Page 101 of Of Withering Dreams
But I wasn’t the same. I was broken. Made of ragged fragments that I feared would no longer fit together.
My sister guided me to a kitchen chair, the seat creaking as it took my weight. She lit a candle, its delicate flame frolicking along the red-orange petals of the astra poppy adorning a vase on the table. I looked at Letti as she sat beside me, Gavrel standing near my shoulder, palms resting on the back of my chair.
“Are you all right, sis? You look rattled.” My eyes fixated on the dainty bloom. “Don’t worry, I didn’t pick it. I found it lying on the grass in the backyard.” She shrugged.
I murmured, “Do you … do you remember anything?”
One golden brow rose, and she snorted. Heavy footfalls marched down the hall, and my back stiffened. Gavrel’s fingers tightened, making the chair’s dowels squeak.
“What is going on? Why are you all sneaking around in the dark?”
“Hello to you as well, Father.” My lips pressed together as I lifted my jaw. I sat taller, leather rasping against my seat.
He squinted as he looked down his nose. “I see you’ve made it back. What a relief.” His brittle tone begged to differ. I leaned back with a sigh, his words not burrowing into me as they once would have. I wasn’t sure if that was because I now knew there were greater things to fear or if I was still numb.
“Thank you, you as well.”
He sniffed, tightening his thread-bare robe around him. “Yes, well. What were you on about?”
Letti stood, rubbing her hand on his shoulder. “Ser asked if I remembered anything from the Dormancy.”
“How absurd.” He arched a light eyebrow, his trimmed blond hair swept back. Even when he slept, there wasn’t one single hair out of place.
I rose from my chair, the pads of my fingers pressing into the table. “Yes, you’re right.” Something stopped me from telling them about my memories, my nape tingling.
He gave us a curt nod, squeezing Letti’s shoulder, and turned back to his room. “Get some rest. We’ve got a lot of work to do.” He left without waiting for a response, his feet thunking against the floorboards.
“Letti, have you seen Kaden?” Gavrel inquired, stepping closer to the flickering light.
Her hand fluttered up, resting against her collarbone. “Oh no. No, I haven’t. I woke up alone.” Her eyes widened, nails digging into the collar of her nightshirt.
His jaw clenched. “All right. I’ll watch for him. Good night.” He bowed and departed hastily.
I didn’t want to alarm Letti, so I put my arm around her. “Let’s get some sleep. In the light of day, things will be clearer.” I wasn’t sure whether I was convincing herself or myself. If my cryptic words confused my sister, she didn’t show it as we went to our room and tucked in for a few hours of rest.
Gavrel and I both knew Kaden should have been reeled back in at the same time as everyone else. But we couldn’t do anything about it right now, especially without rest or sustenance.
As soon as my head hit my feather pillow, my eyes drooped closed, and I fell once more—this time into a blessedly deep and dreamless sleep.
35
SHEDDING SKIN
Daylight spilled into our room, its midday beams cutting a straight column down the center of our room. Fresh spring air sifted through the open window. Something dug into my hip, and I flopped onto my back, the dark leather a tight fist around my torso.
My hands glided over the clothes I hadn’t bothered removing, mystical tourmaline branches glinting on my forefinger.
My dagger.
The satchel at my belt.
I sucked in a breath, sitting up and unfastening it. My trembling fingers dug within.
“What is that?” Letti yawned, stretching her arms above her head. “And what are you wearing? Didn’t get a better look at you in the wee hours of the morning.” She shrugged, shuffling and sitting on the end of my bed. It squeaked under her weight.
My front teeth bit into my bottom lip as I tipped the necklace pouch, three vials, and the talisman into my palm. A long breath expelled from deep within my chest, my heart bouncing. “Good thing you’re already sitting.” I chuckled, the sensation scratching up my throat.
“Spill.”
