Of Love and Loss (The Heart of Quinaria Book 2) by B. S. H. Garcia
Author:B. S. H. Garcia [Garcia, B. S. H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lost Relic Publishing
Published: 2024-09-28T00:00:00+00:00
KONAR
TâVak proved to be every bit as mind-numbing as Konar remembered. It had scarcely been more than a fortnight, and already heâd considered shoving the backhander off one of the living tree platforms himself and framing the whole thing as an accident. He probably couldâve gotten away with it, but then he wouldâve severed their last thread to Zavik, a sacrifice he was unwilling to make.
Yet.
If TâVak wasnât telling stories, he was drinking. If he wasnât drinking, he was readying another batch of painfully elaborate stories regarding drinkingâor worse, his various cot companions, of which Konar had lost count.
âNot picky at all in that regard,â the backhander often slurred. âLiving and breathing, not too old or too young, and thatâs my target fuââ
At which point Konar would quickly interject with an urgent request, even though the tasks he assigned were rarely urgent. TâVak was most useful for procuring food and supplies, or occasionally sitting in on a war council gathering in Konarâs stead. Heâd yet to attend one himself, despite receiving multiple invitations from the high chieftain. She meant well, but his presence would only tarnish hers.
TâVak had just returned from one such endeavor. Heâd also helped himself to a drink on the way back, according to the stain on his lips. The Orillon man was undeniably a dependent consumer of the poison, but Konar couldâve sworn his consumption had increased since returning without Zavik.
And that guilt, unfortunately, was something Konar knew all too well.
âWhat did you learn?â he asked, closing one of his journals. Heâd gotten much closer to unlocking the Prophetâs code, but despite incorporating notes from the two scrolls in his possession, something remained amiss.
TâVak leaned across the table covering the libraryâs trapdoorâit wasnât one of the secrets Konar had allowed him the privilege ofâhis filthy hands resting dangerously close to a full inkwell. âSame shit theyâre always going on about.â
When it became clear he wasnât going to offer further explanation, Konar retrieved a bottle of Beridian Moonlight from his secret stash behind one of the shelves. Heâd kept it there for years, waiting for a conversation that required a little more manipulation than usual.
He found himself in one of those times.
TâVakâs eyes widened as Konar set the bottle on the table, alongside a dusty but ornately carved chalice. He scratched at the stubble adorning his cheeks and cleft chin. âWhatâs the occasion?â
âDeath,â Konar said mildly, as he poured the thick liquid into the cup. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of alcohol and shoved it toward TâVak. âFor she comes for us all, sooner than weâd like.â
âNot you, though, eh?â The backhander studied Konarâs empty hand. âThe beridian stuff not good enough for you?â
âOh, I hear itâs the best in Quinaria.â Konar returned to his seat, positioned with a clear view of the library door. The backhander hadnât bothered to bar it, and the vulnerability he felt in the room since Rajarâs occupation had never fully gone away. âBut drinking and I are old enemies.â
âRowdy
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