Page 87 of A Conduit of Light
DoIknow them?AmIsafe in their presence?
Whathas caused me to lie here, imprisoned in my own body, unable to do more than breathe, and beat, and listen?
“Comenow,LittleSprout, it is time for you to wake.”
Thevoice is low and soft but does not echo through the placeIam laying.Itechoes in my thoughts, but it is not my own.
“Itis time,Karus.Youmust wake.”
“Whoare you?”Ireply, not aloud with my own voice, but inside my own mind.
“WhoIam, you are not ready to hear, but who you are…that is what you must wake to.Come, open your eyes and see.Openyour eyes and remember.Itis time to wake.Youhave been asleep long enough to heal, long enough to rest.Longenough to replenish what you have lost.”
“But,Icannot remember.Ican’t…remember what happened?AndViridis…what…what didIdo toViridis?”
Thememory floods back into my mind, swollen and yet somehow sharp as teeth as my heart races—the sight of the tree.Thestate of theBlightfully encompassing every hall, every inch of the placeIlove.Whathappened?DidIcause all of that death?Allof that decay of the placeIlonged to see again?
“Youwill remember.Yourmemories will return, but it is time to wake to them.Youcannot continue on like this.Youare a shell—a promise made, yet not fulfilled.Yourjourney will be a difficult one.You’llexperience pain you do not deserve, but can bear nonetheless.”
“Iam afraid.”
“Yes.Youare afraid.Butwhen has that ever stopped you?Itis time to wake.Openyour eyes,LittleSprout.Openyour eyes and see.”
Lightfloods into my consciousness as my eyelids flash open andIsquint, the shock of it painful.
Iam in my room in the tallest tower of theFortress.
Thereis my desk, my dresser, my piles of books, though their subjectsIcannot quite recall.
Ihear the voices again just outside of my door.Threepeople are arguing in hushed tones.
No, a fourth is with them.
ShouldIlie here then?ShouldIpretend to sleep?
OrshouldIget out of this bed, open the door and say,“Surprise!Iam here!Iam awake!”
Forsome reason, that almost seems right asIfeel a smile creep across my face and close my eyes once more.
Wouldn’tthey be surprised to see me like that,ClairanniaandFiguerah?Yes,Iknow those voices.Icould pick them out anywhere.Andthe other?Thathigh pitch lilting isMoira, my dearest friend.Shehas done something for me recently.
Whatwas it?
Iopen my eyes and frown.Ishould thank her, but why?Sheshowed me something.Somethinghidden that should not have been.
AndRevich.
Heis there, just outside of my door.Ifeel as ifIhave not seen him in years.
Years, upon years, upon years, upon years.
Whyhas he been gone from my side for so very, very long?
Iam suddenly hot.
Iam suddenly thirsty.Myheart hammers in my chest andIcannot breathe.Tearsswell behind my eyes, my face is sweltering,Ifeel as ifIam suffocating.Mystomach churns in a desperate attempt at escape from its encasement in my torso, andIheave over the side of the bed, retching with little more than spittle resulting from my efforts.
“Karus?”
