Sin and Soil by Anya Merchant

Author:Anya Merchant [Merchant, Anya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-22T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 26

By the time they made it through the forest, Damon’s muscles were burning from the exertion of carrying Ria. She wasn’t heavy, certainly not compared to a Merinian of a similar size, but he and Vel had traveled far deeper into the Malagantyan than he’d realized.

Malon was by the edge of the lake filling a pot with water. Her eyes widened when she saw them before setting back into the serious, authoritative expression that times of crisis so often brought out of her.

“Solas, set her down in your room,” said Malon. “Seta, put another log on the fire and look for clean towel cloths in the pantry.”

Damon and Vel nodded and hurried inside. He set Ria down in his own bed, feeling a bit annoyed at himself for not tidying it up after he’d last slept in it. She let out a quiet groan and muttered something inaudible as he pulled her shoes off and covered her with the quilt.

Appearance wise, she looked near to how Damon remembered her from their last meeting. Her face was thin and slightly tanned, with high cheekbones and, at least by Merinian beauty standards, long, exotic eyelashes.

The more important detail was that her face was still free of traditional Remenai facial tattoos. Ria had never known her birth mother, and her lack of even the basic clan patterns meant that she must have died while Ria was still extremely young, or at least been an outcast when she’d given birth to Ria.

It had always been a sore spot for her, one that she’d never learn to nurse in healthy, mature ways, at least up until when Damon had last seen her. He reached a hand out, gently cupping her face, smiling with relief at the fact that she had come back at least one more time.

Ria’s eyes fluttered open, focusing on him tiredly after a moment. Damon watched a coy smile blossom on her face, along with clear recognition of who she was with and where she currently was.

“Young Damon,” she said, softly. “When did you become a man?”

Damon snorted, grinning back at her. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Ria? I’m surprised you even recognize me.”

“Velanor did not?” asked Ria.

He shrugged awkwardly. “It’s a bit complicated.”

“Why am I not of surprise?” She licked her lips, pushing up onto her elbows, and gestured toward him with a curling finger. “Come hither, Damon.”

“Ria…” He rolled his eyes, feeling his cheeks flush as memories of how affectionate, both physically and emotionally, she’d always been.

“I need a view of a proper perspective,” she whispered. “You have a man’s face. Your muscles seem to also suggest that you are of a Merinian man’s proper strength.”

“I appreciate the fact that you noticed.” He moved closer to her, dropping to one knee beside the bed. “They’re the result of long hours of training over the course of the past few years.”

“You achieved your ideal, then?” Ria brushed some of his hair back from his face and pursed her lips.

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