Music in The Shadows

28. Healed Bones

Death felt different than I had thought it would feel. It felt painfully sore and smelled like cinder.

Was it possible to move my fingers and make a whimpered noise in pain? Riaan was cruel if this is what he condemned all souls to in the afterlife.

"Wake up slowly." a familiar voice commanded. The shock from the sudden voice had me gasping and lunging forward. The events of the necromancer drugging everyone, a monster chasing me, the shadows dancing around me- I hastily looked around.

Eyes wild and calculating.

A hand immediately pressed me down into the bed. "You don't listen well to orders. Do you?" Inanov raised an eyebrow and then his gaze softened. "You're alright. Beaten, battered and bruised. But alright. You're not going to be able to ride a horse for a while- but the prince used a lot of his power to ensure your left knee was not broken."

I couldn't answer- my throat felt closed and my mouth felt like sand paper.

Water.

I mouthed to Inanov. He was already pouring it in a glass from the porcelain pitcher and handed it to me.

I took the pitcher from his hand instead and downed everything.

"HEY, do you want to choke?" he exclaimed but must have felt pity for me holding the pitcher weakly and then decided to help me drink. Water dribbled down my chin to my throat and the feeling made me feel just a bit more alive.

"Get the prince. He will have my skin for not notifying him immediately when she awoke." Inanov spoke to the soldier that I had only now noticed was standing by the door of the room. It was only then that I studied my accommodation.

Its the room I was given in the Kastel manor. Well.. what remained of it.

The wall that had been between the prince's room and my own had collapsed. "Yes, half the manor had broken down during the fight. Thankfully- no one was hurt." Inanov looked around and then looked at me.

"You saved the prince. You must have fought with much prowess to have saved all of us. For that I give you my thanks but I also give you a watchful eye. Defeating a necromancer is no easy task-at all." he looked me dead in the eye, as if searching for answers.

I just stared at him. Not answering - not showing an ounce of emotion at his skeptism or his knowledge of necromancers.

The door was thrown open then. "Leave me with my warrior."

My brown eyes met his red assessing eyes. He eyed every breath I took. His eyes taking in everything around me and everything that was me.

"As you command." Inanov spoke and gave a glance between us both before leaving and closing the door behind him.

For a while, all was silent. The chirping noise of birds could be heard from the outside. No more heavy rains and storms it seemed.

His gaze felt warm- no it felt hot. Nearly blazing on my skin. I suddenly felt self aware and realized I wore nothing but a white shirt.

I moved to pull a sheet over me but immediately hissed in the pain that shot from my knee. Hands were now on those sheets- lifting it to help cover me.

I flushed.

"Now, my pretty warrior. Don't strain yourself." the prince softly spoke and kneeled by the bedside next to me. Looking comfortable in the position almost.

"You look like death." he angled his head to the side, frowning and looking at the bruises scattered over my arm- and I could only imagine how my face had looked. All I knew was that it stung like hell when I scowled at the prince.