From the Ashes

Chapter 51 ~ A Feasible Plan

Neeri opened her eyes to unfamiliar but beautiful surroundings. She had been placed on a soft bed with an abundance of plump, cushy pillows. Someone had removed her boots and spread a thin blanket over her feet. She thought she could guess who.

The same male who was currently muttering over the contents of a tray of food. His back was turned to her and she guessed he hadn't noticed she was awake yet. Neeri drew a deep breath, picking apart the scents that filled the room.

Her own and Arlon's were the strongest, but there was a hint of Gaelen and Morana's. Neeri smoothed tangled black curls out of her face and sat up. The sound caught Arlon's attention and he glanced over his shoulder.

"You slept all through the night," he reported. "Your companion stopped in to check on you this morning along with Morana, but they had to go to another meeting with the Elders."

"Have you been here the whole time?" Neeri asked. Her voice sounded stronger than it had before, almost identical to the voice she'd heard in her memories. Memories that she could now summon with half a thought.

"Rehema bade me to stay, so I did."

Neeri swung her legs over the side of the bed and rose carefully. When she was certain she could stand without falling over, she made her way to the table and claimed a seat across from Arlon. The male watched her quietly while she served herself a hearty helping of everything and dug in.

She relished each bite. It had been so long since she ate rich, steaming food. She'd survived on blood alone in Ophir. "What is the Prince like?" Arlon asked when she paused to take a drink of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Neeri lowered her gaze to her lap, thinking once more of the male now trapped in a tomb. "I don't know. I was only near him just before he was locked away in a tomb. But...I remember seeing him soon after I was Corrupted. Astaroth hurt him and the scent of his blood sent me into a frenzy."

She glanced at Arlon as the male crossed an ankle over his knee. He rested an elbow on the table, bracing his chin atop his fist. He didn't seem overly interested in her, just observant. Neeri pursed her lips.

If she had nothing of interest to say, this male might leave, and she didn't want to be alone just yet. She didn't want the thoughts that would come with the silence of solitude. She'd had enough of that to last her a lifetime.

"I think he must be very brave though," she found herself saying. "To go through what he has, and not for the first time, all to protect Morana and give Asterria a chance to rise again. I don't know of anyone else who could do that. I'd say that alone is reason enough for him to be our Prince."

"What about his Corruption?" Arlon asked.

"What about it?" Neeri sat up straighter, feeding a hard glint into her eyes. "People like me need someone to look up to. Someone who isn't an evil monster that preys on others. We didn't have any say in becoming these...things, any more than the Prince did. But he is proof that we are not evil."

"If we were evil, we wouldn't be capable of love, but I could see that he loves Morana. I think she loves him too." Her reaction to the terrible news Gaelen brought had been proof enough.

"I never said all of you were evil, or monsters."

"Then what is your insinuation?"