The Offering (Lesbian, Gay, Girlxgirl)

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Searing pain woke Talin. It was unbearable, scalding, as though someone was poking her eyes a million times over without pausing for rest. She groaned.

"Is she awake?" someone asked. She recognized Xander's voice; deep, concerned, afraid.

"I don't think so," Ossi responded. Hers was a ragged voice. A rock tumbling from the mountain.

Talin covered her ears while attempting to kneel. Every sound, every word, was an explosion in her head— the voices of her companions, the ringing in her ears, the drip of water somewhere, even the supposed quiet footsteps that approached. They were too loud, disturbing. She wanted to open her eyes to focus on other things, but couldn't.

Gentle hands pried her palms away from her face. "Don't do that. Give it time to heal."

Talin clenched her teeth but surrendered to the touch. Brielle was warm, comforting, but those weren't enough. "I can't see you!" Talin grimaced. "What happened to my eyes?!"

An inhale of breath. Maybe a lie would be spoken. But it wasn't. "Hnat slashed your eyes after you killed Mei. You were too. . . occupied to notice her."

Talin swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed her hands to her knees. The urge to claw at her face was strong, overpowering. She wanted to remove her eyeballs yet they were covered by some type of cloth. "Is this permanent?!" The anger in her voice echoed on the walls.

Nobody spoke for a while, but it was Brielle who answered too. "We don't know. The gash is deep. We could only clean and cover it."

Talin turned her face away. "Leave me," she whispered.

She slapped the hand reaching for her shoulder.

"I said leave me! Leave me now!"

Three sets of footsteps could be heard vacating the area.

Talin got up and fell. Got up again, only to slip on her behind. "AHHHHHH!" She slapped her face. "AHHHHHHH!" She tried standing up for the third time, only to end up crawling, screaming, then pounding the ground until even her fists seemed to be broken.

What good was a warrior without her eyes? She was nothing now, a burden. She started to worm her way to the sound of dripping water. It was the only way to die.

"Are you going to drown yourself?" Someone knocked on the bathroom door.

Ten-years old Talin did not answer. She had been bathing for what felt like an hour or two. She didn't count. All she knew was her fingers had become pruny under the heat of the shower, her skin red and blotchy. But she didn't want to go out. Not just yet. She was afraid of the consequences waiting for her.

Another knock on the door. "The president said to give you all the time you need to recover, but I can't have my future defender drowning in there. Your new clothes are laid out on the bed. I'll see you on the hallway after ten minutes sharp." A pause. "If not, I will wring this door open and drag you out."

Talin opened the door soon as she sensed that no one was in her bedroom. The small space was empty, but the bed as promised, was not. She went to the clothes and examined the uniform. It was a dark navy-blue leather bordering on black. It looked nothing like what the soldiers wore.

"It fits you like a glove." Gem's approval reflected on his lopsided smile as he checked her out. He'd been standing on the hallway like a good soldier, only dropping his guard when she'd exited the room. He ran his hand through his hair and gestured to the corridor. "Shall we? The president is waiting."