Stars of Blood

Twenty-Three 𖤓 Jezerine

Everything in me told me not to talk in the tunnels.

But I walked down into the darkness anyway, surprised that there were no guards. Devves scent was stronger down here, the strong smell of moths, mildew and peppermint, although the mint wasn't as strong as the heavy scent of muggy rain.

I stopped when I heard two people talking. One of the voices was familiar, Devves. The other voice... I recognized the scent. Bitter ginger.

It belonged to the kumi that had been in the infirmary with me. At the time, it had comforted me, even asked if I wanted healers. I had barely looked at it, but I remembered its scent. I remember ignoring it, trying to focus on Vita's scent of smoke lemon. A pit in my gut started to form at the thought of Vita.

I put my wrist to my nose, Vita's scent faint on skin. I could feel my throat closing, tears threatening behind my eyes.

I wanted to slap myself. Why now? Of all places, why now?

"Will... will Destrine be there?" the other voice asked, snapping me out of my thoughts, not completely though.

Christopher and Destrine hadn't told me much but I had rumors about the kumi. Something happened with Destrine and at the sound of the voice... they seemed almost worried for our Future Clan Leader. I assumed this voice was the kumi. I knew almost all the scents in the House of Spring. Ginger wasn't one of them.

"No, but next time he will be," Devves stated, the sound of her footsteps on wet rock echoing throughout the tunnels.

I started to panic and ran back the way I came from, hoping she couldn't hear my footsteps as well. I ran out the tunnels and through the courtyard until I got to the Mess Hall, hoping Devves wasn't following. I didn't go inside though, waiting outside the entrance listening for anyone following. No one did.

Just as I started to move, someone pushed me back against the wall. Their breath was in my face, their mouth and chin directly in front of my eyes. I recognized the scar along their jaw. It was Zev. The boy who fell out the window.

"What are you doing?" I sputtered, pushing against his chest.

He shushed me, putting a hand over my mouth before pulling me away from the Mess Hall. "Not here," he said. "Let's speak somewhere private."

I didn't want to follow him but I decided to anyway. He didn't really give me a choice though, his hand wrapped around my wrist.

"What are we doing here?" I asked in the same room where Zev had fallen out the window, earning the scar on his chin.

"It's the only secluded place I know," he said, closing the door behind us before pacing the room. "Have any of you found Eira?" he then asked frantically, running his hands through his black frilly hair.

I couldn't help but glare at him. "This is why you brought me here? After you pushed that woman down earlier when she was searching for her child?" I couldn't believe he actually seemed worried.

Zev glared at him, holding back a snarl. "I wanted to help," he grunted out, "but I can't in front of our superiors. I saw you and Devves there. She reports to the Clan Leader so I can't make a mistake in front of her."

"Why?" I asked, not bothering to hide my disgust. "Were you ordered or something?"

"Yes, actually," Zev admitted. "Clan Leader Clysen ordered us to stay away from the families of the missing children. He told us that he had special forces out searching for the children and that all other soldiers of the House of Spring should stay out of it. He even told us to use physical force if the families were too persistent."