The Darkness Beyond the Stars

Chapter 22: Maybe Raon is plotting murder

I woke like someone being drawn up from deep in a lake. Weariness flowed over me; tried to drag me down, but something else drew me awake. I dragged my eyes open, and took a deep breath. The world was dark, but I could hear a strange rushing, sighing noise in the distance. My mind was foggy. I vaguely remembered being dragged through hallways, then sitting on a couch, and a warm breeze. That was it.

I was lying on my side, leaning against something solid, something that rose and fell slightly. Something twisted in my stomach; shivered over me, but it wasn't fear, or even annoyance.

I twisted around, rested my forehead against him, and closed my eyes.

....

When I opened my eyes to light flooding the room, he was gone. I sat up quickly. Had he even been there last night? Had it been my imagination? I groaned and flopped back on the couch. Probably had been my imagination.

I sniffed. Then sat up and sniffed again. Something spicy drifted through the air. I had no clue what it was, but I was suddenly starving, and I needed it.

I stood up, and stretched, then leaned down and tried to touch my toes. The spicy smell was stronger. A few inches away from my nose was a table. On the table was a plate. And on the plate was a pile of something covered in a bright orange sauce. I plopped back onto the couch and leaned towards the food, breathing deeply. Never in my life had I smelled anything like it. I looked around for a fork, but there was none. A flat bready thing was sitting on the edge of the plate. I picked it up, and ripped some off, then scooped up some of the sauce and what I assumed was meat, and stuffed it in my mouth.

"Oh. My." The stuff was the best thing I had tasted in my life. Spicy, sweet, salty, sour, literally everything in perfect balance. And yet all of it so bright and pushy, not like the delicate food at home. I ate the entire plate as fast as I could.

Someone knocked on the door. I choked on my last bite, and almost died as the door opened. Finally, I swallowed, and was able to greet the elf who stood in the doorway with a rather perplexed look on his face.

"Clothes." He blurted out, then set a bundle on the floor and fled.

I went over and picked up the bundle, then stuck my head out the doorway. "Um. Thank you?" But he was gone. So I closed the door and looked at the bundle. It was mostly a long drapey dress thing, with a sash.

I looked around for a bath or something, but there was nothing there. I ran over to the balcony and leaned over. A dark blue pool was a storey below, surrounded by white stone and a high hedge.

"Um." I leaned farther over the balcony rail. There was someone in the pool below. I caught a glimpse of pale hair, and dark skin, then jumped back. Apparently the bath was outside.

"Um." I looked around.

"Lilya?"

I cringed. "Ye-es?"

"You coming down? Jump off the balcony! It's deep!"

"What?" I ran to the edge, and looked over. Raon was looking up at me from the middle of the pool, a grin on his face. His white hair was plastered down his back and across his chest.

I backed up hurriedly. "You're not...naked?"

A ringing laugh echoed from below. "Not exactly."

I frowned and looked back over the railing. "Well, I don't have anything to wear."

"That's fine."

My eyes shot wide open, but before I could think of a stinging retort, he laughed again.

"There's something in the clothes I had delivered to the room, don't worry."