Blood Flows Deep in the Empire by N. Isabelle Blanco Read Free Book Online Page A

made memory foam jealous.
    Not that it was enough to push back the intense nausea churning in her stomach or her pounding headache.
    Blinking, she glanced around and tried to process what she saw. The bed was hugeand had an ornate, stone canopy with curtains that hung down and moved like beautiful smoke. They reminded her of the cream-colored dress Nylicia always wore. She shifted and her hand bumped into something next to her. One turn of her head brought her face to face with her sock monkey.
    No, this wasn’t her sock monkey. Not her old one anyway.
    This was a brand new one, sitting next to her pillow and smiling down at her with his big, red mouth. On the nightstand, Ismini spotted her favorite sweater, a picture frame holding a snapshot of Evesse, Soleria and herself, and her favorite books, amongst a few other things.
    She didn’t remember much of the previous few days, but she did remember one thing—Dyletri had brought all of that for her. He’d picked up her most treasured things at her apartment. Except for the sock monkey. Apparently, Dyletri had decided to get her a new one and then left it next to her to find upon waking.
    But why? Why had he done it?
    She tried to sit up and failed. The effort alone almost pushed her back into unconsciousness. She was barely able to breathe. She had to force herself to inhale one breath after the other while fighting back the urge to hurl.
    The room kept spinning as she continued to take steadying breaths. She began to feel somewhat centered again, relief almost in sight, until she heard hushed voices speaking somewhere off to her left.
    “Tell me the truth. What’s wrong with her, Vedlyl?”
    “I can’t tell you that, Dyletri. Nylicia—”
    “I am sick of Nylicia’s interfering!”
    “She does what she must. You know that.”
    “So you’re saying that whatever is happening to the girl intertwines with my destiny so much that you can’t fucking tell me what’s wrong with her?”
    Dyletri sounded completely pissed off, and Ismini heard the one that must have been Vedlyl shushing him. “Don’t wake her. She is in enough agony as it is. And yes. That is exactly why I cannot tell you.”
    “Nylicia promised the girl would live long enough for us to do what we had to do. You know, bring Dimithinia back. So why do I doubt all of this right now?”
    “If it is your destiny to bring back Dimithinia, then it shall be so.”
    “I have to bring her back. You know this.”
    Something broke within Ismini. Something that went beyond the emotional. She couldn’t hold back her anguished whimper as she heard someone stomping away. She struggled to fight back another sob just as a tall, hulk of a man came into view. He was so blond that his short, curly hair was almost white like Dyletri’s. But his eyes were different.
    So green they bordered on neon, the sight of them had Ismini very close to freaking out. As he came closer, she saw his pupils weren’t the normal black. They were a deep blue that flashed to yellow and back again as he stared at her. He pushed back the curtains and sat gently on the bed.
    “Relax. We’re trying to help you.” His voice was soothing and hypnotic. “I am the God of Medicine. I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to ease your discomfort. You’re not the first patient I’ve had with this condition. Nor the worst.”
    Ismini swallowed, trying to speak. She jumped when a very familiar voice startled her.
    “Is he gone?”
    Vedlyl turned to look over his shoulder. “Yes.”
    Ismini squinted at the shimmery, transparent figure behind Vedlyl in disbelief. “Ny-Nylicia? How are you here?”
    True, Nylicia was more like a hologram than anything else, but the fact that Ismini was seeing her outside of her dreams was shocking.
    Nylicia appeared tinier than ever as she moved closer to Vedlyl’s huge form. “ Shh . . . I’m here, Ismini. It takes a lot more energy for me to manifest in this world, but I’m here. We’re going