Whisper.
I hear a whisper at the door.
Slowly I rise from the bed and go to it, pressing my ear to the frame to make sure I heard correctly.
"Arishia."
I jerk back and stare at the dark wood.
"Jonaus?" I whisper within the dark.
His voice is soft. Strained. I don't know if I can detect it or not, but there almost seems to be...pain in it.
"It's me."
I exhale and put my forehead to the door.
"I thought you had left me," I admit.
I'm whisper as well. I don't know why he is keeping his voice so low, but it's a cue that I read and mimick.
"I have what you want."
My eyes widen in surprise.
"You have the-,"
"Don't say it."
The words sound desperate and hoarse.
The next few sentences he says are rushed and scattered.
"Don't ask how I got it. I'm giving it to you. But I can't leave it there. You can only look through it for a second, just a moment. I need it back."
The door opens just a crack and I see the book slide through and land on my side, before the click of the lock returns.
I pick up the cover and flinch.
Blood.
Blood stained it.
"Jonaus..."
"You're wasting your time. Hurry."
I do as he says, quickly opening.
The language is old. Moon script that dates centuries back.
"Do you know the language?"
"I'm Arishia. Of course, I know it."
Silence meets my answer.
I quickly look at the contents.
There. One letter showed out above the others.
I raise my head and give a silent thank you to the Moon. Still watching over me. Still helping me complete my task.
I quickly flip to the section, the pressure of time pushing into me as I scan however much I can.
I gasp.
"What's wrong?"
Jonaus's strained voice comes out behind the door. It's followed by a hacking cough.
I flinch from the sound and quickly go back to the pages, my eyes widening with each word I read.
"This can't be true," I whisper.
"Arishia?"
"It's fine," I whisper.
I stand a few minutes more, desperately wishing I could keep the book with me.
My mind swirling in a dark spiral as I take in the content of what I read.
"Hurry Arishia. I need it. Quickly."
"I'm almost done," I whisper.
Just a page more.
But Jonaus interrupts my reading with his coughing, "Now Arishia. Hurry."
I can't help the frustrated sigh from escaping me as I quickly close the book and slide it through the crack in the door.
I hold in my gasp as I see a flash of Jonaus's white hand, covered in specks of blood.
"Jonaus, are you alright?"
"Fine."
I pause at the door, taking in his coughing.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just... I'm just sick."
"Is it from the book?" I question.
"No. No this is something different."
I think back to what I had discovered in the Sweven. Jonaus was only proving what I had read. Only pressing into my mind the darkness I had discovered was actually not a myth.
Truth.
"I'll be better in a few days. This happens from time to time."
I close my eyes and softly let my head fall back to the door.
Oh Jonaus.
"Thank you," I whisper.
"I need to go," his words are a whispered farewell.
I stand there for a few seconds more, trying and failing to hear his sound of retreat.
Until a different set of footsteps reaches my ears.
I turn to the other door and sigh as it opens to reveal the King.