Shadow Queen (Gods & Dark Creatures Book 2)

Chapter 13

"You have to eat, Ciaran," Amaya urged.

"I've already eaten enough," Ciaran argued.

"Nothing will do you better than a good soup. And the one from Aceso is even better." she gave him a wide smile.

"Give him some space," Aceso told her. "He must slowly gain strength. You must not force him."

Amaya put down the bowl of soup. The smile fell from her lips. She only wanted to help Ciaran, but instead, she only seemed to make things worse. Of course, she couldn't make his body heal. He needed time and only he could do it.

It was hard to suddenly take care of someone other than herself.

Ciaran saw in her eyes the sadness. She thought she's failing. He wanted to ease that pain he saw piercing her heart. He wanted to tell her that he's feeling fine and she doesn't have to be worried about him. He wanted to tell her that she was doing great. But Aceso spoke first.

"Come help me collect the rosehips," Aceso told her. "Surely you can take him out of your sight for a moment."

Amaya agreed. She faked a smile, never reaching her eyes. She threw a warm fur cloak over her shoulders and went with Aceso to the forest to collect rosehips.

"I love you," he told her at least before the door shut behind her and she gave him a smile.

⸸

They walked through the snowy forest. Frost covered the bare branches of the trees. They glittered in the dim sunlight. The snow crunched under their feet. Only the cawing of crows could be heard in the silence.

They arrived at a thick stand of roses that had gone into hibernation. Their leaves had been fallen for a long time. For a long time, they were not decorated with the beautiful flowers that every poet praises. It stayed somewhere in the summer. All that remained were the bare branches studded with thorns, protecting their beauty. Now in winter, they were decorated with bright red berries. According to Aceso, they are medicinal.

It was a new way of healing for Amaya. Until now, she had only known priestesses who begged the gods for a miracle or charlatans who thought that if they let a sick person bleed, they would save him. Most died. In a way, this too was a gift of mercy from the gods. The earth that created people gave them the ability to heal themselves. But only if they don't turn away from her.

Amaya believed in the power of nature.

She is a dark creature created by the Death and believes in the power of gods even as humans begin to forget.

They approached the sleeping rose bushes.

"Ave deus. Ave terram." Amaya said to the earth.

"Do you always do that when you go to rob nature of its fruits?" laughed Aceso.

"Greetings to the gods who created everything and thank Nature for her gifts," replied Amaya.

She didn't have a good relationship with the gods, but still, she always did it. It was a kind of habit rooted deep in her.

"Ave Terram," Aceso repeated after her.

"Ave Terram."

Aceso was explaining to Amaya how to pluck rosehips properly.

"During the winter, they are soft due to the frost and easily swell in your hand. You have to be careful about that."

As a demonstration, she plucked one rosehip from the stem and swelled it in her palm. Inside, it was more orange than red, and there were hairy seeds hiding there.