The Empty Ones (Fantasy Romance)

78. Blood for my enemy

"Sahib!" The guttural voice of the matron sounds in the hall.

We both tense and turn her way.

"Having your fun? If you are interested, there are better angles to look," she taunts.

Theon is visibly irritated and I... My face is totally numb and very hot.

"You know what's going on. Yet you let it happen," he states.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Her nimic is stoic. "Follow me to my rooms."

We walk in silence. After she closes the door, the frown on Theon's face deepens.

"The blood of lots of people is on your hands."

"What blood?" She shows a cold smile.

"Gold fever is highly contagious with sexual contact, and you happen to run a brothel." I have never seen him this way. His body is still, but the emotions on his face are raging.

"What does a foreigner care about the business of Quomared?"

"It didn't matter I was a foreigner when I healed Elara, did it?"

Something in her gaze moves.

"I know this is only a facade. You care about the girls, to some extent at least."

"Life is hard, Sahib. If we go out of business, they will die too."

That's a harsh reality. Even if the work seems awful to me, this place is safe to some extent, and they have guaranteed food and shelter witch most regular people do not have.

"You could have done something."

"You know healers don't come to brothels. And I didn't know what they had. I could just suppose it comes from the men, but they seemed just fucking fine, so how can I deny them service?" she hisses.

"It doesn't matter now. We need to do something. How many girls are sick?"

"Three now. Two can still work, the third is already down with the fever and the mouth sores cannot be hidden anymore."

"Great..." whispers Theon. "I need a room where I can work and some herbs."

"So Sahib wants to help?"

"Since I am here..." He rolls his eyes slightly.

The matron brings us to a rather dark room in the bowels of the building. It doesn't have windows, which might be a good thing if you don't want to be spied on.

"What can we actually do?" I ask.

"Well, I brought only a very small amount of aronia powder, but I gave her a list of herbs to get. I will try to multiply it... I guess. The other herbs area replacement for some of the properties. You have to help me, we need to be quick."

I nod.

Shortly after, Kisa enters with a basket of herbs.

The matron even provided some replacements for apothecary instruments.

We are chopping and brewing the whole damn night.

"Thank you..." I whisper to Theon at some point.

He looks at me, and I see for the first time how very tired he looks.

"Thank you also for not forgetting. I thought you did, and that made me act... Irrational and rude."

"It's all right. You don't need to explain yourself."

"But I want to," I insist. "Theon... I... You made me feel alive after a very long while, and that feeling is addictive. I thought about what you said, and whatever I feel isn't actually your responsibility at all. I was acting like a spoiled child. You... Are addictive, but that's not your fault." I sigh.