Page 51 of Of Withering Dreams
In response, my aura brightened. I closed my eyes, savoring the connection. The weight of something filled my palm, my fingers curling around it without thought. My arm settled at my side as I opened my eyes, gaze fixated on the tree’s glittering luster. The trunk illuminated and almost sighed briefly. Around my body, its ember dissipated into the air in a burst of twinkling sparks. My aura sputtered, sinking back within me.
I turned to my team and found them gaping at me—along with everyone else. Kaden ran his hand through his hair, letting his hand rest on the back of his neck before it fell to his side. He looked at my hand. “Seryn?—”
“I … I …” Stammering, I clenched my hands into fists, realizing I was still gripping something solid. I gulped, taking in what it was.
Morpheus’ dagger.
I held the weapon in front of me, its dark blade glinting. My blood, melting into the burnished hilt, disappeared entirely. Coiling, iridescent mist languidly filled the stunning diamond. When finished, it resembled a liquefied version of my aura, swirling and glittering within the faceted globe. I blinked in disbelief.
“Woman, that blade nearly sliced off Ash’s hand trying to get to you,” Breena whispered enthusiastically.
My mouth dropped open, forgetting how to speak.
Gavrel positioned himself behind Kaden. Concern etched into his face, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The glow of his rune diminished as he grasped his drawn sword at his side. He lifted his tense jaw, strands of dark waves falling over his forehead. He sheathed his blade and then left the way he had arrived without a word.
Staring at me, Melina looked surprisingly bemused, her head tipping to one side; a fingernail tapping the pressed seam of her lips. She squinted her eyes at me and then followed after Gavrel, her dark dress slithering behind her.
Ryboas’ brow wrinkled, a tinge of red flashing over his glassy eyes, his lips pressed flat. He seemed to catch himself and relaxed as he looked at his empty hand and back at me. He closed his fingers, making a fist. He didn’t demand the dagger back. “It would seem that the Weeding has commenced,” he barked, stepping closer to me.
His stale breath brushed my cheek as he rasped, “That dagger hasn’t chosen anyone in centuries. Do be careful, Ms. Vawn. We wouldn’t want anything … untoward … to befall you.” He sniffed, one nostril tipping up, and then marched off, scattering a line of golden petals as he barged through them.
20
MEADOWS AND MIRAGES
The woods beyond the veil lingered at my back. I sprinted through a meadow of vibrant flowers painted in shades of neon pinks and yellows. They were tall, some stretching up to my collarbone. Their candescent auras glittered, sparking into the shimmering atmosphere as I brushed past.
My new dagger, sheathed at my hip, thumped against me in time with my racing heart. My lungs burned from exertion.
Well ahead, the meadow bled into the edge of a gleaming, black cliff. Kaden dashed toward the jagged precipice, his arms pumping. His sleek, dark hair swept back, flicking his ears as he ran.
“Wait!” I cried, my voice cracking against a blast of wind as it pushed against my body, slowing me. My heels dug into the earth, trying to move forward, but the gale surged into me, yanking me backward in a fit of effervescence.
My mind spun. A memory of when I was very young washed over me.
I had been learning how to swim.
But I was too far into the pond, my limbs cramping. I sank, submerged underwater, trying to claw my way up for air. My limbs churned the water into tiny, frantic bubbles as I thrashed about.
The image of a hazy form swam toward me.
Our bodies surged toward the open sky.
Blinking away the memory, I refocused on Kaden and struggled against my invisible fetters. He halted at the brink of the abyss, turning around and staring blankly in my direction.
The wind released me, its glittering zephyr rolling in currents toward my best friend. My arms spun in the air as I tried to find balance; instead, I fell unceremoniously on my backside. My fingers clawed at the hovering stalks around me as I pulled myself up and slapped my wild tresses out of my eyes.
As I chased after the embered flurry of air, a trail of blooms shifted unnaturally several paces away on my right. Sweat slid down my spine, and I sobbed without thinking.
Something was following me through the field.
My teeth bit down hard, and I withdrew my dagger, willing my legs to move faster. I had to reach Kaden before I met whatever was stalking me.
With glazed eyes, he opened his arms wide. His name tore from my lips.
Emerald green flashed over his usually clover-colored eyes. A whoosh of air left me, dragged away on a wave of confusion. A line creased the skin between my eyebrows.
The sound of swishing flora prowled closer, the crunching of stems like thunderclaps between my pounding heartbeats.
