Carmine (Completed)

Chapter 22

I watched Five, but he avoided eye contact. At least he kept up his side of the bargain. We were in the kitchen. 

Janilla held up the lamp we stole and the shadows fled in our midst. I wished I ate something before I left the King's residence.

Five was an odd man, for he was still bleeding. His coat became blacker with soaked blood, yet he walked undeterred. I needed to dress that wound tighter. Not now though, we needed to escape this place.

We were walking according to his knowledge of where the soldiers were. If he was doing this with magic, that was fine.

I lost my faith in Gods considering one God wanted to kill me. Though, Ashuor might still be on my side. I wanted to ask about that. Who was Erot in the grand scheme of things? Was she not a loving God?

Something was not right here. I still could not explain how a murderous witch was in a temple.

My head burned with the painful contemplation of this confusing affair.

Five stopped and caused me to bash into his back. I recoiled back in shock. After I steadied myself, Five gestured toward the table where a basket of fruits laid. I looked at it with a tilt of my head.

My finger lifted at him.

“Eat, so you may, not be famished, Maiden Mother," he cut in, without looking at me. 

“Mother?” I asked. Not going to lie, I was slightly amused as to why he called me Mother, but something more interesting intrigued me. “How did you know I was hungry?”

“You said it.”

“No, I didn't.”

He looked at me, no, wait, it was his usual impartial stare. Five came closer and tilted his head forward. He touched my forehead twice. “Here.”

I leaned back from the touch, but it immediately registered.

My mind?

Yes, your mind.  His lips never moved, yet I heard that, loud and clear.

“Get out of my head! How did you read my mind? Why would you? Actually, you know what, stop it. Do not do it,” I said.

“I cannot. I would have to die to fulfill that request.”

“What?”

“I hear everyone.”

“Everyone? Like everyone?”

He nodded his head in affirmation to that. “Yes, right now, she is begging Erot to deliver her from these mad people, meaning me and you.” Five gestured to Janilla.

I looked back at Janilla. She was smiling and almost on the edge of laughing. Janilla looked away and frowned. The glare of the coated light on the contours of her face laid a terrifying facial expression to bear.

“So you cannot turn it off?” I asked, while looking at Janilla.

“Nope, only by death.”

You got to be joking with me. This was going to be a problem and a pain. I looked at him. He was not looking at me. Part of me wanted to slap him. Then again he probably knew that now.

Groaning, I pointed at his face. “What I think are my thoughts do not follow them unless I am speaking to you directly. My words are more powerful commands than my thoughts got it?”

Five nodded his head at that. So this was what it was like to have a slave? I saw no appeal to it.

I hated people who could not think on their own, following orders blindly.