Soul Sucker by Kayla Maurais

Author:Kayla Maurais [Kayla Maurais]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kayla Maurais
Published: 2023-03-13T00:00:00+00:00

An unsteady stream of lukewarm water washes over me.

Whether it was ever hot to begin with is a mystery. I press my forehead against the scum-crusted tile. Sudsy clumps of muscle matter clog the drain. It catches on my toes.

I grimace and shake it loose. There’s nothing more I could have done today. According to Dash, taking the night off is acceptable. Doing absolutely nothing for a little bit is too.

So, why does it feel like we’re giving up?

Why does it still feel like we’re wasting time?

I flip the faucet, and the trickle of water lessens to a steady drip. I draw back the curtain and fumble for the towel to dry myself off. It’s stiff and scratchy, and it barely does the job. In the mirror, I wipe a clean streak. My reflection comes into focus. My hair, which usually sits past my shoulders, is now a tangled mess. The dark circles under my eyes have deepened.

I prod the small gash in my lower lip. I’m not sure when it happened. Maybe I sliced it at the Bone Bridge, or maybe it happened in Lake Ichor. Either way, the cold compresses and ointment from my healing kit are long gone.

I settle for a bit of toilet paper and dab it dry the best I can. As I toss the crumpled paper, I notice a heap of other paper in the can. A whole mess of it, soaked in black blood.

Question is—Dash’s or Euphoria’s? My stomach churns. Not Dash. He still has time. He’s okay. But for how long? He and Euphoria mentioned a cure, and I can hypothesize based on what I know about parasites all I want, but without doing more research, I know nothing about the damage it could pose to Dash.

If the troll Gallivant hadn’t gotten soaked, I could have contacted Dad, Mom, or even Aunt Merik for help by now. An extraction, further instructions—anything.

But we have nothing. No one. That scares me. Leaves me desperate. Vulnerable.

Mom and Dash like that word. Dad despises it with his entire being. I know why. Gods, I know why. Because being vulnerable SUCKS. Not even in the manner of being a perfectly polished leader or an Enforcer. Vulnerability causes you pain. It makes you weak and emotional. It lowers your guard. It clouds your judgment and makes you impulsive.

I can’t afford to be any of that right now.

A pile of items has been left for me by the door. Dash hasn’t been able to stretch his fingers recreationally since we arrived, and I bet the urge to pull was pressing, but this is more than I expected. A new set of clothes, including a long plum cardigan and knee-high boots, sturdy enough to make a getaway in pressing situations. Atop the clothes is a pouch of lunar root capsules that I’m assuming will stop my bleeding because there isn’t anything else to, an amethyst crystal necklace on a leather cord, two bars of chocolate, a new hairbrush with elastic ties, and a roller bottle of lavender essential oil perfume.

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