Denial of the Whisper

Chapter Ten.

Chapter Ten.

I went straight to bed, not able to hold myself up any longer. I didn't even care to change my clothes.

My sleep wasn't peaceful, but at least, it was so deep I didn't even wake up from the nightmares, that sometimes tried to plague me. And when I woke later, someone clenching my shoulders, I tried to fight the hands, but soon realised, that it was Dylana.

Her blue eyes – so much like her brothers – now that I've met him, looked down at me, warmly.

"Are you twins?", I blurted, and pressed my lips together again, shocked at my own question.

"Nysh and I? Why...? Wait, your nightmares, you didn't dream about him, did you?"

Shaking my head, I tried to sit up. She removed her hands off my shoulders and pulled back, watching me intently. "Adriyele, yes, or no?", she demanded, again.

Shaking my head, I murmured "I don't remember, my sleep was too deep."

Dylana seemed, as if she didn't believe me, because she said softly "Nysh is my older brother. We're not twins. But I know he was rather cold to you. And... I know that you have questions, but please, believe me that we don't want to harm you. You are safe with us."

"Why will no one answer my questions?", I asked, timidly.
"Because we can't."

"Orders?"

Dylana averted her eyes for a moment, then, she tilted her head. "It's a promise that had to be made."

"A promise?", I narrowed my eyes. "He said something about a promise, too."

"That's another one.", she remarked with a sad smile. "Come on, you should take a bath, and then Srandi will come down from the castle to tend to your hands."

"She lives there?", I asked.

"She's my brother's highest ranked healer.", Dylana gave me a meaningful look, and waited for me to get up and to follow her to the adjoining bathroom.

As I walked by, I noticed that they had already repaired the glass I had broken the night before. When, I didn't know. But then, what kind of powers did they have? I knew nothing. I knew truly nothing about the Fleyr and about what they could do. And even though it probably wasn't my fault – or it was – because as a halfling I hadn't been allowed in any school – I truly felt like the stupid human girl everyone thought me to be.

When I sat in the bathtub minutes later, the bandages removed from my hands, I simply stared at the cuts. Srandi's balms had helped, as the skin was already beginning to knit together, but Dylana shook her head, as she looked at my hands, too "It really heals slow."

"I am partly human, what did you expect?", I said and sank deeper into the water.

My second bath in two days. I could get used to it.

But not in exchange for my freedom.
Dylana didn't respond to my remark, instead, she looked out of the window, where the sun stood high, but was already heading to sunset.

"You slept for most of the day, so, once you're finished, I think I'll show you the rest of the house, and tonight, we'll go for dinner in the town."

"In the town?"

"Yes.", she smiled at me "To show you, that you are not a prisoner in this house."

"But I am not allowed to go alone?", I wasn't able to hold my question back.

"No, Adriyele, and please... Nyshard told you, too. Don't leave the house alone.", Dylana said.
"Am I not safe because I'm a half-blood?", I asked.

"Don't call yourself that.", she shook her head at me.
Half-heartedly, I shrugged my shoulders and dipped my hair in the water once more. "But I am. Half human. Half Rhaayl. A halfling, a half-breed. Not even worth lying on the dirty ground you walk upon."