Treachery of Water: An Epic Fantasy Saga (Lore of Nomadia Book 1) by Angela J. Ford

Author:Angela J. Ford [Ford, Angela J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-07-10T16:00:00+00:00

30

Elmira

After they found camels and a guide, the journey was almost pleasant. The nights were chilly, dark, and starry. Elmira shivered from the cold, despite being wrapped in robes and huddled close to Vero. Eventually, the landscape changed, giving way to a long dusty road, flat plains, and occasional trees.

Once they reached the road, they set the camels free, and Elmira thanked their guide for his assistance by sucking his soul right out of his body. Vero didn’t look, but she knew her power to consume souls awed him. Part of her was torn when she saw the signpost pointing the way to the capital of Nomadia. Should she turn that way and find out if ink magic was in the capital? But she needed the book, and she needed the jinn. Both could be anywhere in the world. It was best she focused on gaining water magic.

Elmira smelled water before they arrived. The vapors were so strong she wondered why everything was dusty. A river snaked along the road, the grass on its banks long and lush, and then she smelled stink. The smell of death and bowels overrode everything else, taking her back to her years of captivity. She whirled, spinning to a grove of trees. “Something dead is in there.”

“It might be an animal,” Vero suggested. “It happens often.”

“Does it?” Elmira paused, then turned aside to look. The grove was thick, and the smell increased as she neared.

It was a dead horse. Wild animals had picked at the meat and organs, allowing white bone to show through the decaying flesh. An arrow lay on the ground near the horse’s rump. The underbrush had been thrashed, and Elmira backed away, returning to the road.

“Be on your guard, Vero. I smelled blood, and there was a battle. Do people usually kill horses?”

“No. They are magnificent beasts like camels, used for riding.”

Elmira cocked her head. “We should get horses, then. Let’s find some in the city.”

They continued, picking up the pace, but it wasn’t until almost nightfall that they reached the village. Elmira paused when the row of buildings and people appeared. Wrinkling her nose, she sniffed. She hadn’t smelled so many bodies in a long time, and there was something odd about them, something that wasn’t quite right. The tang of water was distant, yet under the scent of unwashed bodies and ale and animals she detected blood and misery.

Worrying her lower lip between her teeth, she tapped her fingers against her legs. That familiar hunger was back, making her want to reach out and inhale. A ball of anger coiled in her belly, like a snake waiting to pounce. “How will we know if the water nymph is here?”

“There are inns in town. We should get a room and listen to the chatter.”

“Chatter?”

“Listen to the people talk,” Vero explained, shifting the bag on his good shoulder. “They might inadvertently tell us what we want to know.”

Elmira gave Vero a sidelong look. He was hunched over, his face pale, and she imagined he longed for a meal, a warm bed, perhaps even a bath.

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