by Mira Zamin
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The next thing Calista woke to was a grumbling stomach and loud whispers. “Where does Nehalennia come up with these burned Romans?” The voice was Iccauos’ and it was heavy with curiosity.
The second frustrated voice was Banonia’s. “First, Iccauos, do not invoke the sea goddess’ name so freely. Secondly, we’ll move the girl onto my pallet and give this fellow the hay. She should be coming to any moment now, in any case.” Her voice dropped almost reverentially. “He must have beautiful once. Look at his nose and the line of his eyes. It hurts to look at him and think of what he must have once been. Poor child. To lose it all so young.”
Uncomprehending, Calista slowly sat up in her bed of straw. She picked out a few golden pieces from her hair. The world twisted around her for an instant and in that moment she thought she saw Hadrian. No, this cannot be true. Clutching the wall, Calista staggered up gasping and was horrified by what she saw. His left cheek and jaw line had melted away, replaced by an angry red.
Banonia had spied her movement and rushed to Calista’s side. “Here, lean on me.” With Calista staggering on her shoulder, she dropped Calista onto her own hay pallet.
“Hadrian?” Calista wheezed, riveted by the sight of her once beautiful friend now lying on the hay Calista had just occupied. His chest rose and fell painfully. Calista flinched. It was her fault she had left him like this. He was a god and look at how she had destroyed him. All of her anger and betrayal faded at the sight of his destroyed face. She should have warned him. She could have warned him. She should have warned him. She should have warned them all.
Banonia gave her a sharp look. “Do you know him?”
“Yes.”
Banonia asked no more, and set about making a balm of lavender and comfrey. With careful fingers, she generously smeared the cool cream across his face. Banonia soaked the bandage into the solution for a few moments before tying it firmly, but gently, around his jaw. Before she could secure her knot, Hadrian’s mouth moved. “Calista?” he whispered, his voice hoarse.
Immediately, she fell to his side. Guilty tears gathered in her eyes. “Yes?”
But he said nothing more. Tears stumbled down Calista’s cheeks. She swiped at her eyes and cheeks with the raggedy end of her robe.
“I know not how to repay you for your kindness,” Calista said.
Banonia appraised Calista with a glance. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
With sudden inspiration, Calista unclasped that accursed locket, the one which had commenced the sum of this destruction. “Here, take it. Gold and lapis lazuli. Should fetch a pretty price at any market. Compensation for the care, room and board you have provided for my friend and me.”
Banonia cupped it in the palm of her hand as Calista had done many moons ago. Now that it was no longer hers, Calista peered at it with curiosity, memorizing details she had only glanced over for the past few months. The locket covered half of Banonia’s palm, and the stones were of a generous size, studding a neat circle around the largest stone in the center. Rich veins of gold ran through the deep blue of the stone. The chain Claudius had given her was as thin as strand of hair.
Realizing exactly she had undersold her product, she added, “And two horses.”
“I don’t know where you suppose you’ll get to but I accept. Here.” She thrust bread stuffed with meat into Calista’s hand. “Now get you to the pallet and I’ll come in the morning to check on the two of you. Sleep well.”
Calista finished her meal, but could not sleep. She spent the night wrapped around Hadrian and his two blankets, keeping his shivering form warm.
CHAPTER XXIV
