Blinded by the Sun (Erythleh Chronicles Book 4) by Catherine Johnson
Authors: Catherine Johnson
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way. Her lungs felt tight, as if her chest was bound. Her heart had increased its rhythm five-fold. She might explode, or implode with the waiting... and then... the razor was gone and there was... nothing.
The water was still warm around her, more slick now, perhaps. The air was even heavier, the weight of the steam had been increased by the scent of the unguents that they had used. Lyssia felt herself being lifted from the water. Her body was completely limp, not even instinct could command it. She felt the attendants struggle, and it was the only victory that she had. The next moments were a blur of muted sensation as she was dried, and her skin oiled. She felt more tears fall at the thought of all these fingers touching her without her consent, even though they were not doing the worst that she had expected. Somehow, what they were doing, cleaning her, tending to her, was terrible enough.
She felt all the hands about her leg, but the ache in the bone was the last thing on her mind now. She was so confused and so beyond rationalisation that nothing hurt anymore. Her mind had retreated to a blank, grey, static space. She dimly realised that a new splint and fresh bandages were being constructed, but she was beyond the capacity to care or worry what that meant. The stress of the bath had overwhelmed her responses to everything, until they had burnt out in a flash. She was barely even coherent enough to be grateful when she felt them manipulate her body into some sort of silken robe. She had no concept of the design or construction, only that it felt as though it might cover her enough to preserve most of her modesty.
A harsh, unmistakable voice cut through the bespelled room and shattered every shred of calm in Lyssia's being.
"How much did you fucking give her?" Seff's voice was sharp blades cutting into Lyssia's skin.
"As much as we had to." That was definitely the voice of the woman that had come to her cell.
"She's barely even breathing"
"She's healing a broken leg, and she was fucking filthy, it's taken us hours to clean her. Would it kill you to douse them with a bucket or two on the road?"
"Really, Dessa, you know fucking well what would've happened if I'd ordered her stripped."
"Your gang are worse than beasts. "
"We put plenty of coin in your purse."
"Aye, you do. But that's not why I do what I do."
"You enjoy scraping shit and spunk off them?" Seff asked, with no small amount of scorn in his tone, considering that he was speaking to someone who appeared to work for him.
"No. It's as much as I can do to make these girls feel human again. After all your men have done to them. Mark my words, Seff, if you don't get them under control, you'll find yourself at the king's mercy. I've seen the others. This one got treated like royalty by comparison, and she wasn't in so great a condition."
"You've said all this before." Lyssia was able to discern the tedium of an oft repeated argument in Seff's voice.
"And you've done fuck all about it. Maybe now you'll listen, what with him coming to the markets himself."
"Excuse me?"
No wonder her caretaker's voice had carried a note of triumph; the news had obviously been a surprise to Seff.
"Oh, you didn't know." The crowing satisfaction oozed thickly through the words. "The king is coming. Today he accompanies Shinu. He's going to see the state of the others, he'll see the bruises and the black eyes. He'll see their broken spirits and the way that they flinch if you so much as breathe near them. Your days will be numbered, and your coin, unless you can convince him you're better than the rest."
"How do you know this?"
"I have my spies, just as you have yours. It appears that mine are better placed on this occasion."
"They speak truly?"
"You think we would have used the golden oil if they were lying? Despite her leg, you've a chance of selling a slave to the royal house, maybe
The water was still warm around her, more slick now, perhaps. The air was even heavier, the weight of the steam had been increased by the scent of the unguents that they had used. Lyssia felt herself being lifted from the water. Her body was completely limp, not even instinct could command it. She felt the attendants struggle, and it was the only victory that she had. The next moments were a blur of muted sensation as she was dried, and her skin oiled. She felt more tears fall at the thought of all these fingers touching her without her consent, even though they were not doing the worst that she had expected. Somehow, what they were doing, cleaning her, tending to her, was terrible enough.
She felt all the hands about her leg, but the ache in the bone was the last thing on her mind now. She was so confused and so beyond rationalisation that nothing hurt anymore. Her mind had retreated to a blank, grey, static space. She dimly realised that a new splint and fresh bandages were being constructed, but she was beyond the capacity to care or worry what that meant. The stress of the bath had overwhelmed her responses to everything, until they had burnt out in a flash. She was barely even coherent enough to be grateful when she felt them manipulate her body into some sort of silken robe. She had no concept of the design or construction, only that it felt as though it might cover her enough to preserve most of her modesty.
A harsh, unmistakable voice cut through the bespelled room and shattered every shred of calm in Lyssia's being.
"How much did you fucking give her?" Seff's voice was sharp blades cutting into Lyssia's skin.
"As much as we had to." That was definitely the voice of the woman that had come to her cell.
"She's barely even breathing"
"She's healing a broken leg, and she was fucking filthy, it's taken us hours to clean her. Would it kill you to douse them with a bucket or two on the road?"
"Really, Dessa, you know fucking well what would've happened if I'd ordered her stripped."
"Your gang are worse than beasts. "
"We put plenty of coin in your purse."
"Aye, you do. But that's not why I do what I do."
"You enjoy scraping shit and spunk off them?" Seff asked, with no small amount of scorn in his tone, considering that he was speaking to someone who appeared to work for him.
"No. It's as much as I can do to make these girls feel human again. After all your men have done to them. Mark my words, Seff, if you don't get them under control, you'll find yourself at the king's mercy. I've seen the others. This one got treated like royalty by comparison, and she wasn't in so great a condition."
"You've said all this before." Lyssia was able to discern the tedium of an oft repeated argument in Seff's voice.
"And you've done fuck all about it. Maybe now you'll listen, what with him coming to the markets himself."
"Excuse me?"
No wonder her caretaker's voice had carried a note of triumph; the news had obviously been a surprise to Seff.
"Oh, you didn't know." The crowing satisfaction oozed thickly through the words. "The king is coming. Today he accompanies Shinu. He's going to see the state of the others, he'll see the bruises and the black eyes. He'll see their broken spirits and the way that they flinch if you so much as breathe near them. Your days will be numbered, and your coin, unless you can convince him you're better than the rest."
"How do you know this?"
"I have my spies, just as you have yours. It appears that mine are better placed on this occasion."
"They speak truly?"
"You think we would have used the golden oil if they were lying? Despite her leg, you've a chance of selling a slave to the royal house, maybe