Fulcrum of Light (Catalyst Book 2) C.J. Aaron (unputdownable books .TXT) 📖

middle. He gasped at the sight of the tattoo on Ryl’s chest. With all that had occurred, it was a mark that Ryl had forgotten was there. The situation surrounding its application, however, was forever ingrained in his mind. Reliving the Battle of the Erlyn Woods through the body of the phrenic, Caprien, was something he still felt with all of his senses.

“This is unexpected,” Mender Brasley gasped. “A transference of power. I’ve only seen these in the great tomes in the library. Heard their tales passed down throughout the ages. Where did you come across this?”

Ticco braced himself against the doorway; steadying his shaking legs, whether from shock or the heat. The surprise was written across Andr’s face, and his head shook from side to side, his mouth forming a small discerning smile. Ryl thought for a moment before answering.

“In a time of great need, the Erlyn Woods revealed one of her secrets,” Ryl admitted plainly, still hesitant to divulge too much information.

“Are there still phrenic alive in the great woods today?” the mender interrupted with a start; his eyes grown wide.

“I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that question,” Ryl said shaking his head. “The woods never showed me another, he said he was the last before vanishing.”

“This will be a story worth hearing,” Brasley commented, the excitement in his voice impossible to hide. “You’re full of surprises, my young friend. I assure you the Council will find this most interesting.”

A splash interrupted their conversation as Andr buoyantly entered his bath. The mender hopped back a step as the water spilled over the edge, spreading out in a wave across the floor. A look of barely disguised annoyance flashed across his face as he glared at the mercenary, who was easing himself into a comfortable position against the side of the inset bath. Andr let out an audible sigh.

The mender shook his head, as his eyes traveled back to the transference of power tattooed onto Ryl’s chest.

“Well, my scientific curiosity will have to wait,” Brasley sighed. “Get yourselves cleaned up. I’ll be back to collect you before the sun is down.”

He backed up another step from the spreading water, shaking his head again before turning to leave the room. At the doorway, he stopped, looking back into the bathroom.

“Please see that you spend the time until I return resting,” the mender warned. “Meetings with the Council tend to be lengthy. Oh, and I took the liberty of measuring your feet before you awoke. Your new shoes are ready at the cobbler’s. I’ll leave them in your room.”

He hurried out of the bathroom without another word.

With the investigative eyes of the mender off the tattoo on his chest, Ryl finished undressing before easing his way into the hot water. With every inch of his body that sank into the soothing liquid, a comforting warmth replaced the aches, the soreness and the general discomfort. Every pore sweat out toxins; expelling them into a sickly film that spread out across the water. Ryl splashed at the coating of grime, sending the polluted liquid running across the floor.

The room was almost imperceptibly sloped outward toward the edges on all sides but that which they entered from. Running along the edge of the room, a line of short, narrow slits were cut into the floor allowing for the overflow to drain.

Ryl leaned back, resting his head against the cool stone floor, letting the heat soak through his body. Heated baths were a luxury he had experienced but a few times in his life. His infrequent baths during his imprisonment within The Stocks came care of a hasty dip in the icy waters of the river that bisected the area.

Ryl’s fingers and toes were wrinkled by the time the pair exited from the baths. The cleansing soak left him feeling refreshed, contented and alive. He waved off any assistance from Andr. The blood seemed to rush through his veins with renewed vigor, as if its path was now open and free from obstacles. A strange sensation rolled through his body, following in the in the wake of his blood.

He followed Andr silently back to their small room. The hallway appeared more detailed than he’d remembered, and the area was brighter than before. The soft impact of their bare feet on the stone floor echoed in his ears. The rancid scent of the blighted rose remedy was more potent, choking out the air with every inch forward.

Ryl reached out his hand, sliding his fingertips along the smooth surface of the wall. He traced the lines of the minerals running through the store. He felt every imperfection as if it was a gaping hole in the wall. He concentrated on the enhanced details surrounding him; his mind swelling with the influx of information.

His new clothes were absent of the scratch he had grown accustomed to from the rough threads routinely issued in The Stocks. The soft fibers were a comfort to his skin as they brushed gently over his body. He felt the tingle from his exposed forearms as the mild breeze that snuck in through the gap at the base of the exterior door jostled the hairs on his arms. What had caused the newfound vibrancy of his feelings?

Ryl’s mind was a flurry of thoughts as he sat back on the bed in the room. His body felt more in tune with itself and the world then he’d ever recalled. Had the toxin been holding back his perception and the sensations for all these cycles? If so, had his body expelled the poison in its entirety or would the world become clearer still?

Though his body and mind were refreshed from the warmth of the bath, he was keenly aware of how tired he truly was. After some idle banter with Andr, he excused himself, laying down to rest as they awaited their meeting with the Council. Ryl laid his head back, closing his eyes, attempting to quiet his racing mind.

He’d come here at the