Page 53 of Of Withering Dreams
“Wait.” He put his palm on the door, stopping it from closing. “Please.”
I sighed, looking at him from the small gap between the door and frame, my fingers wrapping around the edge of the metal.
Gavrel leaned his forehead against the door. “I … There are reasons. I can’t?—”
He paused, snapping his attention to some sound in the hall. A low rumble sounded in his chest. Looking at me, Gavrel whispered gruffly, “I have to go, but just know that not everyone dreams when they’re already dreaming.” With that, he let go of the door and walked away.
Eyebrows squishing together, I muttered, “What the void?” as I clicked the door closed. My fingers pushed through my messy hair and then rested on the back of my neck. I huffed, shaking my head, and readied myself for the day.
“What do you think it means?”Letti asked Rhaegar and Breena as I approached the barracks. She stared at a crumpled parchment tacked to the stony arched entrance. I shuffled closer to her as a small crowd gathered.
Rhaegar answered, “Looks like the start of the Weeding.”
“What?!” Breena shouted, tearing the paper from the wall. Protests rumbled through the crowd. “Bugger off!”
She stared at it, shoving it near my face as Kaden sidled up to me. As I focused on the paper, my fingers covered my mouth.
It was a rendering of the monochrome orchid from my dreams.
My hand dropped, and I pushed out of the crowd as Rhaegar took the parchment from Breena and placed it back on its nail.
Kaden touched the small of my back as he walked beside me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I?—”
“Wait a bloody minute, Ryn.” Breena stopped in front of me and placed her hands on my shoulders. “Have you seen that pretty ‘lil flower before?”
“Uh, I …” I looked at my feet and then at Kaden. I scrunched my eyes, picturing Kaden leaping off the cliff.
Or Gavrel.
Both.
“Give her some room, Breena. For the love of Ancients,” Rhaegar muttered, causing Breena to huff and drop her hands from me.
I opened my eyes, hugging one arm across my chest and gripping my biceps. Letti stood still on my other side in a wide stance.
Rhaegar continued, one hand absently tapping his burly chest with every sentence, “In recent turns, the mission has been announced in this way. An enigmatic phrase or drawing is posted. Teams must figure out the what, where, and how of it before presenting it to the Elders.”
“Thank you for your brilliant assessment, Rhaeg,” Breena scoffed, still irritated with her friend for scolding her. Rhaegar rolled his eyes, one side of his mouth quirking.
Breena scrunched her nose at him, looking at the ground, fidgeting with the hem of her tunic.
She lifted her chin, rubbing her forehead and looking at me with more gentleness than she was accustomed to. “Ryn-Ryn, what’s going on?”
I took a deep breath, looking around to make sure no one else was within earshot. “I’ve been having dreams all week about that flower. Among other things.”
“Excellent, that gives us a leap ahead. Tell us more as we head to the musty place with the old books.”
“Indeed,” I mumbled, making sure not to wince at the word “leap”.
“Research time?” Kaden asked, wrapping his arm around my waist.
“Research time,” I confirmed, one corner of my mouth lifting.
As we entered the library, Mr. Burlam was puttering around his desk as usual. “Never can stay away on your days of rest, eh?” he grumbled without the usual bite.
I approached his desk as Breena, Rhaegar, Kaden, and Letti went to the stacks. “Never, Mr. Burlam. I wouldn’t want you to miss me too much.”
