Page 66 of Veil of Vasara (Fate of the Five #1)

CHAPTER 66 – THE HEALER

T his corpse made the last one look beautiful.

My boot was on its back. More like through it. Through the withered ribcage, the skin turned grey that had been stretched over the bones so tightly, that it puckered at the places where it met the skeleton.

“How long will this go on?” Ullna pleaded to my right. Her face curled in disdain as she took in the scene.

I brought my foot forwards, bringing it over the corpse. I rested it in front of its torso and turned it face up.

I sighed, closing my eyes.

“It’s not this one,” I confirmed.

“Did you really think that it would be?” She gestured at the body reluctantly. “This is the seventeenth. How many more will you… personally examine?”

I glanced at her from the side, unbidden strands of hair slapped my cheeks as the wind surged.

“We cannot afford to be careless.” My tone was flat.

“This isn’t being meticulous, this is...” Her steely eyes softened slightly, and she restarted her sentence. “You must let this go.”

I turned back to stare at the corpse.

This was not the one, no. But the one I was searching for, they had not made their promise lightly. I remembered the resolution on their face when they’d sworn to return.

I unconsciously swallowed, for I remembered as well, word for word, what exactly it was they’d vowed.

“What are you trying to find, to prepare for?” she asked imploringly, a hint of irritation in her voice.

I raised my chin, finally taking my foot off the body.

“There is no preparing for this,” I replied in resignation.

“Then why? Why do this?”

“I would like to know…when my end is near.”

Her face froze over with confusion and doubt, with shock and disbelief.

“Your…end?”

“If we are fortunate.”

“Fortunate?” She repeated the word as if disgusted by it.

“If we are fortunate then it will be my end.”

She was still frowning, attempting to process my words as I clarified.

“Only mine.”