The Last Narkoy: Gathow: Book 2 by Elizabeth Price (find a book to read txt) 📕

new sofa, staring up at her bookshelves. So many books written by her people, yet she knew very little of who and what kind of people they were. Even Narkoy from her own city, ten years and she barely scratched the surface of who they were. She could read every book on her shelves or in the ancient library and still only have a vague clue what being Narkoy was.

“When are you leaving this time?” Garric asked from the doorway.

“I thought I told you to knock?” she asked. Her eyes were closed.

“You could tell it was me when I opened the door,” Garric smarted back. “How long?”

Sedom shrugged and remained silent. She had no desire to talk to Garric and she was a little frustrated that her servant took the liberties to disobey her.

Garric crept into the room noticing her aloft expression. “I knocked four times, you didn't answer the door. I thought you might be in trouble.”

“I didn't want company,” Sedom grumbled back displeased.

He took a seat in a green high-back wing chair. “When you say you don't want company, I've learned it means the opposite. Where are you going this time and for how long?”

“What's it to you?” Sedom barked back.

“It means my master is leaving and I'm stuck here among a group of Marisheio haters, fending for myself until she returns. I want to know...”

Sedom swung her legs to the ground and wiped her hands over her face. “I have a project for you that will keep you busy while I'm gone and I'll transfer your commands to Lolum to be on the safe side. He has no ill-feeling towards you.”

Garric's green eyes widened. “So there's a possibility you won't come back?”

Sedom allowed a deep breath to fill her lungs. She could feel her hands tingling, though she was not sure why exactly. Was it the anticipation of seeing the Oslo or was she simply frustrated with all of Garric's questions? “Every time I go to the surface, fly my ship, or even wake up in the morning there's a good possibility that I won't come back. I'm becoming wise to taking percussions.”

Garric's eyes turned to his hands. “Understood. So you don't know when you'll be back?”

Sedom stood, wandering into her kitchen. “When I'm back. Would you like some tea?”

Garric waved Sedom on. “No, I don't sleep as it is.”

Sedom ordered her tea from the food replicator, thinking at the same time how she could respond to his comment. “Have you talked to Hasapoi? Maybe he can help?” When she did not hear a response she turned back to Garric. To her surprise his hands were shaking. Noticing her noticing him, Garric hid his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “Talk to Hasapoi,” she ordered more direct.

“He'll tell me the first thing that would help is not to be a slave,” he pointed out with a grimace. “I chose this life, but...”

“There are days,” she repeated, as he had so many times over the past two years together. Sedom curled back on the sofa with her tea in hand. “Well thanks to Dranium we have our monitoring station back up and running. Starting tomorrow, I want you to monitor all in coming and outbound Marisheio transmissions and keep detailed records. I’m allowing you full access to the library.”

A slight grin appeared in the right corner of Garric’s pale-green lips. “Spy on my own, locked away in a tower. Fitting,” he smirked. “Anything in particular I'm listening for?”

Sedom shrugged. “I think you’d know by now,” she winked. “Hints at finding Gathow would be the most obvious. If you did hear something concerning us, again go to Lolum.”

Garric frown with obvious concern. “Lolum? You do know he can't read?”

Sedom's face grew stern. “Damn, I forgot about that. I guess that’s another thing I’ll have to give to Danstu to take care of.”

Garric shrugged. “I’ll help Lolum figure it out. At least I don't feel threatened by him. Surprising, considering his background. Looks like I will be busy,” he smirked. He rose from his seat and gave Sedom a slight bow. “I'll head back and see if I can get some sleep. You won't be leaving right away?”

Sedom shook her head. “No. Zion hasn't picked a team. We'll probably leave in a few days. I want to make sure everyone is well prepared.”

The air grew thick as Garric continued to stare at Sedom. He finally nodded, understanding that he was not going to get any answers out of her tonight. “I'll see what I can get out of Zion tomorrow,” he half-joked. “See you in the morning.”

She grunted, not buying into his attempt. The door closed and the room grew eerily silent. Sedom picked up her book, which was sitting on the arm of the sofa, and began reading again. After only a short time of reading Sedom's ears began to ring. There was no noise and the lack of noise was deafening to her. She slapped the book closed, hearing the rushing of pages and the whoosh of air as the book connected with either of its sides. The sound was short-lived though. She opened the book, the spine creaking from age. Again she slapped the book together. Still... even with this mild distraction her ears still hurt.

The troublesome squeak on her bottom stairs entrance echoed in her ears like a whisper, faint enough to be heard if someone knew what they were listening for. Someone was coming to see her. She listened, hoping to hear footsteps. She had learned everyone's footsteps that she was friendly enough to speak with. Nothing.

She rested back on the sofa, continuing to listen. Who was on her stairs and why were they not coming up? Silence. The stair creaked again making her shoot up. Sedom ran over to the door, pressing her ear against