Page 188 of The Bone Season

My dreamscape was alive with flowers. Warden had grown nothing here. His dreamscape was barren, like an abandoned house, down to the dust on the ground.

‘Our dreamscapes are where we feel safest,’ he said. ‘Perhaps I feel safest like this.’

‘In a great emptiness.’ I paced the edge. ‘I think I prefer my poppies.’

‘Strange that the poppies are your place of safety. You were in terrible pain there.’

‘It’s where I met Nick.’

The golden thread reached from my spirit to his. It was as clear as the silver one that trailed behind me, pointing the way back to my own body.

‘This is surreal,’ I said. ‘How are we even speaking?’

‘In Gloss. Your spirit is intrinsically fluent, but once you return to your body, you will lose all command and knowledge of it. It is not a language for the living.’

‘Aren’t you living?’

‘I am neither living nor dead.’ He raised a hand to his chest, where the light ended. ‘Behold the golden cord. Have you seen enough, Paige?’

‘Just about,’ I said. ‘Thanks for having me.’

He inclined his head. I let my silver cord lift me away.

Back in my own body, I sat up and heaved, eyes prickling. When I looked at my fingers, I saw their very tips were grey. I really did miss Danica.

Warden raised himself on to his elbows. The golden light in his eyes guttered, then settled and calmed, before he got up and returned to his chair. Once my heart had slowed, I shifted a little closer to the fire.

That was probably the most intimate experience I had ever had with another person. Seeing the cord had made it real, sharpening my awareness of it.

‘Tell me,’ Warden said, ‘how do you find my dreamscape, Paige?’

‘I’m glad I saw it.’

‘I am also glad.’

‘Are you?’

‘Yes. I was not in pain,’ he said. ‘I found it was pleasant to have company.’

‘That’s nice to know,’ I said quietly. ‘When I worked for Jaxon, I never thought I’d be able to use my gift without hurting someone. Before I knew what I was, all I could really do with it was cause pain.’

‘You did not know what you were doing.’

‘Oh, I did. I didn’t know how, but I knew who was making people bleed. I knew who was giving them headaches. Whenever they sneered at me – whenever they brought up the Molly Riots – they would start hurting. Even when I was ten, I liked it. It was my small act of vengeance.’

‘Nick was the one who told you what you were.’

‘As you’re well aware.’

My tone was clipped. I could forgive him, but I wasn’t about to forget.

‘When a memory does not leave a great impression on a person, I see it out of focus, dark and faint,’ Warden said. ‘Your memories of him are extraordinarily sharp – full of colour, every sound clear as a bell. Every moment at his side was precious to you. You miss him.’

‘Keep telling me how I feel, and my patience with this golden cord is going to wear very thin, very quickly. Can you sense my growing irritation?’

‘Yes.’

I raised an eyebrow.

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