The Blades

Chapter Seven

November 10th

Voices. The creepy voices filled my head as they used to. Dark and mysterious. Whispering that was just barely inaudible. Achingly distant. I wanted to crawl towards them but my arms and legs wouldn't move. The voices suddenly laughed.

And they sounded like Bayah. It was then I found the strength and opened my eyes.

There, indeed, was Bayah, with Kodi and Anaith, sitting in chairs around my bed, chatting with each other.

"No, you idiot, that's just stupid," Anaith told Kodi.

"I'm telling you that it happened!" He put up his hands to show he was serious.

"There's no way she agreed to that," Bayah said.

What are they talking about?

"Really and truly, I convinced a witch to turn a chicken into a giant egg-laying horse." Kodi grinned.

"A what?" I mumbled, my voice hoarse from disuse. They turned to look at me.

"She's alive!" Bayah said and moved hurriedly to sit on my bed at my feet. I couldn't tell if I was imagining it, but Anaith seemed almost disappointed.

I smiled and sat up slowly, "What happened?" I asked, moving a hand to my head, I felt a soft bandage wrapped around it. My head was throbbing slightly.

"Concussion and the beginning stages of hypothermia," Anaith explained gruffly. Her smile had fallen the minute I'd said something.

"And Flax?"

"He recovered quickly. Stumbled into the Commons pale as death and saw Airys first, who rushed off to save you." Bayah chuckled, patting my covered leg, "You've been asleep for over a day. It's about eight o'clock in the evening."

I wondered once more about how they could tell time if we were below ground. And it would be dark outside so it would have been even harder.

"I want to see Flax," I said.

"That's a question for Anaith." Kodi got to his feet.

"It wasn't a question."

Anaith pursed her lips and stared at me, "Fine. You can go, but don't be so rude next time," she snapped.

I nodded and Bayah got off the bed. I threw the sheets from my legs and placed my bare feet on the cold stone. Bayah handed me my boots and I slid them on before standing carefully. I was unsteady, as expected, and grabbed Kodi's arm to help steady myself.

Slowly and surely, we made our way out of the infirmary.

"Don't push it," he warned.

"You don't push it," I snapped back. Terrible comeback as usual but whatever. I inhaled deeply and kept going.

We entered Second Commons near the library and there was Gossamer, holding a cup of tea, and Airys, handsome as ever, talking to each other quietly. They stopped as we approached and looked around at the three of us.

"Good evening, ladies and Kodiak. Atla, how do you feel?" she asked, smiling at me.

"Better, thank you," I responded. I noticed how Kodi didn't correct her when she greeted him with his full name.

Airys wasn't looking at me but instead focused on a point a few inches to the left of my face. He didn't look angry or upset. He looked like nothing. Except pretty. He looked pretty. That was it.

Gossamer spoke again, "Atla, congratulations on your first assignment. Elas was found dead earlier this morning and your payment has been collected."