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I nodded somberly, slurring out, “That’s what he said.”
“Yup,” the male chuckled, the sound of it not rich and playful like Von’s, but rather, a bit . . . chaotic, like he wasn’t quite running on all four wheels. “That’s what I want.”
“But—”
The man’s laughter cut Kaleb off. “Relax, I’m just fucking with you. Besides, the firstborn deal is more my sister’s thing.”
My head flopped over to the male I’d originally thought of as Von. I understood now that although they were very much cut from the same proverbial cloth, there was a world of difference between the two.
When he disappeared before my very eyes, there were no shadows that slithered around him. No, there was only a wild darkness and a billow of smoke.
“Where’s he going?” I whispered to Kaleb, suddenly afraid the walls might sprout ears and listen to me. I eyed them wearily.
“He’s going to find Arkyn, and then he’ll come back for us.” Kaleb let out a sigh, his weary gaze meeting mine. “I think.”
“That’s nice,” I said with a yawn.
I curled into Kaleb and shut my eyes—the sweet allure of sleep calling my name.
Sage
Hints of rosemary, mint, lavender, and some other herb I couldn’t quite detect bloomed around me, filling my sense of smell with the scent of healing.
My eyelids fluttered open as I slowly stepped into my consciousness.
There was a fuzzy-looking boy sitting on my bed. His head lolled forward as if he were fighting sleep, and just when I was certain he was about to head-bob into the bed, he startled himself and jerked upright.
His eyes snapped to mine and a massive grin burst across his face.
My eyesight cleared and—
“You’re awake!” Graiyson yelled at the top of his lungs, his body vibrating with excitement.
“I am,” I rasped, my heart strumming happily. It was good to see him.
“How are you feeling? You’ve been sleeping forever, like some fairy-tale princess. Although, your hair tells another story. It looks like one of the rats from the Well decided to make a nest out of it.” He giggled, the sound joyful.
A whisper of a crackling chuckle rolled free from my lips.
I glanced around. A massive tent surrounded me, warm and clean and filled with the scents of many, many, many herbs. The room hosted twelve single beds, six on each side. All of them were empty—well, except for the one I was in.
My brows furrowed. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the infirmary,” chirped Graiyson, as giddy as ever.
“I gathered as much, but where specifically?” I asked, the sound of heavy fabric flapping to my right garnished my attention.
“You are in the Cursed Lands,” Ezra said as she bustled through the tent’s entrance, a wicker basket in one hand and her cane in the other. Her milky-white eyes peered in my direction, but they stared blankly past me.
“Ezra?” I whimpered, tears brimming.
“Hello, my child,” she spoke through her smile, bobbing her cane from side to side as she wobbled her way over to my bedside, her shoulders ticking rhythmically from side to side as she approached. She knocked her cane against the bed stand, a knowing smirk on her lips. She plopped the basket down with a mighty thud. I peered skeptically over my shoulder, banking on the basket being full of rocks. One look confirmed as much. Scattered on top were a few blackberries—where she found them this time of year was a mystery to me.
Ezra plopped onto the bed, dropping like a sack of potatoes, her legs kicking out in front of her. “That’s better,” she said on a loud exhale. She laid the cane across her lap and then reached out her hand—just as a mother would do when she wanted her child to take it.
I slipped my hand into hers and her smile instantly bloomed. Her warm fingers coiled gently around mine, giving them a delicate squeeze. She directed her voice to Graiyson, “Would you give us a moment?”
Graiyson nodded as he shoved off the bed. “I’ll go tell the others that she’s awake,” he said excitedly.
