Testament by Wilbur Smith

Author:Wilbur Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zaffre

M

yssa was awoken by her own shivering. She could see that the sun was rising. She knew that the heat of the day had not yet come and that the air was still cool. But the cold she felt now was something else. It came from deep inside her. Her head ached, too, and when she placed a hand to her forehead it was sweaty and burning hot. When she swallowed, her mouth was parched and her throat felt as though it was being scraped by thorns.

She could not understand what was happening to her. How could she be burning up and yet feel so cold? Was this some kind of fever?

It was only when she lifted the heavy woollen blanket that had covered her during the cold desert night that she became aware of Akkan’s naked body, lying next to where she had been sleeping.

Myssa closed her eyes and tried to recall what had happened. She could not remember what – if anything – they had done together. And she didn’t care. She was still entirely naked, but she didn’t care about that, either.

Her entire focus was on the two water hides, which were placed on the ground, just beyond Akkan, on the far side of the bedding. But when she tried to stand up, Myssa felt dizzy and unsteady. Her head was as heavy as a boulder, so that her neck could barely hold it up. And when she tried to walk, her feet and legs were numb, so numb that she could barely lift them.

All she knew was that she had to have some water, so she fell to her knees and crawled around the bed. A man was standing, watching her, but she barely registered his presence.

Finally, Myssa reached the water hides. Still on her hands and knees, she looked at them, unable to remember which held the sweet, sweet water she craved so deeply. She reached out for one of the hides, but as she did so the man who was watching her spoke in his deep, gravelly voice.

‘You want the other one.’

Obeying his command, Myssa took the other hide, pulled out the stopper and lifted the spout to her lips. The moment the water touched the back of her throat, the rasping she had felt there just melted away. A few seconds later the warmth that the water brought her was bringing her body back to life. And then came the blissful sense of seeing the world in all its beauty, more clearly than ever before, and at the same time being free of all its cares and troubles.

Myssa felt at peace. She looked back at Akkan. His body looked magnificent, like a sleeping lion: peaceful now, but terrifyingly powerful once awoken. She took another long drink, and was about to have a third when the hide was taken from her hand.

‘That’s enough,’ Tallus said. ‘The lotus is a fickle mistress. Take too much from her and she will kill you for your greed.’

The sound of the Cobra’s voice had awoken Akkan.

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