Page 36 of Of Withering Dreams
I hastily backed away from Kaden, his arms slumping to his sides.
“Perhaps you should pay Melina a visit. You’re her pet, are you not?” Kaden’s words lacerated the air. My eyebrows rose.
Gavrel pushed his shoulders back, tipping his chin up. “That’s enough.”
“It never is. I’ll see you later, Ser.” He strode away without another glance.
15
BUCKLE UP
After dinner, Kaden and I headed to the mainland.
“What’s going on with you and Gavrel?” I asked, one hand propped on my hip, the other clutching a borrowed library book. After sparring earlier—with both daggers and words—and the bustle of the library throughout the day, a wary heaviness pressed upon me.
Fortunately, Mr. Burlam had stopped complaining about his missing lantern orb after finally receiving a replacement. Thank the Ancients for small miracles.
“What? Nothing,” Kaden groused, his eyes shifting toward the garden beside us. A couple of older women were puttering around in it, gathering vegetables in a woven basket.
“Sure.” I stepped to his side, in line with his vision. “You know I can tell when you’re lying?”
He rolled his eyes, turning to me and crossing his arms. “He’s being Gavrel. I find it annoying sometimes.”
My mouth went slack, and I snorted, squeezing the bridge of my nose with my free hand. “What does that even mean? He isn’t behaving any differently than he usually does. You, on the other hand, are provoking him more than usual.”
“He … he needs to mind himself and not worry about what I’m doing.”
The women gardening attempted to ignore us, but I caught some side glances and raised brows. I put my hand on his forearm, gently leading him away from prying ears.
“Well, he has always worried about you. So, that won’t end. Maybe you should have a chat with him,” I suggested, my eyes pleading.
“Sure,” he muttered, letting his arms drop, his lips tucking in for a moment. “Don’t you think you should talk with him?”
“What are you on about? Please, just say what you want to. I’m getting dizzy from talking in circles.” I jammed one fist into my dress pocket, using the book in my other hand to make a circle in the air before hugging it to my chest.
My knuckle bumped into my talisman. I kept it in my pocket every day—a little reminder to be steady. I huffed in frustration. Kaden was usually my rock, but he was working through something, trying to find his footing in life. I’d need to find solid ground on my own.
“You haven’t noticed how he’s been looking at you the last several turns,Little Star?” he mocked, leaning into my space. His nostrils flared a bit, his breathing shallow. “He barely smiles unless you’re around.”
“Ancients forbid Gavrel actually smiles,” I snapped, my tone dripping with sarcasm. My cheeks burned. I couldn’t believe Kaden’s behavior. Pressing my lips together, I breathed in and out through my nose.
After several moments, I added, “For now, I won’t continue this conversation because it’s absurd, and it sounds like ayouproblem.”
His jaw ticked as he ran both hands through his dark hair. I spun around, heading for the forest to calm myself. Prickling heat was tapping under my scar in time with my pulse.
After what had happened with the mare wyrm a few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure how dangerous my uncontrolled ember could be. The nagging feeling of being a puppet on a string sat heavily on my chest. My memories of the event were spotty. I still needed to discover if it was because of the Nether creature’s influence … or my gifts.
As I strolled, I focused on the people I passed, grounding myself. They smiled and greeted me, and I returned the sentiments. I waved to the young woman and toddler I saw on the first day we arrived—the ones who had lost their toy ball. During our time here, I learned they were siblings. Sadly, their parents had not made it to Surrelia. The child was giggling and running around his sister, chasing a butterfly, as she chatted with other people.
A gentle sense of hope nudged at my frustration with Kaden. It always amazed me to think about how resilient people were, their hope and perseverance refusing to break during times of uncertainty and hardship. Kaden had lost his way, but I trusted he would find the right path. I would be there for him while he did.
A smile danced on my lips, thinking of all the incredible people I’d met so far in Surrelia, but then it dropped as I mourned the eventual loss of their memory. The Dormancy would claim such reminiscences upon waking. My heavy sigh plummeted to the ground.
Once in the woods, my feet carried me, as they often did, to a heartbreakingly beautiful tree with a massive, gnarled trunk—the Elysium Tree. It was said to be the most sacred tree in all existence. A source of life-giving ember. A place to pray or offer oaths to the Ancients. It was a primordial form towering above the others nearby, its long, thick branches twisting over them as if gathering the smaller trees like children into the safety of its embrace.
Groaning contentedly, I sat and leaned against the trunk. A flicker of its power shivered against my back in greeting. The tree’s dense crown of roundish orange leaves draped above me, hiding me from the setting sun. Patches of dangling vines clung to the branches, creating a sparse curtain.
I reached up and touched the back of my neck, stretching to the side. My star-shaped mark was calm but tingling.
