The Poison Within by Rachel Marie Pearcy

Author:Rachel Marie Pearcy [Pearcy, Rachel Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781724180421
Published: 2019-01-02T07:00:00+00:00

Twenty

The abandoned cabin they had stumbled upon consisted of four rotting walls held together with a shabby shingled roof. Each of the two shorter sides had a single window that was covered in a thin film of dirt and grime. Thane opened the door and Rya winced as its hinges squealed in protest.

Sadly, the inside wasn’t any better than the exterior. A single bed was pushed against one wall, and the few blankets they found had been chewed up from various rodents trying to find warmth. The fireplace was nothing more than a small niche in the wall that hugged a mound of old ash. It was obvious that no one had called this place home in years.

“Lovely,” Rya breathed, her nose scrunched up.

“It’s better than sleeping outside,” Thane shrugged. “We’ll have plenty of nights under the stars later, we might as well take advantage of the shelter while we can.”

Cam was quick to volunteer to gather wood from the surrounding area, and sensing Rya’s eagerness to join her, Norell offered to help first. The queen was left behind and tasked with sweeping away what she could to create a place to sleep, while Thane dug out the powder from the fireplace they’d soon be using. Sora sat against the wall, pouting while he watched them work.

“You should let me help with that,” he grumbled as Thane dumped another handful of ash out the window. “I’m not useless.”

“You’re still recovering,” he answered. “You need more time to heal, and shoveling dirt isn’t going to speed that along.”

“He doesn’t like to be still,” Rya teased. “Sora needs to feel useful. He hasn’t taken a day off since I’ve known him.”

“I had nothing but days off while you were away,” the boy muttered. It wasn’t clear if he meant to wound Rya, but if so, the comment had done its job, striking her hard in the heart. She tried to mask the hurt before anyone could see what he’d done.

“I feel a little faint in here,” she lied. “I think I’ll step outside for a minute.”

“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” Sora asked, trying to stand. She motioned at him, forcing him to sit back down.

“I’m fine. I think the combination of no sleep and this stuffy shed is getting to me.” She pulled back the weathered door and left, allowing it to slam shut behind her. The guilt of leaving Sora was growing harder to shoulder each hour that passed. She couldn’t erase the image of him lying in the bed with ratted hair and bloody feet. The faded scars he’d received as a small boy were covered in fresh marks. They were a sign he’d been tortured in her absence. She knew Sora would never complain to her. He would never admit if he was angry that she had left him, but she also knew she had let him down. All those years ago she had made a promise to protect him, and she’d failed. It didn’t matter if he ever confessed what Kasen did to mark his body, she would make that man pay for those new wounds.

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