Page 53 of Dancing With Demons
“Race you home,” I grin at him as I leap off the deck, taking to the skies.
Tolmond gives me a cheeky half-smile and two-finger salute before disappearing into shadow, just as the sea begins to swallow the ship whole.
25
Piper
My head swims as I surface back into my body, my mouth dry and fuzzy as I move my tongue against my teeth. I groan, the aching in my head intensifying by the second as I wiggle beneath the blankets of my bed.
My bed.
I bolt upright, crying out against the pain in my skull as I sink back down beneath the covers, screwing my eyes shut against the too-bright sunlight leaking through the windows. My mind whirls beneath a haze of pain, panic gripping me as I try to make sense of everything leading up to my waking.
The memories come crashing back, from my conversations with Tolmond and Eth’tak to happening upon the minotaur battalion on board the ship. After my hasty escape plan was foiled by that massive beast, the minotaur had held me down while another forced a thick, sickly-sweet liquid down my throat. I lost consciousness as I was being dragged across the deck toward the inky blackness below.
They drugged me, I realize incredulously. In truth, I’m not entirely sure why I’m so horrified by the idea. I was an enemy who magically appeared on their ship, so I suppose they had to do something, but the idea of being completely helpless amongst such wild creatures is almost too appalling to wrap my head around.
I’m not entirely sure how I got back into my bed in my room on Ti’lith, but if the copious amounts of multi-colored flowers by my bed are any indication, I’d imagine either Tolmond or Eth’tak, or perhaps both, came looking for me.
And not a moment too late,something whispers inside me. I crack open an eye, taking my time adjusting against the harsh light of the room and casting a cursory gaze around the space before shutting it again. A small, pathetic part of me is surprised I’m alone, but it’s probably for the best.
Maybe we can just pretend none of this ever happened.
Shame burns under my skin out of nowhere as the full weight of the last few hours presses down on me. Like a petulant child, I’d thrown a tantrum and run away the second I didn’t get what I wanted from them.
Sure, Tolmond and Eth’tak aren’t completely blameless- there are still many more conversations to be had about everything that has transpired while I’ve been on Ti’lith- but I’d proved everything everyone ever said about me in Camp Life right by behaving the way I have.
I’m bad luck, dangerous, helpless.
Even with my chaos magic, I let my emotions get the better of me and fled at the first sign of hardship, landing not only myself but Tolmond and Eth’tak in a dangerous, unpredictable situation. I groan, shoving my face further into the pillow. I don’t know how I’m going to face them after all of this.
A small, timid knock sounds through the room, setting my head pounding once again. I sit up slowly, adjusting the covers around me. I’m not sure I’m ready to see Tolmond or Eth’tak, but I guess the decision has already been made for me.
“Come in,” I say quietly, cradling the side of my skull against the noise of my voice. The door creaks open, but rather than Eth’tak or Tolmond, a small zonak pokes his head into the room. We look at each other for a few minutes before the demon clears his throat, shifting awkwardly on his feet.
“The King will be arriving shortly,” the zonak announces, taking stock of the way I wince at his volume. “Your presence has been requested. A dress is set aside for you in your wardrobe.”
All of my discomfort forgotten, I nod, my heart beating wildly in my chest. The King? Here? Are they throwing me off the continent all together? I know my behavior has been irrational at best, but surely it doesn’t warrant outright expulsion from Ti’lith!
The zonak lingers in the doorway, seeming unsure of himself. I’m about to open my mouth to ask if there’s anything else when he steps through the door slightly more, meeting my eyes for the first time during our conversation.
“I’m glad you’re awake,” he murmurs, giving me a small nod. I don’t even have time to respond before he disappears through the door again, shutting it quietly behind him.
I blink in surprise at the now-shut door, unexpected pricks of tears burning in the corners of my eyes. The zonak have always been kind to me, but I had chalked up their behavior to an unwillingness to upset Tolmond or Eth’tak.
But that unanticipated bit of compassion, of kindness- I let the emotion swelling in my chest spur me toward the wardrobe. If the King is here, then something big must be happening, and I’ll need to look the part.
True to the zonak’s word, a new dress is hanging in the closet, a beautiful garment of rich, silvery satin. I slip it on, taking the time to twist my hair out of my face in the mirror, securing the strands with a few pins.
The hem of the dress pools at my feet like liquid starlight, catching the rays of the sun and bending them around me. As soon as I’m dressed, I step out of my room, taking deep breaths to try and quell the frantic beating of my heart.
No matter what happens, all of this uncertainty will be over soon- at least then I’ll have some direction.
A different zonak is waiting outside of my door to escort me downstairs, and I fall into step behind him as we walk in silence. He escorts me out into the courtyard, where a small crowd has gathered before the King, seated on a lavish chair perched in the center of the tittering mass.
I catch a glimpse of Tolmond and Eth’tak, both standing on the edge of the crowd near the King. Their shared gaze burns into me as the zonak and I come to a halt before the King, and we bow deeply before the zonak disappears into the crowd, leaving me standing alone.
Tolmond and Eth’tak’s eyes are searing me as a hush falls over the crowd, but I refuse to acknowledge them. They may have saved me from the minotaurs, but that doesn’t make up for the rest of the damage that’s been done- even if a small part of me is quaking in relief that they’re alright.