Elven Legacy

Chapter 18

Day 1

Zemisha

She was jolted awake by the jounce and rattle of the carriage, and the horses' hooves drumming the road at a canter. Nausea consumed her before she opened her eyes. Her whole body ached feverishly, her thoughts hopelessly shrouded in fog.

The last thing she remembered . . . The market. The fabrics shop, discussing prices with the old lady, and then suddenly, she'd felt a pricking sensation on her calf, just above her boot, like she'd been bitten by something . . .

Her eyes snapped open.

The carriage interior looked regal. Dark polished wood, golden velvet for the upholstery and curtain, generous space for legs and luggage. It reminded her of an Azurian imperial carriage.

Then, Zemisha's gaze locked on the two people seated facing her.

She tried to sit up, but was hindered by her wrists tied behind her back. As soon as she realized this, a thousand aches exploded down the nerves of her arms. She couldn't help a pained moan as she pushed herself up into a sitting position anyway, and leaned back into the corner of the carriage.

A suffocating, nausea-induced warmth settled in her chest, though the rest of her felt cold. She was still fully clothed in the dress she'd worn to the market, an emerald-green garment with a high collar and bare shoulders.

The woman seated across Zemisha spoke first, "My name's Viper. He's Blood Eyes," she said, gesturing at the man beside her.

He was reclined in his seat and in the process of running an oiled cloth down his long, curving sword, and he neither looked up nor acknowledged Zemisha. Her eyes hovered over him for a moment. This man, who was perhaps in his thirties, was clearly an albino. His hair was lighter than Jaden's, and it was cropped very short on the sides and back, with shaved strips creating abstract patterns. The hair at the top was longer.

Blood Eyes wore slim dark clothing with an intricate system of straps and buckles. But what caught Zemisha's eyes the most were the black marks. He was covered in them, had at least five of them on his face and neck alone, though he didn't have them in his hair like Tessa did.

"He doesn't talk much," Viper said dismissively. "Don't take it personal."

She had the low, raspy voice of a smoker, as she spoke in heavily accented Azurian, a bit difficult for Zemisha to understand. Viper's accent sounded like a mix of Laethi and Chyulin. She mispronounced almost each Azurian vowel and placed the emphasis on the wrong syllables.

Viper was covered in the black marks, just like Blood Eyes. Maybe more so. And she had piercings – metallic studs and hoops – lining her ears and some on her face. Her raven hair, slightly curled, was cut in choppy strands below her ears. The telltale ripples of old acne scars ran across the sides of her cheeks. All things considered, she appeared to Zemisha as both feminine and androgynous. Maybe because Viper seemed to have a rather flat chest under her leather bustier. Completing the outfit, knee-high black boots and snug trousers, studded arm bracers, and flaking black polish on her nails.

The thin, squared shoulders and well-defined jawline were offset by a soft mouth, wide cheeks and large hazel eyes lined in thick kohl. The appealing curve of small waist and wider hips, though, was undeniably female.

In other circumstances, Zemisha might've found this woman beguiling, even with the marks.

And when Viper leaned forward to give her prisoner a closer look, Zemisha smelled amber oil on her. Not a bad fragrance, but in her current state it only exacerbated the nausea. Zemisha held it down – barely.