Page 52 of An Empress of Earth & Darkness

Interesting.

Feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Gideon quickly moved from the rooftop, leaving his past behind, and found himself heading to the corner of his mother’s garden.

Emara knocked on the oak door in front of her, her knuckles rattling the old wood. She let out a bated breath, having held in so much anxiety before speaking with Gideon. She took in another firm breath and wiped her brow. Although the Tower was normally cool and breezy, the warmth of summer still felt sticky on her skin. She was exhausted. But she couldn’t think of that, not as she was doing her rounds of the Blacksteels tonight.

The door opened on Kellen wearing a loose white shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar and a silver chain around his neck. His dark Blacksteel hair was swept over to one side, and his unusual eyes searched her face in surprise. “Emara?”

“Can I come in?” she asked, wasting no time.

“Would it not be rude to refuse an empress?” His eyebrow went up, and in that moment he looked so like Torin.

“Yes,” she said as she made her way into the room and ran a hand through her hair.

Kellen closed the door behind her, and there was a casualness about how they were together now that made it a lot easier to communicate with him than before. “What brings you to my room after dusk?”

“I saw you today, during the meeting.” Emara clasped her hands together. “Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that glow as we were leaving the summit. Did you have a vision?”

He let the side of his cheek sink in so that his teeth could grab it. “I took an elixir; you weren’t supposed to be able to see that.”

“My magic is getting stronger,” Emara said. “Why didn’t you tell me you had another dream? What happened?”

Kellen had been telling Emara all about his dreams recently as a way to help him destress and get them off his chest. Sometimes they were about battles that happened the next day. He wouldn’t always share the details with her, though, the pictures and memories too disturbing for him to revisit.

He pushed his hair back, shifting his eyes from hers. “Emara, I cannot change anything that is about to happen between my father and Torin, even if I tell you about my dreams. You know that. There are some that just need to be kept to myself.”

Emara’s voice was small when she asked, “What did you see, Kellen?”

He looked away from her. “Nothing that will change the course of tomorrow.”

“Did you see who won?”

Kellen shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

“But you did see something?” She took a step towards him.

Kellen nodded. “You know they have been happening more frequently, but that doesn’t mean my visions are any clearer.”

She took a moment before she asked, “Was it anything tangible?”

“Not really.” He shrugged, making his way over to his burnt orange sofa, which was stacked with creamy pillows. “You know they never make any sense until whatever I’m dreaming about actually happens.”

“If there is anything you can tell me—”

“Whatever I saw was in regard to the Temple of the Gods. Whatever happens tomorrow will lead us there,” he began, probably knowing she wouldn’t rest until he told her something. “But I am unsure why it is all connected. There was a pond, but the water was red. It didn’t make any sense. There was a scent of sulphur in the air, and it was darker, murky. Eerie. It could have been stormy, but I am honestly not sure. There were vines that climbed so very high, but I couldn’t see where they led. It most definitely had something to do with the Dark Army, so I am assuming that it has nothing to do with tomorrow.”

Emara took a seat with him for a moment and let her spine sink into the comfiest chair he had. Her stinging eyes closed for just one moment. “So you couldn’t see any faces?”

“No faces. Just feelings this time.”

Emara chewed her lip again, shocked that she hadn’t yet made it bleed with her growing anxiety. “I hope the feelings aren’t too strong and you can sleep tonight.”

“Me too.” Kellen relaxed again and looked out the window. The window looked out over the forest, a refreshing difference from the view in her room. “You should get some rest too. No offence, but you look exhausted.”

“None taken.” She laughed a little because she knew what Kellen was saying was the truth. “Have you decided which side you will stand on tomorrow?” she asked him softly.

“I always stand on my own,” he whispered.

Emara reached out and took his hand in her own. “That’s not true anymore; you have me.”

---