Sohalia couldn't sleep.
It wasn't for lack of trying. She got into bed, turned out the lights, and closed her eyes - where the man's face met her, his eyes boring into hers as the life drained from them. And then she would jolt awake, sitting straight up in bed, her chest heaving and her eyes filled with tears. Even when she managed to fall asleep, she would awaken a short time later from nightmares. Sometimes she woke crying. Other times she woke screaming. One night, a passing Dragoon had knocked on her door, concerned by the sound of her shriek. That had almost scared her more than the nightmares. What if he wanted to come in, and her alone and helpless?
After a few days of this, Soh was exhausted and on edge. She'd closed the shop, citing illness, unable to bear the thought of facing clients with her healing injuries, and she'd been alone, save for Tal's visit the day after the attack. It was making her crazy, being alone. Every bump in the night terrified her - what if the man found her, what if he came to her shop, what if she woke one night to find him in her room -
Finally, she could take it no more. She had to get out of Stormbreak, if only for a little while.
But where could she go? Jude traveled between parents, and she didn't really want to let him see her like this, anyway. How could she explain her worst nightmare to her best friend? He'd surely see her differently, and she couldn't bear the thought of him hating her. Tal, too, traveled frequently, and she could hardly invite herself aboard his skyship for an indefinite period of time. And Mateo, kind though he had been, had already done enough for her. Besides, he lived in Stormbreak, and Soh definitely wanted to go anywhere else, at least for a while.
Then it came to her: Harper. Her friendship with Jude meant that she spent a great deal of time around the man, and he'd become somewhat of a father figure to the young woman. Maybe he would let her stay with him for a few days.
So off she went, gathering a few belongings and taking the first skyship to Torchline. She rushed through the streets to Harper's home, her head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone she passed. The swelling around her left eye had gone down, but it was still an ugly, mottled yellow. The cut in her eyebrow was healing slowly; she was fairly sure it was going to scar, but there was nothing she could do about that now. Her split lip was nearly healed, as were the abrasions on her hands, shoulders, and knees.
She arrived at Harper's house after her hurried rush through the streets of Haulani and stood at the door, suddenly hesitant. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. What if Harper blamed her, as she blamed herself? What if he didn't want Jude to be around her anymore? What if she lost everything because coming here was a mistake?
So she stood, arm raised as though to knock, frozen with sudden fear.
It wasn't for lack of trying. She got into bed, turned out the lights, and closed her eyes - where the man's face met her, his eyes boring into hers as the life drained from them. And then she would jolt awake, sitting straight up in bed, her chest heaving and her eyes filled with tears. Even when she managed to fall asleep, she would awaken a short time later from nightmares. Sometimes she woke crying. Other times she woke screaming. One night, a passing Dragoon had knocked on her door, concerned by the sound of her shriek. That had almost scared her more than the nightmares. What if he wanted to come in, and her alone and helpless?
After a few days of this, Soh was exhausted and on edge. She'd closed the shop, citing illness, unable to bear the thought of facing clients with her healing injuries, and she'd been alone, save for Tal's visit the day after the attack. It was making her crazy, being alone. Every bump in the night terrified her - what if the man found her, what if he came to her shop, what if she woke one night to find him in her room -
Finally, she could take it no more. She had to get out of Stormbreak, if only for a little while.
But where could she go? Jude traveled between parents, and she didn't really want to let him see her like this, anyway. How could she explain her worst nightmare to her best friend? He'd surely see her differently, and she couldn't bear the thought of him hating her. Tal, too, traveled frequently, and she could hardly invite herself aboard his skyship for an indefinite period of time. And Mateo, kind though he had been, had already done enough for her. Besides, he lived in Stormbreak, and Soh definitely wanted to go anywhere else, at least for a while.
Then it came to her: Harper. Her friendship with Jude meant that she spent a great deal of time around the man, and he'd become somewhat of a father figure to the young woman. Maybe he would let her stay with him for a few days.
So off she went, gathering a few belongings and taking the first skyship to Torchline. She rushed through the streets to Harper's home, her head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone she passed. The swelling around her left eye had gone down, but it was still an ugly, mottled yellow. The cut in her eyebrow was healing slowly; she was fairly sure it was going to scar, but there was nothing she could do about that now. Her split lip was nearly healed, as were the abrasions on her hands, shoulders, and knees.
She arrived at Harper's house after her hurried rush through the streets of Haulani and stood at the door, suddenly hesitant. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. What if Harper blamed her, as she blamed herself? What if he didn't want Jude to be around her anymore? What if she lost everything because coming here was a mistake?
So she stood, arm raised as though to knock, frozen with sudden fear.
