Page 83 of Of Withering Dreams
My heart stomped against my ribs, energy stinging through my muscles. Gavrel rested his warm palm on my shoulder blades under the curtain of my hair.
“What are we doing here?” the Haadra Elder whimpered, rubbing her temples.
“Ah, my dear friend. Just the usual—Elder things. Follow me, and we’ll be done before you know it.”
“I do hope so. I’m … I’m quite fatigued,” Endurst mumbled, staring blankly at the stone wall.
“You can rest after we’re done.”
A subtle whirring resonated against the gleaming walls of the cavern. Propelled by an inky energy coiled around its edges, a sizable saffron-colored disk levitated up the pit. The edge swerved over to the ledge where the Elders stood. Once they boarded, it sank into the boundless shadows.
Gavrel put a finger to his lips, tipping his head to the side. I followed close behind as we rushed stealthily down the abyss, the unending corkscrew making me dizzy. Time escaped me as we descended, my breaths puffing out in chilled wisps as the temperature plummeted. My nape throbbed, almost unbearably, but luckily, my aura acquiesced to my requests for restraint.
We stopped at a safe distance when we finally saw them, our bodies concealed in the shadows. The circular glass conveyor hovered at the perimeter, above what resembled curling black lava—hazy white smog and liquid silver snaking within the molten undulations. In the center, a hulking mass of raw amber protruded, its roughly chiseled edges blurring the bulky form suspended within.
“What … what is that?” I whispered, squinting as I tried to figure out what I was looking at.
Gavrel squatted, leaning forward. “It looks like something—orsomeone—is entombed in that stone.”
I angled my head, brow furrowing. He was right. I could just make out the outline of a well-built figure, back arching as if they had jerked forward before freezing within the boulder.
Melina’s sooty fumes flared to life, slithering around the others, igniting their smoldering auras. She closed her eyes, guiding their power until the hues tangled together. A churning gray clot floated between them and the solitary boulder.
Melina’s eyes snapped open, her irises burning silver as she immersed their combined energy into the twisting pool. The igneous substance sparked and thrashed, rolling frantically as tendrils latched onto their ember. All at once, liquid shadows rose, spilling outward over the platform and their feet, seeping over the entirety of the massive, uncut gemstone.
A blinding flash washed upward, illuminating the cavern as if the sun had exploded. The Elders stiffened, their necks craning and eyes clenching as the irradiation enveloped them. It coursed through their veins, glowing and pulsing. Within the amber, a throbbing, golden brilliance vibrated, fractured light boring through the natural fissures of its surface and spraying over every dark, gleaming surface.
As the power gradually faded from the imprisoned being, the Elders’ bodies wilted, shuddering while their auras sunk within their forms. A healthy afterglow painted their cheeks.
Melina shivered, licking her crimson lips. “Always a pleasure,” she purred toward the boulder. It glimmered once, trembling angrily and sending ripples throughout the well.
Gavrel grabbed my hand, tucking me into the stairwell, his firm body sheltering mine in the shadows as the Elders began ascending on the embered disk.
I held my breath as they whooshed past, my cheek pressed against his chest. His pulse thumped rapidly in my ear, and my breath rushed out as I looked up at him. Even in the dark, his eyes glimmered, the rich green of them studying mine. He stepped back, the chilled air seeping into me. His warm palms grazed down my arms. “Let’s move,” he murmured.
I brushed past him without a word, my nerves frazzled and buzzing. Whatever we had just witnessed, it wasn’t good. It took much longer on the way up; each crevice, tunnel, and level blended, making it difficult to tell where we’d originally arrived. We passed the cells where the two Elders were held, my heart fluttering, but they were unconscious—two piles of brightly colored robes shoved into their separate chambers.
Gavrel shook his head, pushing his shoulders back as we continued. There wasn’t any way for us to help them in this moment.
“What do you think they were doing? And why are Marah and Endurst imprisoned?”
“I don’t know yet, but I fear it isn’t for the benefit of Midst Fall or its people.”
I grimaced, fists clenching. On that, we agreed.
As we neared the top of the corkscrew path, my scar thrummed, the nagging suspicions resurfacing. “I think I’ve been here before.” I paused, turning to Gavrel and putting a hand on his wrist. His head dropped, the muscles of his throat bobbing as he swallowed. “And there’s things you’re keeping from me still.”
“Seryn …”
“I’m tired of this. One moment, you’remyGavrel; broody and sweet and trying not to smile. The next you’re—well, you’re always broody—but you’re disgusted by me or ignoring me or talking in riddles.”
He stepped closer, brows furrowing. “I’ll never be disgusted by you. Also, your Gavrel?” One corner of his mouth lifted, the flickering flames of the lantern orbs swishing over his face. I huffed, and he chuckled, tucking a loose auburn curl behind my ear. I leaned into his touch, and his lips pressed between his teeth. “I told you at the start, there are things I can’t share with you. There are things I must do—have done—to keep those I care about safe.”
“But what does it matter anymore? After tomorrow, I won’t remember any of this. Let me help carry your burden for at least one day. Tell me why I can’t remember being here before.” My forehead scrunched, jaw jutting forward. “Melina did something to me, didn’t she?”
He brushed his thumb over my cheek and then dropped his hand. “If there were a way to keep you safe, I would tell you everything.”
“There’s always a way.” My hand thrust into my pocket in frustration, my knuckle bumping into leather.
