StarMan by Sara Douglass

Author:Sara Douglass [Douglass, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-02-13T23:00:00+00:00

Pain, and his thirst. His thirst had become almost a living creature in itself, never letting him go, never letting him sleep, always demanding to be listened to, to be sated.

He twisted his head, thinking to whisper to Arne for another sip when he heard the tent flap open, then fall shut. He closed his mouth, wondering if Belial had come in to relieve Arne. Belial was his friend, but Axis did not like Belial sitting with him; he could feel the man's horror and his pity every time he had to come close to him.

Arne's voice sounded, low and surprised, then the tent flap lifted and closed again, and all was silent.

Axis lay, every nerve afire, his ears straining. "Belial?"

But his only answer was a soft footfall. Too soft for Belial. Someone else, then. Perhaps Belial could not face another shift minding this charred corpse and had sent some anonymous soldier. Axis did not blame him. Even friendship must have its limits.

There was the flare of a match.

"No," Axis croaked. "Douse the lamp." He had ordered that no-one light a lamp in his presence - he did not need to endure the horrified breaths every time someone caught a good look at him. But he heard the clink as the lamp glass was shifted, then replaced, and could almost feel the warm glow as whoever it was stood closer to the bed, lamp held high. Did they now disobey him, as well as recoil from him?

Axis twisted in the bed, but his body was now so useless that he could do nothing about this silent inspection. "Put it out!" he rasped. "Put it out!"

Then he caught the scent of the person, and his entire body stilled. So warm, so fragrant, and what was left of his hands twitched, as if he could feel her skin beneath his fingers.

"Azhure," he whispered, "Azhure...please . . . gol Please go! Don't see me like this! Please...please . .

. GO/"

Belial heard Axis scream and took a step forward.

Then a hand fell on his shoulder. "No, Belial, good man. Leave them."

Belial turned. A man, a beautiful man, stood behind him, his hair dark and curling about his shoulders.

He was clad only in the lightest clothes, as if it was but a balmy summer's day. "Who are you?" Belial said.

And yet, strangely, he felt no fear, nor anger.

The man indicated the fire. "Shall we sit, Belial? It will be a long night, I think."

"Very well." But as they sat themselves before the fire Belial turned to the man, his face puzzled.

"Who are you?"

"My name is unimportant, Belial."

"Are you a friend of Axis'?"

The man's eyes drifted towards the tent. "Yes. Yes, I am. A friend of both Axis and Azhure's."

Still she did not speak.

He heard her put the lamp down on the stool by the bed,

and then, horrifyingly, he felt her reach for the blankets and pull them away from his body.

"No!" he shouted again, and began to cry, his arms twitching as they tried uselessly to cover the ruin of his flesh.

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