The Archarrion pushed me away. I squeezed a little when I saw his eyes.
- Vetriana, what are you up to? - He grinned.
I shook my head without looking away, looking into the darkness of his eyes. As if into the very Abyss. Scary... But I looked stubbornly.
- I don't want to run away from you anymore, Rion," I said quietly.
I thought he'd be glad, but he got even darker. He lifted up my chin. I saw that he didn't believe me. He doesn't trust me. He's looking for a trick. He's listening to my emotions. And she kept looking at him incessantly. I wasn't afraid anymore. "You have to believe what you say," Briar taught me. And I didn't have to believe it. I was speaking with complete sincerity. I raised my hand and held my palm on his cheek, drew the contour of his lips as he did. The demon looked all the same frowning, but did not repel... I dared touch his neck and buried my fingers in the dark hair. I felt his body stiffen and smiled slowly. The strange power over him fascinated me...
- Give me a kiss," I asked.
He did not respond, he was slow. He still couldn't believe me. Then he sighed.
- I'm not sure I can stop," he said deafly.
I drew him to me and exhaled him on the lips:
- And don't...
...it's been a very long night. An endless night when I learned what demon love is...
I thought it would hurt, but it turned out to be sweet...
Rion took his time, though I could feel the flame burning him, but he was like a gentleman stretching his pleasure, slowed down for fear of frightening me. Several times he stopped, looked me in the eyes, over and over again he listened to my feelings, distrustful, unbelieving. And I hugged him again, slipped my fingers on his skin. I unbuttoned his black camisole myself, tangled myself in men's clothing that I was not used to, pulled his shirt down... I reached for his pants. And I didn't notice when I was left without my own clothes. He froze again, giving me the opportunity to see, get used to his body, already so familiar and at the same time completely alien.
I touched his skin, chest, back with curiosity, guided his fingers through numerous slightly convex scars. He wincered, and I was afraid to take my hand away.
- Are you in pain?
- Chickenpox, it doesn't hurt," he laughed, "it tickles me.
I laughed, and he couldn't stand it, picked me up, took me to the bed...
Yes, it was a very long night...
I'd like to think that I was affected by a spoonful of elven nectar, but why lie to yourself? The nectar had nothing to do with it...
There was not a single foot of skin left on my body that would not touch his lip, he kissed me all, and I kissed too ... What he whispered to me, what he did to me, immersed me in some sweet nectar, with which no nectar could not compare. A drug addict of desire and passion, of tenderness and sensuality, of endless, maddening attraction... Bitter as the smell of Snow Color that we inhaled.
We fell asleep only in the morning, and even in his sleep he would not let me go, pressed me against him, braiding his hands as if he was afraid to run away.
I woke up from the sun's rays climbing under my eyelashes. I moved, trying to get out from under my heavy hand. And I fainted when Archarrion turned his back, putting me on his chest. He was smiling. And I was embarrassed. In daylight, everything looked different... different. Besides, lying on his hard body, I could feel his... desire too clearly. I think I blushed again.
He laughed, held his palm on my back.
- I don't want to leave you," he said with regret and held my palm to my lips, "and I don't want to part for a moment...
- Rion, your eyes are shining," I was surprised.
- I love you," he said calmly. A quiet knock on the door made me scared to roll off his body and climb under the blanket.
- Master, the Council has already assembled," Daarhar called from behind the door insistently.
The archpriest drew me to him, buried himself face in his hair and held me for a moment.
- I have to go," he said. I nodded, glad he couldn't see my face. The demon let me go and got up.
- Daharhar, I'll be there soon," he said, not loudly, but the dhir heard.
- Yes, my lord.
The archharrion had gone to the thermals, and soon returned, water dripping from his wet hair. He dressed quickly, threw acanara on his back. He walked to the bed where I was sitting, wrapped in a blanket.
- I miss you already," he said with a smile, touching his lips and walking away.
I sat still, looking at the room, the white buds, the burnt coals in the fireplace... I also got up. There was no bracelet on my forearm.
A quick washing without looking in the mirror, dressed without thinking. Only wrapped again and again in the threads of power, like a cocoon. She put Mother Briar's notes in her pockets on her belt, trying to give them to her teacher. And she went out into the living room, the study.
- Khhar," said the guard, who had already taken up his post at the door, calmly, "I go to the house on the rock.
He nodded and we touched the portal with our hands.
When we moved, I tried not to spin my head, not to look out for the blue aura in the trees, and went straight into the house. There was one more thing I had to do.
- Chickenpox! - Briar was happy with me, I was afraid you were sick. How are you feeling?
- It's all right," I squeezed out a smile.
- Are you sure you're all right? - The teacher doubted, you look pale...
- Briar, I feel fine, I assure you, I brought your mother's notes.
- Keep it," he waved, "and read something for now. I have to go into town. I'll go through the portal, it's quick. I'll be back soon, and we'll start studying.
- Take your time," I smiled as I walked him through the portal. I was wondering how to get him out of the house... the Abyss itself seems to be helping me today.
Briar left, and I sat down in a chair, looking at the greasy shadow of the leila.
- Laurel, I called quietly.
The shadow couldn't hear me, still moving objects, cleaning breakfast from the table. Briar was right, it was only a memory.
I reached for the threads that bind the spirit to the master; they were blackened with dusty webs, stretched with dreary strings. I tore them apart one by one, decisively breaking that tormenting bond. The liberated spirit hovered, slightly thickened, the shadow acquired the features of a dark-haired girl... A grateful smile slipped across her lips, and Laurel's spirit disappeared.
Clenched my lips, I left the house on a rock and went to the path. Khkhar stood by the wall and only gave me a glimpse.
I could see the blue aura under the same tree. Behind my back there was a canopy of silence.
- Chickenpox," the invisible Shider rejoiced, "did you remove the arch?
I nodded.
- Well done! - With jubilation in his voice, he said, "I'm going to remove the shield! Wait a minute...
I froze, looking at the trees indifferently. Still, Briar's books came in handy, I knew the blood fusion would take full effect in one moon rotation. But already now I could feel my connection with Archbishop getting stronger, I could feel his emotions more clearly. And they beat me like a whip.
The demon was happy.
I felt that his happiness, in which there was no triumph of possession at all, but what was... drove me crazy. Somewhere far away, he sat surrounded by demons and tried to hide such an inappropriate smile...
And again and again, I wrapped myself in the threads of force, hiding my feelings and thoughts from him, not letting my consciousness, substituting reality with illusion ... Realizing that I will not last long ...
- We did it! - Lord Darrell solemnly exclaimed, "Vetriana, hurry, come here! Chickenpox?
I stayed standing.
- Shaider, I can't... I whispered, I can't... like this. I need to talk to him... explain... I'm sorry...
I took a step back.
- I was afraid...of it," said Lord Darrell quietly, and how mu
ch pain he had in his words!
The quiet rustle behind my back made me turn around. The Archarrion stood on the path and frowned as he looked at me. I cried out. I felt it after all. I got it. He's here.
I threw myself at him, pressed myself, looking into his eyes.
- Rion, I...
Warm hands hugged me tightly, keeping me from escaping. I froze, suddenly realizing that the fire of Chaos was not burning in my dark eyes.
- Antashar," I whispered.
- You'll thank me again for this, Vetrjana," said Faceless, "putting the portal noose on both of us.
All I managed to do was scream and fell into the torn space.
* * *
Riverstein. It was still winter here. There were snowdrifts under the pines, blue clouds of the sky frowned, and the stone walls of the castle were white with hoarfrost. Everything remained the same, and it seemed to me that a lifetime had passed...
We were standing in an empty refectory, Antashar came out of the portal in its true form. He looked at me, shuddered with my emotions. Oh, yes, that faceless gourmet, the pain doesn't like drinking... Almost immediately Lord Darrell came out of the second portal and rushed to me.
- Chickenpox, how are you?
I didn't have time to answer, because the shadows in the corners of the refectory moved, all at once bent out, went in with a stroke!
- He wouldn't get through," said Shaider, but he hurriedly shackled his hands, weaving extra protection. The shadows trembled, crawled on the walls, moved, and intertwined with each other. Their jerks were getting fiercer and angrier, they were reaching out to me, stretching the darkness.
Antashar stood next to Shider, through the teeth of the muttering spell. The darkness came alive throughout the castle, the living shadows condensed, merged into a black, impenetrable darkness, and I saw a figure of a demon in it...
Lord Darrell scolded.
- Shaider, put a shield on her! - shouted out Antashar.
Lord Darrell turned around and hurriedly entangled me with a protective dome. The darkness became even thicker, shuddered and opened. The Archarrion came out of it, examined everyone with his yellow beastly eyes. He put his wings open behind his back. And he smiled.
- So, everything was a lie? - He asked me exactly, bending his horny head slightly.
I hurriedly pulled the strings of force upon myself. My Power, which was spilled into Riverstein like puddles after a spring thunderstorm... There was a lot of it, and it helped me, sheltered me, hid me.
I nodded slowly. I guess if he had turned around, I wouldn't have held back. But the demon was looking at me. It looked almost calm, only the darkness around it wrapped in swirls, beat with a torn cape, squirming.
- That's how..." he stretched out, "you're good at... pretending.
He stepped towards me, thoughtfully examined the protective dome installed by Schader.
- Rion, stay away from her," shouted Lord Darrell. The Archarrion threw it away so that Schader flew all the way through the refectory. The darkness crawled greedily toward Shaider and Antashar, circling them with black rings.
- Rion, don't," I begged you, "let go! It's not their fault. I left... myself.
- Why? - He asked me quietly.
I kept silent, biting my lip. How hard is it to say...
- I don't love you - my voice hardly trembles - and I will never love you. I'm... afraid of you. And at night... I just wanted you to take the arch off!
I thought I'd be angry, even prepared for a fierce flame that would burn me from the inside. But no. There was no rage. It started to hurt. It hurt a lot. He nodded as if he were waiting for me to say it.
- I thought that if we tried, we could fix something," he said thoughtfully, "to change. Wrong... I'm sorry," he held his palm, drawing on the protective dome of the runes that flashed blue, and the dome burned. Lord Darrell scolded through his teeth.
- That's right," the Archarrion told me and smiled, "I would never forgive you if I were you. But you're different, and I was hoping... That you could do it. And you're a smart girl, you've learned to give back. That was good. It's tangible.
- Take Archa," I whispered. He wince. I hurt him again. He stood there looking at me for a moment, and left. The shadows froze, sprawled into the corners. The darkness was melting.
- Chickenpox! - Lord Darrell and Antashar ran up to me, braked, trying to look me in the eye - what's wrong with you?
- He's not coming again," I said exactly, pushing their hands away and going upstairs to her blue room. And I didn't come out of there anymore than they knocked.
And at night I woke up in wild pain. No, I didn't wake up. I moved. To where the maze of Chaos burned, and a demon walked through it, burning in its essence a blood confluence. This time, the Source did not heal, it burned the Archarrion, roaring with fierce fire, burning the skin to blood. But he walked stubbornly, like when he walked long ago through the red lines of the pentagram.
And I walked with him...
Feel my presence, throw my head in.
- Goodbye, Vetriana," he said. And I woke up in Riverstein, madly looking at the moonlight flowing through the muddy window. I knew he was trying to keep me out of that pain, that I couldn't feel even a fraction of what he was feeling as he walked through the maze, and still screamed so that I tore my voice off.
I couldn't hear the men tear down the door, I couldn't feel my arms hugging me...
It hurts...
- Ahn, can you help? - Lord Darrell asked desperately, to drink the pain?
- Too much... - The hoarse voice of the Faceless came to me as if through a dusty mattress.
I don't know how long it lasted until the blissful emptiness stunned me, and I fell into insensibility as if into a viscous whirlpool...
* * *
I woke up alone. I lay there, looking at the narrow room, stained glass, worn-out walls. By the narrow bunk, a small table with a clay jug. I sat down, reached out to him, greedily drunk.
I got up slowly, put on a blue student dress, plaited braids. Inside it was empty. The fire of Chaos was no longer burning in me, the merger was no longer there. There was a ringing silence, like in this clay jug, with a crack on its side.
I found my friends in the refectory. They jumped up when I came in. Lord Darrell was pale, there were disturbing shadows under his green eyes. Antashar is frowning. Xenia looks with her slightly dilated eyes, and as if soothing, her hand is clutching Danila.
- I want to make Riverstein a school for children with magical powers," I said, "for those who once heard the Call.
I walked through the refectory, accompanied by their silent looks.
- I am also hungry...
One day, they all moved, rushed around, taking bread and cheese out of the baskets, pouring herbalist in mugs and exaggerated loudly saying something. I wasn't listening, smiling, and even nodding, looking at my home walls, the tables and benches I'd known since I was a kid...
I turned nineteen today. By the standards of the Northern Kingdom, I've become an adult...
* * *
The first thing I did after a light breakfast was go to the Source. My friends broke up with me, but I shook my head, and everyone sat down on the bench obediently. I don't know what scared them about me, maybe calm, but they looked at me with strange fear... and didn't ask me anything. Nothing at all. It was as if everyone by acquiescence decided to pretend I'd never been to Chaos...
And I was more than comfortable with that silence.
As I walked out of the building, I froze, leaned against an icy stone wall. Riverstein, my castle, my land, my roots... The spirits of snow and lakes, swamps and pines had already begun to sing their songs, sensing the return of the Guardian. It was not yet daring, not believing that they were heard, and then more and more loudly, they whispered their stories, told about how they were waiting for me...
I went along the wall, touching the frozen rocks. My fingertips tingled slightly with frost, frost melted with the heat of my han
ds, leaving thin paths on the rocks.
Black ravens and the constant companions of Riverstein sat on the wall of the fence, chuckling. Once I was afraid of them... And now I smile like old friends. That big, old crow over there still remembers me and Ksenia's childhood fun. And then she sat here, under the paws of firs, looking disapproving. Those young and curious ones, bowing their heads with a humpbacked beak, funny... Under the wall, hiding from the wind, a wounded bird froze. Black feathers ruffled, blood on its side. Either in the trap, or in the paws of a cat... I lured it, and the bird took off hard, fell on my palm. I invited the crow's feathers, healed the wound, let go...
There was a sibling cloud in the sky. A blizzard was emerging in her belly, and the cloud was panting, hurrying to throw fluffy snow on the ground. I pushed her in the wind. Go, honey, go north, there are trees crying without snow, freezing... Cover them with a white blanket, let them sleep till spring. And there are enough storms in Riverstein.
The horse Marysya was crying quietly in the stable. I went to her, stroked the peg groats. The old mare was looked after by Danina, fed and cared for during our absence. But Marysya became very old, her legs were sore, her eyes were staring at her. She was no longer happy with fresh hay and apples, tired ... I also stroked the piled wool, and cut the threads of her life ... Sometimes the best thing to do to relieve suffering. Now let Marysya frolic in the lush meadows of the Shadow World.
She also sat, wiped her tears, and went to the sanctuary.
The source was asleep. As she slept, the power spilled in the air trembled, her threads swayed in the wind. I put my hands in the cold font, waking up.
Let the Source awaken, let the Power flow, not a creek. Let it burst into a full-flowing river, filling everything that exists. Let him fill these lands with life and magic, awaken the hidden, return the secret.
Let the walls around Riverstein stand. To protect, to protect those inside. May the one whose thoughts are evil and whose soul is not looking for light never pass through the walls... May these walls be strengthened by every flash of magic, by the light feelings that will fill the castle. The laughter of children, the thirst for knowledge, the admiration of the new. From the first love, from the unbreakable friendship, from the children's vows that will carry young magicians through life...
The Wind of the North Page 64