The Kelvic regarded him incredulously, her mind momentarily shocked by Zeal's smile and comment about darkness improving his looks. Then the Kelvic laughed, her grimace breaking into an easy smile. How odd it was, how ridiculous, that he would say such a thing.
A shadow fell upon her suddenly, and her laughter ceased. Nida's eyes shut and she ground her teeth together as a spasm of pain passed through her frail form. Her entire body tensed as the pain shot through her, emptying her mind of the laughter that had taken place only seconds before.
When she opened her slitted eyes again, they seemed to lack any mirth that had once been there. The pain reminded her of where she was, and the situation at hand. She felt ashamed that she had laughed and smiled with the healer, when she should be attempting to rise, to do what her duty demanded of her.
And though Nida tried to lift herself off her back, but the exquisite pain returned. It beat itself against her body, forcing the gasping Kelvic back down. "They like the dark too," she muttered cryptically, shutting her eyes again, as if the darkness beneath her eyelids could alleviate the pain.
Nida's lips curled into another half-smile, half-grimace. The healer's earlier comment repeated itself again and again in her mind. It whispered to her, and it taunted her with its repetition. "If you think that no one could force me to do anything, you have a lot to learn about Kelvics, Doctor."
Her eyes alighted once more on the draught he held. But now she did not regard it with fear. If it did not bring the nightmares back, Nida would drink the strange potion. "Could I, could I drink that? You're sure it won't make me sleep?"
