“I have this weird feeling you’re still not telling me something,” I said.
She sighed. “It’s nothing really. I just have this feeling that I haven’t accomplished what the spirits told me about. It feels like this night wasn’t the incident they were referring to. Sure, this vision could have killed you if it weren’t for me, but it also might not have if your friends had been able to get you help fast enough.” I looked away from her for the first time this night. I didn’t want her to see what I was thinking. “Laz, what is it?”
“It’s nothing, forget about it.”
“You’re thinking of something. What are you thinking?”
“I have a feeling you’re right,” I told her honestly. “I have a feeling this isn’t the incident they were talking about, but I also think that you won’t be able to help me when that day comes.”
Shva’sika touched my shoulder. “What are you talking about? What do you know, Laz?”
I shook my head. “It’s time for me to go to bed.”
“Laz, please! What do you know?”
I looked at her without expression. “Leave it be, Shva’sika. It’s not important.”
“But—”
“Shva’sika, we both need sleep now. The room next to Ryoko’s will be yours if you want it.”
She sighed. “Very well. I’ll leave you to rest up.”
Shva’sika slid off my bed and left. Raikidan entered almost immediately after and closed the door behind him. He stared at me. “What did you not tell her?”
I sighed. “It’s rude to eavesdrop.”
“Answer my question.”
I slid up higher on the bed until I reached the pillows. “It doesn’t matter.”
“What do you know that everyone else doesn’t, Eira?” he asked. “What happens to you at the end of this?”
I laid my head down on the pillows and curled up. They weren’t as comfortable as mine, and neither was the bed, but they would do for the night. “I’m removed from the picture. I already told you that. Now, good night.”
“Eira—”
“I said good night!”
He sighed and shifted forms without another word. I curled up tighter and closed my eyes. The end was coming up soon, much sooner than I had thought. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for it, but then again, I wasn’t sure if I ever would be.
Chapter 26
Iwiped my eyes groggily as I opened the bedroom door with a foggy mind that had me contemplating climbing back into bed. I was surprised to be met with a wall and not an open living room, but after a few moments of standing in place and waking up more, the memories of this morning’s earlier events flooded back to me.
“Good morning,” Shva’sika greeted happily as I entered the living room. She sat on the couch near Ryoko, with the hood of her cloak still over her head, sipping on a cup of tea.
I chuckled. “You know you can take your hood off. No one here bites… much.”
Shva’sika laughed and pulled down her hood. Her long, navy blue hair spilled out around her shoulders.
“Whoa. She’s an elf,” Blaze commented.
“No, really?” I replied sarcastically, my night’s grogginess almost completely gone now. “I thought she was a gargoyle.”
“Oh, fuck you,” he retorted.
I sat down on the couch next to Raikidan, who I hadn’t noticed was sitting here, and not in the bedroom, until now due to my tired state, and yawned. “I’ll pass, thanks.”
Blaze snorted, triggering Ryoko to giggle.
I looked at Shva’sika when she handed me a cup of tea. “Why haven’t you changed?”
She smiled. “I left in such a rush, I didn’t leave with anything more than the clothes on my back.”
I sighed. “Figures.”
Ryoko’s eyes sparked. “That means we get to go shopping!”
I groaned. “Shva’sika, why couldn’t you have been a more normal height? Now she’s going to torture me, which I don’t want to deal with especially, after my ordeal this morning.”
Shva’sika laughed. “Oh come now. Shopping isn’t that bad.”
Rylan looked up from his magazine. “You’ve never been shopping with Ryoko then.”
Ryoko gasped in defense. “You guys are horrible! It’s not that bad shopping with me.”
Rylan and I both looked at her sternly. “Yes, it is.”
She folded her arms and huffed. “Well, whatever. Laz, you still have to go with me. You’re the only one who knows what will fit, err, Shva’sika, right?”
Shva’sika smiled. “That’s right.”
I sighed. She was right, and until we could get Shva’sika some proper clothes she’d be stuck in the house wearing her shaman clothes all the time. I handed Raikidan my cup of tea and stood up.
Raikidan looked up at me. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
I shrugged. “Drink it. Put it in the kitchen. I don’t care.”
“No, you take this back and deal with it,” he told me. “It’s not mine.”
“Is now,” I replied as I walked down the hall. My clothes changed as I walked. “I’ll go get some money, Ryoko, so we can leave.”
“I like that plan!” she called to me.
Reaching the wall at the end of the hall, I moved the large hand-painted painting that hung on the wall and placed it on the floor. A small vault door was left where the painting had once hung. It was a real cheesy way to hide the vault, but it worked, so there was no reason to complain or change it.
Typing in the passcode, the vault door unlatched and I pulled on the small handle to open it. Inside were several leather bags and pouches that contained money, but one in particular caught my eye. I picked the bag up to inspect it.
It didn’t match the other bags in quality or size. This one was by far larger and of higher quality. It was also tied off with a red rope instead of a basic, brown, leather one, and was embroidered with red thread on the top, which the other bags were lacking. Curious, I untied the red rope and peered inside. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The bag was filled with gold coins. I sifted through the bag, hoping to find some silver and copper pieces, but I was unsuccessful, which meant this wasn’t just a bunch of money thrown into a decorative bag.
Clenching the bag tightly in my hand, I slammed the door of the vault shut and stormed down the hall. I knew exactly who put this in there, and I wasn’t at all pleased with him. I grabbed Raikidan roughly by the back of the head as he left the kitchen and dragged him into my bedroom, slamming the door behind me.
“What the hell is your problem, Eira?” he shouted.
I threw him away. “What’s my problem? What’s yours?”
Raikidan rubbed his head and looked at me. “What are you talking about?” I held up the bag of coins and his eyes grew wide. I had been right. He knew exactly what this was. “E–Eira, I can explain.”
“You can explain why you deliberately disregarded my words and left the city without telling me? If you can, I’d love to hear it!” I barked.
I watched him swallow and try to find something to say. When he had made me wait long enough, I lost it. He didn’t care about what I had told him. He didn’t care that he could have put all our lives in jeopardy. I lifted my arm and, with all my strength, I slapped him across the face—the bone cracking on impact. Raikidan yelled in pain and held his jaw with his hand.
I spun on my heels and stormed out of my room, grabbing Ryoko by the arm in on my way toward the basement door. “Let’s go.”
“What’s going on?” Ryoko asked.
“Don’t worry about it,” I replied.
I stomped down the stairs as Raikidan stumbled out of my room.
“By the goddess, you’re bleeding from the mouth, Raikidan!” Shva’sika screeche
d.
Raikidan grunted in response.
“Oh my, she broke your jaw. Here, let me fix you up,” she offered.
Ryoko yanked on my arm. “You what? Tell me you didn’t.”
“I’d be lying if I did.”
“Laz! Why would you do that?”
“I have my reasons. Now let’s get Shva’sika her clothes.”
She sighed. “All right.”
I lounged on the couch as Shva’sika dressed in her room. Ryoko and I had spent over four hours looking for clothes, and it wasn’t because I didn’t think she would wear them. Shva’sika was so tall it was hard to find clothes that would actually fit her. Even Seda had an easier time shopping for clothes since she was still within a normal nu-human height range.
Ryoko bounced next to me in excitement. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at her. She was acting like a child in a candy store and for no reason. I didn’t get what was so amazing about Shva’sika trying on new clothes.
“Ryoko,” Zane said from his spot in the kitchen. “This woman isn’t going to dress any faster if you keep bouncing.”
“I know, but I want to see what she decided to wear!” Ryoko complained.
I lay down on the couch and propped my feet on her lap. “Well you’re not going to have to worry. Shva’sika has a pretty good grasp on fashion.”
Ryoko grunted. “Well I figured that, what with those painted dots on her head, the way she does her hair, and the neat necklace she wears.”
“It’s called a torc.” I sat up when Shva’sika spoke.
Ryoko squealed with delight. “You look so good!”
I chuckled. Ryoko really was something else, but she was right, Shva’sika did look nice. She wore a loose green, long sleeved, off-the-shoulder blouse, and a green and black underbust corset. On her lower body, she sported blue denim pants and black knee-high boots. Around her neck she wore her metal torc, and her lips were coated in a thin layer of red lipstick. Her eyes were dusted with a light coating of eye makeup, and her hair was still wrapped with beads and cloth, but it didn’t hinder her look.
I frowned when I noticed she still hadn’t removed her painted dots and pointed to my forehead to emphasize what I was about to say. “Um, Shva’sika, you’re going to want to remove those.”
She frowned and touched her forehead. “Oh… I guess I was hoping to keep those.”
“It would be best not to,” I advised. “The soldiers here are stupid, but they’re not that stupid. They’ll know something is different about you, besides you being an elf, and it could draw unwanted attention.”
She sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I knew I shouldn’t have left without my circlet.”
“What’s so special about the dots?” Ryoko asked.
“They’re a symbol of my full shaman status,” Shva’sika explained. “Full-fledged shamans have some sort of mark, and we rarely go around without them.”
“What do you mean by most?” Ryoko asked.
“Healers tend not to have them,” Shva’sika explained. “Like with changing their names, they feel it makes them feel detached from their patients and who they really are. But there are a few who go with tradition.”
“Are the marks always on the face?” Ryoko inquired.
“Not always. It depends from shaman to shaman.”
“So the marks are unique?”
Shva’sika laughed. “Well they’re supposed to be, but it’s not always the case. The mark represents who we are, and if two shamans are similar they may get similar marks, if not the same.”
Ryoko scratched her head. “I think I was better off not asking. My head is starting to hurt.”
Shva’sika and I laughed at her before Shva’sika disappeared into the bathroom.
“Hey, Zane, you all right?” Argus asked.
When he didn’t receive a reply, I looked over at Zane. He was staring at the wall where Shva’sika had been standing, with a blank expression on his face.
“Zane?” Argus asked again as he waved his hand in front of Zane’s face.
Zane still didn’t respond. He didn’t even blink.
“Uncle!” I shouted.
Zane jumped, hitting his bowl of soup in the process, and looked around.
“You all right?” Argus asked.
Zane blinked and then shook his head. “Yeah, I’m fine. I must have spaced out.”
I snorted. “Now I know you’re getting old. You never space out.”
“I’m not old,” he argued. “And I’m not bald either.”
I closed my mouth. I wasn’t going to win either battle. He was stubborn—a family trait. But I had something bigger to figure out. Zane never spaced out. Something wasn’t right here.
Ryoko nudged me and then handed me a notebook of paper. On it were quickly scribbled symbols and a smiley face at the end. Taking the paper, I read them.
He likes her.
I rolled my eyes and tossed the notebook back at her.
“I’m serious!” she whispered.
“You’re delusional,” I whispered back.
She snorted and scribbled some more symbols on the notebook and handed the book to me.
Then you explain to me why he was spacing out at the same exact spot where Shva’sika was standing.
I sighed and tossed the notebook down on the couch. I hoped she was wrong. Zane hadn’t taken any interest in any woman in his entire life. He always came up with these lame excuses, but everyone knew he was picky. Normally I’d be all right with his new found choice, if it weren’t for the fact it was highly unlikely those feelings would ever be returned.
Shva’sika finally came out of the bathroom and was rubbing her forehead.
“You okay?” Ryoko asked her.
She sighed. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m just not used to not having them there.”
“I’ll make you something to replace it,” I offered.
“Like what?” Shva’sika asked.
I grinned. “It’s a surprise. But I’ll give you a hint. It’ll be crafted out of metal.”
Ryoko looked at me. “I forgot you could craft metal.”
I snorted. “Who do you think taught Ryder how to make stuff? Not Argus.”
Ryoko laughed but stopped when someone sighed.
“Why can’t you have friends who aren’t freakishly tall, Eira?” Blaze asked as he walked into the room.
“I’m not freakishly tall,” Shva’sika protested.
“Neither am I,” Seda added from her mediation corner.
Blaze snorted. “Woman shouldn’t be any taller than Eira and definitely shouldn’t be close to Zane’s height.”
“Not our fault you’re intimidated by women who are taller than you,” Ryoko muttered. I bit my lip so I wouldn’t laugh, and he glared at her.
Shva’sika shrugged and headed for the couch. “Then you’ve never met my people. I’m considered short.”
“How is seven feet short?” Blaze asked.
Shva’sika laughed. “I’m only six-four.”
Blaze rolled his eyes. “And Eira is five-seven and that’s tall enough.”
Seda chuckled. “Now I don’t feel as tall.”
“So tell me, how tall are you elven kind?” Blaze asked.
Shva’sika thought for a moment. “On average, men stand at seven and a half feet tall and women stand at about six-eight.”
Blaze looked like he was about to faint. “It’s a people of giants!”
I shook my head. “Blaze, just shut up.”
Blaze glared at me but did as I said. Shva’sika giggled and sat down on the couch where everyone was avoiding. It was the spot where I had been bleeding to death earlier this morning.
I scrunched my nose. “How can you sit
there after you cleaned it with that awful-smelling solution?”
Shva’sika smiled. “My nose isn’t as sensitive, remember?”
I snorted. “Then you must not have a sense of smell at all if you aren’t bothered by it in the least.”
She laughed. “I had to put up with Xye designing it. I suppose… I’ve become desensitized to it.”
I blinked. I had forgotten Xye had invented the solution. It was the only solution I knew of that could remove any trace of blood. Not even a faint smell was left for even the most skilled Hunters to track. The military would kill to have something like that.
“So it’s safe to assume I won’t be sleeping in my own room tonight, right?” I inquired.
Shva’sika nodded. “Your room was the worst to clean. With your nose, you might not be able to go in there for a few nights.”
That comment made my stomach turn a little. I didn’t want to know how much blood I’d lost for her to say it like that.
“Hey, Shva’sika. Not to sound rude, but is there another name we can call you by?” Ryoko asked. “This one is a little complicated.”
Shva’sika blinked. “I think it’s all right. Don’t you, Laz?”
I shrugged. “I’m on Ryoko’s side, but for a different reason. Your name doesn’t sound elven enough. Using your elven name might be a better choice. Not to mention, if you help us out as a shaman you’ll need a different alias to go by.”
Shva’sika laughed. “But my elven name is even harder for others to say.”
I snorted. “No kidding.”
“It can’t be that bad, can it?” Zane asked.
Shva’sika smiled. “Elarinya.”
Ryoko blinked. “What?”
I laughed and Shva’sika giggled. “It means Morning star.”
Ryoko scratched her head. “I’m still trying to get the pronunciation down in my head.”
I laughed some more and then spoke flawlessly. “Elarinya.”
Ryoko blinked. “Now you’re just being mean.”
“Our human equivalent would be Danika,” I said.
Pieces Page 29
