Page 52 of Of Withering Dreams
I whimpered, concentrating on Kaden. Within one blink, his face morphed into Gavrel’s. A look of clarity washed over his face, and he reached one hand toward me, his muscles straining against an invisible force.
My feet were steps away when a wall of air slammed into him. I screamed and screamed as Gavrel’s body crumpled and flew backward off the stony cliff.
Bursting from the flowers, I fell, my knees scraping on the stone of the cliff, my dagger dropping. Out of my reach, he transformed into Kaden once more, a look of utter panic imploding as he faded into the void.
I shrieked in devastation, my hand still reaching out into the darkness. Tears poured down my cheeks.
Out of the corner of my eye, a slithering movement whipped past me in a blur. I spun on my knees, fumbling for my dagger, and with a trembling arm, I held the weapon up.
All at once, the wind ceased, and the sparkling energy in the air stilled. The meadow stopped dancing.
An all-consuming silence enveloped me; all sound being sucked into the emptiness beyond the cliff.
I stilled, emulating the towering flowers, but did not see any further movement. I scrubbed my hand over my face, wiping away the salty wetness.
And then, at the edge of the crag, nestled among the meadow, something quivered. A sharp intake of breath hit the back of my throat. I rubbed at the foggy blur settling over my sight.
And there it was.
A single monochrome orchid. It stood fearlessly among the neon giants looming above it.
Firm, dark-gray leaves erupted from the dirt on either side, anchoring it in place. Perched on the tip, a delicate, drooping petal cluster bent the neck of its bowed black stem. Each velutinous petal gradually blended from the darkest black at the base to the lightest gray at the brim—speckled with glittering silver dots as if they were pulled from the night sky.
It looked like the Ancients forgot to paint the plant; its colors were entirely grayscale in a sea of electric hues.
I shuffled closer to it on my knees, yearning to touch it.
To see if it was real.
Just as the pad of my pointer finger was about to brush against its downy petal, a skittering of feet sounded behind me. I twisted, rocks cutting into my knees, as a flash of colors and glinting teeth and claws smashed into me. My head cracked into the stone beside the hauntingly beautiful flower, and suddenly, everything went black …
My eyes snappedopen as I jerked upright in bed, lungs heaving and sweat matting my curls to my face and chest. One hand covered my galloping heart. Panic and my agitated aura hissed over my skin and logic.It was just a dream, Seryn.
Concentrating on breathing, I inhaled deeply for four seconds, held it while feeling the beat of my heart, and blew out through pursed lips for four more seconds.You’re safe,I repeated to myself.
Over.
You’re safe. It was a dream.
And over.
As I worked through my meditation, my heart slowed, and my aura evaporated. I hung my feet over the side of my bed, facing the circular windows, and pushed my hair behind my stooping shoulders. Brushing my fingers on my quilt, I stared at the tranquil sea. The sunrise barely peeked over the horizon as the full moon faded into daybreak.
A faint knock sounded on my door.
I padded to the door, my soft black nightshift whispering against my skin as I moved.
“Good morning. I thought perhaps I heard you yelling in your sleep. You okay?” Gavrel murmured, leaning against the door frame.
“Uh, I’m fine. Just a nightmare. Actually, the same nightmare I’ve had since the oath ceremony.” I shifted, crossing my arms over my chest. “Need anything else?”
“Ah, no.” He hesitated, pressing his lips together for a moment. “You know I would break down the door if I thought you were really in trouble, yes?”
A flush of heat swept over my chest. “Maybe that was true before I almost destroyed Kaden.”
“Little Star?—”
I held up a hand. “I don’t need any explanation. Your absence has been loud enough.” I began to close the door, my eyes shifting to my feet. “Take care of yourself, Gav?—”
