Chapter 1 #3
I rub my throbbing head, the memories almost too much to bear.
“Silas, she was after me. She is after me. She’s going to take over. I can feel her creeping closer each day.” Panic swirls, and bile rises in my throat. I start to squirm, as if I’m still coated in the gray ash that constantly falls from the sky in that realm.
Silas takes my hand. “Once Maines healed me, I came to—I ran to you. You wouldn’t wake up, but I could somehow feel you.
I could hear your thoughts, as if your prayers were meant only for me.
” He squeezes my hands, trying to stabilize me for what he’s about to say next.
“I stayed here with you, desperately trying to wake you, calling to you.” He lowers his head.
“I couldn’t eat or sleep for days, until my body could no longer handle it.
” Silas’s hands tremble slightly against mine, squeezing harder.
“I drifted somewhere when I slept, closer to you. It was similar to the dreams I had before I met you. I let myself go, and that’s when I found you. ”
Bits and pieces come back to me.
Silas’s panicked face as he ran in my direction.
The ruin—the darkness—but it’s blurred, like my memories of the nightmare fade with every second I’m awake.
I glance up at his face. His dark hair falls in all directions, and his piercing green eyes stand out against the purple under them.
Even in this moment, his ineffable beauty is hard to ignore.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I say, squeezing his hands just as tightly as he’s squeezing mine. “I don’t think it was a dream, Silas.”
I shuffle my legs under the warm blankets, and a zap of pain jolts through me.
“Ouch,” I hiss.
Silas jerks his attention to my legs, slowly pulling away the thick fabric that covers them. Nearly healed scratches run down both of my legs, coating them with blood—now dark brown instead of red—as if days have passed.
“I don’t think it was a dream either, Briar.”
I notice his chest heaving as he covers me once more, his concerned eyes gazing into mine. He dives into his own thoughts, and I can only imagine what is swirling through his mind at this moment. He’s trying to process everything, just as I am, but I wish he would talk to me.
He whispers, “You need to rest.”
I jerk my gaze to meet his. “Rest? No, you need to tell me what’s going on.”
He sighs. “I don’t remember much, either. It’s like it happened years ago, and the time that passed is messing with my memory.”
I lower my head once more. “That’s how I feel.”
He lifts my chin with his finger, forcing my gaze to find his.
“Hey,” he says, sharply. “You are safe right now. We are safe, and that’s all that matters.” Silas kisses my forehead before settling onto the bed next to me. “You with me is all that matters.”
I rest my head against his broad shoulder. “Apparently, my running off to save everyone gave you three all kinds of ideas in Daramveer.”
He huffs a soft laugh, his body finally relaxing against mine.
“Maines found out that Carobon was trying to be resurrected. Something I now know you could have told us, but didn’t.
” He nudges me. “If you weren’t so impatient and keen to keep secrets, you’d have known all of this before you snuck out toward your death wish. ”
I grimace, trying to keep the memories from drowning me in this moment.
“Any other secrets you’d like to tell me about?”
I shake my head, the lie making it painful to look at him, and I swear he knows I’m lying.
“Don’t keep things from me, Briar.” Silas’s voice is deep as he pleads with me. “Please.”
I lean forward, planting a soft kiss upon his lips.
He flashes a worried smile. “You know, Carobon doesn’t want you dead anytime soon, Briar.
He wants another chance to prove his strength against Kalix and all Shadow Wielders.
” He sits straight up, turning his body toward mine as he continues, “He wants another chance for the Lumor Wielders to rule over all. I have strong suspicions that he fully possesses Rohhit, and that they are heading to Eddris. They are going to raise an army, just like what happened all those years ago during the Great Battle.”
“We knew this would happen,” I say.
He pauses, grabbing my hand before continuing.
“We’re going to endure another epic war.
We must fight him, but we can’t allow Kalix to take complete control of your body.
We’ve got to figure out how to harness the Great Wiitch’s strength without putting you in jeopardy.
” Silas stares deep into my eyes. “I can’t lose you again. ”
“You won’t,” I whisper, trying to convince myself as much as him.
He glances down at my hands, noticing the black lines that remain, and his eyes meet mine. “Those aren’t going to fade this time, are they?”
“No.” I flex my hands. “I think they are here to stay.”
I’ll tell him the promise I made Kalix in the water another day.
“You stayed on the dock. You placed yourself in danger to hold off Carobon. Why didn’t you come with us?” I ask, accusation in my tone, along with concern and frustration.
He breaks eye contact, like the question makes his thoughts travel somewhere dark—somewhere he doesn’t want to go.
“I knew he would kill us if we all let our guards down to shift. And, I knew you left something behind that meant more to you than anything.” I tilt my head, waiting for him to continue.
“The letters. I thought maybe I could grab them for you.”
My mouth slightly parts in shock. “You risked your life for that?”
He gazes into my eyes, revealing something I've never seen from him before—something tender and vulnerable. “I’d risk my life—repeatedly—for the things you hold dear, Briar.”
My heart soars, and neither of us speaks for a moment, just letting the silence of the cabin surround us in a comforting embrace.
My mind reels for those poor people in Eddris facing the destruction heading their way. Silas continues, “Oak’s father is going to keep us updated on the moves they are making, since Brinkym is our only connection to the mainland at this point.”
I nod, speechless in this moment.
We have no real plans, no armies, and no supporters—especially with me as queen.
Everyone ran from me, fearing me because of the stunt I pulled.
I let my father get to me, and regret hangs heavily on my shoulders.
Not only will I have to rebuild Daramveer, but if we don’t stop this, we will need to rebuild the entire realm.
I feel like I might be sick again, and I breathe sharply through my nose, trying to keep it at bay.
“It’s going to be okay.” Silas kisses my forehead, brushing a strand of hair from my pale face.
“We will figure this out. Together.” His kisses shift from my forehead to my mouth, and I can’t help but feel uncertain about trusting his words entirely.
It’s hard not to feel hopeless in this moment, and I know he understands.
“You promise?”
He responds, gazing into my eyes as he says, “I promise.”
“Where are Maines and Oak?” I ask, changing the subject.
Silas chuckles. “They are on the deck. Oak has really taken a liking to the ship life—he’s practically the captain now. However, Captain Darcy seems to think otherwise.”
I huff a laugh, rolling my eyes.
“Maines is annoyed with him, naturally, but I’ve never seen her smile so much. She filled me in on everything only a moment ago.”
“Great.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Another reason for him to boss us around.”
I turn my gaze out of the ship’s small window, noting the vast sea before us and black clouds forming on the horizon.
His gaze joins mine as we watch the waves crash against the ship. “We will be there in a few weeks.”
I snap my attention back to Silas. “Wait, where are we sailing to?” I realize I never thought to care where we were going.
He grabs my hand.
“Well, you need an army, right? A following of supporters and people to help us win this battle. We need soldiers who aren’t afraid of death or destruction and are crazy enough not to fear Wiitches, Wielders, or Gods.”
My eyes widen as I process what he’s saying—where we’re heading—but before I can speak, Silas does once more:
“Andorwood.”