of out, attempting to thwart their plans to destroy her.
She lost all sense of time and place. She grew weak, knowing that soon she would die and her sister would die as well. This hurt her more than the physical atrocities committed against her flesh. In the back of her mind she heard Kothar’s final words to her, “Remember in your darkest hour I would have given you anything.”
The weight of impossibility pressed down so hard that she nearly gave over to her fate when she realized that the goblins were losing interest. Or was she losing consciousness? The poison found its way inside her and at any moment her wits would be lost, and the goblins’ cruelty would become nothing more than a harsh, unending nightmare.
Her body yielded to the temptation of sweet, fragrant dream, which ebbed in contrast to the pain crying out from every part of her body. She swam in a pool of crushed strawberries, and the seeds were so many she could feel them sticking like sand against her skin. There were blueberries too, and peaches so ripe their acid burned her flesh... watermelon, pears...And outside the sweet pool, hideous faces circled around her. Horrid laughter echoed away on strange wings into the never ending darkness that opened up above her.
This is death , Meredith thought. Christina... The unspoken name choked in her throat.
She became only vaguely aware of a strange trembling of the earth beneath her, and the distant sound of a horn blowing. Her vision blurred and faded, but she still saw goblins scurry away, fleeing this way and that, diving behind tall grass and ducking into ramshackle booths to hide.
Reprieve, she thought, her poisoned mind toxic as the juices seeped into her pores and crawled through her veins. The thunderous rumble grew so loud, it was as though the earth itself opened up in agony and was about to swallow her whole.
And then there was nothing but silence.
Meredith’s mind spun uncontrollably through swirling agony. She tried to blink, but sticky lashes clung together and the burning juices made the green glow of the lanterns seem stranger than ever as they swayed on the whispering breeze. Fingers of wind fluttered across her wet skin, the chill seeping through her soaked clothing, into her bones in such a way that she knew even if she did not die, she would never know true warmth again.
She had to get away, to escape while the goblins were distracted, but when she lifted her throbbing head, a piercing agony quaked through her entire body, and she teetered on the edge of darkness.
CHAPTER FOUR
A large shadow moved across her, darkening her already hazy vision.
“Is it one of them?”
"She’s an Uplander from the looks of her.”
“Is it all right?”
“Hard to say.” His voice was curious and melodic. “Look into her mouth, see if any of their filth got inside.”
The prying of tiny hands worked at her lips, but Meredith pressed them together and moved her head from side to side in violent refusal. This movement took more energy than she had in her, and she was grateful when the prodding stopped.
“Looks to me like she’s kept a pretty good clamp down on things,” the prodder noted. “Should I dowse her anyway, milord?”
Meredith felt the firm press of hands on her, and in some places the bruises were so intense she could hardly stifle cries of agony.
“She’s been badly beaten,” the other said. “It’s probably best. Wash the poison from her skin and hope that we arrived in time to keep it from her bloodstream.”
In the silence, Meredith kept her eyes closed, but she could see the outline of him looming over her. His presence was strong, but calming and surreal, and though she was terrified, Merry let herself relax.
And then it hit her. Cold water splashed across her face and neck, soaked into the fabric of her cloak and dress, and while it alarmed her, she was also immediately refreshed.
She sat upright, spluttering and flailing and spitting water
She lost all sense of time and place. She grew weak, knowing that soon she would die and her sister would die as well. This hurt her more than the physical atrocities committed against her flesh. In the back of her mind she heard Kothar’s final words to her, “Remember in your darkest hour I would have given you anything.”
The weight of impossibility pressed down so hard that she nearly gave over to her fate when she realized that the goblins were losing interest. Or was she losing consciousness? The poison found its way inside her and at any moment her wits would be lost, and the goblins’ cruelty would become nothing more than a harsh, unending nightmare.
Her body yielded to the temptation of sweet, fragrant dream, which ebbed in contrast to the pain crying out from every part of her body. She swam in a pool of crushed strawberries, and the seeds were so many she could feel them sticking like sand against her skin. There were blueberries too, and peaches so ripe their acid burned her flesh... watermelon, pears...And outside the sweet pool, hideous faces circled around her. Horrid laughter echoed away on strange wings into the never ending darkness that opened up above her.
This is death , Meredith thought. Christina... The unspoken name choked in her throat.
She became only vaguely aware of a strange trembling of the earth beneath her, and the distant sound of a horn blowing. Her vision blurred and faded, but she still saw goblins scurry away, fleeing this way and that, diving behind tall grass and ducking into ramshackle booths to hide.
Reprieve, she thought, her poisoned mind toxic as the juices seeped into her pores and crawled through her veins. The thunderous rumble grew so loud, it was as though the earth itself opened up in agony and was about to swallow her whole.
And then there was nothing but silence.
Meredith’s mind spun uncontrollably through swirling agony. She tried to blink, but sticky lashes clung together and the burning juices made the green glow of the lanterns seem stranger than ever as they swayed on the whispering breeze. Fingers of wind fluttered across her wet skin, the chill seeping through her soaked clothing, into her bones in such a way that she knew even if she did not die, she would never know true warmth again.
She had to get away, to escape while the goblins were distracted, but when she lifted her throbbing head, a piercing agony quaked through her entire body, and she teetered on the edge of darkness.
CHAPTER FOUR
A large shadow moved across her, darkening her already hazy vision.
“Is it one of them?”
"She’s an Uplander from the looks of her.”
“Is it all right?”
“Hard to say.” His voice was curious and melodic. “Look into her mouth, see if any of their filth got inside.”
The prying of tiny hands worked at her lips, but Meredith pressed them together and moved her head from side to side in violent refusal. This movement took more energy than she had in her, and she was grateful when the prodding stopped.
“Looks to me like she’s kept a pretty good clamp down on things,” the prodder noted. “Should I dowse her anyway, milord?”
Meredith felt the firm press of hands on her, and in some places the bruises were so intense she could hardly stifle cries of agony.
“She’s been badly beaten,” the other said. “It’s probably best. Wash the poison from her skin and hope that we arrived in time to keep it from her bloodstream.”
In the silence, Meredith kept her eyes closed, but she could see the outline of him looming over her. His presence was strong, but calming and surreal, and though she was terrified, Merry let herself relax.
And then it hit her. Cold water splashed across her face and neck, soaked into the fabric of her cloak and dress, and while it alarmed her, she was also immediately refreshed.
She sat upright, spluttering and flailing and spitting water
Similar Books
