Nazneen, Ares, his men, and the messengers all gathered with Ravina, Saul and Brenna and explained what they were doing and how they set up the trials. Ravina listened carefully and took a look at the questions and the plans, not expecting anything less from Ares and his men.
But there was something about Nazneen as well. Something about the way she spoke and carried herself had changed slightly. She seemed more confident and relaxed, mirroring Ares, who sat beside her. He interfered as little as possible and allowed Nazneen to speak most of the time. She would look his way when unsure of something, and he would give her a subtle nod if she was on the right track.
They must have had a tough night based on the bruises on his and his men's faces. This made her a bit uneasy about leaving Malachi behind, as if she could protect him. She would probably only endanger him even more.
When the trials began after lunch, Ravina spotted the witch with the description that Ares had given her earlier during lunch. She couldn't believe her eyes. The old man now looked like this? Young and even fairly handsome. What exactly was his plan, but also what was Ares's plan in keeping him here?
She became thoughtful. Denying him could cause more trouble, so perhaps Ares was winning more time by finding out more about him.
Turning to where Nazneen stood, she noticed her paler complexion. Ravina was about to walk over and offer some comfort when she noticed Ares going to her. He went to stand beside Nazneen, his hand moving behind her, probably stroking her back as he leaned in to say something.
She nodded with a faint smile, and he remained by her side. Ravina noted that they seemed closer. As she observed them, she realized that her discomfort around him had changed from jealousy, confusion, and sadness to a growing sense of guilt. The guilt of leaving him behind. Now, watching them close, she felt a hint of relief.
With a light heart, she looked over at Saul, who sat quietly in a corner. He had been silent most of the time. Brenna, Tenzin, and the messengers watched from upstairs to make sure no one was cheating, and then the first part of the trails ended.
The second was about combat skills and strength, and the messengers together with Tenzin were responsible for that part. Still, Nazneen decided she should go and watch as well.
"Do you want to see blood?" She asked Ravina.
"My favorite," Ravina responded with a hint of humor.
They went to an arena where the fight would take place and Ravina sat with Brenna and Nazneen. The men left them to sit separately and then the fight began by announcing the rules first. Many people gathered to see who would be the last man standing in the bloody fight.
Ravina already knew dragons were strong, but she had seen Nazneen who finished off a fight pretty quickly. These ones dragged on and became bloody with both males unwilling to surrender.
"Will the witch not participate?" Ravina asked.
"No. His skills will include magic, so he will get a zero score for this competition since he isn't eligible."
Ravina nodded and then the female category began. To her surprise, the females were more fun to watch, and Nazneen seemed to agree.
"Females don't play fair," she smirked as she clapped for one particular woman she liked.
The scores were set as the sun set, and then they were back home, after Nazneen had some chatter with a few female fighters, praising their skills.
Dinner was already served when they arrived, and the atmosphere at the dinner table was a mixture of excitement and exhaustion from the day's trials. Everyone was animatedly discussing the events, dissecting individual performances, and speculating about who would ultimately come out on top.
In the chatter, Ravina realized that even the messengers she knew to look stern every time she had seen them were now talking and smiling. There was something about gatherings that made people open up and she really believed one of the ways to bring their people together was to make them know each other. Like this. It was good that Ares brought his men with him.
As the night wore on, the group began to disperse, with each person returning to their quarters to rest and recover from the day's events. For the sake of their safety, the men decided to sleep in groups and put the women together, so Ravina would share a room with Brenna and Nazneen.
Reluctantly, Nazneen left Ares's side and followed them.
"You two can take the bed. I will sleep on the mattress on the floor," Brenna said.
Ravina was about to protest, but "I can sleep on the floor," Nazneen said before her.
Brenna shook her her with a grin. "Can't let the queen sleep on the floor and or the future queen." There was a mocking lilt to her tone and then she didn't wait for them to protest and went ahead to prepare for sleep.
Ravina looked at the large bed and then at Nazneen. "Don't be nervous." She teased.
Ravina smirked and shot back, "Well, as long as you don't hog all the blankets, we should be just fine."
"You can take them all," Nazneen said, nudging them to her side as she got into bed.
Ravina slid under one blanket, and they all went silent to sleep. But Ravina couldn't sleep. She began to wonder what Malachi was doing. Did he return home? Was he sleeping alone? And... it felt strange being away and going to bed without waiting for him to come home.
It was strange to realize how much a part of her life he had become, and now, even in a room filled with two other people, she felt his absence keenly. She couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same way, missing her presence as he went about his day.
'I will miss you' she recalled his words and then the goodbye kiss. The bothersome heat returned to her body, which she had managed to forget during the busy day.
She turned in bed, trying hard to sleep when Nazneen turned around at the same time, and they were facing each other. She couldn't sleep either.
"You reek," she whispered. "No wonder he sent you here."
"Is it that bad?" She whispered back.
"I have heard it is. For males."
"Oh..." was all she could say.
"It will be better if you wait, at least your first time should be in a controlled manner." She spoke.
Ravina had an odd feeling that she was talking from experience. "Was... your first time bad?"
"It was terrible," she admitted.
"Can I ask how so?"
Nazneen was thoughtful for a moment, her eyes becoming distant. "It was a mixture of doing it with someone terrible, doing it for the wrong reasons, and rushing it when I wasn't comfortable yet."
Ravina remained quiet, watching her expression in the dim light. Nazneen sighed as she closed her eyes. "Try to sleep even if your body is begging for something else."
Nazneen fell asleep, while Ravina continued to toss and turn, unable to find a comfortable position. The heat in her body refused to subside, and she knew that sleep would remain elusive. Deciding she needed a change of scenery, she quietly slipped out of the bed and tiptoed across the room. She opened the door, careful not to make a sound, and stepped out into the hall.
The large windows allowed the moonlight to cast its soft glow and illuminate the way. Ravina wandered through the quiet halls and found herself drawn to a balcony garden overlooking the garden below. She stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air, when she noticed Ares standing there, leaning on the fence and gazing at the stars.
"Can't sleep either?" she asked softly, not wanting to startle him.
Ares turned to face her, a small smile playing on his lips. "I could ask you the same thing. What brings you out here?"
Ravina shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself to cover herself a little from the cool air. "The new atmosphere is keeping me awake."
"Hmm," he looked ahead again. "I am surprised Malachi sent you here."
"Well, he sent me specifically to work on the weapons with you."
Ares' lips curled upward. "He must trust you a lot," he said. "It must not have been easy for him."
She didn't know much about men, but she believed that. She had seen a lot of changes in Malachi lately, and she knew he was making great efforts to make everything right.
"What about you? Have you found a cure?"
"No."
"I don't know if you know this and... your relationship with Nazneen, but I have heard that mating cures."
"I know. Sharing the magic in the blood that would otherwise kill you if you weren't a breedmate would in this case stay in your body and heal you."
Ravina frowned. "Then... ?"
Ares turned around, locking eyes with her. "Magic doesn't heal old scars. If the injury is persistent, then magic can't save you. Even for a dragon. That is why we used obsidian bullets." He reminded.
Now that she thought about it, he was right. But what did that mean?
"How exactly are you sick?" She asked.
His gaze faltered. "I will find a cure," he said, not answering her question.
For a moment, she wondered if he was just going along with his death. She knew he was a pirate and understood their mindset, but still, knowing that you would die must be a heavy burden to carry. She doubted that it didn't affect him at all.
"I know you have probably been busy, but my sister..." she began.
"The half breed has reached out to me, and I will meet him the day after tomorrow."
She nodded, hopeful.
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