The Empty Ones (Fantasy Romance)

53. Make a wish

I wake up in a weird position, my head propped on a table and my whole body stiff.

My head, gods! It feels like someone is hammering on it with a massive weapon.

Wait? Where am I even?

Then wobbly memories slowly come back to me.

There was the dying woman, the anxiety, the empty soldier who was about to die too, Lysander, the liquor, and... Thessarion in the library. Thessarion was mixing something? And he gave me more liquor. Was that real or a dream?

I lift my head and it's throbbing like crazy.

To my right are a few things: a water pitcher, a cup of that black bitter drink they call coffee and a paper tied to a small vile.

I unfold it.

"Good morning, Zara. Though my assumption is it is not particularly good. Drink water; it will help with the headache. When you are a bit better, drink the coffee; it will help with everything else.
The potion in the little vial, give it to your dying woman. It should work, but yeah, hope..."

It's signed with T.

So it wasn't a fever dream; nothing of it was.

I play with the little glass bottle. It contains a greenish liquid. So this should help her. Because... Of reasons.

Then a memory wakes in my mind: him bent over the table, his voice whispering "Alchemy" in a way that had a similar effect with his brother's poem, just that it was one single word.

In the end, there's nothing to lose. I need to get to her, and time is crucial. But I never went out in daylight... If I wait for the night, she might die, and it was all in vain, splitting headache included.

I look at the paper again. Zara... That's strange. Nobody calls me that in here. This note is way too personal. But what a pretty handwriting... So unexpected from a man.

I sigh and hold it over a candle until it burns up.

He must know more than I do about treating the issues created by liquor, so I drink two glasses of water and then a cup of cold coffee. It's Gods awful, but not long after, I feel indeed better.

Full of resolution or maybe tired of living, I walk towards Laini's quarters.

After the third knock, her maid Medeea opens the door.

"Mahrani..." She looks at me as if she saw a ghost.

"I want to speak to your lady," I say.

Her eyes move up and down on me with a hint of disgust, I guess. She then moves to close the door, but Laini appears behind her, to both our surprise.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you are doing the walk of shame. What do you want?"

Laini is dressed in a lilac silk dress with matching silver jewellery. Given that most manab don't have light features, as she does, she is an attraction. Even I need to look twice once in a while. Sure, many men call quizm snakes and like to avoid them, but they also cannot pass by her without a look.

"I need your help."

"I guess you do need something, else you wouldn't be here."

"Can I come in?" I ask, the shyness obvious in my voice.

"Go ahead..." She gestures for me to step in.

I had never been to her quarters. They are surprisingly girly. I am not sure why I am surprised to see the pastel colours, the flowers, the pretty cushions.