A Drop of Blood

You're paying a small price

Wednesday has come around again and I’m happy to present this week’s flash fiction.

Pricking her finger, the knife stung. Blood welled about the blade. Snapping her teeth together, Eswild hissed at the expected pain.

“Hush.” Ilham tutted. “You are paying but a small price.” Twisting her hand, he held her finger above a slim vial.

Her nose contracting as Eswild fought the desire for a less painful position. “So you say. You’re doing the cutting and twisting.”

Ilham grinned at her. Silver ringed his eerily gold eyes. “True enough.” The blood dangled until its weight pulled off. Golden liquid swallowed the droplet, pulled it into the center. Eswild didn’t know what the liquid was, nor wish to. Bargaining with Tendath held enough risks without adding unnecessary questions.

Ilham released her arm, stuffed a cork into the vial, and turned away swishing the contents circularly. He tossed the vial into their campfire’s center. Embers blossomed igniting red and drew the vial into them.

“And this will work?” Eswild asked, hating the quiver in her voice. But home…

The Tendath nodded and stood on the fire above where the vial had disappeared. “Gloriously.”

Light surged, wrapped about the Tendath, and expanded. Through the silver she saw it. Home.

Eswild sprung through the portal. She’d expected her passage to be warm. The first had been. But cold shivered over her as if a cloak.

She was though.

Chill clung to her wrists. Raising her arms, golden bracelets edged in silver encircling her wrists. “Take us home, child.” She shivered at the voice in her mind.

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