The door to the room I was borrowing creaked slightly, bidding my eyes open. Through my blurred vision, I saw a green cloak hovering at the door. Each step of hers met the floor without a sound — though I suspect she wasn’t trying to sneak up on me. Just habit.

  I lifted my head, gaze adjusting terribly to the morning light slipping through cracks in the blinds.

  She hesitated, before moving closer.

  “Hey... you doing alright?” She asked, squatting down in front of me.

  In all honesty, I could do with a couple more hours of sleep. The few I got last night were interrupted by the circle of topics plaguing me. Wrath, Kaleh’s health, whether I was ok... gods I am so nauseous.

  I moved to place an arm under me, joints complaining as I slowly uprighted.

  “I could be better... wish I was.”

  Marie sighed, putting on a smile.

  “At least you’ve got the energy to wish. You’ll get there.”

  It was reassuring that she thought so, but she shouldn’t have to check up on me.

  She got back up.

  “I’m off to do a couple things. Mainly hunt, but also perimeter work. Don’t wanna get ambushed again.”

  A rather unsightly yawn came over me, causing me to hide it behind a fist.

  “Feel free to sleep in for a while longer. You deserve the rest.”

  “Won’t be gone long” Marie declared, gripping the door handle.

  Just like that, she disappeared as she came. As the door swung closed, I saw Kaleh up and about. We hadn’t locked eyes.

  My mind chose to turn him into a merchant when I had that hallucination. For a moment I was truly worried he’d been hurt. Of course, he still was, but only due to his relentless overexertion.

  I can return to this soft cotton tomb later — I want to talk with him. Just as every morning before, I rose. The nausea stood with me, sour and stubborn. Not too long after, I was ready to start the day. I left the east wing, arriving at the main room to a commotion.

  “Kaleh I’ve told you a thousand times! Get back to your room before I tie a rope around your waist and hang you from the ceiling.”

  Agnes yelled, louder than I’d expected for this early. Only one explanation for that.

  She lit up as she saw me, “oh, Leonn please tell me I’m right. He’s gonna tear himself open again.”

  Kaleh crossed his arms, “I’m not made of paper.”

  I looked back and forth between the two of them.

  “Agnes. You didn’t sleep at all, did you?” I deduced, and her eyes bouncing around the room told me I was right.

  I groaned, could she not rest for just a moment?

  “Go to sleep.” I suggested in my half-dead voice.

  She walked toward her room with a straight back, and eyes from the grave.

  We both hovered for a second, waiting for her to leave earshot. He spoke first, “She worries too mu-.” Something heavy hit the floor, interrupting Kaleh’s complaining. After his head looped between me and the distant hallway, he turned his palms out.

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  “Did she —? Should — Should we go —?”

  I shook my head, entirely unfazed.

  “She’s fine.”

  He covered his mouth with his hand, eyelids twitching. Soon after he grasped at his ribs, the stifled laughing fit shifting Kaleh’s body the exact wrong way. I grabbed him by the arm, and we traveled to a nearby chair.

  “I’d be worried too, if I was in her shoes, you know.” I finally admitted.

  “You keep pushing on, trying to pretend you’re fine...”

  He sat there in silence, hands placed on his knees in the lectured child sort of way.

  “You noticed, eh?” He looked down at the floor.

  “I’ve got to do something. Couldn’t protect you yesterday.”

  I thought for a moment, “you meant to take that bolt for me, didn’t you?”

  He nodded, his weight shifting uncomfortably as he clasped his hands together.

  “Who are you going to protect if you’re dead?”

  The sentence left my mouth, snapping his head toward me as if it were a revelation. My ribs flattened as air left my nose in a hurry.

  “All of that soldiering and you still hadn’t thought of that, huh?”

  “Silence with you...” he jabbed, trying to stand back up before crashing right back down.

  I cleared my throat, pulling up a chair across from him.

  “Well... you didn’t move at all” he muttered under his breath.

  He was right, but I’m not about to get back into that just now.

  “Yeah, yeah. We both suck.” I crossed my arms. “Seriously, though — trust Agnes. She cares about all of us.”

  I still can barely remember what happened then. I trudged over to scattered outlines of boot prints in the dust, telling a story already lost. A perfect, scratched circle where I had been standing, and to the right of it where Kaleh’s knees had surrendered. A couple of smeared prints as he stood back up, and a splatter of red specks where the trail ended. A thin layer of yellowish powder had settled on the ground, directly in front of the door.

  A draft entered through a cracked window, stirring the dust as a spoon through stew. We’d won this territory, for the time being at least. And even if they had a runner, it’d take several days to call reinforcements back. I heard a familiar cadence stalking through the front door, turning to find Marie and the duck hanging from her hand.

  “Impressive.” I noted, unsure how much effort went into hunting such a thing.

  “If you’re so impressed, help me prepare it.”

  She remarked with a scoff.

  Maybe it’d do me some good, get my mind off it all.

  “Sure.”

  After ensuring Kaleh was in his room for some proper rest, we began pulling feathers from the carcass. I found my mind wandering, preoccupied with a good meal. I wonder if she planned to roast it over the fire today. Maybe it’d be fine if I took a bite right now? It can’t be that dangerous...

  “I’m surprised you didn’t fall right back asleep, Ley’.” Marie’s words snapped me right out of my trance.

  “Huh?”

  Her eyes narrowed, lips pausing mid-smirk “...so you’re really hungry too. Got it.”

  We arrived in a small kitchen in the west wing, one that Marie had discovered herself while searching yesterday.

  “Could you try and dust off that stove? Maybe grab a couple pieces of wood and get it going?”

  I nodded. I’ve started feeling off since that talk with Kaleh.

  Am I just full of sand?

  Eventually we got started. Marie had me watching the water while she prepared a couple of add-ins. Well... I was actually watching the fire, the way it whipped around under the metal grate. It was elegant, dancing as if center-stage.

  The water began boiling, rising in a column of bubbles. I only noticed after it started spilling over — my mind reacted long before my arms. I grabbed the handle of the pot, dragging it away from the heat. My heart was racing. Why? It’s just water..

  .

  By now the duck had long since finished simmering. We all gathered around a dusty table as Marie portioned out bowls. Every thought came out half-formed as I tried to follow the conversation. Agnes’ hair was bent at all sorts of angles, her eyes still heavy from waking up.

  As Marie handed my bowl over, I thanked her... or at least I think I did. After the fact it felt like my lips hadn’t moved at all. I know they did...

  I couldn’t even really taste the stew, as it felt distant somehow.

  I still finished it, something below my mind told me it was good, and that was enough. I stood up, rather abruptly so, given everyone’s reaction.

  “I’m turning in early” I declared.

  The act caused the world to spin just a little bit,

  When I finally collapsed in my bed, I didn’t even fall asleep. I just... fell.

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  PS: Update on the upcoming cover, it's almost done! My artist is working on the background, but I'm really REALLY impressed with how it's turning out. Can't wait to share it with you all.