Hours had passed since dawn, and Dis still stood beside his master's bed, unsure of what to do. Kalam looked terribly pale, almost like a corpse, but he was still breathing. That alone was enough to calm him a little. After the attack during the night and the sight of his master lying in bed with blood covering his neck, Dis had been too frightened to think clearly. If Kalam died, who knew where he would end up next? He doubted another owner would give him the same comfort and position he had here.
He let out a quiet sigh and looked at the wound on Kalam's neck. It was covered now, wrapped with a cloth Dis had placed there himself. Who had attacked him? Should he report it to the eyes, or wait until Kalam woke up and decided what to do? His gaze drifted toward the broken door, then to the damaged wall beyond it. Whoever had done this had not been ordinary.
Dis swallowed and lowered his eyes again.
No. He could not say anything yet. If he reported it without permission, he might cause trouble for his master instead of helping him.
For now, he would wait.
A moment later, another slave appeared at the door. "What should we do? There are people waiting outside."
Dis frowned.
He could not believe the man was even considering opening the place in this state. Sometimes, the lack of sense others showed still managed to surprise him.
"Nothing" he said firmly. "We do nothing until the master wakes up. Stay at the entrance and tell them the shop is closed today. Personal matters."
The slave nodded at once and hurried off.
Time passed slowly. The light shifted across the room, and by the time it was close to midday, Kalam finally stirred. A weak cough escaped him.
"Master!" Dis stepped forward, unable to hold back the relief in his voice.
Kalam's eyes opened slowly. He looked unfocused, his gaze drifting without settling.
"Dis…" he muttered, his voice strained. "What happened? I can barely see…"
"You don't remember?" Dis said quickly. "You were attacked last night."
"Attacked…?" The word came out weak.
Then it returned.
Kalam tried to sit up too quickly. The moment he moved, the world tilted. His vision spun, his stomach twisted, and a wave of dizziness hit him hard enough to make him gasp.
He collapsed back onto the bed, barely managing to stay conscious.
"Master!" Dis hurried forward to help him. After a few seconds, once the worst of it passed, Kalam slowly raised one hand and looked at it. His fingers were trembling. Then he spoke again, his voice still weak.
"I lost too much blood" Kalam muttered. "Go to the kitchen. Bring me water… and something to eat."
Dis obeyed immediately. He turned and rushed out of the room.
Left alone, Kalam lay still, trying to steady his breathing as his thoughts returned to the night before.
The first thing he remembered was the grip. One hand over his mouth, the other holding him down without effort. The strength behind it had not been normal. The only explanation that made sense was that his attacker had been a chosen.
Then came the threat. The fear he had felt in that moment made no sense. It was not normal. As if his body had recognized a predator before his mind could understand it.
After that, there was the bite.
His body had stiffened, unable to move, as his blood was taken from him second by second. He could do nothing but lie there and feel himself weakening.
That had not been human. That had been a monster wearing human skin.
Kalam's expression tightened.
A monster… inside Sippar? The thought alone sent a chill through him. Could it hide among them? Pretend to be human? His fingers twitched slightly against the bed as the realization settled in, and the hair on his arms slowly rose.
The intruder's final words came back to him, his hand trembled as it moved to his neck, brushing against the cloth wrapped around it.
A moment later, Dis returned carrying a tray with food. He set it down on a small piece of furniture nearby, then moved to help his master sit up, supporting him carefully against the wall.
"Feed me" Kalam said quietly.
Dis obeyed at once, lifting the bowl and feeding him slowly. The cook had prepared a simple fish broth with onion and leek, light enough for him to take in without struggling.
While he ate, Kalam spoke again. "Did the intruder attack anyone else?"
Dis shook his head. "Only you, master."
Kalam was not surprised. If the intruder had caused a scene or harmed others, keeping this hidden would have been far more difficult.
"How many people saw the wound on my neck?"
Dis frowned slightly, not understanding why his master would ask something like that. Still, he thought it over for a moment before answering.
"Ada, Shen… and me."
Kalam let out a slow breath.
'Two of high value, and one of them can write. A shame, but my life is worth more.'
If there was one thing he had learned over the years, it was this: There are some people in this world you simply cannot afford to provoke.
And that thing… whatever had come for him… was not something he could provoke.
He finished the last of the broth in silence, then looked at Dis.
"Go and find out if anyone else has been told. Then take those who cannot write and have their tongues cut. The ones who can…" He paused for a brief moment. "Kill them."
Dis did not respond.
He simply stood there, staring at his master, caught off guard by the order. He had expected something else, a search for the attacker, maybe a report to the eyes.
"Go. Now."
Dis did not question it any further. He turned and went to carry out the orders without delay. His master's words were absolute, and this was not the first time he had been told to do something like this.
Kalam watched him leave for a moment, then leaned back against the bed and slowly lay down again. His body still ached, his head still heavy, but his decision had already been made.
(Ereshgal POV)
As I approached the house, I heard two heartbeats. One slow, steady. The other slightly faster.
I shook my head. 'So she stayed.'
I opened the door quietly.
Kisaya was already there, sitting at the table with an oil lamp casting a soft light across the room. The moment I stepped in, her eyes moved over me from head to toe, checking for any sign of injury.
I smiled. "Sorry I was gone so long."
She crossed her arms, her expression tightening. "Where we—" I stepped closer and kissed her, cutting her off before she could finish.
"I had to keep an eye on someone for a few hours" I said quietly. "I'll explain when we leave the city."
She pulled back slightly, her eyes searching mine. "Again? You can't tell me anything?"
I raised my hand and rested it against her cheek, gently shaking my head. "Just one more day" I said. "I'll tell you everything on the way to Uruk."
Kisaya let out a quiet sigh and nodded. "Fine. I'll wait. But you'd better tell me everything."
I nodded once. "Everything."
"How did it go with Ennari?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Bad. She wants to come with us."
That sounded like her. "I'll talk to her tomorrow. She'll listen eventually." I glanced toward the other room. "For now, go get some rest. I'll stay here a little longer."
Kisaya nodded and went to sleep, the house fell quiet soon after.
Hours passed as I sat there, going over everything that had happened. I was not worried about Kalam. He would not say anything. But the experiment had given me answers. I could drink human blood without taking their memories… as long as I did not kill them.
If I did, I would live through their lives. Which meant something else as well.
Every person I had killed when I lost control… or at least those I had completely drained… I would eventually live through each of their lives. Akhem was the first case.
The trigger had been obvious, the moment I saw his wife and child. Did it have to be someone close? Or was it enough for it to be something that stirred a strong emotion? I turned it over a few more times, then shook my head. There was no point thinking about it now. I would find out eventually.
For now, I had more important things to focus on. I needed to see how long his blood would keep me satisfied. And more importantly, I had to learn to control myself while feeding. I had no intention of killing someone by accident.
Criminals would be enough for that.
A faint sound from the bedroom pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up and realized the light had already changed.
It was morning.
A moment later, Kisaya stepped out, Ennari following behind her.
The moment she saw me, Ennari narrowed her eyes and spoke. "I'm going with you. Whether you like it or not."
"You can't" I replied calmly.
Kisaya, meanwhile, stepped aside and leaned back against the wall. For a brief moment, I thought I saw a faint smile on her face, like she was enjoying the situation… like I was about to go through exactly what she had dealt with yesterday.
"No. I'm going" Ennari insisted, her hands tightening around the fabric of her tunic. "I'm not staying behind waiting again."
"I promise I'll come back as soon as everything is settled." I regretted it the moment I said it.
"Do you… promise?" Her voice trembled.
"DO YOU PROMISE?!"
Then her voice fell into a broken murmur. "You promised you wouldn't leave me again… don't you remember?"
"I will keep that promise" I said. "I won't leave you. It will only be three weeks, then I'll come back for you."
"Why can't I go with you?!" she snapped, tears spilling down her face.
I stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace. "It's going to be dangerous… and I couldn't bear it if something happened to you" I said quietly. "But believe me… this time, I won't break it. I'll come back."
She kept crying against me.
"But… you're not a chosen" she said between breaths. "It will be dangerous for you too. If you go there, they'll lock you up like father… or worse. I already lost you once. If it happens again, I…"
I smiled faintly and gently pulled her back, just enough to meet her eyes.
"Don't worry."
I raised my hand and called on my spiritual energy, focusing it at the tip of my finger. It gathered slowly, then began to shine, a small crimson light.
Ennari fell silent, her eyes fixed on it.
"It won't be that easy to lock me up."