“I think we should see about getting accommodations and a meal,” Rayne announced briskly. Caelan got it. His advisor was doing his job and making sure they didn’t get themselves in trouble by butting into affairs that had nothing to do with them.
“Any chance they believe in room service in this country?” Drayce inquired.
Caelan wanted to snap at Drayce over his lack of tact. How could he possibly be thinking of food after watching that woman die? But before the words could leave his lips, his own stomach growled loudly and he sighed. It had been a long time since they’d stopped for food and that had been the last of their jerky. A good meal, a bath, and sleep would do wonders for washing the memory of this day away.
“Temit definitely believes in room service,” Vale boasted, sounding completely unbothered by what they’d just witnessed. And maybe she wasn’t. She’d been living in Zastrad for years now, making her far more acclimated to the culture and behavior of the people.
Caelan just wanted to be away from everyone for a while.
Vale spoke with the clerk and quickly acquired a suite with two bedrooms and a central living space. Just like the lobby, the suite was opulently decorated with beautiful furniture done in deep, lush colors. More art crowded the walls and filled the open spaces. Everywhere they looked, it was a feast for the eyes, but Caelan found himself feeling more and more overwhelmed by it all. It was as if he were under constant pressure to live and do because a giant clock was ticking down his final minutes of life.
Escaping into the bathroom allowed him the first chance to suck in a deep breath and block out the world around him. He frowned at his shaking hands. It wasn’t constant, thankfully, but he’d noticed it happening more when he was exhausted or under a great deal of stress. This was not something that had happened before the appearance of Tula in his head. He’d tried to rationalize it as something that came with being king, but he had his doubts.
A person wasn’t supposed to be linked to two gods. One was bad enough.
But it was all forgotten for a brief time when he stepped into the hot shower and scrubbed off weeks of dirt, sweat, and grim. He’d begun to feel as if he’d never be clean. When he stepped out and pulled on a fresh change of clothes, his skin was red from the heat and the scrubbing, but he didn’t care. He was human again.
Or at least as human as he could be as the Guardian of the godstones.
The rest of his companions hurried through their showers after they finished eating the food that had been delivered to their suite. Vale was right in that it was far better than he’d eaten in a long time. If he was going to have a final meal prior to facing his death, it was definitely looking like he would want it catered by a Zastrad cook. The quail and vegetables were divine, and what had been done with the sauces was beyond description.
Of course, it was Rayne who brought them all back down to reality as they reclined with full stomachs and clean bodies.
“We need to plan our next step for getting to Mrtyu,” Rayne announced, and Caelan nearly groaned. Drayce did as he rolled over and pressed his face into one of the couch cushions beside Caelan’s shoulder.
“Couldn’t you give us one night to relax and sleep before we have to begin thinking about that?” Drayce said, his voice partially muffled.
Rayne shifted his weight from his left foot to his right, his arms folded across his chest. His patented “I’m running low on patience” look firmly in place. Caelan couldn’t understand how the man had the strength to stand at all. He just wanted to become a boneless lump in his bed and not stir until someone dragged him out of it tomorrow.
“I would prefer if we started tomorrow with a known plan. Zastrad has proved to be quite dangerous, and the Goddess of Life was adamant about Caelan visiting the Dead God as soon as possible. It has been nearly a month since we left Stormbreak.”
“The route seems pretty straightforward to me,” Vale chimed in. “We need to contact this Yash Magar. If we get in with him, we can gain access to Kamal Giri in Mrtyu. If you are a year-round resident of Mrtyu, you can provide visitor passes to people down in Temit.”
Eno leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees while folding his hands together. He narrowed his eyes on Vale as she lounged in the chair opposite him, one leg tossed carelessly over the arm. “What exactly does ‘get in with him’ entail?”