65. Rohak
Chapter 65
Rohak
M y aching muscles and joints groaned as I sunk deep into a warm bath in the d’Aelius manor. While never one for baths or languid relaxation, this felt fucking heavenly. I deserved the respite, dammit, and I was going to take every minute of it. Because, inevitably, when I finally removed my body from here and rejoined Alois in his private room, more would need to be done.
The city was in absolute chaos.
We had neutralized the threat enough to at least usher citizens home, but the entirety of Hestin was in disarray.
After Faylinn took Ellowyn back to the manor, the battle raged for a few minutes longer, but it felt like the rebels abruptly left. One minute they were attacking with wild abandon and no concern for whose lives were taken, the next they were simply gone.
It was a puzzle that made me more than frustrated, and something Alois would grill me on tonight.
I grumbled at the thought and reached for the sponge to quickly wipe off my body.
As much as I wanted to hide in this vat of warmth, I was only delaying the inevitable.
With a sigh, I quickly washed my body and hair, making sure to remove all of the ash, debris, and blood. The water was almost black once I finished, and I pushed to my feet, my muscles protesting the entire time. Drying quickly, I stepped into a clean set of the black tunic and pants that we issued all Mages in the army.
Could I wear something else? Yes.
Was I comfortable wearing anything else? No.
In a way, I was dressing for battle, just not the type that happened earlier today.
My hair dripped water, and I pulled it back from my forehead, smoothing it out flat and flinging away the excess water as I strode from the bathroom before making my way down the hallway toward Alois’ quarters.
I had questions for him, as he would for me; I just hoped he’d give me the courtesy of answering mine.
I rapped my knuckles once on the door before I heard Alois call for me to enter.
What I expected to see when I pushed open the door was not the sight that greeted me, and I reared my head back in shock, my eyebrows hitting my hairline.
In Alois’ bed was Ellowyn, still dressed from the day—soot and a bit of blood covering her face and dress—with Faylinn bustling about, muttering to herself and gently tugging at her hair.
Ellowyn’s eyes were open, but unseeing. They never moved, just stayed glued to a spot on the ceiling.
“Rohak,” Alois greeted, a glass of whiskey clutched in his hand, his eyes trained on Faylinn as she fluttered about Ellowyn’s prone form.
I strode into the room and poured myself a larger glass of whiskey than what I usually have, but, fuck, it was necessary. I sipped it casually, deciding how I wanted to broach the subject of what was happening here, and why Ellowyn was in his rooms, especially when this was her home.
“I don’t trust them right now, her family,” Alois muttered under his breath, his black gaze never leaving Ellowyn. “They might be cowed into submission right now, but I have no doubt the minute I let her out of my sight, she’ll disappear. And that can’t happen. Not now.” He said the last part so far under his breath that I almost didn’t catch it.
What is he talking about?
“I know you have questions, Rohak. But I can’t answer them now. Not here. Later, yes. But much later. I have a feeling we’re going to be in Hestin for the immediate future.” He drained his whiskey at that before refilling it.
I took a larger gulp of my own.
“It’s bad,” is all I said. “Really fucking bad.”
Alois laughed humorously. “Yes, I expected that.”
I hummed as Faylinn drew a few runes on Ellowyn’s skin using her own blood.
“What’s she doing?” I finally asked.
“Waking Ellowyn. I can’t leave her to debrief with you without knowing she’s not...gone,” his voice was oddly sentimental, and I frowned slightly.
Weird. This whole thing is weird .
“Very well,” I said, some of my residual anger and frustration with Faylinn bubbling to the surface as I watched her work. “As long as she isn’t forced into some sort of Bond,” I said loud enough for Faylinn to hear, and I saw her pause in her work before shaking her head slightly and returning to her task.
She won’t even look at me. Can I even look at her? My anger dissipated for a moment when the rebels attacked, only wanting her to be safe. But now that the threat had passed, I felt my earlier ire returning.
I combed a hand through my hair before throwing back the rest of my whiskey and slamming the glass on the table.
“I’ll go find Lex,” I growled before striding from the room.
Faylinn was brought here for one purpose, apparently, and it was growing more apparent that Alois’ intentions did not align with my own.
That was fine, it was his decision at the end of the day. But that didn’t mean I had to like it, and I sure as fuck didn’t have to watch it.