Chapter 34 #3
“But her ability is one of the rarest among mages whose element is tied to Vuduarus.”
My body tensed again.
Maybe...
Maybe stepping aside would actually make things easier for him.
Giving him the chance to focus on his own sister.
“I could take over as your mentor,” Miloran said.
I stared at him.
Too shocked to answer immediately.
“Why would I do that?”
A voice suddenly cut through the corridor behind us.
Tarven.
Miloran turned around at his usual unhurried pace.
My eyes locked onto Tarven, who stood there wearing a distinctly displeased expression.
Rosalie lingered behind him, trying her hardest to look innocent.
The act would've been more convincing if she hadn't been looking at Miloran as though he hung the stars in the sky.
“I was trying to make your life easier,” Miloran replied with a shrug. “Mentoring two mages at once doesn't sound particularly efficient.”
“Rosalie won't be joining the strongest group.” Tarven's voice remained firm. “Draksen assigned her to the Vuduarus sector.”
Relief washed over me.
Softly.
Like a hand brushing against my cheek.
Then my gaze met Tarven's.
And suddenly my breathing—
My heartbeat—
Everything inside me seemed to stop.
“Miloran would make a terrible mentor.”
Tarven folded his arms.
“I wouldn't trust him with you. Not for a second.”
I nodded.
And felt something twist painfully inside my chest as the possibility I'd barely allowed myself to consider slipped away.
Illariana Arden’s POV
My bare feet carried me across a dirty parquet floor littered with scattered trinkets and forgotten pieces of the past.
My body kept moving forward without conscious thought.
It felt as though it belonged to someone else.
I passed abandoned puzzle pieces and a half-finished picture that seemed vaguely familiar.
Old toys.
Broken toys.
Damage I hadn't caused.
With every step, more fragments of my childhood emerged.
Reminders of my parents.
Of the wounds they'd left behind.
Far too many for one person to carry.
I didn't understand any of it.
Or where I was even going.
Finally, I lifted my gaze from the floor.
Massive walls surrounded me now.
Towering so high I couldn't see where they ended.
And across them played scenes from my life.
My worst memories.
The most painful ones.
With every blink, they seemed to move faster.
The voices grew louder.
My parents' words echoed around me.
“People like you aren't meant to be loved. They're meant to be abandoned.”
Something heavy began growing inside my chest.
A knot woven from every bitter emotion I'd ever tried to bury.
“The worst thing that ever happened to me was becoming your parent.”
The voices rose.
Sharper.
Crueler.
As though something was trying to crush me into the floor beneath my feet.
“You'll never belong. You'll always be an outsider. A mistake that should never have existed.”
Tears spilled down my face.
Suddenly.
Violently.
Humiliatingly.
My legs gave out beneath me.
I collapsed to the floor, covering my face with my hands.
I could hear my own screams.
The same screams I'd let out during the moments when I truly believed I was about to die.
But no one had let me go.
The universe itself seemed to have joined my parents.
Determined to make my final moments as agonizing as possible.
“And the moment he learns the truth, he'll kill you too. Trust, remember?”
That was the final blow.
I shot upright.
Gasping.
Trying to breathe.
My hands refused to obey me.
My lungs were no easier to control.
I was suffocating.
My eyes flew open, expecting darkness.
Instead, two glowing blue eyes stared back at me.
Reality came crashing back.
A moment later, the soft glow of Gia's bedside lamp illuminated the room.
She stood beside my bed, her face etched with concern.
“What's wrong?” she asked quietly.
Nervously.
I drew in a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension.
But right now, it felt fused to my bones.
“It was a nightmare,” I said.
I barely recognized my own voice.
“That happens.”
“I thought someone had broken into our room and was murdering you.”
A startled laugh escaped me.
“Can't you see in the dark?” I asked, remembering Airis mentioning something like that once.
Airis.
My heart had forgotten how to react normally to that name.
And I immediately tried to smother the traitorous thoughts wishing he were here right now.
“No, of course not.” Gia's eyes widened. “My abilities only awakened recently.”
I nodded.
Though mentally, I made a note to learn more about that particular ability.
“If you want...” Gia hesitated, staring down at the hem of her turquoise satin nightgown, twisting the fabric between her fingers. “You could tell me what's bothering you. Maybe it would help.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
“But I'd rather not.”
A defensive edge slipped into my voice.
Noticing the way she flinched, I softened my tone.
“I don't really like talking about those things.”
Gia nodded and returned to her bed.
“Do you want me to leave the lamp on?”
“No.”
I stared into the darkness beyond the window.
“That's okay.”
Because deep down, I already knew.
Sleep wasn't coming back tonight.