Chapter 64 Ta-da!
Ira's POV
“The stream?!” Sia exclaims with wide eyes.
I shake my head, already knowing there's no way I'm going out that door tonight.
“We'll never make it there without getting caught.” I mutter.
“It’s well past midnight. We will slip out of your room without getting caught. Trust me. I'm the one leading the way.” Catherine grins, glancing between me and Sia.
“That's the severe reason this plan is going to shit.” Sia hisses.
“Ouch, you wound my heart, Sia.” Catherine chokes, rising to her feet. “Come on, today might just be our lucky day.”
“And if it isn't?” I ask.
“Then we suffer together. You know… trauma bonding?” She gently tugs on my arm, pulling me up. “Come onnnn,”
With a sigh I rise to my feet too.
“when we get caught, what do we say?” Sia joins us.
“Goddess, can you be a little optimistic?” Cath shakes her head. “And, we won't be needing a plan for that because we won't get caught.”
And so Catherine leads, all of us going barefoot to muffle our steps. The moment we are outside the hallway, she presses a finger to her lips.
“Where are the guards?” Sia whispers fearfully.
“Midnight meeting. They hold it every Thursday.”
My heart thuds hard against my ribs, not just from fear of being caught, but from the thrill of doing something reckless for once.
We reach a side door that's barely closed. Catherine eases it open, peeking out like she's done this a thousand times before. Then with a wider grin, she motions us forward.
The night air is cool against my skin as we quietly run across the open ground in a low crouch, our skirts squeezed tightly in our fists. I hiss when my naked foot steps painfully on a sharp edged stone.
Sia and Cath turn around immediately, shushing me up at the same time. With a silent grimace, I limp after them.
Halfway to the treeline, a lantern swings into view. A patrol… two warriors walk side by side, both women shor talking in quiet tones.
Catherine grabs my wrist and yanks me sideways, gesturing for us to drop flat behind a pile of empty boxes. Sia presses in beside us, her breath warm against my ear.
“They are going to get us,” she says.
“Shut up, Sia.” Cath bites back.
The lantern light sweeps over the spot we’d just been standing in. My pulse roars in my ears.
Fuck, this was a bad idea.
One of the women pauses, scanning the darkness.
“Thought I heard something,” she mutters.
The other grunts. “Probably a squirrel. Come on, those things never go extinct.”
In silence we watch as they walk off. After another full minute of hardly breathing, Catherine exhales a silent laugh and pulls us up.
We run the rest of the way to the trees, stifling giggles until we’re swallowed by the forest.
The moment we’re hidden among the trees, the laughter bursts out of us in wheezes.
I lean against a tree with a hand over my mouth, tears pricking my eyes from trying to stay quiet. Sia bends over, her shoulders shaking.
“We are terrible at sneaking.” Catherine whispers, wiping her eyes. “Come on,” She straightens. “We're almost there.”
We follow the faint path to the stream. When we break into the small clearing, the water glints like polished glass, narrow and quick-moving, bordered by smooth stones.
Catherine doesn’t stop at the bank. She walks straight to a sturdy oak, grips the lowest branch, and hauls herself up with surprising grace. Sia and I stare, dumbfounded, as she climbs higher, her bare legs flashing pale in the moonlight.
“What are you doing?” Sia hisses, glancing around in fright.
Catherine just grins down at us, reaches into a hollow between two branches, and pulls out a dark glass bottle sealed with wax. She dangles it triumphantly before dropping lightly back to the ground.
“Ta-da!”
Sia’s mouth falls open. “You… Where did you get…”
“Clinic,” Catherine says, brushing bark from her palms. “Old Rita keeps a stash for ‘medicinal purposes.’ I borrowed one. Permanently.”
I snort, then clap a hand over my mouth. We all dissolve into hushed laughter again, shushing one another even as we shake with it.
Sia sobers first, glancing back toward the base. “This is insane. If we’re caught out here, especially with stolen spirits, we’ll be on latrine duty until we’re gray with decayed shit.”
Catherine steps close, cups Sia’s cheek with one cool hand, and plants a quick, affectionate kiss on it. “Then let’s not get caught, love.” She presses the bottle into her hands. “Drink and learn to live a little.”
Sia hesitates, but only a minute later and she tips the bottle back, her throat working as she swallows a large gulp of the colourless drink.
“Hm!” She groans, passing it to Catherine, who takes a longer pull and sighs dramatically.
I hesitate when it's my turn, watching the bottle like it is a trap. Or a mistake. Catherine nods, stressing the bottle with more force than necessary, resulting in a large spill.
I wrap my fingers around the cool glass. I’ve never tasted alcohol before… but I've seen how it brightens the mood of the people of Valmora.
I lift the bottle and drink.
My eyes squeeze shot as the burning liquid destroys my throat with a peppery yet sweet taste.
I hand it over quickly, bending over as a cough cracks through my body from the fire spreading through my chest.
Sia and Cath laugh loudly before covering their mouths.
“Are you alright?” They ask in unison and with a sheepish smile and a cracked voice I lift a finger.
“Never been better. Fuck! I wanna swim.” I voice out, needing to cool down instantly.
It almost feels like my body is absorbing the heat from the drink and he'll, it's driving me insane.
Cath suddenly leaps up. “Let’s go swim!”
I choke on a laugh. “Shush! You’ll wake the entire base.”
But she’s already tugging at the laces of her dress, grinning like a mad thing. “Come on, the moon’s bright, the water’s definitely cold and we’re young and alive. When’s the next time we’ll get this chance, huh?” she says to Sia who stands still, looking skeptical.
Sia glances at me, her cheeks flushed from the drink. I shrug and smile when she starts undressing too.
Catherine runs first, shrieking softly as she splashes in. Sia follows, gasping at the cold. I wade in more slowly, the shock of the water stealing my breath. It’s icy, but the chill feels exhilarating instead of punishing.
We splash and dunk one another, careful enough to keep our slurred voices low.
Catherine floats on her back, “I am a water goddess,”
Sia splashes her face. “You’re a drunk goddess. And if you had powers it would definitely be tied to gossiping, not water.”
“Rude,” Catherine says with a grin.
I close my eyes, smiling at the sky. The alcohol hasn’t made me drunk. But it has lifted something heavy from my shoulders.
My eyes flicker open, but something catches my gaze across the stream.