Severed

Chapter 16

I shot upright, my quick motion accompanied by a strange ache in my forearms. My heavy breathing and sudden movement must've alerted Leonus to my awakening because he rotated halfway around in his seat and stared at me. I ignored his eyes and averted my gaze to focus on my surrounds. Similar to in my dream, we were at the border to Portagus. It was marked by fall colored oak trees and a lovely setting sun. I shuddered at the resemblance and turned back to Leonus who was still watching me carefully. Sighing, I relented, "I was dreaming. There was a faerie girl who said she was my- ". I only got that far when Kashina interrupted me with a gasp, "Hallie, your arms!"

Indeed Kashina was right. My eyes grazed my bound forearms gently, for the bruises covering them were bursting with pain. Seeing the deep blue and purple markings seemed to trigger the pain to begin and I cringed at every movement. "She's not okay, Lee" Kashina said, "we have to get her to Erus. Fast". "What do you think they'll do for here in Erus, Kay? They're going to hurt her. They told us to keep her alive because she has something they need. Even if we could convince them to spare her" he rephrased when Kay gave him a disbelieving look, "which I plan on trying my best to get them to, they'll just lock her up until she dies on her own".

I knew that the distance from the Apocalypse-Portagus border wasn't far so I was relieved when Leonus said we were to stop for the night. He fed the Shiyahs and Kashina untied the bindings around my ankles, but when she went to undo the ones on my wrists, Leonus stopped her. "Lee her wrists are blistered and her arms are bruised beyond recognition" she protested. Leonus answered, "she's still a magic dealer and we can't trust her. Her hands stay tied".

I slept fitfully through the night, uncomfortable on the ground and plagued by thoughts of what would happen once we made it to Erus. It began drizzling as the sun broke the horizon, a steady dripping rain that would likely continue throughout the day. The light was still hazy when Leonus and Kashina awoke. Leonus eyed me suspiciously as if I had done something wrong and Kashina began pulling bags out of the carriage. I hadn't done anything but watch the stars, though I had managed to slip one of Hallie's throwing knives into the waistband of my jeans and had snagged an unused coat from the back of the carriage. The knife I'd snatched was Hallie's favorite, the one with the amethyst gem on the hilt, and I rested my hand protectively over the jeweled weapon. "Is that my coat?" Leonus asked when he looked up from the small fire he'd started. I just shrugged and waved my bound wrists at him, "can you cut these off now?" My blood had coated the rope after a night of constant shifting and scraping away my skin. My arms were also still bruised, covered completely in angry purple and blue splotches. Leonus didn't deign to reply, but did reach for my hands. He cut the rope and I instantly yanked my injured arms back, the wounds aggravated by his slight touch. I knew the magic inhibiting cuff would have to stay so I didn't ask and instead just rubbed the bruises gently.

The drizzle that began earlier morphed into an horrible, driving rain that only sustained to worsen my mood. I was drenched and shivering by the time the watery sun had reached its peak. Leonus must've been soaked too since the carriage had no roof, but he never stopped the Shiyahs to take shelter. In fact, we made such great time that we arrived in Erus earlier than I thought, the city's famous floating lanterns cutting through the mist. My punishment lie waiting just through the darkness.

Erus was exquisite. The floating lanterns cast everything in an eerie glow that made the spirits who resided there seem pulled from another dimension. I've seen spirits before, but have never actually been to their realm so this was a beautiful first for me. I just wished I was here under better circumstances.

We rode the carriage for a while longer until we came to a tall building with surprisingly few windows and a pasture filled with Shiyahs next door. I gasped when I saw the smallest skeleton horse romping through the grass and instantly lunged out of the carriage. The baby was cautiously picking his way over to the fence when I came to the edge of it. Leonus was calling my name, but I didn't acknowledge him and instead clicked my tongue and reached out to touch the little one. I smiled and just as his grey snout was to touch my outstretched fingers, the baby ran in fear. A second later I was tackled to the ground, a heavy form landing on top of me and pinning me down.