Change of Darkness

by Jacinta Jade

  Siray had helped Genlie to ease her over shirt and sleeveless top off, using a wet rag to dislodge some dried blood that was sticking the garment’s to the female’s wound, Genlie hissing as muscle shifted.

  Siray talked as she worked, to provide them both a distraction from the task. ‘I see Kovi is still watching you closely.’

  Genlie stilled for a moment, then she sighed. ‘It’s funny how these things work out, isn’t it? I’ve been surrounded by males all the time I’ve been fighting with the Resistance, ignoring most advances, and yet, there’s something about him. Even now, in this place, we’re still growing closer.’

  Siray could hear the smile in Genlie’s voice. ‘It’s nice to see,’ she said softly to her friend, fighting against her own feelings as Deson’s face flashed through her mind. Upon first meeting him, she had thought him arrogant and unfeeling. Yet after getting to know him better, she had realised that Deson’s demeanour was merely a wall he had erected to protect himself from further loss.

  Swallowing, Siray lifted the wet shirt from Genlie’s back, wincing in sympathy as she felt the cloth still pull in some places against her friend’s skin.

  Genlie breathed in audibly.

  ‘Almost there,’ Siray assured her.

  With a final quick tug, and another sharp intake of breath by Genlie, Siray was also able to ease the sleeveless top over her friend’s head.

  Once both garment’s were off, Genlie sighed in relief, her shoulders relaxing, but Siray tapped her side, her gesture making Genlie aware that they still had to remove her wrappings.

  Given the tightness of the supporting bands, the cutting end of the whip had sliced mostly through them, resulting in the wrapped layers peeling back from the edges of the wound. Yet the blood from the laceration had made other parts of the fabric stick to her skin. While removing the wrappings was less painful than it could have been, it was still a delicate task.

  Genlie’s back now bare, Siray peered at her friend’s injury, the small light emitter on the wall above them throwing out just enough illumination for the examination.

  ‘You shouldn’t think that what’s happening now won’t have any impact on your situation with Baindan and Zale either.’

  Siray froze where she was bent over, her hands and eyes on Genlie’s back. ‘What do you mean?’

  Genlie gave a soft laugh which ended in a hiss as the motion caused her back to spasm. ‘You know what I mean. I’m talking about their interest in you.’

  Siray straightened a little, her stomach clenching at the thought. She’d just lost Deson. Even though he’d only been courting her, along with Baindan, and there’d been no formal arrangement between them, her affection towards Deson had grown significantly before his death. And now, the loss was too fresh to consider anyone else so soon. It felt like a betrayal of Deson’s memory. ‘I can’t think about that now,’ Siray said flatly.

  Genlie turned her head slightly. ‘You might need to,’ she warned quietly. ‘They’re only going to get more protective, you know, the longer we’re here.’

  ‘I … I can’t. I mean, I don’t—’

  ‘Sssshh.’ Genlie hushed her, twisting farther around, although the movement made her wince. She put out a hand to Siray, smiling softly ‘I know you’re new to how this type of thing plays out. Kovi and I, we’ve both decided. We’re committed. Even if it may impact us in this place.’

  Siray knew what Genlie meant. They were going to look after each other, even if their bond might be used against them at some point.

  ‘Kovi and I know how to manage this,’ Genlie continued. ‘We’ve discussed it. But you …’ Genlie took in a deep breath. ‘You might have a hard time trying to hide the connection between the three of you if you don’t decide on one of them.’

  Siray shook her head and then opened her mouth to speak, but the memory of a pair of dark-brown eyes stopped her.

  Her face must have shifted, as Genlie grasped her arm more firmly. ‘Siray, I’m sorry. That was inappropriate of me. I know that Deson also had special meaning to you.’

  Siray nodded. Cleared her throat. ‘He did,’ she said in a dull voice. ‘No more or less than Baindan or Zale does now, but there was … something special. Yet now I’ll never know what it might have been.’

  Genlie nodded. ‘Rivalry for a female creates a level of connection between the female and any male involved. After you make your choice, the bond with the unselected male also alters, and you usually become firm friends. So I know what it is you’ve lost. And why you must be reluctant to even think on it.’

  Siray nodded again, thankful for her older friend’s understanding.

  ‘But,’ Genlie continued, ‘make sure you consciously manage the situation. Baindan seems to have himself in check, and Zale appears have a fair bit of sense, but don’t forget what instincts can do.’ Genlie turned back around. ‘Even to you.’

  Siray nodded again and then bent to continue her assessment, her tongue clucking at what she saw.

  Genlie sighed. ‘It’s not pretty, is it?’

  ‘No, but some males dig scars,’ Siray quipped. They were the same words Genlie had spoken when Siray had learned of the facial scars she had received during the battle in the desert. She reached up now to brush her fingertips against those visual reminders of the close call she’d had, her fingers running over the raised lines across her temple, eye, and cheek. It could have been much, much worse.

  Survive, Siray thought to herself. Survive, and endure. That was the key.

  Genlie sucked in a breath, clearly bracing herself for what was next. ‘Well, do what you can for me.’

  Siray nodded and rinsed more of the torn strips of shirt in the basin of water before laying a number of them along the length of Genlie’s wound.

  When she had finished, she helped Genlie bind herself up with the new wrappings the Faction had provided, then assisted in easing a clean shirt back over her friend’s head.

  ‘Right—your turn,’ Genlie said.

  Siray winced a couple of times as Genlie assisted her to remove her own shirt and wrappings.

  After some careful scrutiny in the little light they had, Genlie declared, ‘Well, it’s obvious that the brief stint in your yeibon form today has helped. Your wound already looks a day or so old.’

  Siray smiled grimly to herself. At least that was one good thing.

  Genlie cleaned the wound and dressed it with the remaining strips of material, then helped Siray dress again.

  Their new clothes were thin and contained some holes, but at least they were cleaner than the ones they had been wearing.

  Siray clasped Genlie’s arm. ‘Thanks for the advice.’

  Genlie gave one of her small, sweet smiles. ‘Anytime.’ The female turned away again to open the door of the small washroom and walked out into the cell area where the males were.

  Then she stopped still.

  Concerned, Siray quickly stepped around her, enough of the dull glow from the washroom spilling out into the cell to show her why Genlie had frozen.

  She chuckled.

  Their cell, although not large to begin with, was now decidedly crowded, with a cripwof, a rilander, and a fiorify taking up almost all the available room.

  ‘So,’ Genlie started, ‘where are we supposed to sleep with you three hogging all the space?’

  The cripwof that was Kovi huffed and carefully backed itself up a little towards one corner before laying down and looking back up at Genlie.

  Genlie gave an amused sigh. ‘Well, at least I’ll be a lot warmer tonight.’ She walked over to where Baindan was taking up a third of the space in his large rilander form. ‘Mind if I grab a blanket?’

  Baindan obediently lifted one of his large six legs, and Genlie snatched a blanket from beneath him before making her way around the room to Kovi. Once by his side, the female lowered herself down, positioning her back against his Kovi’s furry side.

  The cripwof’s contented grunt and Genlie’s tired sigh as they both
settled in for the night made something in Siray envious.

  She turned her eyes away and saw that both the rilander and golden fiorify were both watching her intently.

  ‘That’s not off-putting at all,’ she mumbled. Then she looked more closely at them both. ‘Well, with you two and Kovi taking up so much room, I don’t think Changing into my yeibon form would be such a good idea.’

  The fiorify gave a quick shake of its head before it languidly stretched out its large wings, their span almost reaching from wall to wall.

  Nodding to herself, Siray pivoted back to the washroom and walked in to flip off the emitter switch on the wall, plunging the washroom and the cell into complete darkness.

  Closing the door to that small space and turning back to face the cell, she moved carefully along one wall towards a spot where there had been a tiny bit of free space, navigating her way cautiously.

  Once there, assuming it was safe enough with the cell completely black, she Changed. Not into her yeibon form—which would have been risky, anyway, with its horns and them all being packed in so tightly—but into her sevonix form.

  In the darkness, Siray heard three different sniffs in the dark, then a breathless silence fall as the three males realised that she had Changed.

  Kovi and Baindan would know the scent, but Zale, never having seen her in this form, might not.

  And there were special advantages to this form. With her sensitive ears, she could hear the quiet breaths of everyone in the cell, and noted the muffled sounds from Wexner and the others in the cell next to them. Even in the pitch dark, she could still make out the vague outlines of her friends, although her predator sense of smell meant she could pinpoint them easily even without visual cues.

  Siray heard Baindan shift a little, and she knew that, even with the darkness of the cell and the lack of watching eyes, he was anxious about her being in this form, in this place.

  But she had to recover quickly and being in this form would help. The stronger they each were, the stronger they all would be.

  And who knew what tomorrow might bring.

  Siray turned on the spot twice before finding a suitable position and then curled herself up into as small a ball as possible in the corner.

  Across the cell, she saw Zale’s feathered form settle down to roost on a blanket, whereas Baindan, she knew, would remain standing all night, given that rilanders slept on their feet. She only hoped he wouldn’t shift and stand on anyone during the spans ahead, which would be painful, since he was so heavy.

  Curling her long tail even more closely about her, Siray felt her eyes drifting shut and finally let herself succumb to a more complete darkness.

  ***

  Later that night, Siray was awoken by someone moving up beside her in the dark. Her excellent hearing had picked up the sound, and even before the person had come close, she knew who it was by scent.

  Zale had Changed back.

  She could hear Genlie’s steady breathing, the quiet snorts coming from the cripwof, and the rumbling breaths of a rilander deeply asleep.

  Siray lifted her feline head from the ground.

  Moving up beside her, Zale paused. Then he whispered, so softly that even Siray could only just hear him. ‘Sorry—I didn’t mean to disturb you. But … I had to see.’

  Siray settled her head back down onto her paws. So Zale knew the scent of a sevonix. Interesting.

  She watched as his hand slowly reached out and down, searching, and she braced herself.

  When his fingertips finally met her coat, she had to fight hard to stop a shiver from going through her.

  At first, Zale’s touch was light, barely there, as if he were making sure her form was real. Then he put the full weight of his hand on her back and stroked.

  Siray heard the slight escape of his breath and scented the variation in his mood.

  ‘You’re beautiful.’

  The whisper was so quiet that Siray wasn’t sure if she had imagined it or not, and she remained still as she watched Zale reluctantly withdraw his hand before quietly creeping back over to his original position.

  A moment later, he was a fiorify again, but Siray could see the tiniest glint of golden eyes peering in her direction.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  THE SOUNDS OF guards moving out in the yard awoke Siray before any of the others, her superior hearing giving her early warning. She quickly Changed back to her original form, berating herself for staying in her sevonix form for so long.

  Honvil had wanted her and Deson to keep it a secret for a reason.

  Yet as she stood up in her normal form, she rapidly noted the difference in her ease of movement. Her back had healed a lot more during the night.

  As she took a step forwards, one of Baindan’s large eyelids slid open. He was still standing in the same position he had been in the night before, and Siray took her next step in his direction.

  No one else was awake yet, and she stretched out her hand and placed her palm against his large, leathery cheek. Against his massive jaw, her hand seemed ridiculously small, and a gentle nudge from Baindan against her hand made her chuckle silently before she proceeded to reach up and rub the base of one of his ears.

  Baindan’s eyelids sank partway closed in bliss.

  Until a sleepy sigh sounded from the cripwof in the corner.

  Baindan’s eyes flashed open, and Siray’s hand froze mid-stroke—then she wondered at what she was doing and, dropping her hand, stepped away from Baindan, berating herself. She shouldn’t be showing such favour to Baindan around the others, whether they were asleep or not. To do so was almost a declaration of a preference—one she wasn’t ready to make for a number of reasons.

  She moved away from the six-legged rilander just in time.

  Kovi, who was still lying on his side as a cripwof, was now showing all his sharp teeth as he let out a deep moan of a yawn, his four limbs sticking out and stretching, while Genlie gave a small shriek as her furry pillow suddenly moved and her head hit the cold stone floor.

  Kovi, obviously realising his mistake, froze and then bent his lean body over to look apologetically at his mate. Or as apologetic as a cripwof could look.

  Siray couldn’t help but laugh out loud as Genlie ignored Kovi’s look and swatted at his muscular shoulder with one long arm. It was more of a symbolic reprimand than anything, given how tough cripwof hides were.

  Siray’s laugh also had the effect of awaking Zale’s feathered form, and seeing him move, she peered over at him, her glance meeting his large golden eyes. Raising his proud head off the floor, he stretched out his wings slightly, and a heartbeat later, he had Changed, standing up and stretching his arms up over his head.

  She had to look away from him as she remembered the warmth of his hand, the feel of his skin on hers, from the night before, and she felt her cheeks heat slightly. It was as Genlie had said. She couldn’t make her feelings go away. Couldn’t halt the yearning for physical contact. But she could still attempt to ignore it.

  So Siray stepped away from Zale, an almost identical movement to when she had stepped away from Baindan, and navigated around the rilander and Genlie’s form to reach the door and push against it—still locked. She twisted away from the door and glanced back at the room, looking at the dim grey light filtering in through the tiny window at the top of the wall. It couldn’t be long until the door would be unlocked.

  She noticed Genlie moving gingerly. ‘How are you feeling?’

  ‘Like a brand was burned into my back,’ came Genlie’s grim response as she rotated her shoulders a little, wincing. ‘But I guess it feels better than yesterday. Just wish I could take some time out of this form, like you guys.’

  Siray made a sympathetic face. ‘Another day, though, and you should be able to Change, right?’

  Genlie nodded. ‘Three-day rule.’

  Three days until Genlie’s smaller animal form could manage the rest of the healing. After the allotted window, she would indeed heal faster in her ani
mal form, given its resilience, but to do so earlier would risk the pain overwhelming the smaller form. Just like the captive who had made that mistake in the arena yesterday.

  The sound of a drum and the clunk of their cell door unlocking halted any further conversation, and as Kovi pulled open the door, the guards began shouting from the yard below for the captives to fall into line.

  ‘Day two in paradise,’ muttered Baindan.

  His words made Siray feel a senseless urge to giggle, but she clamped down on the impulse, telling herself to get on with it—there was nothing about their situation that should be treated lightly.

  Following Kovi and Genlie from the cell, she joined the file of captives winding their way down the stairs and heading across to the yard to arrange themselves appropriately on the stonework. The rows of units had barely formed when a beaming Captain Raque strolled over to stand before them. This can’t be good, Siray thought.

  ‘Well, here we all are again. Or are we? Did anyone decide to sleep in this morning?’

  Siray’s limbs went cold. She had forgotten that one of them had been thrown into the pit yesterday. She automatically strained her hearing to see if she could pick up any sounds from the direction of the pit, but there was nothing.

  ‘Not to worry,’ the captain continued confidently. ‘I’m sure we’ll find someone to keep your friend company before the day is out.’ He nodded briskly to one of his men, and the group of captives was ordered to march.

  They followed the same procedure as yesterday, walking in single file to the door in the wall and along the corridor beyond before emerging onto the brilliant sandy floor of the arena.

  This time, however, Master Herrin stood in the middle of the expansive space waiting for them, and the captives quickly but silently fell into their rows again. They didn’t have to wait long.

  ‘Off to your left, you’ll see a weapons rack. Each of you is to grab a wooden staff and return to your position. Move!’

  His roar on the last word spurred Siray to action, and she broke into a run, dodging some slower Resistance captives in front of her. She was amongst the first few to reach the weapons, and as she stretched out a hand for one, an arm roughly pushed her aside.