Lord of the Abyss - By Nalini Singh Page 0,8
a bliss even the cold couldn't diminish. "You are surely not a denizen of the Abyss." There was no evil in the brownie - on that Liliana would stake her life.
Jissa's face grew sad. "A mountain forest far from here, so far," she whispered. "The Blood Sorcerer came to our village and stole our magic. Stole and stole. I survived, but he said he couldn't stand the sight of me, so he enspelled me beyond the kingdoms, beyond the realm. This is where the spell stopped."
Liliana's stomach curdled. She knew Jissa would hate her if she learned of the murderous blood that ran in her veins, but Liliana needed her friendship. So she bit her tongue and stuck her head and body under the pump as Jissa began to work it again.
I'm sorry, she whispered deep inside. I'm sorry my blood is responsible for the spilling of your own.
Chapter 3
Bath finished, she got out and rubbed herself down with a rough little towel while Jissa disappeared - to return with a black tunic that hit Liliana midthigh, black leggings and soft black boots. "I think these were meant for footmen," she said, holding out the garments, "when there were men of foot. There have never been any in the years I have lived here. Never, ever."
"Thank you, they look very comfortable." The leggings fit well enough but the tunic was baggy, so she was grateful for the thin rope Jissa found for her to use as a belt. "Do you have a comb I could - Thank you." Brushing it through the knotted mat of her hair, she pulled the whole mass severely off her face and tied it using a smaller piece of rope. She didn't look in the mirror. She had no wish to see the face "that would frighten even a ghoul into returning to its den."
"Can you truly cook?" Jissa asked as they made their way back to the kitchen.
"Yes. I spent many hours in the kitchens of the castle where I grew up." In spite of his cadaverous frame, the Blood Sorcerer liked to eat, and so he didn't brutalize the cook. As a result, the man had been the only one of the castle's servants unafraid to offer a little kindness to the child who clung to the shadows so as not to attract her father's attention.
"What raw ingredients do you have?" she asked Jissa, shaking off the memories. That child was long gone, her innocence shattered into innumerable shards. The woman she'd become would let nothing stop her - not even the monster who was the lord of this place.
"Oh, many things." Moving to the bench where she'd been working, the brownie waved a hand and the mostly empty surface was suddenly overflowing with plump red and orange peppers, carrots, cabbages, ripe fruits of every description, a basket full of dark green leaves that would taste nutty when cooked, and more.
Liliana picked up a pepper with a wondering hand. "Where does this come from?"
"The village," Jissa said in a matter-of-fact tone that was already familiar.
"There is a village in this realm?" She'd always assumed the Abyss was a baleful place devoid of all life - but that didn't explain the servants she'd seen.
"Of course." Jissa gave her a look that suggested Liliana was being very dim. "We are the doorway to the Abyss. The doorway only."
"Yes, I see." The Black Castle was still part of the living world. "Is the village close?"
A shake of her head that sent Jissa's braid swinging. "You must pass through the gates of the Black Castle, and then you must walk through the forest to the settlement. Dark, whispery forest. Whisper, whisper. But not bad." An intent look, as if she wanted to make certain Liliana understood.
She continued at Liliana's nod. "I walk quick and fast with Bard when we need supplies, and buy from the merchants using the lord's gold. This and that and this, too." A sudden dipping of her head that hid her expression, but her words were pragmatic enough. "Bard carries everything back for me. Always he carries."
"He has gold?" The furnishings Liliana had seen were functional, but aside from a few grim tapestries, there was nothing of beauty, nothing to speak of wealth. All was black and hard and cold.
"It is the Law of the Abyss, first law, always law." Jissa began to stack the vegetables to the side to clear part of the bench. "Do you not know?" She answered her