The Burning Princess by Matt Larkin

Author:Matt Larkin [Larkin, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Incandescent Phoenix Books
Published: 2016-10-10T05:00:00+00:00

17

The truth was, Namaka stuck near the river as much for her own comfort as for the hope she would find some village that knew of the Waters of Life or this Place of Darkness. She had passed through several small settlements, but none had answers for her. The river didn’t call to her the way the sea did, but any water soothed her soul. To draw too far away from it felt like severing one of her senses, like trying to give up sight or hearing. It left her feeling weak, helpless. So she always came back to the river.

Now, it had twisted so far it actually ran close enough that she could feel the sea once again, could feel the terrible longing for it. That was her place now. Her people needed her, they were falling to the he’e and to Mu. It was just … she had to find the Waters. She had to save her human people so she could dedicate her full attention beneath the waves. Or maybe her two sides would forever tear her in half.

Ahead, a dozen or so grass huts dotted the riverbank. Not enough to even really call a village, but she was here and there was always a chance they might know something. Besides, night had already settled in. Maybe she could convince them to give her a place to sleep. Even with Nyi Rara’s spirit inside her, she needed rest from time to time, and she hadn’t paused in more than two days.

After her fight with the Flame Princess she’d woven a new grass skirt, let herself close her eyes for a few moments after. Her mind had wandered to the World of Water, the realm Nyi Rara had shown her when they became merged. Had she truly seen it once again, as a byproduct of her connection to the mermaid, or had her exhausted mind just generated dreams? Either way, it had been beautiful and sparked a longing to return in her. Maybe one day, when the disease was cured and the he’e defeated, she could do so. Now, everywhere she looked waited another crisis demanding her immediate attention. Maybe she couldn’t afford to sleep tonight either.

Or perhaps she could curl up against a rock under the river. The current should keep her from sleeping too deeply, but she might be able to rest, at least for a little while.

Rubbing her eyes, she drifted into the settlement. “Aloha,” she offered the first person she ran across, a girl carrying a large gourd filled with water. The girl returned the greeting, then scurried off toward one of the huts.

Strange. Most people were eager to welcome a traveler.

Through the doorway she spotted a large number of people in that hut. What was going on? She made her way there and peeked her head inside. The villagers had gathered around a man in his thirties covered in some kind of herbal poultice. At the edges of it, she could see massive burns covered his body, though now he shivered as if chilled.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.