The Unknown Alchemist

Chapter 42 - It's just a fox

Avery lay back in the tub, staring off into space. She could hear Cora outside in her room, changing sheets and collecting dishes. The doting housekeeper had been anxious to tidy up and but Avery wouldn't get out of bed. She couldn't move.

They had left Khalil's castle quietly and quickly, as soon as her broken body could handle the slip. Barely conscious, she curled up in Roedin's arms, reassured by that closeness. He held her tightly as he stepped into the stream.

A soft knock at the bathing room door brought her mind back to the present. It was Cora asking if she needed anything. She already knows the answer, Avery hissed internally. She was just asking to be polite.

"No. Thank you," Avery said simply.

The knock came again and the handle on the door starting turning. She hadn't heard the answer.

"Thank you! No!" Avery said with more force. It was all her voice could handle, barely more than a harsh whisper.

The handle was released and footsteps moved away. Avery exhaled and sank lower in the tub, forcing her toes up out of the water at the other end. Even her toes were damaged. The nail on her big toe was blue; old injury from sparring practice. A poorly placed kick.

Her eyes moved up to her hips where she had let Roedin put his hands in the dance. Just Roedin, no one else. She tried to remember that feeling. How his touch made her skin tingle and she didn't want him to let go. But when she thought of touch she could only remember pain.

A deep, dark bruise covered her chest. Her ribs had been broken and healed more times than she could count. Did they break more easily now? She wondered. It wasn't normal for a young woman to have her ribs broken that many times. But what did she know? She had no idea what was normal for humans. She had no idea if she was young or old.

She brought her hands up, rinsing the water over her shoulders, and held one up to the light. The bath was almost unbearably hot. She wanted it that way. She wanted to burn the feel of him off of her. Steam twirled as she blew across her palm softly like she was blowing a spell away in the tendrils of smoke.

Her other hand traced a line up between her breasts and rested on her throat. Her throat that had been slashed. Now only a faint scar remained, Khalil having pulled the flesh together and saved her life.

A miracle.

But not really.

It was the healing power of a sapien alpha prime that had saved her. Who knows if Petra or another surgeon had enough of that power to do the same. It was lucky that Khalil had been there.

Lucky?

She didn't feel lucky. She felt broken. Defeated. Sad.

The water grew cold but Avery remained, letting her hair float on the surface. It was longer again. Not as long as it had been but had grown past her shoulders over these winter months in Corinth. How long?

She and Roedin had arrived in late summer. Cool nights, but warm days. The fall markets had started by the time she was able to leave the house and explore Corinth that first time.

Leave the house.

She needed to leave the house again. And go...where? Where am I going?

East. The Morning Star held firm and unwavering, pulling her east. But what was there? Was it simply not here? Should she leave here? Here, where friends had cared for her, given her a life? They said she would be safe in their company.

But they were wrong.

They were arrogant, foolish. And drunk. It was a sloppy plan to begin with. What did they think was going to happen? That Ferrik was going to attack her right there in the ballroom in front of everyone? So stupid. All their backups had failed. Adelyn alone could have destroyed Ferrik in the blink of an eye but she was too sick. Poisoned. The males fell into their own trap and following their thirst for blood and the glamoured server out of the ballroom thinking it was Ferrik, while the real Ferrik easily collected Avery in the restroom.