Page 10 of Salt in the Seas
Gaeren narrowed his eyes, studying the priest-in-training. “You’re afraid of what truth Orra might tell you. After all your talk about wanting it even if it hurts.”
A nervous twitch started in Cyrus’ eye, and he rubbed at it. “Or maybe I’m trusting the timing of it.”
Gaeren snorted. “Fine. But when she tells you I’m right, I’m going to say ‘I told you so,’ both about the Sun and about you being too scared to hear the truth.”
A faint smile crossed Cyrus’ face. “I would expect nothing less from you.”
CHAPTER 5
Aeliana’s breakfastthreatened to surface as the stench coming from behind the dungeon’s gate hit her nose. A whimper sounded from behind her, but she wasn’t sure if it was Felk or Lilik. With the full moon approaching, they were both fully grown, but they huddled together, whether subconsciously remembering this place as dangerous or simply imagining the horrors that had occurred here.
“No one thought to clean up this place.” Lukai pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Aeliana before pulling his shirt up over his upturned nose. His lamp’s light brought a shine to the golden hair curving around his ears and curling up just above his collar.
“I don’t think anyone intends to use it unless Mayvus shows up alive,” Aeliana said.
Lukai tensed beside her, a reaction she was getting used to whenever she backed up her mother’s claims.
She was grateful he didn’t argue, even though it was because he was trying to make up for past wrongs. It was the same reason he’d agreed to sneak down here with her while Emeris sent Sylmar and the others on a goose chase. Supposedly she’d suddenly remembered Mayvus utilizing a certain part of the Myndren Mountains for Durriken’s dragon nest and felt certain that must be where they’d find the onyx stone.
“What do you hope to find here besides winex feces and urine?” Lukai asked as they peered through the bars and took in the dismal state of the first room. Deep scratches marred the overturned tables and chairs, and the few blankets were torn to shreds.
“She was studying their blood. I want to find her research. I want to know what she hoped to learn or gain. How it might relate to the connection between her and my mother.”
One of the winex whimpered again. “Blood.” This time Felk latched on to Aeliana’s elbow, pulling her back toward him and away from Lukai. He pointed toward a second chamber. “Do you smell it?”
Aeliana shook her head. “I don’t need to. I trust you.” She wasn’t about to stop breathing through her mouth even if she felt paranoid that she could taste the winex waste.
“It’s all over that room. Winex blood.” Felk cowered as he said the words, and Lilik shivered beside him.
“Do you want to go back up to the fortress?” Aeliana asked.
Felk hesitated but shook his head. “I want to know what she did.”
Lukai swung open the gate for the room Felk had indicated, letting its hinges squeak. In his lantern’s light, various chains and tables came into view, dried pools of grey dotting every stone and wood surface.
This was the reason they’d gotten the winex to help them fight against Mayvus. She’d been taking them and breeding them for her own purposes. Hundreds if not thousands of them had been hatched and grown in the vicinity of the fortress so she could conduct her research without having to hunt them down. But what exactly had she been researching?
A quick study of the room revealed a crude lab set up in the corner, with ampules of silver blood and piles of papers with notes. Despite Aeliana’s efforts to hold off the stench, the metallic bite of that much blood made its way through as she approached the table. Several broken glasses had spread the sticky substance across the papers, fusing them together in illegible stacks. She pulled them apart, looking for some semblance of order.
“Are these—?” Lukai cut off his question, but Aeliana turned, catching sight of several lumps all bundled together.
Lilik let out a cry, placing hands over winex eggs. “You said we got them all.” Her voice rose in panic.
“You did,” Aeliana said. “You were held in this exact dungeon, so you would have come back for these eggs if they—if you thought they were viable.” She swallowed hard. That truth wasn’t necessarily any more reassuring.
The winex’s cries grew louder, and Felk pulled her from the eggs, huddling around her smaller form as if to block out their surroundings. He glanced around warily. “The winex way is better. These are memories I would never want back.”
Aeliana winced. “Hard memories can still teach us good things.” She ran a finger along the scars left by Arvid and Vera, evidence of all the times her captors had drawn her blood and used it for evil. The scars were reminders that she would never go down that path.
But maybe that wasn’t true for everyone. Marnok’s face swam before her eyes. He’d had no memories, just like the winex. He’d taught her to heal and had been a good friend. When her mother had recognized Marnok and had given him the memories he’d lost, he’d left. Whatever she’d shown him had made it impossible for him to face his friends. Or maybe it had required him to face something else.
Aeliana hoped they’d see him soon, especially since he’d always been a gentler teacher than Sylmar. She’d hardly progressed in learning to heal since Marnok had left.
Felk and Lilik sniffed at the eggs, placing their ears against the shells and turning them over. Perhaps they held hope that some could be hatched, or maybe this was their way of grieving the loss.
She gave them their space and turned back to the papers, skimming through the summaries while studying the tables and lists. “The Zealot soldiers were right,” she murmured.
“About what?” Lukai’s voice startled her when it came from over her left shoulder.
