Blood and Water - The Darkling

Chapter 7: Tailors and Peaches

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𝕴'𝖒 dreaming of wandering through a snow-covered forest. Behind me, a branch snaps. I slowly turn around and see two magnificent white stags, their antlers large, spiraling upwards in two unique designs. One vaguely resembles a sun. I shift my focus to the other slightly smaller one. A flash of a swirling star blinds me.

I bolt awake, my heart thudding in my chest, and look towards my sister. To my surprise, she has a matching expression on her face.

"I just had the strangest dream," I whisper to Alina.

She slowly nods and says, "Oddly enough, I did too. Of two snow-white stags." After seeing awe flash across my features she asks, "You too?"

I give a brief jerk of my head in response. Then I push back the covers and walk over to the desk near the window. After rummaging through the drawers, I sit down with a piece of parchment and a pencil. I quickly sketch out the two stags I saw in my dream.

Turning around to show my twin, I notice her waving her arms around trying to use her powers. "I don't think that's how it works, sis," I chuckle out, causing her to let out a groan.

"This is ridiculous," she says as she slumps back into the plush pillows.

I raise my eyebrow and respond, "Give this a chance. You and I both know that we can't ignore our true nature forever."

A pounding on our door interrupts any of Alina's inevitable arguments.

"Go away," she mumbles from beneath the covers. But the pounding only grows louder. As my sister sits up, I make my way towards the door.

I hover my hand over the lock and question, "Who is it?"

"I don't have time for this," a female voice snaps from behind the door. "Open. Now!"

I shrug. I doubt that they are here to kill or kidnap us.

The door flies open, not even a second after I unlocked it. A girl pushes past me, surveying the room and then my sister and me with a critical eye. She is easily the most beautiful person I have ever seen. Her wavy hair is auburn, her irises large and blue-green; her skin is so smooth and flawless that she looks as if her perfect cheekbones are carved from marble. She's wearing a cream kefta embroidered with silver and white and lined in gray wolf fur.

"All Saints," she says, looking between my twin and me. "Have either of you even bathed? And what happened to your faces?"

I notice that Alina is flushing bright red, her hand flying to the bruise on her cheek. It's been nearly a week since we left camp, and longer since either of us have bathed or brushed our hair. We are covered in dirt and blood and the smell of horses. Alina starts, "I-"

But the girl is already shouting orders to the servants who followed her into the room. "Draw a bath. A hot one. I'll need my kit, and get that one out of those clothes. We'll start with her," she says while gesturing to my twin. 

The servants descend upon Alina, pulling at her buttons. She's protesting about it and trying to bat their hands away. Eventually, they coax her into the tub.

In Old Ravkan, one servant says, "Smells like horse." The other responds, "Horse has a use."

My twin looks towards them and grumbles, "Stop, stop, stop. I am perfectly capable of washing myself. And yes, I smell like horse. We've covered almost two hundred miles on horseback. We haven't had a good night's sleep in a week, after nearly being killed."