For All Things Eternal

Chapter 10

 I was alone in that room for what felt like an eternity. The guard remained outside the door and the stiffness in my joints had faded almost completely as I paced the length of the small room. Being underground and in caves never really bothered me, but being trapped made my skin crawl. I hated this room, I hated the sound of the water dripping, I hated being locked away in what I could only assume was a prison cell of some kind. The only thing that kept my thoughts at bay was moving, so I paced. I paced until I was sure I was wearing the floor down even though I knew that wasn't possible.

Eventually the frustration had me moving to the door and banging my fist against it, screaming to be let out. The guard did not respond, didn't move. I hit the door again, and again then started kicking and ramming my shoulder into it. Still no response. After a few hours I gave up and moved to the back wall once more, sliding down it ungracefully and feeling the stone dig into my back. Normally I would have been wheezing by now, trying to catch my breath, but the only sign of my exhaustion was the burning in my limbs. Not having to breathe was strange.

I glanced down to my hands, noticing the blisters that were there before had completely faded away from the last time I awoke. The gash in my thigh was no more than a large faded scar now and I was still coated in a disgusting amount of dried blood. I wasn't just covered in it, but I absolutely reeked of it. I smelled like death. I could also smell something ancient, hiding underneath the gore faintly. That must have been what Coranith was talking about, and it blew my mind how sensitive the Dhampir's senses were. They were almost triple that of a normal elf, and compared to the other races, they wouldn't even begin to imagine what this was like. No wonder they were able to follow us so easily without us detecting them.

A few strands of hair fell in front of my eyes and I cringed at the now dark crusted blood that clung to it, making my hair look like a dark shade of brown instead of the normal ash white. I had to be terrifying to look at right now and would give anything just to have a decent shower. Or three.

Footsteps sounded again, heavier this time, and halted in front of the door. A deep voice dismissed the guard, one that I instantly recognized as Coranith and shot to my feet. Crossing my arms, I shifted my weight to one leg as I waited for him to unlock the door, allowing my annoyance to show in the lines of my face. He swung open the door and I found my eyes adjusting to the light quicker this time, barely having to squint. The moment he saw me, his nose crinkled and he choked back a laugh as he took in my appearance.

"Gods, you smell horrible."

The edges of my lips tugged into a deep frown, but satisfaction hit me as I noticed the long faded scar running down the left half of his face. His scent drifted to me and I was surprised to find he smelled of... Teakwood? It was a warm, rich smell with a faint hint of spice and a woodsy aroma. I actually found it rather pleasant compared to what I smelled like at the moment.

"I wonder why." I bit back, annoyed that I actually found his scent enjoyable.

"How about we make another deal?" He chuckled and I narrowed my eyes.

"You say that like the first one went so well."

"I did get you back to Andarius, didn't I?" My frown deepened. He did. "How about in return for letting you out of this room and taking a much needed bath, you tell me what you know about the black blood." I thought about it for a moment, about to protest when he held up a hand to stop me. "Not all of it, just one bit of information. We have time, and I will ask you more about it when I can actually tolerate being in the same room as you." Despite the insult, getting out of this room sounded just as good as a bath at the moment.

"It ravages your mind and makes you go mad." I said quietly, trying not to allow my memories to resurface. Not wanting to see her face again. He gave a small nod, seemingly pleased with my answer. "It does, we already knew that, but a deal is a deal." He opened the door a little wider, standing off to the side before continuing, "I trust your not stupid enough to try and kill me if I let you out?" When I didn't answer, a mischievous grin crossed his lips. "I'm kind of hoping you are." I groaned and rolled my eyes, moving to the door. "Not this time." I muttered as I finally stepped out of the dark room that had been my prison for what felt like ages.