Don't blame me, love made me crazy
If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right
『the darkling x femaleoc』
pre-shadow&bone
extended summary inside
cover by @-judeduarte
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
chapter two, me and the devil
𝕷iya
THE MONTH HAS PASSED QUICKER than she expected. The woman she was living with, Lena, was one of the best mediks in Tsemna. She was a herbalist as well, creating ointments and herbal teas and sending them all over Ravka. Lena was not overwhelmed by Liya's presence at all, on the contrary, she was delighted to teach her everything she knows about herbs as a pair of hands was always useful.
Genya has chosen this place since it was just outside the Tsemna. It was near the Fold, as she said, meaning that the camp of the First Army was near in case she will need to run away. It was also a very peaceful place, surrounded by luscious forests and the songs of the birds that woke her up every morning.
Most importantly, after a long time, Liya felt safe.
It was easy to communicate with Lena – they both did their jobs, knew their chores and enjoyed each other's company. Lena wasn't that young, but she still travelled most of the time, to Tsemna and outside of it, not too far, while Liya spent mixing the needed herbs and searching for them nearby.
Of course, she missed her sister and she understood that she won't be getting any letters from her. The knowledge of knowing that she was alive and well, was enough for her to move on and live in total darkness. It felt good to not be surrounded by people that were better than her in every aspect of life, while she was discarded away and used.
Not many news reached this place from the Little Palace or anywhere else, really. Lena always brought a good amount of gossip about the townies, but nothing relating to the war matters or Grisha. At first, it felt odd not to know what was going on, but then it soon reminded her of her life in the orphanage and her dedication to it and not the outside world.
The nightmares didn't leave her – every night she was forced to deal with only a few hours of sleep. Worst of all, the nightmares started to be less of images and more of the feelings she has experienced – the terror and the pain. Even if she was far away from Fjerdans and the Little Palace, her heart couldn't stop worrying as if this wasn't the end.
Her thoughts got shaken away when the little bell rang, meaning that the door opened. Lena attached the bell on the top as soon as Liya started to live here as well, so she could know when someone came.
Visitors were often, they asked for ointments and for advice. Sometimes, people travelled straight here to be treated by Lena. Today wasn't an exception – the bell rang when she was in the middle of stacking the herbs, tying them in little bundles for easier access.
Walking out of the room, with the help of her hands stretched out in front of her, she walked into the main room that was spacious enough to have a huge wooden shelf full of herbs and another one full of books as well as a table and a few chairs.
