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.I promise.""Fine, I won't tell Mariah… this time.But you will be careful from now on."Bryn nodded quickly."And I suppose you'll want me to heal you then?"Again, Bryn nodded."Oh, all right!"Rishi ran a golden claw down the length of Bryn's arm.When she had pulled back, Bryn's skin was completely healed.Bryn looked herself over and smiled broadly."Thank you, Rishi," she chuckled.The dragon nodded and smiled back.Blackberry turned from Rishi and began walking away with Bryn singing quietly to herself high on his back.Chapter ThirteenThe sun was just beginning to set as Bryn started walking back to the cabin.Her hair was a tangled mess, and she was sure that she looked hideous, but a warm bath would change all that.She and Blackberry had spent the day together riding through the forest.Even though it looked big, she could never have guessed how large it actually was from inside.If they hadn't found a few friendly squirrels to ask directions, they would probably still be lost deep in the forest.It had taken almost the entire afternoon just to find their way out of it.Bryn fidgeted with a tangled mess of her hair that was clumped with dirt and blades of grass.Although she hadn't fallen off again, she had rolled in the grass and played in the bushes.The river had also provided hours of entertainment before Blackberry had started complaining about drinking so much water that he felt like a fish.Her wings were also dirty, and she was sure that her feet were caked with mud.Lights shone through the windows of the cabin as she approached and delicious smells from the kitchen drifted on the breeze toward her.She didn't think Mariah would be mad at her for going through the front door and getting her cabin dirty, but she didn't want to make her clean more than she already had to either.So she went to the bedroom window and let herself in.After a quick scan of the room, she realized that she was alone.As she passed over the trapdoor, her mind traveled to Ceylon for an instant.It was unfair that she had spent most of the day outside, and he was locked underground.She decided to visit him for a few moments later on that evening, hopefully with Mariah's permission and possibly even her company.The demon did seem to be very lonely down there.Bryn walked into the bathroom and undressed, piling her filthy dress in a corner before slipping up to her neck in the warm bath.Her arm was still sore, but at least Mariah would never know about her accident with Blackberry.He wasn't a dangerous horse, she told herself.He was just a little wild.There was nothing wrong with being a little wild.But Mariah would see it differently, of course, and she was afraid of what would happen if he ever found out about what had happened.It had been an accident, but Bryn knew Mariah well enough to guess how angry she would be at Blackberry for being reckless with her.The scent of lavender filled the air as she soaked in the warm bath.Her wings, dirty before, were now a pristine white.Just outside the window, she could hear a pair of birds talking in high voices that sounded almost like a cat meowing at the top of its lungs.Bryn stood up from the tub and closed the window, blocking out most of the hideous racket.She returned to the water and closed her eyes, finally able to enjoy the bliss.In the silence, her mind began to wander.There were so many questions Bryn had for Mariah and most circled around Jasmine since Mariah had been less than forthcoming with information.Though, she decided to turn to Ceylon for answers.He was chained up, after all, so he couldn't really hurt her if she went down there alone after her bath.Bryn dressed in a hurry, not bothering to dry herself or her hair, and pulled back the rug.The floor length dress she had decided to wear made going down the wooden ladder difficult, but finally she was in the first of the two chambers, surrounded by soft torch light.She couldn't hear Ceylon beyond the closed wooden door, but she could feel him.His energy was dark and foreboding but not as malicious as the first time she had met him.The glow on her skin and wings seemed to dull as she crept silently closer to the door.Barefoot as usual, her feet made little noise as she walked.The only sounds she could hear were the swaying of her dress and Ceylon's heavy breathing just on the other side of the wooden door."Ceylon?" Bryn called softly to him as she tiptoed closer.The breathing paused, but there were no other sounds.She called to him again, but he did not reply.The wooden door creaked slightly as she opened it just enough to squeeze inside.Even with the torches lit, the room was dark.Bryn waited against the cold stone wall as her eyes adjusted to the sudden lack of light.Her wings had stopped glowing, but there was still a faint hint of the silver color to them."Ceylon?" she called again as her eyes struggled to adjust.There was a low hiss from across the room, and she smiled nervously.Although she had nothing to fear from him, the demon was still enough of a concern to make her tremble.Bryn gulped loudly as she tried to get her racing heart under control.Just being this close to him was enough to make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.The dress gathered gracefully around her ankles as she walked toward him, deliberately keeping her breathing calm."What are you doing down here?" he hissed from somewhere in front of her.She could just barely make out his sinister shape in the flickering torchlight."I thought you might like some company," Bryn replied in the steadiest voice she could manage."Oh," was all he said.Her gaze traveled behind her, to the rows of bookshelves in the other room.Her curiosity was insatiable, and within a matter of minutes, she was flipping through a leather bound book.As she skimmed the pages, she came back to the room where Ceylon stood waiting for her."Find anything of interest?" he asked.Bryn shrugged and focused on the words, trying to read them.A slight smile crossed Ceylon's lips as he saw her struggling."You're trying too hard."She looked up at him."What?""You're trying too hard.It should be natural.You're making too much of it."Bryn ignored him and focused harder.Ceylon sighed and rolled his eyes."Give it here," he growled impatiently.Bryn handed over the book and sat down across from him, watching him expectantly as he began reading out loud to her."Somehow I doubt that I will ever be able to read these," Bryn said mournfully as she glared down at the tattered piece of parchment in her hands hours later.Although it had been a long time, the torches were still brightly lit.When she had commented on this, Ceylon had said that it was because of magic and went back to reading from the book in his shadowy hands.He seemed to be almost as interested as her in what they had to say.Bryn had considered, briefly, if letting him see the books and scrolls that Mariah kept in the chamber was the right thing to do or even safe, but in the end she had brought them in for Ceylon to see [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]