Lahat ng Kabanata ng Finding The Cure: An Order Of Love: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

The camp's dining hall, occupying most of the squat stone building, featured two long tables stretching across the room beneath wooden rafters darkened by years of smoke. Bowls, cups, and mismatched spoons covered nearly every available surface, and the air carried the scent of roasted onions, fresh bread, and a thick stew bubbling in an iron pot near the hearth.My stomach twisted hard enough to remind me that I’d eaten almost nothing since morning.Ev had claimed a place near the fire. Zeph sat across from her, his back to the wall and his attention divided between the room’s two exits. Zin occupied the bench beside him, though the space between them suggested Zeph had been steadily moving away from her.When Zin saw us, her eyes first scanned my borrowed shirt before shifting to Carlin, her smile wide

“I think you’re half-elf.”The words struck the table like a dropped blade. Before I could decide whether to laugh, argue, or admit that some terrible part of me already believed him, Ev slammed her cup down. Water jumped over the rim.“Zeph there is a time and place for such an announcement.” Ev SnappedZeph turned toward her. “The timing is irrelevant.”“The timing is absolutely relevant.” Ev bit back.7“Would the truth be different if I waited until morning?” Zeph countered“No, but perhaps Nera would prefer not to have her entire identity torn apart while holding a spoon.”

The rest of dinner passed by in a blur. I forced myself to eat, not wanting Carlin to have a reason to hover, especially after he'd already seen me collapse from forgetting to eat before. He was already protective, and now, with everything that had happened, I knew he'd be even more so. However, the knowledge that I *needed* to eat and the *desire* to eat were two very different things. I listlessly pushed a piece of food around my plate with my fork.  Suddenly, someone spoke across the table, but I couldn't even register what they said. Ev let out a laugh, and then Zin said something that elicited a mutter from Carlin that sounded suspiciously like a threat.Normally, I would have listened and probably contributed. However, tonight their voices blurred together, becoming little more than noise. The word "elf" kept circling through my thoughts. My fingers drifted toward my ear before I caught myself a

My first thought upon waking was that my head had been split open with an axe. My second was that someone had stuffed wool into my mouth. My third was that my bed smelled wrong. I kept my eyes closed. That seemed safest. The pillow beneath my cheek smelled faintly of leather, pine, and something warm I couldn't place. Something distinctly… Manly.My eyes snapped open. Instant regret. Pain stabbed through my skull, and I groaned, squeezing them shut again."Nope."Whatever was happening could wait. Death seemed preferable. I pulled the blanket higher and tried to disappear beneath it. Then memories began crawling out of whatever dark hole the alcohol had shoved them into. Zin. A bottle. My legs being warm. Laughing. Then Carlin.You're pretty. 

“The Western Camp.” I stared at Zin.Of all the things I expected her to say, that wasn’t one of them.“You want to go there?”“I thought that was obvious.”“It wasn’t.”Zin glanced toward the camp gates. “Then I’m losing my touch.”I folded my arms. “Carlin just left with a recovery group.”“I noticed.”“He told me they’re searching.”“I heard.”“And you want us t