It takes me several moments to realize I’m in Adriel’s arms. A weak smile curls up his lips as he utters, “Amor,”just before his eyes roll back in his head.
Neither of us are wearing a shirt, leaving a lot of points for contact that he can’t stand.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Untangling myself from him, I jump just out of his reach, which unfortunately lays him out on the ground.
“Ludo!” Tears pour down my face, not sure what to do. I have no clue what a tiny little kangaroo rat can do, but he’s my only option right now. I can’t leave Adriel here like this.
And not just because he saved me.
But because he means more to me than I think I’m ready to dive into.
Ludo climbs onto Adriel’s arm and around to his chest. He sniffs along the markings there until I realize he’s tracing one of them.
“Holy fucking shit,” I mumble when I realize the clever little rodent is using magic.
Adriel shoots up with a loud gasp, making me squeak and jump back a foot. He holds Ludo to his chest as if he innately knows where to find the little critter. The two of them remain locked together, both breathing deeply but slowly. I have no idea what they’re doing, but the air around them crackles with power.
And then I remember Adriel once explaining that animal familiars allow them to harness more energy. That it’s a give and take relationship between them, allowing them to be stronger and closer to Mother Earth.
“Adriel?” I whisper, hating how scared and weak I sound.
His head flies up and he turns to look deep into my eyes. I swear he’s looking beyond the surface, and I fidget in place under his scrutiny, feeling too exposed.
“Rami.” The way he says my name is like a prayer, both hopeful and desperate.
“Can you stand?” I ask, uncertain what else to say. I want to get him to the campsite so I can feed him and give him water. Care for him.
He dips his chin, but grumbles painfully as he pushes himself upright, taking Ludo with him. I pick up his discarded shirt and hang it on a nearby branch he usually uses. By the time he’s plopped down onto the stump, I have a whole platter of bread,dried fruit, and jerky laid out for him, and I’m just pouring the water into a cup.
“What happened?” he asks, picking apart the bread to eat.
“I don’t actually know,” I mumble, sitting on the ground amongst my stuff. “I had a dream that this shadowy figure was chasing me. I suppose the image lingered, and it was all I could think about.”
I grab hold of my necklace for strength. The stones are nearly scalding as they soothe me in a way that also strengthens me.
Adriel bobs his head up and down as if he understands. Like what I just said is the most common thing in the world. I open my mouth to ask if he’s seen this sort of thing before, but click my teeth together when I realize I don’t want to know the answer. Instead, I cling onto Yasmine’s necklace even harder. Whatever it was, is gone now.
So, we both sit in a contented silence. Both of us in need of time to rebuild our energy after what just happened.
But it doesn’t take me long before I feel the urge to fill the silence. “Why Sabletown?” I pry.
In the time I’ve been here, he has always spoken so fondly of his travels and adventures from home to here. And then nothing. I know the curse prevents him from leaving this area, so I imagine that’s why the stories of those times are so limited. Or perhaps it’s too painful for him to bring up.
Right now, though, I can really use more of a distraction. With Adriel around, the image of the creature from my dream lingers just outside of my periphery. As if it’s afraid of Adriel and won’t come near.
Adriel sighs heavily. “Sabletown was like any other place back then, but the people were generous and the landscape was pretty. And in my experience, the more religious villages were in need of my services more than others. I was bringing in a lot of coin, even caught the eye of a handsome young man.”
Jealousy blooms hot in my chest thinking of Adriel with someone else. Though I feel silly for blaming him for something I wasn’t even alive for. It’s not like I’m some nubile virgin saving myself for him.
“He was enamored with me, though I didn’t return his affection. I knew better than to get involved with the preacher’s son.”
And that just took an unexpected turn.
“Was it the preacher who cursed you?” I ask, though that doesn’t sound right. I mean, I’m certain the preacher-man had some choice words against Adriel, but this doesn’t feel like God’s work.
Adriel sighs heavily and stares off into the evening. I honestly think he’s going to ignore my question when his voice finally breaks the silence. “No. Though he wasn’t too kind to me, leading his flock astray. There was never anything between me and his son, so there was nothing left there to speak ill of. The man was even worse to his son, telling him how despicable his errant desires were.”
