thane, whose eyes flash gold while staring at the fire, then dim softly.
“Thanks,” I whisper.
He bends his legs and rest his elbows on his knees, peering out the only window in the room.
“So…Valkor?” I adjust my head to see him fully. “Is that your first or last name?”
He remains quiet.
“How did you even get into the whole sorcerer-assassin thing anyway? I keep thinking about it, and unless there’s a super-secret society lingering around, it doesn’t make sense.
You know people can take one look at you in action and report you based on suspicions, right? Are you not worried about that?”
Again, nothing.
“Who is Maliek? Is he a shadow assassin, too? Or just someone wanting to collect a bounty?”
That garners me a side-eye, but still, his mouth remains shut.
“Okay, well what about Seferin?” I prod.
His jaw steels.
“When I said his name at the Tilted Crystal, you reacted to it. You seemed to get angry about it, so I assume you don’t like him much, either—especially if you’re willing to risk your life to help me get a stone. Is this going to be one big fuck you to him once we get it and save Analla?”
“I thought you said we didn’t have to talk,” he says in an annoyingly grumbly voice that makes my stomach do all sorts of weird rolls and flips.
“If we’re traveling together, it’s only right that I know something about you, Thane. Or is it Valkor? I should at least know which one is your real name.”
He grinds his teeth. “You’re insufferable.”
“And you act like a withered dick.”
That earns me a mouth twitch, like he wants to laugh but won’t dare give me the satisfaction. “If I tell you my name, will you stop asking questions and go to sleep?”
“I’ll leave that up to Orvena. Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t.”
Sighing, he stretches his legs out and loosely folds his arms over his chest. “My name is Thane Valkor, but if you’ve been put on my shitlist, you’ll only refer to me as Valkor. You aren’t on that list yet, but keep talking and you will be.”
“Okay, okay. Sheesh.” I stifle a laugh. “So grouchy.” My shoulders relax when I finally stop shivering. My eyelids droop as the warmth of the fire wraps around me like a second blanket.
“Tomorrow’s journey will be much harder than today’s,” Thane says after a silent minute or two.
“Because we’re going into Ruvain territory now?” I take my spectacles off and place them next to my head.
“Exactly.”
Yes. The land is littered with thieves, cons, more murderers, and of course, the flesh-eating beastials living in their forests.
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Though some of the beastials live in the wild, there are feral beasts and monsters throughout Thelanor who are born only as that, and most of them lurk along Ruvain’s borders.
They’re not like the beastials that live among the mortals, sorcerers, and charmers. They are simply animals who understand we are the prey, and they are the predators.
Xaimur, the god of corruption, made some of the beasts and monsters to try and outnumber Orvena’s creations.
Orvena was the goddess who created all living things in Thelanor.
She wanted her creations to be peaceful and to roam freely and happily.
She even provided some of us with magical abilities, hence the sorcerers.
To protect us all from Xaimur’s wrath, she trapped him in one of his darkest, lowest hells and sacrificed her physical form to grace all of Thelanor with her essence. Yes, monsters and beasts still linger, but her creations prosper and outnumber his immensely.
You’d have to visit some of the wickedest places and the darkest pits of the forests to encounter such monsters, but the distance never stops some of them from coming closer to inhabited lands if they’re hungry enough.
Many people go missing or are attacked and eaten on the odd night, which makes being in this old building with no locks a bit distressing. Who knows what’s lurking out there right now, sniffing us out.
“The fire won’t burn all night.” Thane’s voice sucks me out of my thoughts. He’s been quiet for so long, I almost forgot he was there. “I don’t want anyone noticing the light.”
“Yeah. I understand. Thanks for warming us up a bit.” I close my eyes, reminding myself that if anything does try and attack us, Thane will handle it. He’s here to protect me…
Or rob me, kill me, and leave me in this building to rot.
I guess I’ll find out.