Jere barely kept up with Appo’s ramblings. He watched the healer rise from a nightmare, talking about a dream. It was so vivid and so specific that Jere could not outright dismiss them as conjecture, as much as he wanted to.

“So,” Jere said, piecing together the story. “We beat the plague if bring your amulet to the Temple?”

“And consecrate ourselves to it, yes.” There was no wavering in Appo’s voice. “We'd have to pledge ourselves, and it must be unanimous.”

“But Juddken is there,” Adok said, still groggy from drinking the night before. “You think he’s waiting for us?”

“I don’t know. But… if he’s alive, our consecration won’t be enough. He’s building some shrine of his own to Okkan.”

Jere shrugged. “Okay. So we kill him. Easy.” He understood why Appo was hesitant, but Jere had seen what the boy could do. Ostior would be a better place with him gone.

“Just because he’s done what he did… doesn’t mean we have the right to do the same to him,” Appo said, trying to make sense of it.

“Appo,” Jere emphasized, “if I’m to believe you, then your own God told you to do it. This isn’t even up for discussion.”

“He’s right,” Adok said. “What’s your moral high ground here? The highest authority, the very being we plan to consecrate ourselves to, permitted you. Was he not the one that cut off your hand?”

Appo shook his head, indignant. “I won’t do it.”

“Fine, don’t,” said Jere, gripping his spear. “I’ll make quick work of him.” Jere hated to admit it, but Juddken besting him a few nights prior lingered in his brain. He'd hesitated. It wouldn't happen again.

“Even if this is all true, how are we going to get inside?” Adok asked. “There are thousands of them out there. There’s no way to get through from here.”

Appo pondered for a moment. “Well, when I was in the desert, I had this method with a camel…”

Adok and Appo went back and forth, dissecting the logistics of the best possible way to get around the Temple. Meanwhile, Jere’s eyes strayed to Eevi. She'd stayed exactly where she had been for most of the night, watching for screamers. She had listened to Appo briefly but now had strayed aside to the other half of the cordon.

Jere had not thought about Eevi, considering everything. She helped them escape the Manor. Were it not for her, it was possible they would have all died in there at some point or another. Yet Jere had not even thanked her. He had barely said a word to her, both from the awkwardness of their last encounter and her current coldness.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Hey,” Jere said, awkwardly. Eevi jumped at the sound, before turning back to the ground beneath. “Any thoughts about the Healer’s nonsense?”

Eevi said nothing. Jere thought back to her time on the wall with him, and how she had handled his mood. She'd just been present, asking questions and leaving him alone. He'd let her grumble in private, but now was the time to talk. If not now, then when?

Jere reached out and placed his hand on Eevi’s shoulder. She jumped again, swiping at Jere’s arm and moving a few paces away.

“What’s your problem?” Jere asked, flinching his hands. “If you don’t want to talk anymore, just tell me.”

“It’s not that,” Eevi said.

“I just… want to know if you’re okay.”

“Yeah.”

Eevi’s monosyllables were getting under Jere’s skin. “You worried I’ll get too close? Because don’t worry, you left me and Adok in a pretty good place the other day at Nami’s. Shouldn’t have even bothered coming to get us.”

“Stop it, Jere.” Eevi pleaded, her voice quivering as she asked.

“Then what is it? What’s with the fucking attitude?” Jere immediately regretted what he said. None of it was how she would have handled this if their roles were reversed.

There was silence. Eevi took a deep breath, struggling with exactly what she wanted to say. When it finally came out, it came in a flurry of words. Jere had to ask to repeat what she said, not understanding it for the first time.

“I will make the screamers follow me. I’m giving you three a chance of making it to the Temple.”

“I… what?”

“I don’t know what the healer is on about. I don’t know where he came from, or whether any of what he’s saying is true. But if there’s even a slight chance of you three making it-”

“Are you joking?” asked Jere. “We’re going together. We’ll figure out another way around.”

“You don’t understand, you fucking idiot!” Eevi snapped. “They’re drawn to the Temple. Fires won’t cut it. No, it has to be one of us. And that’s going to be me.”

Before Jere could interject, he looked down at Eevi. She rubbed one of her sleeved arms. No, she was scratching it.

“I denied it at first,” Eevi said, laughing. She rolled her sleeve up, showing a thin scrape just beneath her wrist, already red from scratches. “But when I saw the wine, I knew. Took everything in me not to retch.”

“You,” Jere began, his words trailing off. “When?”

Eevi pointed to her crossbow. “This thing has almost killed me so many times. Bound to do me in, eventually.” She shook her head in disbelief at it all. “Feels so pointless now.”

Jere reached out to touch her but hesitated. “I- I thought you-”

“Jere,” Eevi said, turning now to look at him. Her eyes watered, already reddened. She smiled, sheepishly. “I crawled through a fucking toilet for you… You’re okay.”

It was too much. Jere felt his eyes tear as well.

“I… I wish we had more time,” Jere said. He wanted to say more, but it was already taking all of his will to not reach out and hold her.

Eevi stepped forward, stopping just a pace or two away. She was so close, yet had never looked so far. Never had she looked so beautiful, scars and all. “When you stop this plague, and you will stop it,” Eevi paused, yet never wavered in her gaze. “Come find me.”

Jere sniffed. He couldn’t hide it anymore. “Okay.”

“Okay.”

Eevi smiled once more, before turning back to the Temple. She stepped forward, took a deep breath, and dropped from the top of the cordon and ran to the Temple.

“Boys!” Jere yelled after some hesitation. “Move your asses! We’re leaving!”