Seams of Shadow by Gwendolyn N. Nix

Author:Gwendolyn N. Nix [Nix, Gwendolyn N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Published: 2020-11-07T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Eos

“The audacity of your actions, the complete unwillingness to consider the consequences—”

“The consequence was that we won. How can that be anything but a victory? I freed good men and women who fought for their country. If being pardoned for that is a capital offense—”

“It very well should be, Ciriacus! You can’t simply change our laws, the structure of our society, because you had a weakness of conscience!”

The argument pierced my mind, transforming into a violent headache. My hands clutched the arms of a chair, the velvet soft underneath my fingers, as the world my body inhabited rushed back to me in an overwhelming wave. Last I remembered, I’d been sunk deep in the long-ago past of Erigenia, at a time when she finally understood that once a body decays, no one would remember what name belonged to it. At some point, that name would be forgotten, and any associated spirit or soul would be wiped clean as well.

Reincarnation had been the foundation of my youth, part of my upbringing. Understanding that I would be mixed within the rebirth of others did not hold the same horrific weight as it did for Erigenia. The thought that she might be erased and forgotten, the entire package of her personality rewritten, terrified her. This fear reverberated between us, still. To me, at least my energy could be the nutrients for another life that might do better than I ever could. Maybe, if I was lucky, I might pass on wisdom that would save others from lifelong hurt.

Funny, how the dead spirit feared non-existence. Funny, how the alive soul did not.

I could still taste the dry sand on my tongue, the metallic association of dehydration in the back of my throat, despite me never being in the desert. I took in a deep breath, remembered that my body had been on the battlefield healing the wounded.

Yet somehow, I found myself indoors, slumped in a small conversation room. Before me, Ciriacus, still in his bloodstained armor, stood toe to toe with his queen-mother. Ermessenda cradled the swell of her stomach, her face transformed with rage, as the two yelled over each other. Venetia kept vigil in the sliver of space between them, wary resignation in the tight line of her lips. The fight had already spiraled out of control, but it hadn’t de-evolved into something that Ciriacus and Ermessenda couldn’t come back from.

A soft touch fluttered at my wrist. I looked over to see Talleyrand seated beside me. He smiled in relief and said, “Welcome back. It does the heart good to see you awake again.”

“How did I get here?” I sat up fully in the chair, even as a wash of agony hammered in my skull. All this business of souls and spirits had left the poor vessel of my body to fend for itself and I paid for that privilege dearly. At least I could see colors again. I shook off the sticky residue of Erigenia’s past, latching onto the timeline of my life with an ease that was quickly becoming alarming.

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