Chapter 7

The next morning arrived far quicker than I wanted. I opened my eyes briefly and sat up, looking for the reason I had woken. Finding nothing, I promptly fell back onto my pillow and closed my eyes.

I was nearly back to sleep when the door opened. I groaned, kicking my feet and burying my head under the sheet.

"'M sleepy Ada. Five more minutes." I mumbled groggily, and burrowed my face further into the pillow.

A hand tugged gently at the sheet but I did not relent, wrapping the fabric tighter around me with a mumbled "no".

"I wanna see you though." The feminine voice broke me from my drowsy stupor. I threw the sheet from my body and sat up in panicked haste, staring at the creature next to me with wide, fearful eyes.

An ethereal beauty: tall and slender, radiant blue eyes, round cheeks that were blushed pink, and full pouty lips, framed with flowing silver locks.

She stood close to my bed, her hand mid reach. In my panic I slapped it away and distanced myself from her, crawling backwards, stopping only when I reached the wall.

"Saninna." Lycher's melodic voice began to calm me. He was someone I knew, someone who had proven he had no intention to harm me. "Didn't I tell you to wait?"

I watched this new creature, Saninna, cross her arms and pout before she sat in the chair at my bedside with a huff.

"Daddy told me about Verin every day, so I got curious. I'm sorry." She said, looking truly apologetic. 

"Did he not also caution you on your approach?" Lycher asked gently. "You could have gotten severely hurt."

I looked between the two, my breathing becoming slightly more manageable. Whoever Saninna was, it was evident she had not come to hurt me.

"I apologize for that rude awakening." Lycher said, walking towards Saninna, arms laden with a tray of food. "This is your sister. She's been wanting to meet you since you arrived." 

I looked over at Saninna, watching her stand to vacate the seat for Lycher. Her bashful smile helped melt away the rest of my anxiety. I raised my hand and gave her a small wave, to her absolute delight.

"I checked over your wounds." Lycher began as he patted the bed, encouraging me to move closer. "They're doing well. No signs of infection left." 

I nodded, and slowly made my way towards the edge of the bed, sitting. Lycher nodded his approval before showing me the tray of food. 

"Bone broth, bread, water, and pitaya." He said, pointing out each item. 

I looked at the small bowl on the tray with curiosity. I had never seen such a food; it was white with black seeds scattered within the flesh. It had very little scent. I cautiously pointed to it, wanting to try it first.

"This fruit comes from a cactus, highly tolerant of heat and drought. I'm not partial to the texture, but it's quite refreshing." Lycher explained, stabbing a piece with a fork and offering it to me. 

I took the bite he offered and began to chew. Nausea hit me before I could even swallow the fruit. I spat out my mouthful before my stomach clenched and I vomited on the bed.

I got on my knees and bent forward, retching violently as the smell of bile triggered more nausea. My eyes watered and I gasped in between retches, trying to breathe through the bouts of vomit.

I was suddenly lifted. I noticed the room moving around me as I was carried away from the offensive odor. A door opened and I was placed on a pristine white marble floor, my back leaning against the cool surface. 

"I'm s-s-sorry." I stuttered, trying to swallow down the rising bile. 

I felt a set of arms wrap around my head, hugging me close to a soft chest, which I sobbed apology after apology into.

"Shhh." A voice soothed. "It's okay. It's okay. Hey, look at me." Hands lifted my face, tilting it toward the worried image of Saninna. "It's okay. You're okay." 

"'M sorry." I mumbled, clenching my hand into the fabric of her shirt. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She continued to reiterate, rocking me side to side. "You're fine. It's okay." 

I closed my eyes and listened to the beating of her heart. The rhythm was erratic, but soothing nonetheless, as my body was wracked with tremors. 

A wet cloth wiped my mouth, and a glass of water was pushed towards my lips, beckoning me to drink. I turned away with a groan, my stomach clenching at the thought of drinking anything. I shook my head vigorously.

"You have to." Lycher said, kneeling before me. "Just a few swallows." 

I clenched my eyes shut, tears falling down my face. I did not want to drink the water, but knowing Lycher he would not leave until I did. So, with a heavy heart, I drank down the water being offered. 

"Good job." Lycher praised. "You're doing so well. Just a bit more." 

I continued to drink. Before long, the entire glass was empty; my stomach was no worse for having drunk it. I sighed and dropped my head back onto Saninna's chest, breathing deeply as my nerves settled and my shivering eased.

"I've called the attendants to clean the room." Lycher said. I stiffened in Saninna's arms. She instinctively tightened her grip. 

"They won't come in here." Saninna assured. "Just relax." 

"I'll come get you when the room is cleaned." With that, Lycher left, closing the door behind him. 

Saninna held me until I stopped trembling. Once my breathing evened out, she shifted my body so I could look at her.

"Better?" She asked, worry still evident on her face.

I nodded before looking down at my soiled clothes, and wrinkling my nose in distaste. I somehow managed to get vomit on my trousers.

"Do you want to take a bath?" She asked, hopeful. "I heard you haven't had a bath since before you got here."

She was correct. The last time I had bathed was the day before the demons had taken me. I honestly felt disgusting, but the thought of disrobing in front of another creature terrified me.

"Your bandages should be changed anyway." She continued. "So…do you want to?"

I said nothing. I absolutely wanted to bathe, but I did not know this creature. Though she had been nothing but kind, I did not trust her. 

"Hey, look at me." She cooed. "I'll help you only as much as you want, and Lycher's right outside. If I do anything you don't like, just yell and he'll come to help."

I nodded slowly and watched her smile widen. "Good. Let me go get some stuff."

She moved me gently, ensuring I was steady before standing. She made her way to the door, and closed it behind her as she left. I heard mumbling but could not discern what was being said, so I decided to focus on disrobing. 

I grabbed the limp sleeve that laid empty to my left and pulled, raising it above my head and pulling slightly to the right to remove the oversized shirt. I balled the soiled garment in my fist, then tossed it far enough where it's stench could not reach me. 

I looked down at my torso and let out an irritated huff. My entire midsection was completely covered in bandages. I knew I would not be able to remove them without help. With a groan, I sought out the edge of the wrappings and began to unravel them, taking breaks when my arm began to ache.. 

A knock made my eyes instantly lock onto the door, and fear spiked in me again.

"It's me." Saninna said, her voice muffled by the door. "I'm coming in."

The door opened for only a moment before Saninna darted in, carrying an arm-full of supplies. She quickly closed the door behind her, making sure to lock it before fully entering the room. I was grateful to her for that small act of security.

"Now then, do you need help?" She asked, dropping the supplies on a table near the door. 

I nodded and tugged at the bandage in my hand, frustrated at the tedious unwinding process. She nodded and approached me with a warm smile. She knelt and grabbed hold of the wrapping, unraveling it from my body with ease.

She reached the bandage that bound my arm to my body; with gentle hands, she removed that as well, throwing the used bandages atop the shirt I had tossed.

She took in the sight of my upper body and hissed out words I did not understand before looking pointedly at me. 

"Who did this?" She asked, voice tight. 

"Nobody." I answered quietly, looking down at my damaged body.

Claw and bite marks ran up and down my torso, covering the hideous bruising that had begun to heal. I held my left arm close to my body, knowing the agony I would be in should I try to move it. From my shoulder down to my wrist spanned one continuous, ghastly, yellowing bruise. 

She raised her hand to touch, but stopped herself at the look of panic on my face. She sighed, moving towards the giant tub behind me. She knelt down and with a few softly spoken words, the tub began to fill with water. I took this opportunity to stand and watched the water slowly rise.

"Your trousers." She said, emptying a few bottles she had brought into the rising water. They had been filled with some kind of liquid. "You need to remove the bandages on your legs too." 

Right, I thought, looking down at the string holding my trousers in place. With a shaking hand, I reached for the tie and pulled. Just that had loosened the binding enough, so they easily slid to the floor, leaving me fully nude, save for the bandages wrapped around my legs. 

"It's okay." She said, noticing my ragged breathing. "You're safe here."

I nodded and stepped out of the fallen trousers, bending to grab the end of the bandage and unravel it. The more cloth that fell to the floor, the more exposed I was to the open air, and the more frantic my breathing became, until I was left with nothing to cover me. 

"The water's ready." She said, looking up at my face. "Need help?"

I shook my head and took a steadying breath. I walked forward and lifted one foot, then the other, making my way into the tub. I placed my hand on the wall and slowly sat, letting the water soothe my mind and body. 

The water was so opaque; I could hardly see my legs as I moved them side to side. Whatever Saninna added to the water had made it near impossible to see through.

"Lycher said it's medicine." She explained. "It's meant to help so your wounds won't scar."

I slid further into the bath, allowing the water to cover my entire body, hiding me from prying eyes. I felt oddly at ease.

"Do you need help washing your hair?" She asked, shuffling forward on her knees. A smile tugged at my lips as I watched her nearly stumble as she approached me. 

I nodded as a form of reply, and she responded with a beaming smile, full of pride and happiness. She made her way behind me and slowly ran her fingers through my hair. 

She turned her focus to my scalp, washing and rinsing twice before deeming the top of my head to be clean enough. She then grabbed a cloth, applied some soap, and handed it to me. 

"Be careful of your arm." She chided. "And make sure you clean between your toes." 

I chuckled as she stood and walked towards the supplies she had brought. I shook my head in amusement and began washing the built up grime from my body. The water was filthy with blood and dirt when I had finished, but that was to be expected.

I grabbed the edge of the tub and pushed myself up, out of the water. As soon as my feet hit the dry floor, a towel was draped around my shoulders. I nodded my appreciation.

Once I had fully dried myself, the towel was replaced by a long, silken robe. I marveled at its soft, smooth texture while pushing my arm through the sleeve. I held the front closed with a clenched fist. 

Saninna walked around to face me. She straightened the robe to sit properly on my shoulders, and tied the strap securely to ensure it stayed in place. She took a step back, and I realized the smile she was wearing had yet to leave her face.

"There. You look so beautiful." She beamed. "Wanna go back to bed?"

I nodded vigorously and was led out of the bathroom into my newly cleaned room. The vanity had been replaced, (as had the chair I had thrown out the window,) and the sheets smelled clean and fresh. I walked swiftly towards my bed and immediately fell into it, wrapping the sheet around me. 

"We need to redress your injuries." Lycher said from his seat by the bed. 

I groaned, but did not move; my eyelids drooped shut. I yawned and burrowed deeper into the mattress, promptly falling asleep.