Last Light by A. Lawrence

Author:A. Lawrence [Lawrence, A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cloaked Press, LLC
Published: 2024-06-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25:

The Gardener

Andi pulled her canteen out of her bag.

“I wouldn’t trust that water,” Bertrand warned her. “You have no idea where it’s coming from.”

“Do you?” Andi asked.

Bertrand thought for a moment. “Well, no, actually. But still.”

“I know a purification spell, I think I’ll be fine,” Andi said. She needed to conserve her magic, but all of the magic in the world wouldn’t help her if she died of thirst. She’d been ignoring how dry her throat was, but the inside of her mouth was a horrible desert. She had to stop herself from drinking what remained in her canteen in a few gulps, water dribbling over her chin. It was tepid and tasted of metal, but she didn’t care.

Once the canteen was empty she filled it back up from the stream. The water was incredibly clear, burbling over smooth, dark rocks. But she knew it was better to be safe than sorry. Once the canteen was full she flicked quickly through her archive, finding the spell. She drew a circle over the top of the canteen. Glowing sand followed her finger and turned white. It spilled into the canteen and the water fizzed gently.

“There, see?” She took a sip. It still tasted of metal, but it was deliciously cold on her tongue. “Not bad, right?”

“Passable,” Bertrand said. “Do you plan on purifying Silva?”

She drummed her fingers against the canteen, the water and hollow space making a pleasant noise. “Would that work?”

“No,” Bertrand said. He paused, staring down at the ground. “Or would it? What does a purification spell do to a living being, anyway? Well, an undead one. If we want to be technical. Now, that actually is quite the fascinating question.”

“I’m glad you’re so brilliant you can come up with interesting theories for yourself. I need a break.” Andi pulled off her boots. Her stockings had collected more holes, and the silk wrap around her ankle had definitely seen better days. The bottoms of her feet ached horribly. At least her ankle barely twinged when she rolled it back and forth. She really must have just jarred it when she fell. That, or Blythe had some magic in her wrap.

“My latest theory is you need new stockings,” Bertrand said.

“I’ll make sure to get right on that.” Andi’s boots had not been made to run in. She’d never expected to do so much running in her entire life. It wasn’t really a pastime she enjoyed.

She undid the wrap and yanked off her stockings, folding them carefully to the side. She sat down on the middle of the bridge and stuck her feet in the water.

It was freezing, sending a shiver all the way up her spine. The greenhouse wasn’t cold, almost pleasantly warm compared to the other rooms. The iciness of the water was a shock.

But it felt amazing, like it was washing the pain downstream.

“What if you have to run?” Bertrand asked.

“I can’t run anymore.” She leaned against her knees. She ached in spots she hadn’t known could ache.

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.