CAGED (#3, of Crows and Thorns)

Chapter 115

I sat beside Mela, nursing a cup of tea. Right across from me, perched on the writing desk, was a silver tea tin with a pretty pattern of wildflowers etched into its sides, candlelight folding around its form. My mother had kept this tin, filled with fragrant dried tea leaves for her personal use when she visited the Purveyor of Rarities. After the shitshow that had been the past six hours, I'd have preferred to drink something a lot fucking stronger, like straight-up downing a bottle of Glenfiddich, but apparently, Florin was a teetotaler. And, despite not getting my favored hit of whiskey, my mother's camomile was a pleasant respite that warmed my belly.

I took another large swig of tea and checked on Mela, pressing the back of my curled fingers against her forehead, noting the warmth and flush of vitality to her dark skin. While she'd slept, I'd cleaned the ash and grime and blood from her exposed flesh with a damp cloth, carefully tucking a feathery blanket around her prone figure, and sought a soft pillow to cushion her head. I'd prayed to Skalki, giving my thanks for sparing my friend's life. When I extended my gratitude to Florin as well, he'd quickly waved it off, grimacing as if my thanks had offended him.

The fire crackled and spat, bathing Florin's profile in shadowy orange as he stooped over to ladle himself a fresh cup of tea. He straightened and ambled back into his shop to continue cleaning up the mess of destruction I'd caused by kicking in his door. "Take your time, Tamer," he advised as he passed by where I sat. "Finish your tea."

This was my third cup, and honestly, I couldn't sit here and stew in a puddle of thoughts that all centered around Nelle.

As soon as Mela had recovered from the Gestelt poison, I'd mentally searched for those threads of life that bound Nelle to me. A touch of relief washed through my lungs when I found them. They were there, faintly glowing in the cold, black depths of my soul.

Life still burned in her.

She'd experienced a myriad of emotions since then, joy being one of them. But now I was worried. More than fucking worried. I could feel Nelle's anger beneath my skin bubbling like hot, painful blisters. My knee bounced, the heel of my boot rapping on the stone floor as unease found a way of release and I performed my own form of jittering like my little bird.

I can't...

What the Uzrek had urged—to let Nelle free from my heart—when I'd raced through the catacombs was advice I needed to heed. But it was far easier said than done. Everything in my body, my soul, seethed with urgency to go to Nelle, to find her and calm her.

But how could Nelle ever leave me if I was still holding onto her?

I have to let her go...

The teacup rattled upon the china saucer when I put it down, rising to chase after Florin in long, quick strides to help put his shop back together.

We'd talked a lot in between working and endless tea breaks. For someone who claimed he was constantly irked at my mother's incessant chattering, he was certainly fucking calling the kettle black. He was intrigued with the abilities and qualities of a Tamer and had asked a slew of questions. There wasn't much that I could offer in return. I didn't know a lot, myself. All I'd been able to share was how it felt to cross vast distances through a void that folded space as easily as my fingers bent paper.