Shifting Light

CHAPTER TWO: FOUR LIVES FOR THREE

  Over the next few weeks, Seth did a lot of work on Lina and Damon’s farm. Work he wasn’t very used to, but he welcomed it to get his mind off of what had happened at the battle.

  One day, as he cut firewood for the house, Sashe and Sierra came over to help Lina with something. It was interesting how Sashe always seemed to come over when he was sweaty and half-clothed.

  After an hour inside, she came out with a water skin. “Thirsty?”

  “Yeah,” he said breathlessly. He took it from her and gulped down a long drink, then wiped sweat from his forehead. “Thank you.”

  She smiled. “Sure.”

  He handed the water skin back, then gathered a bundle of wood to go back inside. She looked at him uncertainly, and he thought she might ask to help. But she was a lady wearing a fancy dress and she was probably used to other people doing things like this. He hadn’t known anyone back in Jolen who was so wealthy. He began walking in, and she fell into stride beside him.

  A sharp pain shot through Seth’s thigh. “Ow!” he yelled, dropping the wood in his arms. His leg weakened, and he lost his balance. He sat down hard on the ground and swore.

  Sashe bent down next to him. “Are you all right?”

  He took a shaky breath. “Yeah.” He massaged his thigh, which was still tender. “Do you have a Thieran in town?”

  Her brown hair swept off her shoulder to tickle his arm. “What happened? What did you do?”

  He stared at her as she examined his thigh with concern on her face. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes, and she leaned away. She sat on the ground next to him. “Can you walk?”

  He swallowed and stared down at his leg. “Yeah, I’m sure I can.” He thought about trying to stand up, but he was tired. Exhausted, even. Not just physically, but mentally. He looked at Sashe. “In Renaul, when I fought in the battle with the Protectors. . .one of them stabbed me in the thigh.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh, my goodness,” she whispered.

  “There was a Thieran there who healed it, but he was rushed. There were so many people. . .injured or dying. . .” He cleared his throat as he thought back to that day. He closed his eyes, remembering the battle over again as he had every day since he’d moved here. Screams echoed in the air; pain coursed through his thigh; sobs choked his throat as he stared at his father’s still body. The Thieran ran around frantically, trying to help everyone who was injured, and he only took a few seconds with Seth’s leg. Then Seth had limped away, screaming for his mother. . .

  A hand on his thigh brought him back to the present, and his eyes flashed open. Sashe’s hand rested on his leg, her gaze on him.

  He looked up at her again. “It’s randomly hurt ever since then. It comes and goes. I just don’t think it healed properly.”

  She nodded, her lips pursed. “We have a few Thierans in town. I’m sure we can find someone.”

  “Thanks,” he said quietly. He hesitated, then put his hand over hers. Her skin was soft and warm.

  A smile came onto her face. She stared at their hands, her smile fading. “You’re different when you’re around me. When it’s just the two of us.”

  He nodded as his cheeks got warm. “I know. It’s like I said, I don’t feel like we’re strangers. I feel like. . .I can trust you.”

  She squeezed his leg and drew her hand away. She tucked some hair behind her ear. “We should find a Thieran to look at your leg.” She stood up and held out her hand.

  He took it and stood up, taking the opportunity to stand close to her again. He loved the way she smelled. He couldn’t really explain it; maybe it was some kind of perfume, but it was rich and reminded him of the Belishan traders.

  She raised an eyebrow at him, dropping his hand and stepping away. “Is that why you fell off the ladder the other day?”

  “Yeah,” he said with a chuckle, “I wasn’t drunk.”

  She shook her head, smirking. “You were close.”

  He picked up his wood again. “What happened to your sympathy for me?”

  She shrugged as she turned away. “Finish up and I’ll take you to the nearest Thieran.”

  A few minutes later, after he dropped the wood off and told Lina where he was going, Sashe led him through Rahuda. “It doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?” she asked.

  Seth shook his head. “Not right now.”

  Sashe nodded, satisfied. They moved from the rural outskirts of town into the crowded center of Rahuda. He’d visited the town a few times with Evan’s mother to help her with shopping. For the most part, he didn’t like it. Jolen was full of beautiful plants and trees, and the city where he grew up was nestled between the mountains and the sea. Even the building of the houses was treated with respect, as though it were art.

  The houses and stores in Rahuda were all stone or wood. Instead of art, the Shyrans opted for functionality. The exterior of buildings were void of decoration. Stray dogs ran past them, eating bits of food off of the streets. The sewers stunk up the town on warm days. As they walked on, they passed a tavern, which was full despite it not being dark yet. Two men stood outside of the building with their horses.

  One of them saw Sashe and whistled. “Hey, gorgeous,” he called.

  Sashe acted as though she hadn’t heard him, keeping her eyes ahead of her. Seth tried to follow her example, not wanting to embarrass her. He shoved clenched fists into his pockets.

  “She’s too good for you, Kale!” another man said with a cackle.

  “Yeah, I’d like to see if she’d be too good if I got her on her back.”

  Seth spun around. “You bastard—”

  Sashe was quick and stepped in front of him. Her back to the men, she put her hands on his chest. “Don’t,” she said quietly.

  “Oh, that’s probably her boyfriend,” the second man sneered.

  “You should have some respect for the lady,” Seth said, taking a step away from Sashe.

  “Lady?” Kale repeated. He laughed. “She ain’t no lady! She’s just some runt the governor took in and she thinks she’s better than everyone else.”

  Sashe grabbed Seth’s arm and tugged. Seth glared at the men, following Sashe down the street. The men laughed as they got further away. Seth clenched his teeth once they turned a corner. Sashe let go of his arm, though he didn’t want her to. He looked at her. “You should have let me talk to them.”

  She looked at him coolly. “What would you have done?”

  “I don’t know, but they shouldn’t have been talking to you like that.”

  “I’m used to it. It’s why I don’t come into town unless I’m with someone.”

  He shook his head. “They don’t fear Alastor?”

  “Not if I’m not with him.”

  He watched her for a moment as they walked on. She was gorgeous, that he wouldn’t deny. She had long, wavy hair, full lips, high cheekbones, and the body of a woman, not a seventeen-year-old girl. He shook his head, averting his eyes to the ground.

  Sashe approached a stone cottage near the church. This place, like the others, was unadorned and plain. She knocked on the door and folded her hands in front of her. She looked sideways at him. “You’re staring at me.”

  His face warmed, and he smirked, bringing his shoulders back. “I thought you were used to that.”

  Her mouth fell open. “I thought you were just sticking up for me!”

  “I was. I’m not saying things like those men.”

  “Just thinking them?” She crossed her arms, staring ahead of her.

  “No!” He shook his head. “I’m not like that. But you are gorgeous.”

  The door opened just then, and a woman in a brown dress stood across the threshold. She had black hair pulled back in a tight bun and looked in her thirties. “Hello, Sashe.” She glanced at Seth questioningly.

  “Nia, this is Seth Avialie. Seth, this is Nia.” Sashe lowered her voice. “Could you please look at Seth’s thigh for us
?”

  Nia nodded and stepped back for them to come inside. Unlike the outside, the interior had rich-colored rugs and tapestries in the living room. Nia motioned to the couch, a plush, black piece of furniture. Seth and Sashe sat down.

  Nia closed the windows and curtains in the room. “What happened, Seth?”

  “I was stabbed with a sword,” Seth said. “A Thieran healed it, but he was in a rush, and I don’t know if it healed fully. I still get random pains.”

  Nia’s eyes pierced him as she sat in a chair next to him. “You’re the boy from Jolen.”

  He hadn’t realized he already had a reputation. “That’s me.”

  “I’m sorry about your parents.” Nia pulled her chair closer to the couch. She glanced to Seth to Sashe. “It’s best if I can touch your skin.”

  Seth glanced down at his pants. They weren’t loose enough to pull up all the way. He turned to Sashe, who stood up.

  “I can wait outside,” she said.

  “No,” he said.

  She stared at him.

  He pointed at Nia and made a face. “You’re going to leave me with her? Who knows what she’ll do once I have my pants off?”

  Sashe let out an uneasy laugh. “I’m sorry, Nia. I should have known he’d misbehave.”

  “It’s fine.” Seth motioned to the couch. He stood up and unbuttoned his pants. Sashe sat down as far as she could get from him and turned her face from him. He didn’t mind if she watched, but of course she wouldn’t with Nia here. After untying his boots, he pulled down his pants, made sure his undergarments covered everything, and sat back down on the couch.

  He extended his leg, setting his foot on Nia’s far knee. A small, thin scar slashed across his thigh a few inches above his knee.

  “How deep was the wound?” Nia asked, her fingers skirting over the scar.

  “I’ve no idea. I just know it hurt like nothing else. And I bled so much I thought I was going to die.”

  Nia’s hands covered his thigh. Goosebumps spread across his flesh. He didn’t find anything about Nia attractive, not that she was unattractive, but he’d never had any woman touching him in a place that was usually covered up. He glanced at Sashe, whose gaze was on him. He wouldn’t mind her touching him. God, it’s getting hot in here, he thought.

  “I see what it is,” Nia said. “You’re right about it not healing fully. There are still some problems with the bones here. I’m going to heal it, and it might be a little painful.”

  Nodding, he swallowed. “Okay.”

  Nia started chanting in a low voice. The last Thieran may have done that, but it was too loud to tell in the chaos of the battle. His body started relaxing, and he closed his eyes, but then a sharp pain shot through his thigh. He jumped, hissing. “Ow!”

  Sashe grabbed his hand, and he looked at her. She gave him a weak smile. Another shot of pain coursed through him, and he squeezed her hand.

  “All done,” Nia said, patting his thigh.

  He dropped his leg. “Really? That’s it?”

  “That’s it.” Nia smiled.

  Sashe let go of his hand again, and his fingers felt cold in the air. She stood up, pulling a small purse out of her dress pocket. “How much?”

  “Oh, no,” Seth said, standing. “I’ll pay for it.”

  “Seth—” Sashe began.

  “No.” Seth reached for his pants and pulled them up.

  “Thirty ryrels,” Nia said.

  He’d inherited his parents’ money and made more by selling their property in Jolen. He worked for Lina and Damon now, too. He didn’t want Sashe to think he was some pauper she had to take care of. He pulled out thirty ryrels and handed them to Nia. “Thank you.”

  Nia took them and inclined her head. “You know. . .I heard you saved a few lives in that battle.”

  Seth sat down to pull on his boots. His face warm, he shrugged. “I guess.”

  “Really?” Sashe asked.

  He glanced at her and smirked. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

  Sashe shook her head, smiling. “Thank you again, Nia.”

  They left the house. To Seth’s relief, Sashe led them a different way home so they didn’t have to go past the tavern. They were out of town soon and walking along the country roads towards Evan’s property. Seth wondered when he would start to consider this place home. He gazed at the fields ahead of them, the flat landscape. It was so different from home.

  “Whose lives did you save?” Sashe asked.

  He shrugged. “Nobody, really.”

  “Well, you had to have saved somebody’s, or they wouldn’t be saying that.”

  He didn’t respond for a moment, thinking back, again, to that day. “Do you know Vin?”

  Sashe paused. “I think so. He’s a couple years older than I am.”

  “Well, him, and Caleb.”

  “Caleb? Calendran’s son?”

  Seth nodded, kicking at the rocks on the path.

  “Well, what happened? Am I going to have to beg for the story?” Sashe bumped her shoulder into his.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” She was smiling at him, no idea what she was asking.

  He stopped and motioned to a tree. They sat down in its shade, safe from the sun. He didn’t say anything for a moment, then finally worked up the nerve. “Vin was up against two Protectors already. They’d disarmed him, but they couldn’t just kill him. They were torturing him. Making these long cuts all over his body.” He dragged a finger down Sashe’s face, diagonal, from her hairline down to her chin. “One here.” He took her hand in his and traced a line down from her elbow to her wrist. Vin’s blood was vivid in his mind. “Two on both arms. And more. All over his body.”

  Sashe shuddered, staring at him with wide eyes. He didn’t let go of her hand.

  “I snuck up behind the first Protector and slit his throat with my dagger.”

  Sashe’s fingers tightened in his.

  “The other one and I fought for a while, and he nearly got me, but then I shoved him out of the window. He fell four stories and broke his neck.” He stared down at Sashe’s hand in his. Her skin was so smooth, so flawless. Her fingernails were painted with a dark red paint, and a thin silver band wrapped around her middle finger. “I dragged Vin somewhere safe, and I went back in looking for my parents. I found Caleb instead. He was being strangled by a Protector. I was going to slit his throat, too, but then he realized I was there. We fought, and he cut me here.” He let go of her hand to raise his shirt and show her the scar on his ribcage. The cut was shallow enough that the first Thieran didn’t heal it, but it had been deep enough to make a crude scar.

  She touched the scar, dragging her fingertips across the skin. He stopped breathing for a moment, and her dark eyes met his. “Then what?” she whispered.

  He dropped his eyes, lowering his shirt. “I stabbed him in the stomach. I left my dagger behind with him. My father gave it to me when I was thirteen. He said it was time for me to become a young man, and he started teaching me how to defend myself if I ever couldn’t change when I needed to. But I left it because there was too much blood.”

  She took his hand again. He stared at her, searching her face for any sign of disgust or fear. She looked shocked, yes, but also sad.

  “I went to find my father,” he continued. She’d only asked about the lives he’d saved, but he had to talk about the lives he’d lost. Now that he’d started, there was no way he could stop. He stared out into the field in front of them, but he didn’t see it. “I found him. . .right before they slit his throat. Right in front of me. One of them stabbed me in the thigh. I gave up. I fell into my father’s blood and I wanted to die.”

  “But you didn’t,” Sashe said. “Why didn’t he kill you?”

  “I think he saw the blood on my shirt and thought I was already dead. Maybe he got distracted. Maybe I looked so pathetic sobbing on the ground he didn’t think I was worth it.”
r />   Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shaking her head. “Seth—”

  “The Thieran came and healed my leg. I stayed by my father for a minute or so, then I knew I had to find my mom. I thought she might be alive somewhere. I stumbled through the building, yelling her name. One of the Protectors grabbed me.” He paused, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “He told me what they’d done to my mother before they killed her. I think he underestimated me because I was covered in blood and snot and I was unarmed. But I grabbed his sword when he was laughing about her. . .and I stabbed him through the middle. Then I went looking for her body.”

  He let go of Sashe’s hand to bury his face in his hands. He took shuddering breaths and held back hot tears. He hadn’t cried since moving here, and he didn’t want to now. Tears came, anyway.

  Sashe wrapped an arm around his shoulders. His body tensed, and he pulled away. He leaned against the tree, forcing his tears under control. He blinked them back and wiped his face. He thought about continuing his story, but he knew if he did, he’d start crying again. He couldn’t stand the thought of what his mother had gone through before they killed her.

  “I don’t know. . .why I told you all that. . .” he trailed off and looked at her.

  She picked at the grass around them and shrugged a shoulder. “You said you trust me.”

  “Yeah. I don’t know why, though.”

  She met his eyes and smiled at him. “I don’t know, either. We’ve known each other for a week.”

  “Well, I hope we know each other for a long time.”

  “I like that idea.”