“Idon’t know what you are talking about.Wearen’t acting any different than normal.”
Kaleoslaughed at that. “Yeah, that’s the problem.”
Raula’sdark green mouth curved into an even deeper frown. “It’sbad enoughIhave to deal with these two.”Shejerked her thumb over her shoulder atOryxandKaleos. “ButnowIhave to smell you and the commander as well.”
“Whatdo you mean, smell us?I’msorry, but it’s impossible to bathe out here and trust me whenIsay—”
ButRaulawas shaking her head, and then her dark eyes lit up in a way that reminded me of a wolf with a rabbit. “Idon’t mean you’re unclean.Yousmell like… well if you were orcs,Iwould say you were about to go into a breeding cycle.”
“What?”Iclutched my hand to my chest, and my mouth hung open.
“Nouse denying it, my lady.Imight not haveRaula’ssense of smell but it’s pretty obvious with the way they look at you,”Kaleoscommented.
Oryxchuckled, “It’sjust like the princess all over again, isn’t it?”Allthree of them laughed, andIwas sureIwas about to melt into the ground with embarrassment.Mymind was still clinging toKaleos’ words “the way they look at you.”
“What’sjust like me again?”Torihad come around the nearest tent, arms empty andNokitucked into bed.
“Oh, we were just askingPallaswhy—”IpunchedRaulahard on the arm.Itwas like a fly trying to knock over a teapot, but she laughed instead of finishing her sentence. “Hey, look who’s got some strengthafter all?”
“I’mgoing to bed,”Igrumbled, starting to stand up when her arm came down over my shoulders.
“Don’trun away, my lady.We’llstop teasing.Sometimes, we soldiers forget how to act around the gentry.”
Torisat down beside me, and we sat in silence for some time.Icounted, wondering how long it would take for her to break it.
“So, have you seenSpinnerlately?”Tenseconds.
“Pardon?”
“Iknow he likes you, andIhaven’t seen him in two nights.Iwas wondering if you had?”
“No,Ihaven’t.Wehad a bit of a… falling out.”Icouldn’t believe how sad that made me.
“Hesaw you squish a spider, huh?”Kaleosasked, knowingly.
“Ididn’t even squish it!”
“Takeit from me, check your boots for webs before you put them on next time.”Helaughed, butTorilooked out along the horizon.
“Wearen’t far fromTenebrae;Iwonder if he went home?”Hermouth twitched in a sad smile before she stood abruptly.
“Weshould all get to bed.Whoknows what we will find tomorrow.”
TheTorrrose aheadof us, butIfelt it long before we had crested the final rise of hills that preceded it.Itwasn’t visually different from theColdMountainsthat spanned the horizon behind it.Darkrock jut up into the sky, curious in its solitude.Thesurrounding, flatter earth quickly shifted into asteep cliff that formed a single tower of rock.Itwas taller than any palace, at least tenfold, and the top looked as if a great hand had cut it flat.Allaround the exterior of the natural tower, the dark openings of caves could be seen.
Perhapsthat is all it looked like to the humans in our entourage, notably devoid of plant life but not so extraordinary.ButIwould have known this place was an abomination hadIbeen stripped of all my senses.Aterrible wrongness pulsed from it that wrapped its horrible tendrils around the very pit of my stomach and tugged with great force.Mybreath started coming in shallow pants with each step towards theTorras if it was trying to squeeze the life directly out of me.
Isaw numerous members of our party falter as we drew closer.Mostwho did were fae, or partially so, but on none was it so obvious as it was with the king.
Hisskin had grown even more pale, and his entire brow shone with sweat.Hepulled up the reigns of his horse and didn’t move; his eyes locked on theTorr.Torirode her horse beside him, somewhat awkwardly, clearly not used to riding.Sheleaned over and lay her hand on the king’s shoulder, whispering something.
Abraxasbarely reacted, but she turned her horse away and shouted, “Farenough.Let’sset up camp two hundred pace to the east.”
Shegrabbed the reins of his horse with her own, and gently guided them away from theTorr.Theking was still locked in a trance.
Ilooked over toJun, who rode beside me, and was surprised to see him looking remarkably unperturbed.Hesaw my gaze and asked, “Areyou alright,Pallas?”
“Yes, this place is far more unnerving thanIthought it would be.”Hedidn’t respond. “Can’tyou feel it?”
