The Moth Saga by Daniel Arenson

Author:Daniel Arenson [Arenson, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moonclipse
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:

THE PAINTED BUFFALO

As Torin sat in the boat, watching Koyee sleep, he could not stop the memories.

It was peaceful here upon the river. Aside from the fish that glowed in the water, he and Koyee were the only living souls for miles around. Dark, silent plains spread left and right, rolling into shadows. The stars shone above, brilliantly white, blue, and lavender, a painting that sprawled across the firmaments. A cold breeze blew, scented of distant rain, ruffling his cloak. When first entering Eloria, Torin had found the place frightening, but now he thought the night beautiful.

And yet, even here in this silence and solitude, the blood danced before his eyes.

He saw it again: the corpses in the gutters, the soldiers driving swords into children, the thousands dying as he rushed from street to street, struggling to save whoever he could.

I wanted to save more, he thought. I wanted to save a city. But I only saved fifty souls. He closed his eyes. I failed. Thousands perished.

He took a shuddering breath, opened his eyes, and looked at Koyee. She slept peacefully on the boat floor, wrapped in furs, her cheek upon her palms. She was so frail, so pale, beautiful even with the scars across her face.

By Idar, how could she be half-sister to Ferius, that twisted beast? He sat beside her. One child of light, one of darkness. A brother of evil, a sister of good.

Looking at Koyee sleep, her chest rising and falling and her lips mumbling sleepy nonsense, Torin thought that in all the fire, blood, and pain of the world, there was still some goodness. There was still some hope so long as Koyee—kind, outcast, brave Koyee—lived and fought.

"So long as you're with me," Torin whispered, "this is some good in the world, and there is some good in me. I took a life, but I saved life too; you will always be my beacon in the night."

And . . . was she more to him now? Torin's blood heated to remember the last time he'd visited her chamber in the hospice. An urge came upon him to lie beside Koyee again, here in this boat, to kiss her, undress her, make love to her with only the fish and stars to see.

While he contemplated her fair skin and silvery hair, the memory of Bailey's kiss came unbidden to his mind, and his blood boiled even hotter. While Koyee warmed him like a mug of mulled wine, comforting and intoxicating on a cold autumn, Bailey was fire. The memory of her lips blasted through him, powerful enough to make him shudder. While Koyee was slim and fair like a faery maiden, Bailey was all curves and mocking smiles, flashing eyes and full lips and—

Torin shut his mouth and shook his head wildly.

"What am I doing?" he wondered aloud.

Bailey was his friend! She had taken him into his home when they'd been only children; she was more foster-sister to him than . . . than . .

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