Chapter 37
Nahlah
Landing heavily on the ground, I cried out in alarm as the impact jarred every bone in my body. Heart pounding, I watched helplessly as Rami vanished through a portal. Scrambling to my feet, I dashed across the hot sand, leaping after him.
Emerging on the other side, total darkness enveloped me, the oppressive silence heightening the sensation of free-falling. I tumbled head over heels through the sky, unsure what was up or down, right or left, my vision completely obscured by shadows. After a few moments, I came to a halt, abruptly flipping right side up. One moment, everything was dark; the next, I was gently floating down into a realm of breathtaking beauty.
Stars sparkled brilliantly in every direction, stretching as far as the eye could see, bathing everything in a soft glow. Nebulous clouds of stardust drifted lazily by me, their colors shifting and blending like liquid rainbows. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of the sea, and something sweet and crisp.
I glanced around as my feet touched the ground, the sheer majesty overwhelming me. I was in a forest, surrounded by trees of varying sizes, shapes, and colors. Some had trunks as wide as houses, their branches stretching skyward like ancient guardians, while others were slender and graceful, their leaves shimmering in lustrous hues.
Vibrant flowers cascaded from the branches, their petals glowing softly in shades of blue, purple, pink, and gold. As I stepped onto the path, I noticed the ground beneath me—soft and mossy, dusted with a shimmering substance that sparkled like the first light of dawn. Recognizing it as pixie dust, a realization suddenly dawned on me—I was in the star realm. It was a place of ancient power, whispered about in legends but hardly seen by anyone outside its inhabitants and those who crossed over with the guardian.
My heart fluttered with awe and anxiety, unsure of the significance this realm held for Rami. I wanted to call out for him, but the mystery surrounding his identity made me wary of what—or whom—I might inadvertently attract. Opting for caution, I hurried forward quietly, determined to find him. It didn”t matter how powerful he was, or that he was aware of the dreamscape”s illusions. If he was facing horrors similar to mine, I needed to be there to help.
Memories of my family’s deaths replayed relentlessly in my mind, their accusatory words cutting deeper with each recollection. When I’d realized Rami was there, panic had overwhelmed me—all I could think of was sparing him from the fate that had claimed the others. The weight of those lost was already crushing; I couldn’t bear adding him to that tragic tally.
Despite his attempts to assure me we were in an illusion, it wasn’t until he pressed my hand against his cheek—his warmth dispelling the chill that had sunk into my bones—that clarity broke through the heavy fog. The rush of relief I felt upon realizing it wasn”t real—the sandsilk lily on my palm confirming my family”s safety—filled me with indescribable joy.
The deeper I ventured into the forest, the more the darkness crept in, enveloping me in its chilling embrace. Eerie screeches pierced the silence, and the constant flutter of unseen wings heightened my unease. Even the trees overhead loomed ominously, their gnarled branches reaching out like grasping claws, as if warning me of the dangers ahead. With each step, the path beneath my feet grew black and cold, the frigid air leaving me trembling.
Soon, a quaint little house with ivy-covered walls and a thatched roof emerged from the shadows. Curiosity urged me closer, my footsteps echoing loudly in the stillness as I gently pushed through the open gate. Rounding the corner of the house, I halted abruptly, my heart sinking at the heartbreaking scene unfolding before me.
Rami was kneeling in front of a young girl, her black hair spilling in ringlets down her shoulders, her dress woven from colorful flower petals. Even from this distance, I could see the similarities between them—the slope of their noses, the contours of their cheeksandthe shape of their eyes. It was unmistakable. This was his sister.
“Please,” he sobbed, tears streaming down his face as his voice shook with a heart-wrenching grief. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”
The girl’s sad expression held a note of severity. “You let us down, Rami,” she stated, her little voice laced with accusation. “You failed in your duties.” Her tone grew sharper. “It was a blessing when the pirates took you. Our family and our frollick could finally heal and rebuild our lives without you.”
I frowned in confusion, unable to understand what she meant.
“I didn’t mean to,” he pleaded. “I was young, and I did everything I could to protect you.”
“Rami,” she said softly, clasping his hands in hers. He glanced up at her, the utter devastation etched across his features tightening my chest in sympathy. “You need to leave,” she exhaled sharply, her next words slicing through the air with chilling precision. “You mean nothing to me anymore.” With those harsh words, she flitted into the air, bursting into hundreds of stars. As her form dissolved into the night sky, he crumpled forward, burying his face in his hands in despair.
“Rami!” I called out, hoping my voice would ground him to the present. When he didn’t move, I stepped forward, eager to help him break free. I’d barely taken two steps in his direction when my surroundings abruptly shifted. Disoriented, I blinked in surprise, finding myself back in the dark forest. I didn’t know what had happened, but without hesitation, I immediately sprinted back across the snow-covered path.
Approaching the house, I ran straight through the open gate, but as soon as my foot crossed the threshold, the ground trembled beneath me, and I was flung back into the forest.“What is happening?!” I cried out in annoyance as I spun, once again running back the way I’d come.
“No, no, no,” Rami cried out, his frantic pleas echoing through the trees and spurring me to move even faster. Despite the snow and freezing temperature, heat flushed through my body, sweat dotting my forehead as I skidded to a halt. Realizing that each attempt to pass through the gate catapulted me back into the forest, I remained where I was, watching helplessly as Rami got to his feet, trembling as a figure emerged from the depths of the darkness.
Tall and unnaturally thin, the man was dressed in the opulent garb of a Nephrian royal. His twisted beard and the snake-shaped staff in hand left no doubt that he was Sultan Farris. I frowned, confusion washing over me. Sultan Farris had reigned centuries ago, a tyrant who plunged Nephria into waves of starvation and poverty with relentless wars, aiming to dominate not just surrounding kingdoms but entire realms. Why would he appear in Rami’s illusions? Although fae lived long lives, Farris’ reign was so longago that King Oberon and Queen Titania hadn’t even wed yet.
Rami remained frozen in place, his eyes wide and his hands shaking as Sultan Farris approached him, palpable cruelty in his gaze.
“You dare stand in my presence without showing the proper respect?”he hissed, his black and red cape snapping in the wind.
“A… asif s... sayyidi,” Rami stammered, hastily pressing his fist to his heart.
Farris’s lips curled into a sneer. “It sickens me that my descendants must deal with such a disappointment,” he spat venomously. “My teachings obviously didn’t stick with you.” He drew a heavy metal whip from his belt, and as Rami flinched at the sight of it, he chuckled darkly. ”Perhaps you need a reminder?” he asked, lunging a second later. The whip whistled through the air, the silver barbs lining its length glinting menacingly in the dim light. As it cracked across Rami”s shoulders and down his back—instantly shredding both his jellaba and the skin beneath—he cried out in agony.
“No!” I shrieked as Farris hit him harder and harder. Blood splattered with every blow, the wounds multiplying and tearing deeper and deeper into Rami”s flesh. His agonized screams grew louder, louder, louder with each sickening strike, each one a blow to my heart.
“Pathetic!” Farris hissed, striking again. “You still can’t defend yourself? Useless!”
Unable to bear the sight any longer, I instinctively rushed forward. But as my boots hit the worn forest trail—Rami and Sultan Farris vanishing—I released a cry of rage, running back across the path. I reached the gate just as Farris threw him to the ground, pressing his golden belgha to Rami’s throat.
Why isn’t he fighting back?I thought frantically, tears streaming down my face as I gripped the fence tightly. “Rami!” I yelled, my voice breaking as I shouted across the distance. But he still didn”t hear me, the tyrant looming over him consuming his attention.
”Don’t forget who owns you!” Farris struck his staff against the ground, and as a sharp blade appeared from the snake”s mouth, he pressed it threateningly over Rami’s chest. Own him? ”Remember that the next time you resist fulfilling a wish!”
Fulfilling a wish?With a deafening roar, the pieces clicked together in my mind. The star realm. Powers far beyond a mere elemental. Ownership. Fulfilling wishes. It was something so ancient, so forbidden, I never would have considered it before—Rami was an enslaved genio fae.
Without a second thought, I screamed, “RAMI! I WISH YOU COULD SEE THROUGH THE ILLUSIONS!”
Immediately, his head snapped in my direction, his brows drawing together.“Nahlah?”
“Rami! Remember, this isn’t real!”
He blinked slowly, as if coming out of a haze before facing forward with renewed determination. ”It isn’t real,” he declared resolutely. As he shakily got to his feet, pulling himself to his full height. Farris stepped back with an angry growl, keeping the blade trained on his chest. But a moment later, Rami vanished, reappearing behind the Sultan, his hand clamped tightly around his neck.
”You may have broken me,” he hissed, conjuring his elemental blade. ”But I rebuilt myself from those fragments. I am worthy, I am powerful, and I refuse to be controlled any longer. Even if it’s the last thing I do, I will be free!”With a swift motion, he slashed the blade across Farris’ neck, and the Sultan burst into a shower of shadows.
Rami was a blur as he closed the distance between us, skidding to a halt in front of me. “Rami!” I cried out, overwhelmed by my emotions.
”Nahlah.” He offered a lopsided smile as he reached for me. But just as his fingers brushed mine, the ground shuddered beneath us, our surroundings shifting dramatically. In the blink of an eye, we were standing in front of a large skull-shaped rock. A massive black ship was docked at the shore, the sea raging violently beneath it, the wind whipping into a frenzy.
Panic lined Rami’s features as a gathering of figures converged around us. Among them was a pirate with a hook for a hand and a dagger through his chest, past rulers of Nephria—including Sultan Farris with a fresh gash across his throat—and Rami’s sister, her face streaked with glittering tears.
Knowing I had mere moments before I lost him again, I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. His hands instinctively gripped my waist, even as he continued to retreat. Slipping a hand under his tattered jellaba, I pressed my face into the crook of his shoulder and neck, maximizing our skin-to-skin contact.
“Stay with me, Rami,” I murmured, feeling him pause in his frantic movements. His skin was cold and clammy, his body trembling under the weight of his fears. Pulling back slightly, I grasped his chin, forcing him to meet my gaze. “What color are my eyes?” I asked desperately, needing him to focus, to see me.
His gazesharpened,as if slowly regaining his bearings. “They’re golden.”
“Good,” I nodded encouragingly.
“Beautifully golden, like the first light of dawn,” he added, a faint smile touching his lips.
“Thank you,” I laughed, running my thumb along his jaw. “This isn’t real, Rami.”
He nodded, his arms circling around me. “It isn’t real.”
”It’s just an illusion. You”re safe.”
”I”m safe.”
”We”re safe,” I whispered, pressing my forehead against his and bringing my hands up to cradle his face.
”We”re safe,” he repeated, his voice carrying a newfound conviction as he extended his hand. He kept his gaze locked with mine as a blast of purple light erupted, causing our surroundings to crumble inward before exploding outward.