Page 88 of Of Withering Dreams
UNBIDDEN MEMORIES
NOWADAYS
Ijerked upright as my aura buzzed and thrashed over my body like splintered prisms. I dragged in air, greedy for a ragged breath as if I’d been drowning. My pulse hammered in my ears, matching the throbbing over my scalp.
A frantic vortex of dread slammed around my mind as I tried to collect my scattered senses.
Where am I?
My nails dug into plush velvet, and I blinked several times—colors and shapes coming into focus, outlined by the early morning sun spilling through the oceanside windows.
I was in my room.
What had happened?
A whimper scurried from my lips, and I cupped my hands on either side of my jaw, feeling my frenzied heartbeat.
“You’re safe, Little Star. Take a deep breath.” Gavrel’s gravelly tone washed over me, and I flinched in the direction of his voice.
I stared at him, not believing he was sitting on the edge of my bed as if he were a cosmic apparition my mind conjured. A shadowed look of apprehension drifted over his eyes, making his emerald irises look nearly black.
“It’s okay. You’re okay. Breathe.”
My body heeded his words, pulling in breaths until my lungs were about to burst. Then releasing. Over and over until my heart slowed to a consistent thump. My hands rested on my midsection as my ember evaporated, leaving behind the remnants. Fragments of memories shuffled through my mind like loose pages scattered from a torn book.
When the fog cleared, everything crashed into place—murky shadows chased away by a stunning clarity.
The Mirage Orchid.
I’d taken the potion. And then …
“I remember.”
“Say more.” His nostrils flared, the skin of his temples and jaw ticking rapidly.
Derya chuffed from the end of the bed, and I startled, realizing she was there. “Don’t be daft. She took the tonic. You know that whatever curse was forced upon her has been lifted. Isn’t that right, Miss?”
My heart sank as vivid memories flooded my mind, each one as clear as the day I lived it. A stream of unbidden tears streamed down my cheeks. I let them fall, not caring if I drowned in them.
Pain.
Fear.
Confusion.
Burrowing into my bones from every angle. Trying to dig out the very essence of who I was.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
My gaze fell on Gavrel, icy irises boring into his soul. “I mean—everything.” Acid roiled in my throat, and I paused, swallowing.
I shifted to the side of the bed, legs hanging over the edge next to his massive frame. “I remember every erased thought. Every moment. My time during every Dormancy since I was a small child. The memories that Melina stole from me.”
Derya gasped, one hand gripping the bodice of her dress; the other hugged a pile of clothes to her chest.
“Seryn …” Gavrel breathed, shuddering.
