Mountains Vast and a Kingdom So Red

Chapter 69

All the wolf pack is present so he forces himself to bow at them, feeling ridiculous. The one called Rian hoots at him. Ryder stops, soup spoon mid air, to raise his eyebrows at Simmons. Preoccupied, he just shrugs, and rustles papers in a drawer belonging to a stained wood table besides the cabinets. He skims, finding some of Winter's poorer work, along with a stray menu and a dozens of things he does not care about until he finds a lip stick stamp. It is faded but beautiful as the owner who placed her lips there. Tess has laughed about it, it was decades ago when she was first assigned her role, and claims she was a foolish floozy, but he never laughed about it. He treasures it, along with the words above it. So he grabs it and shoves the drawer shut, indifferent to the page edges sticking out.

In a rush, he almost blurts out he has it, but he stays silent until he is alone with Urisis once more. She has a knife in her hand, not pointed, just balanced.

"This is it." She takes the talisman from him.

"Do you object to this being dripped with blood?"

"Uhh." Simmons crushes his fingers against this sleeves. "Why does it need to be dipped in blood?"

"My sacrifice. You do not believe in the stones, but I do, so this is how it must be." She flips her hair. "It might come off. I hear bleach works wonders."

"Let me. Give me a moment." Simmons sits down and breathes deeply into his palms. Criticism sinks its claws in his brain; the afflictions that he is weak and effeminate. That he let another destroy his wings and fled instead of killing him. That a young Princess controls his fate, who, yes, is bright, but she is green. He has no control, no authority over a mere letter.

"Yes. I mean no. I do not object."

"Good," she says. "I can sit with you and we will do this together." She kisses his cheek. "Relax."

The way she maims herself is horrifying. It is not an inch cut. The knife slashes through one end and sticks out in the other. Blood does not bother Simmons, but if it did he would gag. She dregs it out and slides the letter with her non injured hand onto her injured one. "Grab my hand."

He listens and his ears perk for a spell, but it does not come. Her tears are ripe and she sniffles. Then she shuts down, head lolling limp in front of him. Before he calls for help, she remembers herself and asks him to let go of her.

"You do not need to take that with you." She refers to the letter.

"I am going to grab supplies, medical supplies for you." He dashes off, constriction in his throat. Goodness! No wonder why he strays from Purists.

Urisis thanks him as he cleans the circumference of the gaping wound with alcohol and he unrolls a strong wrapping to hold firm on her hand.

"Why did you maim yourself for me? I am no one."

"You will be a great man. Do not worry, friend. It will heal. In ten years, there will not be a scar."

"Your faith is in cruelty," he rasps out.

"Sacrifice is not cruel, it is virtuous" she says, but it does not dull the ache in his heart and it does not give her reason. Simmons suspects she would do it again.

"I am excited to hear about your talent. I hope it makes it to the newspaper."

Simmons takes a shower to cleanse himself of sweat but to also collect himself. He is to take the bus and arrive to the harbor in thirty minutes. He has not one item packed. Once re runs through the options, he dries himself and gets dressed in the servants bathroom. Then he knocks on Mikah's bedroom door, which is open. She is with the half wolf, but they are clothed and in respectable positions. He asks her to wand Gerran for he needs his help with packing and she nods, compelling her wand to come to her so she can connect with her uncle. Gerran makes it in five minutes and he is much better at packing than the Head Servant, knowing which color ties, which designer suits. He asks Simmons if he takes any medicines and Simmons remembers the herbs for Xirna. Gerran packs the herbs, then produces glass bottles with caps so he can pool Simmons's soap in it. Once the endeavor is complete, Gerran embraces the fairie and wishes him a triumphant journey.