Elven Legacy

Chapter 85

Day 14

Tessa

Juna and Leery finally left after a long session of sick games. The brief moment when the crypt's door opened, Tessa noted that it was still night outside, with perhaps the tiniest hint of dawn light spilling down the stone stairs.

Tessa glanced slowly up at Matt, who sat against the opposite wall, recovering from being paralyzed and forced to watch again. The torch's flames flickered crimson, like fire made of blood.

As for the other girl, she was dead.

It didn't happen just after she'd asked them for it. Matt and Tessa had hesitated, then. Had wished to try and find a way to escape; to save her, and themselves. However, hours later, her breathing became difficult. She suffered from hallucinations, became unresponsive most of the time. Then, the girl had attempted to burn herself with the color-shifting fire of the torch.

Which hadn't worked. Tessa supposed it was magical, unnatural fire in more ways than one.

The poor thing had died soon after, from, Tessa suspected, simple starvation and thirst. And tonight, earlier, when Juna had entered the crypt, he'd known.

Somehow he'd known instantly, even though it hadn't been that long and her body hadn't started to rot yet. As Tessa and Matt watched him warily, he'd trailed over to the large chamber deeper inside the crypt. And there had been a hiss and whoosh, like a bonfire taking. Following this, the briefest stench of burning flesh and hair had troubled their nostrils, but then it was over.

He'd burned her, somehow, without it producing any smoke. And without going to the other chamber to investigate, Tessa knew there was nothing left of the girl. It was only her and Matt, now. For better or for worse.

"I'll go get the . . ." Matt said, unfolding his legs with a slight grimace, and getting up.

He made to walk to the other chamber, where they'd taken the habit of stowing their waste bucket, as far away from themselves as possible. Whereas they kept everything else in the smaller chamber, where the air held a slight freshness from being closer to the door.

"Wait," Tessa stopped him. "I don't need it. Just the water . . ." She sniffed, draping her dark blue cloak over her shoulders. She had a couple of clean rags left on her side of the room. It would do.

Matt brought the bucket of water, set it down in front of her, and she nodded her thanks. He returned to the other side, and opened the fresh bag of food Juna had procured them.

Still wearing the black corset that Juna had forced her to put on, Tessa cleaned herself, while Matt dutifully glanced the other way.

"Wine," Matt said, perusing the items in the bag, "water, bread, apples, berries . . . sausages." He glanced up at Tessa. "This guy has a sense of humor, now?"

She gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"I'm not hungry, anyway," Matt said, shoving the bag aside.

"Me either. Could I have a water?" Tessa asked.

She wrapped the cloak around herself once more, and Matt threw her a water canister. She caught it, started drinking. The flame, in between orange and yellow, put myriad copper and golden lights in Matt's hair. He wore warm clothes against the damp cold of the crypt – leather boots over green trousers, and a black shawl over his white shirt.

Their system was becoming more elaborate all the time.

Items they liked, they kept in neat piles on their respective side of the chamber; they saved some food for later in the same manner. Anything they didn't want or need, they gave back to Leery during one of his regular visits.