I woke up just before sunrise in the dead silence of the night.
While I had fallen asleep amidst confusing thoughts, my sleep was calm and restful, and I felt even better than the previous day. The cursed cut was still sending dull throbs of pain through my chest, and the bandage was soaked through and smelled of wet earth. But the wound itself seemed to be healing.
As my senses returned to me, I heard quiet breathing somewhere close and the warmth of being embraced by someone. I looked down and sleeping right against me, leg entwined with mine, was Florencia. She must’ve snuggled up against my chest during the night. She was still deeply asleep; her face was calm as she sighed softly when she breathed out.
At first, I was surprised, but then very quickly my mind decided without my input that this was not at all a bad thing. With care, I brushed aside one of her golden locks and noticed how her hair fell down on her shoulder and on my chest, and how her smooth skin glowed in the faint light. She wore a simple cream-colored shirt that clung to her frame, with a few opened buttons that opened a view to what was underneath.
Her scent filled my senses, and my body reacted to her extreme closeness.
I found myself wide awake, with my heart racing and a dire need of a cold splash of water to calm down. Probably because of my quickened heartbeat, Florencia awoke with a sudden panic and recoiled away with a look of apology on her face.
“I’m so sorry!” she cried out, her voice filled with regret as she hastily got up from the bed and closed the top buttons of her shirt, making herself look decent. Her eyes shot down at my lap, then back up, and she blushed a deep red. “I’m sorry! I had no right to do this. Please, I’m—”
But my mind had already cast its judgment. Despite my initial reservations, I found myself warming up to her company, and I was surprised that it did so this fast. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her, so flustered and embarrassed, and I reached out to calm her down.
“It’s not a big deal,” I said. “Besides, this is the best morning I’ve had in the Academy so far.”
She blushed a deeper shade of red, looking a little sheepish. “I’m sorry,” she said again, more quietly this time. “I didn’t mean to cuddle against you like this. I just felt so comfortable that I couldn’t stop myself...”
“Flo, it’s alright,” I said again. This time I used her nickname on purpose, hoping to ease her mind with it. It worked like a charm, and the tension in her face dissipated, replaced by a look of relief. She sat back down on the bed next to me, both of us feeling a little awkward still, and I was unsure what to say next. Florencia filled the silence by summoning her boots from the middle of the room, and slowly and methodically putting them on. Her boots were tall and slender, rising to her mid-calf. The leather exterior was worn and with many scratches, but still a rich shade of brown, darkened and scraped up by many years of use.
After some time sitting in silence or making idle talk, I decided it was time to freshen up. I got up and washed my face and hands clean of sweat and dirt in a shallow bowl of water. Once I had finished, I turned my attention to the bandage. Carefully, I undid the cloth and examined the cut. The edges were a pinkish-red color now, and I thought it was a good sign that the wound was now closing and the curse was cleansed from it. The earthy smell that had lingered there was gone, replaced by the fresh scent of the tincture.
I was about to wrap a new bandage around me when Florencia came over to assist me. She took the damp cloth, which was already soaked with the remaining tincture, from my hands and placed it gently over the cut, applying slight pressure as she held it in place. On top of that, she wrapped a wider cloth around it and finished it with a tidy knot. She glanced up at me and caught my eye. A sly smile played at the corners of her lips.
“There you go,” she breathed. “All better now. Now sit down. I really have to give you a shave now before Philemon and Ardovar come.”
I agreed and sat down in front of the small window, sunlight illuminating my haggard-looking face and messy hair. The chair was narrow and its leg was wobbly, but I hoped it would hold. Florencia gathered a straight razor, some scissors, water, and soap, and set her things ready. She stood in front of me, arms on her hips, and bit her lip as she took her time and cleaned up my appearance.
Gently she did her work, with her hands working the sharp razor with skill and precision. Without asking my opinion, she left me a short beard, which covered up a little scar under my ear. And my hair she cut off entirely. At first, she wanted to keep some length, but with the many small nicks and scars on my scalp and upper neck, she then decided to just cut it all off and leave it at that.
As she worked, I couldn’t help but feel a little tense, especially as she got closer to my face. But Florencia grew bolder, soon losing her facade of properness. A sly smile curled at the corners of her lips, and a barely hidden excitement flashed in her eyes at how close were. When she finished the last cuts with the scissors, she no longer bothered with a polite touch, her warm hand lingering on my cheek as she swept away the last stray hairs.
“All done,” she whispered and looked down at me with her piercing green eyes, which could tell a passionate tale of desire. My eyes met hers and I smiled as I stood up, but I said nothing and now it was my turn to feel a sense of awkwardness. Florencia’s mind seemed to be filled with thoughts improper for the time, but thankfully the moment was short-lived.
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Our attention took a loud knock at our door, and a single guard stepped in. He informed me that the Lord Commander and dean of the Academy were on their way up, and to make ourselves ready for the interrogation.
“Are they going to read my mind again?” I asked Florencia, feeling a suspicion grow in my heart.
“Yes. But you have to let them,” she said as she set the room ready. “You’re under my protection, so they won’t use the painful methods for it.”
“How are you so sure?”
“Because I’m the High Warden of the Lodge, and you’re under my protection,” she said plainly. “They won’t lie to me. Not after all those years and what we’ve been through.”
Her answer did not completely ease my concerns, but I let it go for the moment. Ardovar and Philemon won’t break my mind without a fight. Instead, I asked: “Is the interrogation going to hurt?”
“No. But it will be uncomfortable,” she said, and her eyes grew distant as if she remembered something from a time past. “But if you resist, it’s going to hurt.”
Soon we heard the sounds of heels on stone echoing through the corridors.
Florencia looked at me, gently nodding and taking my hand in hers for encouragement. I could feel her soft skin against mine, and I couldn’t help but notice the floral scent of her perfume, which seemed to hang in the air around her. And in her eyes, there was a flirty glint as she squeezed my hand reassuringly. She was even more excited about my release than I was.
Philemon Petridies and Ardovar Verrier burst into the room without a knock. They made no effort to greet me, or exchange pleasantries, instead tossing their coats aside as they took in the room’s state. Their noses wrinkled in disgust at the dusty floors filled with sawdust, wood shavings, and old pieces of furniture.
“You have gathered your strength,” the Lord Commander said, standing straight and sucking in his great gut. “I must inform you we burned your old clothes. We had them in one of the cells, but our guards got sick, so I burned them.”
I shrugged in silence, meeting his eyes, but saying nothing. I felt a pinch of annoyance over this, though, as the coat was good and warm.
“Very well. Warden Regalla,” Ardovar said and turned to Florencia and looked perplexed. “You look unusually cheerful. Is everything alright?”
Florencia smiled but said nothing to the Lord Commander. She simply leaned against the table next to me, and I felt her comforting aura pierce mine.
Ardovar frowned his brow briefly, but then turned to Philemon and said: “Shall we begin?”
Philemon nodded to Ardovar, then turned to me, and gestured that I take a seat on the bed. I felt my palms grow hot and sweat beading on my forehead. My heart beat faster now, and it was like my body was getting ready for a fight.
The mattress sagged under my weight as I sat down, and I took a deep breath in, trying to calm my nerves and hide my intentions from them. Despite my outward compliance, I couldn’t stop thinking that this was all a ploy by them and that they would still do what they said they were going to do back in the chamber. But I had decided I would resist them the moment they tried to do something I felt was dangerous to me. That I kept hidden from them, and from Florencia. She trusted them. I didn’t. They mentioned using me as a scapegoat in their schemes, and I would not give them the opportunity to do so.
“Please, just relax,” Philemon said. But in his eyes, I saw a softness, unlike the cold and blunt thoughts of Ardovar. It was a good thing he was Ardovar’s commander and not the other way around.
I closed my eyes and tried to relax, but felt three pairs of eyes on me. Florencia was calm, though, and was not in any worry. I took strength in that, and for a moment I hoped she was right.
Their interrogation began with intense eye contact. Then I felt the pressure of their minds trying to access my thoughts and memories. Their eyes lost their sharp and fiery focus, and my head ached and my vision swam as they delved deeper into my mind. My mind was blank, and I saw nothing and could think of nothing.
Then the interrogation worsened. I lost vision, and it was as if there were strangers around me, groping my body with icy hands, putting their fingers and palms where they should not place them. It felt like a violation of my personal being and left a lingering dislike for both Philemon and Ardovar.
After what felt like an eternity, the violating interrogation finally ended. Ardovar and Philemon exchanged a few words in hushed tones and then turned to us. They looked exhausted. Philemon sat down on a half-finished chair next to the window and swiped his face and brow clean of sweat. Ardovar went further back, leaned against the wall, and conjured up a thick mahogany pipe. Soon the corner filled with a strong smoke but seemed to calm down the Lord Commander.
“Well,” Philemon said with a tired voice. “We found no trace of lies in your mind.”
“But your memories were wiped, and it is clear to me that you are involved in some kind of… strange activities. The Lodge cannot simply let you go free,” Ardovar Verrier said. “I’m placing you under supervision. To be monitored closely until we can determine the full extent of your involvement and the threats you may pose to the interests of the Academy.”
Philemon coughed and shot Ardovar a piercing glare, which shut up the smoking Lord Commander.
“I’ll do it,” Florencia said quickly. She did not catch the last part of what Ardovar said. “I will take responsibility for his actions and ensure that he poses no threat.”
There was a tense silence. Ardovar and Philemon both pondered and looked into the distance for some time, but I felt they already made up their minds before coming up here.
Ardovar sighed and said: “As you wish. We will release the man into your custody under the condition that you report any unusual or suspicious behavior to us immediately,” he turned to me and with an unforgiving stare he said, “Until further notice, you may, Jonas, go freely into Bessou under the supervision of High Warden Regalla. But you may not leave town. If you do that, I will catch you myself. And then the protection of Florencia will not be enough.”
Philemon Petridies looked at Ardovar with disdain, but kept silent and did not say a single word as they left us alone.
Ardovar irritated me. It was his tone and his arrogance that rubbed me the wrong way and I felt from inside a wave of anger emerge which was strong and bright and whose roots were deep and outstretched. With great effort, I suppressed it, but I knew that the moment I was outside the Academy, and out of their direct reach, I would not come back to their control willingly.
They would have to use their might and power to do that. And then I would fight back.
“Come on, Jonas,” Florencia said with the widest smile I’ve seen anyone have until then. “Let’s go home.”
And so we did.