Chapter 35
We slipped out of the Temple of the True through a side door, into the brisk night. In the distance where the battle with the vampires and explosion had taken place, shouting and whistling drifted into the air.
We headed the opposite direction, weaving our way through alleyways and crossroads with our hoods pulled low. We never stopped, never looked back, and managed to get to the outskirts of Nuhav near the walls without any run-ins with the Bronzes.
Despite his recent wounds, Garroway had bounce in his step. He had gone from a croaking, dry husk on death’s door to a sharp-eyed hawk in an amazingly short span of time. In the few hours it took us to get to the gate that led up the mountain pass to Olhav, his mottled flesh had smoothed over and the burns and cuts had morphed into harmless divots.
He was healing faster than I thought possible. His clothes were still tattered rags but the pale skin beneath was hale. If I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. He moved like it, too, with the wincing, laboring gait vanishing within an hour.
There truly is something special about my blood,I thought as we cautiously neared the gate-tower. I didn’t yet know what to make of it. I wanted answers. It had to explain why others were after me, so desperate to steal me. They knew more about my unique powers than I did.
We didn’t dally with trying to find a good spot in the wall to climb over. Instead, Garroway marched us up to the gate to the nosy vampire we’d avoided when coming into Nuhav. Our eyesscanned the ramparts of the wall to make sure no ambush was laid out.
Once we were certain none was forthcoming, we approached the guardsman. Under his hood, the tall bloodsucker seemed surprised to see us. He obviously hadn’t seen us go into the city.
“Sneakier than a shadow at night, Garroway Kuffich,” said the guard with a terse, familiar tone, giving him a once over. “And looking worse for wear, too.”
“Any Bronzes come by here looking for me?”
The guard frowned. “They wouldn’t have passed through if they had. Why?”
“No reason.”
The frown deepened. “I’ve heard whisperings of a commotion in the south district. Something about an explosion.”
“Oh? I wouldn’t know anything about that.”
They paused, staring at each other from beneath their hoods. I felt they both knew the other was lying. I stayed behind Garroway with my head bowed.
Garroway clapped the guard on the shoulder. “Do let me know what the excitement’s all about when you find out, eh?”
We were three steps past the gate when the guard called out. “Who is the human girl?”
Garroway stiffened. I stayed facing the road, while he turned. “Treat for Master Ashfen.”
The guard said nothing for a moment. Anxiety rode my flesh.We’re doing nothing wrong, we’re doing nothing wrong, we’re doing—
“Your master has a fine eye,” the guard answered.
“The finest.”
As Garro turned away, he muttered under his breath, “Prick.” Then we were marching up the steep incline that would lead us to the welcoming embrace and safety of Olhav.
If anyone had told me I’d one day consider Olhav “safe” and “welcoming” in comparison to Nuhav . . . I would have called them a gods-touched madman.
We entered the safehouse on the southwest end of the city just as the sky was beginning to turn gray and cloudy with the coming dawn.
“Glad we didn’t linger any longer than we had to in that temple,” Garroway said, peeking up at the sky before pushing into the sparse dwelling.
“We almost did,” I pointed out with a knowing, playful tone to my voice.
He pulled his hood away and ran a hand over his shiny pate. “All the better for pragmatism and logic to win over.”
I sat on the edge of the cot, bone-tired. “You don’t strike me as the pragmatic, logical type, Garro.”
His smile widened. Mischief danced in his red eyes. Those eyes sparkled with intensity that wasn’t there before he’d fed on me. “You’ve known me so briefly yet know me so well already, lass. Get some sleep. You can barely keep your eyes open.”
“And you?” I cocked my head curiously, kicking my feet. There was still some latent ardor lingering in me, and it was difficult to hide. I needed some . . . physical activity to put the events of the evening to bed.
