Freedom From Blood Longing and Lust

Chapter 9

Squinting ahead I see the path turns back to dirt, a large dark hole becomes closer and intimidating. "Are you-you sure we should sleep inside it?" I stammer.

"Yes," he says gently, "you will always be safe with me."

That line causes a foreign reaction to lance through me, something painful, I've heard that before... We stop just outside the cave. Ryen dismounts first, then lifts me out of the saddle holding me to him since I'm honestly too frozen to move. My body responds the same way it did when he first touched me. Foreign heat floods through my limbs making them painful but it's good that I can feel them again. I'll have to ask him about that. This time there isn't a feeling of wanting him at all which is disappointing.

"Can you create orbs of light?" He whispers.

I look up to where his hood covers his face, utterly shocked. "How?" I gasp, unable to put together a sentence, how can he know?

"Everyone from Amolderon is a Venefia. Hm, a heathen is what they are called here."

"Oh, so we aren't abominations of the Gods?"

He gives a low laugh, "Quite the contrary."

I summon my energy and a dim orb appears in front of us, mine are always dim, Jemmy is the best at our unusual skills. He leads me still kind of carrying me into the cave. The first thing I notice is the tie racks for the horses, a second smaller barely stand able space has been hollowed out on the right of the big cavern. I see wood sleeping pallets near a fire pit.

"There's wood ready to start a fire. I'll water the horses and bring the supplies over."

"Okay," I nod. When he moves away from me, I feel the cold straight away, and start to shiver. Fire, fire, fire. I chant to myself for motivation. "Oh, Ryen?"

He stops and his head turns to me, "Yes?"

"I need the flint and steel out of my saddle bag."

"Can you not create fire?"

"No!" I snap, immediately regretting my tone. He couldn't know that I'm the weakest of my siblings, and that is very much a sore point. "Sorry," I whisper.

His hand spreads out and a fire is roaring in the pit. "Go add more wood and get settled in."

I head for the little off shoot of the cave, the fire has already warmed the small space. I see wood at the entrance and grab an armful. Carefully I add the wood in a tent shape like Zavier and Jincannin showed me years ago. I don't normally start the fires at home, it's a skill I only rarely use in the desert. Once I'm satisfied with the flames licking the newly added wood. I poke a pallet testing for snakes or bugs hiding underneath. After a moment I sit down wrapping my cloak tight around me and stare into the mesmerizing flames.

"Jadis," Ryen whispers. I jump to my feet ready to run.

"Sorry," I blurt when I see it's just him. "I didn't realize I had fallen asleep. You made food?" My stomach grumbles at the lovely smell.

"Yes. Here." He hands me a flat rock with meat on it. I hold out my hand over it but don't touch it, it's too hot.

"Are you a Venefia too? The way you can heat up my body and start a fire." I hope he can't see my blush as I realized what I said.

"Yes and no."

"Hm," I keep poking at the meat, "That doesn't seem...right." I say.

He says nothing.

I glance up, "Surely that hasn't offended you?" I laugh and look up at him. His hood is back, my hand freezes before touching his hair. "Sorry." I mumble blushing. Those amber eyes burn into me. I look away quickly feeling suddenly like a child next to him. Should I be shocked though that the "god" is a man and not a boy?

I hear him chuckle, the shuffling noises make me look back to him again. He's now sitting back against the cave wall more comfortably. "No," he says quickly, "you haven't offended me. It isn't right yet here we are."

I blink at him, "Yes, here we are." I poke my meat once again, and it's cooled enough to eat. I nibble at my dinner. "How are you able to warm me up?"

He shrugs, "It's a healing spell, quite simple I can teach you sometime." He closes his eyes.

"Why bother making me run away, why not just shut Salvatore up?" I growl, "you could have simply stopped all the nonsense and taken us all."

"Nah, the Tre still have to maintain our God status."

"What do you do with the people that are sent as sacrifices?" I ask the question that has always been on my mind.

"That my dear is nothing that concerns you."

I throw a pebble at him, "why?"

His eyes open and seem to swallow me. "Don't start things with me that you don't want to follow through with."

I raise an eyebrow. "Ooh what you'll throw a pebble back? Anyway what happens to the people?"

He leans forward still keeping eye contact. "No, I'll spank you." I blush deeply, that is a threat I've never heard. "I thought you hate that town and everyone in it?"

"I do, that doesn't mean however that I don't care to learn...more about life."

"Some things in life are better to be kept a mystery."

I huff, and lean back against the wall. "Fine at least tell me what happens next."

"After we rest a while, I'll take you to a safe place then go back to Sutle to find the Tre and your siblings."

My nose crinkles, "So soon we will be reunited." That also means my alone time with Ryen will be over, wait, do I even want more alone time?

"Yes, on that note get some rest. It will be a long ride to Cutes Mutanta."

"What a strange name." I say with a yawn, my thoughts begin to slip away. With my stomach now full, limbs dethawed, I feel drowsiness overtaking me. "Well goodnight," I give him a sleepy half-smile. Then lay down on my pallet facing the wall and bundle down. Sleep takes me the moment my eyes close.