“Yeah?”
Zane smiled, exposing the cracked enamel on his teeth. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”
I tried to laugh, but it was a little off-putting given the situation. I had a strong feeling the night was going to end up even more interesting...
I reopened my eyes for the last time, completely unable to get an ounce of sleep. It had been two hours since I first closed my eyes, and now it was impossible to get back in that zone. Rolling to my side, I swiveled out of bed.
“So fucking tired,” I whispered.
But then I remembered what I had found earlier. The blade of that punishing beast. Quickly, I unzipped the pack and looked inside. A small glow emanated from the stitching on the leather handle.
For a long while, I just stared at it. Without knowing what to do, my curiosity took hold. Finally, I reached inside and carefully picked up the blade with a handkerchief. Outside, I heard quick movements rush through the vegetation, but I wasn’t sure if it was him or my wild imagination.
Hearing another noise, this time coming from inside, I looked back at my door to make sure it was closed and locked. The last thing I wanted was for Zane to see me with the beast’s weapon. The blade was as ancient and beautiful as time itself. One look was enough for me to feel its magnitude pull me in.
Slowly, I reached down and dragged my nail across the stitched lettering. When nothing happened, I frowned. Part of me hoped I’d be transported somewhere else, possibly far away from Zane. But I was still sitting in the same position as before.
I leaned in and inspected. The leather handle wasn’t just made out of animal hide. A hawk’s feather wrapped around the center, and sticking out of the bottom was an eyeball, clearly cut in half and stuck on for decoration. The weapon was made from a... human.
I recoiled in fright and dismay, but having already come across their gored and gutted victims. I took a deep breath.
Okay, Adeline. It’s obvious what you’ve found.
These beasts had clearly lost their minds. I should have stayed away, should have left the artifact behind and run for my life.
But I hadn’t. I wouldn’t. I had to get closer to them.
Without overthinking, I picked up the blade and squeezed my palm around it as hard as I could. “What do you want with me?” I asked.
No response.
I lifted the blade and asked the darkness around me, “Just tell me, Goddammit. Is anyone listening, or has my whole life been one cruel joke?”
I laid my hand flat against the mattress. My heart beat with a dark energy, as ancient as the blade in my hand. The edge was sharp but not smooth. It was toothed and notched, designed to cut through the toughest carcasses. But, still, I dragged the blade over my palm. I squeezed down and calmly breathed through the pain. All of this was done through me, as if something else had possessed me. Yet, they were my urges.
The blood poured in a small stream, splashing across my thighs and feet. A sharp whisper ran through my ears, followed by the rush of energy outward. “Allow me passage.”
I swallowed and allowed the blood to trickle onto my head as the pain swelled and grew. Behind me, the dresser shook, rumbling against the wall. Every drawer drew out and slammed back with a loud thwacking noise. Still, I kept my eyes closed until I felt a change in the air. Thankfully, Zane did not come bursting in the door. This was entirely too risky.
He was there, right behind me. But, this time, something was different. He leaned down and forward, quietly sniffing my pheromones. A low growl emanated from his throat. “You ran,” he said. “Nobody runs from me without paying for it.”
I gulped and felt my shoulders rise as goose bumps formed across every curve of flesh on my body. “I...”
My nerves were tight and shaken, and my voice cracked as I attempted to form a sentence. But I had to take this risk. If not for me, for discovery’s sake. Maybe I’d end up with my spinal column forced out, but I wasn’t so sure. I was a woman. According to the legends, that meant something entirely different to them.
“Speak freely. I do not play the same games as my friend, Cadmar.”
Friend…
I took another breath, but I wasn’t ready to look into his eyes. Instead, I carefully eyed the ground, moving up slowly with each breath. He was completely naked, and he had the dynamite body of a soldier. I lowered the blade and let it fall. He took my hand and tasted the blood as Cadmar did before him. “I want to know more,” I said.
“You do not know what you want,” he growled.
“I came here for a specific reason,” I countered.
“You came here for the stone tablet, for the grand wish the stories claim it grants. You will find no such thing here. Wishes are for the weak. You are not weak,” he said. “So, what is it you really want?”
He forced me to turn, and when I wouldn’t look him in the eye, he lifted my chin with a thick finger. Moving his face closer to mine, he asked, “Do you wish for immortality?”