Page 8 of The Lich's Leverage

Lyla pulled me to my feet. I knew what was coming.

“Let’s go for a walk outside the prison.”

“URGH.”

“It’s going to be great. You’ll feel much better for it.”

I knew she was right, but that didn’t make me want to do it anymore. Why did she always have to be walking everywhere all the time? I wanted to crawl into bed. Before I could muster a retort, she had started threading my arm into a coat. I stood and refused to help, like a petulant toddler, while she pulled the rest of the coat on.

“Lovely. Let’s go.”

I looked out of the window of my little room. Rain was pouring now. She was going to make me walk in it, I could tell. Rain never stopped her.

“Okay. But I need to make a quick stop on the way out. And we are taking umbrellas.”

Chapter 6

Vedrac

After my storm had fled in a panic, the guards assumed I’d done something to her and shocked me before shoving me in solitary confinement. They’d been informed pretty quickly that I hadn’t done anything wrong and shouldn’t be punished. But they left me languishing there for the rest of the day and night anyway. No bed and no food. I’d caught two rats the day before, but after months of deprivation it wasn’t enough. Hunger gnawed at me, along with worry for my mate. The pain in her eyes plagued me. Solitary had been meant as a punishment, but I’d found it quiet. It would have been peaceful if not for the thoughts of my storm and how desperately I wanted to make her feel better. I wanted to tear the prison apart to find her and hold her. I’d pushed it too far.

I wanted to respect her need for space, but I couldn’t leave things as they were. Tiredness caught up to me and I let it win. I fell quickly and hard into sleep. I slept like I hadn’t in years. Safe and secure in this box. I hadn’t realized how tired I was until I had the chance to rest properly. Dreams of her pain tormented me. I took control of my dreams and let myself search for her energy.

I felt her quickly and let myself float towards the storm. She’d run away from me, so I held back. I had to let her invite me in this time. The storm raged. It was angry now. Tumultuous. The parasite taking control. The storm noticed me. My love must have been asleep too, her consciousness untethered. I whispered across the distance between us.

“Let me help you.”

The parasite growled. It was vicious, but it was born of love. Love for others and herself. I could see now it was like an overzealous guard dog. Heather walked out of the center of the storm towards me.

“What is this?”

“It’s a dream, love.”

“Just a dream?”

“It’s real too. But in a dream.”

She reached out towards me, emboldened that this wasn’t the normal day-to-day wakefulness that she understood. The parasite growled again. Heather froze.

“He has power, love. But that doesn’t mean he is right.”

“I don’t know how to stop feeding him.”

“Come to me.”

Heather stepped forward again. The parasite tried to lurch at me, snapping with dark, dripping jaws. I held out a hand, and it grabbed on. Heather gasped.

“No, no!”

“It’s okay. Let me help you.”

She nodded. I let the anxious, fearful energy dig in deep. Then I began to drink it up. The energy flowed into me. There was so much of it. It was beautiful. Even twisted with fear Heather was delicious. I drank until I felt the energy start to weaken and change. A taste of lemons and cinnamon. A taste that was all Heather. It was hard, but I stopped and pulled back from the parasite.

“Oh.”

I looked back at Heather. She seemed shocked.

“Are you okay?”

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