Viekar moved so fast through those halls, I was running trying to keep up. We arrived back in Bavarthos workroom, me slightly out of breath, as he was removing his shirt.
My breath stopped in my chest as his unclothed upper torso revealed a physique gods would be jealous of. Every muscle group was perfect, raised like it was etched in stone and polished to a shine. His clothing hid it all so well... I never would have guessed. His long dark black hair fell across his shoulders and chest like a dark waterfall.
"Hch...hmmm." Bavarthos cleared his throat, making me tear my eyes away from his physique, and looked up.
*deer caught in the headlights*
(＠_＠;)
'Oh shit...I was staring.'
"Sin, take a picture, it'll last longer." Bavarthos says rolling his eyes.
'Shit, don't mind if I do.'
I pull out my phone only to have Bavarthos grunt at me.
"Sarcasm can not escape you, you're smarter than that Sin. So what in the hell do you think you are doing?" He taps his foot, crossing his arms and I can't help but chuckle.
Smirking at him, "Hey now, I was just taking you up on your offer." I shrug it off as I stick my phone back up. "Don't be mad, B. I was just joking with you." I tell him after seeing the look of displeasure still written on his face.
"Fine." He looks away walking towards a cabinet and pulls out a new shirt and pulls it on.
"Viekar?" He glances at his Satyr. "What's on the tray?" He goes to one of the tables that's clear and drags a stool to sit.
Viekar hurries over and begins to place the food down before him, making an arrangement for two to eat.
"Ah, yes, Master Bavarthos. We have some of my mother's beef and cabbage stew, with roasted vegetables, peeled fruit, some sourdough biscuits, and of course, a blackberry Merlot."
Viekar pours the glasses of wine and Bavarthos waves him off. "Thank you, Viekar. That will be all."
Viekar bows to the both of us and quickly leaves the room.
'Damn it, I can't ask Viekar if he was serious or not.'
"Come sit down and eat, Sin. Anana makes the best beef and cabbage soup." He waves me over to take a seat on the other stool.
"I'm not that hungry..." I start as I take the seat. I'm cut off by the loud rumble of my stomach.
"See." Bavarthos slurps some soup up, "Even your stomach is telling you to shut up and eat something."
He takes a biscuit, halves, and butters it before he hands it to me. "Trust me, you'll not regret it."
"Oh, I guess I'll eat a little bit then." I mumble taking the biscuit and dipping it in the stew for a bite.
'OH, MY HOLY KNICKERS!' I could feel my eyes popping out of their sockets.
'THIS IS DELICIOUS!'
Bavarthos starts laughing at me, "I told you it was good, didn't I?" His laugh was a deep, short, rumble that was surprising to hear.
'I think that's the first time, I've ever heard him laugh that was genuine. '
I know my smile got wider and could feel it beaming across my face, as I got down to business on the stew.
"Excuse me." I rub my chest after a burp escapes me.
"It's not bad manners, just good food." Bavarthos wipes his face with his napkin, placing it on the plate. Grabbing the bottle of wine, he pours himself another glass.
"Would you care for a top off?" He offers the bottle but I wave him off.
"No, thank you. We still have a war going on, and I have some questions."
"Well, if I have the answers, I might give them to you." He teased, taking a long drink from his glass.
"First, I was told how our air support was diverted to the northwest of us. It didn't make it in time to save everyone, but that's why it was so late showing up."
Bavarthos merely hummed and nodded, his gaze not focused on anything.
"Now, What was up with that bullet? The Erl's forces couldn't have very many of those now could they?"
His face contorts into a scowl, "You're not going to like what you hear. I also need you to keep it quiet for now, because of the problems it's going to bring about."
"I don't care, tell me." I sit up straighter and focus on his next words.
"No other bullets that have been dug out of my pets or machines, that have any magical properties. How were you shot with it? Did you see the shooter?" He asks, his eyes calculative.
I think back and have to shake my head, "I didn't see the shooter. There were several attacking the machine that called you. I thought it was a ricochet from hitting the machine." Remembering the pain that struck afterward makes me shudder and sick to my stomach.
'Oh, I do not want to throw up right now.'
"I don't think this was an accidental ricochet, Sin. This is not the type of thing that would 'accidentally' be mixed with regular ammo either. I think that this was intended for you." He says lifting a bag from his pocket containing the bullet for me to see.
My hand shakes as I reach out for the bag, taking it to look closely at it. "You really think that the Erl's army has a sniper waiting for me at each new town or traveling with the army?" I say the first thought that comes to my mind.
He takes a deep breath before releasing it as he spoke, "That's a possibility. What first came to mind though was, we have a traitor in our midst. One that knew you, or myself, would be there for the shooter to be there, ready. Waiting for us to show ourselves. Think about who would've known, that has access to the information, even someone who's been acting differently lately."
'That's .... shit that's not impossible.' I think to myself. 'There's plenty of possibilities at HQ who would know where I was. I should ask John if anyone has been acting funny late..ly.' My heart freezes with my next train of thought. ' JOHN...no, no, no. He's been acting funny lately... no, he can't be.... no.'
"No..." The thought that it could be John escapes my mouth. Quickly, I cover my mouth to stifle the sound of my voice that was filled with disappointment and betrayal. My stomach turned and contracted. Burning bile, sliding up, like a trail of magma up my throat. Standing up, my mouth still covered, I look frantically for a trash can, anything I can make use of.
"Here!" Bavarthos grabs a bucket from under the table that I didn't see and put it next to me just in time.
I'm heaving and hurling the burning, acidic contents of my stomach. Ferociously emptying the contents of my stomach. I kept trying to take a breath, but my reflexes were not allowing me to. My face and body heated up as my diaphragm forced everything up and out of my stomach violently. Bavarthos is rubbing my back with one hand and holding my hair back out of my face for me with the other.
When I was finally able to take a few breaths, Bavarthos handed me a glass of water. "Just sip it slowly. Rinse and spit if you need to."
I did as he said, grabbing my napkin from the meal to wipe my face.
"I'm thinking you might have an idea of who it might be, judging by your reaction. Am I right?" Bavarthos asked as I sat down.
My knee started to bounce as I think about it.
'I have to make sure of this first.'
'It could just be the stress of everything making him act weird.'
'If he was a traitor or wanted me dead, there are better ways to go about it. Especially since he can snap, why would he be telling the Erl's armies, when he could kill me himself?'
A firm, warm hand grabbing my leg to still it on the floor brings me out of my thoughts. My vision goes back into focus to see Bavarthos looking concerned at me.
"Are you going to be okay? You're breathing rapidly and your eyes keep dilating. You're also about to put a hole in the ground if you keep bouncing that knee." He asks, removing his hand from my leg, he leans back as I nod.
"I will be. A thought ran through my mind, but now that I've thought about it... It's not impossible, but it's a slim chance that it is them. No, it can't be them..." I say the last part more as a reassurance to myself than to Bavarthos.
"I would keep an eye on everyone, but you already know this. Other than John, Thietian and you, does anyone else know my identity?" His eyes read me as I shake my head.
"No. Well, the Shadows do." I do point out that little fact.
" I'm not worried about the Shadows. They do not betray anyone that they associate with and they do not associate with the Erlking or his forces." He waves off the thought.
"Then I don't think anyone else does. Unless Thietian told someone. He wouldn't do something like that though...." I pause looking at the way Bavarthos has clutched his chiseled chin thoughtfully. "Right?" I finally add, questioning him.
"Sin, I'm not sure. He's a complicated one." He says uncertainly.
"You ARE the one who brought John back right?" I ask hesitantly.
"Yes." Bavarthos says matter-of-factually.
"Why did you bring him back, for me, but not give him to me directly then?" I ask the question that's been burning inside me now for ages.
Bavarthos gives me a heavy sigh as he looks at me. Gauging a thought inside his mind before standing up, he heads to a cabinet. "I'll be honest with you, I only brought him back because I was asked to do so by my mother. I didn't know anything about you until afterwards."
He pulls out a box and lifts some envelopes out, scanning them over before picking one out of the rest. "Ah-ha! Here it is." He holds it up and walks over, handing it to me to read.
The paper is familiar to me, thick, handmade. I open it to find the same handwriting I've seen a few times before. I glance up questioning him with my eyes.
"Go on and read it." Bavarthos urges me on.
I start reading the letter and I'm flabbergasted into silent shock, once I'm done.