A Sacrifice of Names

Chapter 27

Sleep would not come, no matter how hard she tried chasing it.

Her dreams would not come, no matter how much she longed for their comforting darkness to embrace her, no matter how much she wanted his voice to surround her, even if his words would remind her what an idiot she had been.

With her arms wrapped around her knees, Earie watched Keely's chest rise and fall slowly. Words could not express the gratitude she felt for everything the green-skinned fae had done for her after the voice of the Fallen had faded back into the soil.

After the echoing voice's disappearance, Keely had kept her arms wrapped around Earie firm as she trembled, combed her long fingers through her brown locks as she wept, only to burst into tears herself when Innogen found her way back to them with her wounded brother leaning on her shoulder. Both now laid in front of Earie, fingers entwined. Passed out from sheer exhaustion, but alive.

The fight between Firas' and Garran's forces had stopped, but at what cost? Instead of the clashing of swords, silence had returned to the Quiet Land, a silence far more ominous than she had witnessed before.

Words were not spoken, whispers could not be heard. The wounded who had managed to return to camp were tended to in silence. Realisation that this was not yet the end haunted all living creatures scattered across the Quiet Land.

As for the Fallen, Earie dreaded thinking about where they were lurking, undoubtedly watching and listening to every move made in both camps, ready to strike.

That was, however, not the thought that kept her awake. Whereas she had heard the same words before, she was now not only a target of the Fallen but of everyone. Innogen had not uttered a word about what everyone in the Quiet Land had heard, for which Earie was grateful, but her secret rested in their hands. The thought pained her, for she wanted nothing more than to trust them after everything they had been through, but knowing they had a chance to survive, would they not selfishly give up on her?

In the end, what more was she than a mortal nuisance dropped into their laps because of a lie she had uttered in the hope to save her own ass?

An inaudible groan parted her lips, one of her thumbs pressing against the hollow of her back as she sat up straight. It was not even fear that kept her awake, but her lingering thoughts which were now as loud as any screaming voice inside her mind.

Why were the Fallen after her? Why had they taken the two women from University? They were looking for a human being, one who had recently crossed across the border from her own world into this one. They had found a device, her phone undoubtedly. But why? Why? It was a question no matter how long she sat there pondering she could not find an answer to.

Human women were used to wet-nurse the children of pureblooded faerie couples now they did not have the strength to do so themselves. But if it was for that purpose they needed her, why go through such lengths? It was not impossible for the fae to cross the border into the mortal world, albeit a lot more difficult than it once used to. She rubbed the palm of her hand against her temple, her eyes following a dried crust of blood falling in her lap.

Answers. She needed answers and although her gut kept telling her not to she pushed herself up. There was only one place where she could get those answers. There was only one person she could get them from.

"Where do you think you're going?" Innogen's voice was hushed, trying not to wake up Keely.

Earie cast a frail smile over her shoulder. "I'm going to wash my hands."

It remained silent for a moment, enough for Innogen to push herself up on her elbows, although not letting go of Keely's hand.

"You are lying, aren't you?"