Horns and Halos, page 16
Draki followed my pointed finger to the snoring young man and then back to me. “I thought I made it clear that I needed to speak with you.”
“No. You didn’t. And even if you did, you could have waited,” I hissed as I went to Elijah to inspect his head and body. I wasn’t seeing any injuries, no thanks to the devil.
“I wait for no one,” Draki stated flatly.
“Clearly,” I muttered, taking off my jacket and rolling it up to put under Elijah’s head.
“Get up. I’m training you on how to fight. It’s bothersome to always save you.”
“I can fight.”
“Sloppily, yes, but not well.”
“I fought off grunts,” I snapped defensively.
Draki’s cool demeanor went up in smoke. Quick steps had him by my side in the blink of an eye, and he snatched me up from the ground. My shirt was gripped firmly in his fists as he stared at me with eyes that burned like the sun. Heat poured over me as his canines elongated like fangs and he yelled, “Grunts aren’t dukes, soldiers, or princes! I might pride myself on time, but teaching you how to fight could be the tipping point between life and death.”
“You’re supposed to protect me,” I reminded meekly, my eyes frantically searching his golden hues.
“I may not reach you in time!”
I was at a loss for words. Was he scared that I would get hurt?
“I may want to see you struggle and be in pain, but I don’t want to see you lose to them. I don’t want to see you lose to someone else. I want you to lose to me. Only to me, Sia.”
“And here I thought you cared ...”
He gestured to Elijah snoring on the ground. “Don’t make that mistake twice, my dear.”
I looked at him and knew that he was right. Walking up the line of Draki’s body, I settled in on his gaze as I asked, “So are you going to teach me to fight?”
He let me go. “Hopefully, you’re as competent as I suspect that you are. Grab your weapon. The sooner we can start, the sooner it will be over and you can rest. You’ll need it.”
“Why, because of all the walking?” I asked, grabbing my machete.
Looking to the north, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “You should be arriving at the next village tomorrow,” he informed blandly.
I fell onto my bedding heaving like I had forgotten how to breathe. Sweat poured down my face, and I was weakly clutching the machete in my hand. I wasn’t sure how long I had been practicing with Draki, but every part of my body was sore. The water canteen was tossed onto my stomach, and I made a sound from the unexpected impact. I didn’t have it in me to fuss with the devil for the act. I was more thankful that I had water to drink than I was angry. Shakily, I unscrewed the top and drank while Draki loomed over me.
“You did better than I expected. Good girl. And here I thought it was going to be a total waste of my time.”
After drinking, I fell back onto my bed still panting. “I can’t do anymore tonight,” I admitted weakly.
“You don’t need to. Rest. I’m confident that what I’ve done should be enough to aid you.”
“No more lessons, ever?”
“If and when the moment arises, I’ll teach you.”
I nodded, completely spent.
“Rest, Sia.”
Not needing any further prompting, I closed my eyes and curled up where I was. I could feel the canteen taken from me and heard it being put off to the side. Then I felt the machete slide out from under my hand. And—right before I drifted off to sleep—I felt a blanket pulled up over my cold, sore body.
Chapter 15:
A Bitter Tasting Apple
The next morning, we packed up camp and headed out after breakfast. Elijah vaguely remembered talking to me before falling asleep. Thankfully, he didn’t question what had led to him passing out.
Later on that afternoon, just as Draki had predicted, we saw the next village in the distance. It was massive! There was a sweet scent in the air, and laughter could be heard the closer we got to it. However, that laughter was unnerving to me because I knew that beneath that laughter and carefree life there dwelled a hidden devil. Happiness like that wasn’t free in this world. Not without a hefty price.
By the time we reached the gates, we were greeted by a large gathering of villagers that were full of smiles. They were celebrating our arrival like we were guests that they had been expecting for days.
“We’ve got travelers!” a female guard with a thick, long, strawberry blonde braid yelled. Her skin was an ashy tan and blotched in patches of white outlined in pink. Freckles covered every inch of visible skin, and she had clear blue eyes like a river. “Well, come in. The things out in the Wastes will try to eat you but we won’t,” she said with a hearty laugh.
Her strong hand was on my back, and I was ushered in through the gates before I could say anything or think about changing my mind.
An elderly woman with a crooked nose and drooping wrinkles approached me and took me by the hand. “What’s your name, dearie?”
“Sia,” I answered, feeling a bit anxious. I looked behind me and saw that Elijah was treated very much the same by a few other villagers.
“I’m Abigail, but folks just call me Abby. You can too. You look like you’ve been through a lot. Traveling the Wastes will get to the best of us. You need to rest. Let’s get you and your husband set up in a private hut, hmmm?”
Everything was happening so fast that I could only focus on one thing she said. “Husband?” I squeaked.
“Oh, I know that blush. Newlyweds, eh?” She leaned in to whisper to me. “Oh, I can spot them a mile away even with these old eyes of mine.” She proceeded to cackle as she and the other villagers dragged me toward a private hut at the edge of town with Elijah in tow.
“Really, you don’t have to do this ...” I tried to reason with Abby, but she was already light-years away as she explained how she and Eustis were in their first year of marriage.
“He couldn’t keep his hands off me either,” she gushed, slapping my arm lightly as she blushed and giggled.
I forced a smile but felt like there wasn’t much that I could do about the situation. At least this way I had less to be worried about if Draki chose to pop up. So I let the wave of villagers carry me away to the newlywed hut, which was embarrassing but manageable.
Before we reached the front door, I was able to ask, “Do you all need any help with anything? I don’t mind doing a bit of work to earn the room for a night or two. Maybe we could have a little bit of food for our travels?”
“Oh, of course, dearie,” Abby said, patting the top of my hand. She gave a look to a younger man behind us who was slapping Elijah on the back while throwing his head back in laughter. “Daniel, Sia here says they don’t mind earning their keep.”
“Hmmm? Work you say?” He rubbed his chin while in thought and gave a toothy grin. “I suppose we could have you work in the orchard for a little bit. This man here can help me make the good stuff!” Daniel laughed again.
A woman with blonde hair and green eyes spoke softly to me as the laughter and stories kept pouring in. Instead of her being hard to hear, she was clear as a bell to my ears. “The only rule that we have here is that you must attend the evening feasts.”
I turned to look and ask why, but there was only the fluttering of a pale blue skirt as she disappeared into the throng of people and wandered off in the opposite direction we were all heading in.
“Who was that?” I asked, pointing to the girl.
Abby didn’t look. She even lost her smile a bit. Her eyes shifted to others around her who gave a soft nod like they were trading secrets. Quick as ever, her smile returned. “That’s the village leader’s daughter, Penelope. Sweet thing, she is.” She then changed the subject before I could ask about the village rule. “Oop, looks like we’re here. Now, you caught us in the middle of our work, so we’ll all shoo and let you two get settled. Edna will fetch you something good to eat. You two must have walked a long way to get to our little paradise.” She patted the top of my hand again and opened the hut door. “You go ahead and go on, now. Try to get settled and not be too handsy with each other!” She cackled again and the door was shut, leaving Elijah and me in the welcomed but sudden silence.
After a brief moment, I turned with an expression that said (without words) exactly how much I didn’t enjoy the tidal wave of chatter and touching that came from complete strangers. Normally, I was a bit more relaxed, but after everything I had been through, my nerves felt like they were constantly shot and like I was on the verge of snapping.
Elijah widened his eyes and exhaled loudly. “Well, this is definitely livelier than I expected. Phew, I thought that whole mess would never end,” he muttered, tossing his bags by a couch.
The hut wasn’t much. Everything was open and in one giant circle. There was a tiny kitchen, a decent-sized living area, and a massive bed. It was obvious what the hut was primarily used for.
“I wouldn’t put your guard down in this place,” I whispered loud enough for only him to hear.
“Why do you say that?”
I shook my head. “Something about the looks they were giving each other and ... I don’t know. Something just doesn’t feel right.”
“You think we could be sacrificed to their devil?”
It was a thought I hadn’t really considered, but now it was assaulting my mind relentlessly. “Or that.”
He chuckled softly. “Don’t worry too much about it, Sia. We won’t be here long, and we can keep each other safe.”
I looked at him with worry. “You and I can’t fight off a whole village.”
He sighed and nodded. “You think we should leave after tonight?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You could ... you know ... talk to your ...”
He made motions to me and it took a moment for the words to sink in. He wanted me to ask Draki? Not expecting the suggestion, I laughed nervously. “I’m not sure I feel comfortable with that.”
“He won’t answer you?”
“I’m not sure I’d believe what he would tell me,” I corrected.
“Words hurt, Sia,” Draki said while leaning against the door of the hut.
“Speak of the devil,” I sighed and went to toss my bags on the bed.
Looking around the hut confused, Elijah asked, “He’s here?”
“You can’t see him,” I informed.
“You can change that,” Draki suggested.
I held my head. “I can’t do this right now.”
Thankfully, they both stopped talking and watched me. One like he was concerned for me. The other like I was holding him up from tending to some important, pressing matter. After a few deep breaths, I focused on taking things out of the bag that we would need soon as I asked. “Is it safe to stay here for longer than tonight?”
“I fail to see what danger you would be in with me here?” Draki stated, looking like his usual bored self.
I sat on the edge of the bed and talked to Elijah. “I wouldn’t trust it after tonight. I think we should leave in the morning.”
“Fair enough,” he replied.
Draki chuckled to himself. “Wise choice, my dear.” And he disappeared before I could ask him what he meant by that.
After we lightly unpacked, Elijah and I headed back outside. The streets were quiet save for the occasional sound of a pot or pan clanging in the distance. It was a far cry from the bustling, happy village we had been greeted by. The streets were clean, well-kept, and cold. It reminded me of Elijah’s village, but the buildings were not dilapidated and falling apart. Everything was in order and taken care of. However, the silence and lack of bodies roaming about gave an eerie feeling to the town.
“Think they are having a town meeting?” Elijah asked, scanning the area carefully.
“I’m not sure,” I replied. My eyes were ever watchful of our surroundings. “Let’s see if we can find someone to talk to.”
We came around a building and a man with a full, bushy beard, a bloodstained apron, and holding a cleaver with a notched blade stood in front of us. He looked down at us surprised and raised his blade hand. I jumped back and screamed. Elijah jumped in front of me and took a stance like he was going to start fighting the knife-wielding man.
“Whoa! Whoa!” A tall man that looked to be only a couple of years older than Elijah and me came around the corner. He wore a white button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a black tie was loosely hanging around his neck, and he had on a pair of ebony slacks. He looked really well-dressed for being someone that lived in a village out in the Wastes.
His piercing hazel eyes darted between the three of us and then flashed a smile to me. “Hey, you must be a new one here, darling.” He swept a hand through his deep, brown hair and patted the sweaty chest of the meat cleaver man. “Stand down, Patrick. Just the newbies.”
Patrick didn’t say much. In fact, he didn’t speak at all. He nodded slowly while the new male laughed and turned the butcher around. “I’ll take care of them. I know you didn’t mean to scare them.” He faced me and smiled even wider.
“I’m sorry!” I yelled.
Patrick stopped and looked at me. Quickly, he turned his attention to the male in a suit and tie. The well-dressed man waved him down and pointed to me with a smile, put a fist up to his chest, and rubbed it in a circular motion.
Patrick smiled softly and waved at me. He held his pinky and ring finger down and flicked his thumb, pointer, and middle finger out.
“He says that it’s okay.”
“Oh, thank you ...” I pressed, waiting for him to give me a name to go with the face.
“Ah, where are my manners?” He took my hand in his and shook it firmly. “The name’s Lucian.”
“Real name?” I asked.
He shook his head. “You wouldn’t be able to pronounce my real name, love.” Pointing to Elijah he asked, “This your brother?” Extending his hand, he waited for the young man to shake in greeting.
Elijah narrowed his eyes for a split second. “No,” he answered deadpan. He then pointed to the hut in the distance. “We’re staying in the marital hut.”
Lucian wrinkled his nose and shook his head, but he never lost that grin. “Sorry about that, mate. They tend to assume a lot here.” He looked back in my direction and elbowed me gently. “We can set you up somewhere a bit more comfortable if you’d like?”
I laughed and tried to keep Lucian’s attention on me because Elijah looked like he was trying to melt him with his glower. “It’s okay. It’s only for a night.” I cleared my throat awkwardly and looked around the streets. “I was hoping I could find someone to point me in the right direction. I was supposed to work in the orchard, and he was supposed to ... uh, make the good stuff?”
Looking confused for a moment, Lucian pondered before he laughed out loud. “Must have been Daniel and Abby.” He shook his head. “You’ll be working on making wine and ale, buddy. This village goes through a lot of it. Most of the villagers are preparing for tonight’s feast. I can take you two where you need to go.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” I started.
“Oh, stop. I’d be more than delighted to help you out.”
Lucian went to put his arm around my shoulder, but Elijah had grabbed my wrist and pulled him to his side. “Lead the way,” he said with a smile.
Pursing his lips to the side, Lucian nodded a few times to himself. Those lips curled into a smile once again, though. “Right then, the brewery is this way. We’ll drop you off first, and I’ll take the lady to the orchard.”
Why did I feel like I was being fought over? I didn’t like that. I can make my own choices. I was a big girl and didn’t need anyone to act on my behalf.
Pulling my hand free from Elijah’s grasp, I motioned to Lucian saying, “Following you.”
Silently, we followed him as he weaved his way through the village while we made idle chatter. Once we got to a brick building, there was a fruity, pungent aroma wafting out from the open windows. Honestly, it smelled absolutely wonderful. After knocking with the back of his hand on the black, steel door, we waited for someone to answer. Within seconds, Daniel stood at the entrance.
“Aye! You made it!” He grabbed Elijah and dragged him inside without another word.
“Sia,” Elijah managed to whisper before he was sealed tight behind the door. Daniel could be heard bellowing to the other workers inside that their new helper for the day had arrived.
“Looks like it’s just you and me, love.”
Turning my head to face him, I saw Lucian closer than expected. He was leaning over me, and his face was inches from mine. I took a few too many quick steps back in my rush to put distance between me and him and almost fell.
“Hold up there now,” he called out as he lurched forward and grabbed me around the waist.
“Th-thank you,” I said quietly and quickly righted myself before slipping out of his grasp.
“Didn’t mean to scare you.”
I nodded. “It was my fault,” I muttered and scoped out the area anxiously. “Where is the orchard?” I kept my vision on anything but him.
“Am I making you nervous?” His question was asked in a tone that was curious, but his smile was playful. Almost like he was hoping that he was.
“No. I’m just anxious to get to work. Was hoping to bathe before dinner tonight, and it looks like there isn’t much sun left.” It was an honest answer, even if it was me stretching the truth.
“Hmmm. Suppose you’re right. Let’s hurry up then. We definitely don’t want you to miss out on tonight’s feast.”
Once again, we set out and this time I tried to avoid talking with Lucian. The way his attention was set on me had me worried in all kinds of ways. For one, I didn’t want to be alone with a stranger. Secondly, I didn’t trust the quiet of the streets or even the villagers completely. I would use my machete if I had to, though, I didn’t think it’d come down to that. Lastly, anyone giving me attention was not good. I was still trying to shake things that Elijah made me feel, and I was failing. I didn’t need new individuals to add to my dangerous list of people getting too close for comfort. It would only hurt them in the long run, and that wasn’t something I could live with, and it most certainly wasn’t something I could die with. If anything, it was something I was desperately trying to forget.
