12. Chapter 12
Darkness once again wrapped around me like a cocoon.
“You used it again,” the voice chided. My mind searched the far corners, trying to recognize if I had heard it before, but failed.
It felt like granules of sand were wedged between my eyelids as my eyes fought to open. Something dark materialized in my line of sight, giving me the sense of being in an enclosed room of sorts. But I wasn’t alone.
“If you let it go on, it will overpower you. Do you not sense it? Do you not sense it creeping upon your soul like a fog you cannot run from?” The man’s voice was full of urgency and was everywhere and nowhere.
“Do not make the same mistakes I made, even if it feels just, or right, in the moment. The longevity of its power will corrode who you are…even if you don’t mean for it to happen. ” Was that sadness in his words?
Who was he? How did he know my inner thoughts? Was this my subconscious speaking to me?
“You must listen to me.” Silver eyes were inches from mine.
Pools of gray and white lined his irises, illuminating them brightly in this dark place.
“I know you know about the prophecy. You need to decipher it to restore what my hand foolishly broke.” His eyes were pleading.
“I did not mean for it to turn out this way. I only wanted to save her.” The silver glowed brighter, almost blinding me.
“Find the keys. Right what is wrong. Your line was a part of its beginning, and now it will end it. Restore the balance.”
The silver faded as the darkness consumed me again.
***
“What’s wrong with her?” I knew that voice. It was light and airy, but why did it sound so muffled?
“Aside from being knocked out?” a deep voice said. This one was closer.
“I didn’t know what else to do.” Another man, but younger. “And I already apologized.”
“You could have killed her!” the woman seethed.
“I fucked up, but like I’ve said many times now, I didn’t know what else to do. The ground was turning dark under her feet…”
“I’ve never seen her Wield shadows like that before—just her orbs,” the woman’s voice whispered. “What could this mean? Will she be okay?”
Something cool pressed against my scalding skin. A shiver ran down my spine at the stark intensity, forcing a moan to escape from my mouth.
“She’ll be fine. She might be a little lightheaded when she comes to, but she’ll recover.
As for the other thing… I don’t know.” At the sound of the deep voice, a warming sensation covered my head just as the tiniest prickles and tingles coated the back of my scalp.
It was as if light knew where to go in my body.
But why was it there? Was I in need of Healing?
“Do you care to explain what is wrong with her?” The woman directed the question to someone else. It seemed like a handful of moments before the person responded.
“I’ll let her explain,” the third man said. He was so close to the other side of my head and his voice was filled with so much…unease?
“She could have ruined this chance,” the woman whispered. “What was she thinking?”
“She was trying to protect you,” the man said pointedly. “Misguided, yes, but she thought she was helping. Can you blame her? People she loves were being attacked…”
“I need to Heal your lip,” the deep voice said.
“Save your energy for her. I’ve survived much worse than a mere flesh wound.” Annoyance was thick in the man’s voice who was beside me.
“Peiro, I’ve done all that I can. Her body will need to recover some on its own.”
More silence passed before it was interrupted by the younger man’s voice.
“At least Beralt is still willing to meet. One of the guards notified me right before we came in here.”
“You mean this holding cell?” The woman scoffed. “He’ll have much to answer for.”
“An infirmary is hardly a holding cell, my queen,” the deep voice said. “From the looks of it, it appears state-of-the-art. There are herbs here that I haven’t seen in years.”
“What do you need me to do?” the third man said calmly, but with strong emotion laced in his voice. Something brushed against my hair, coaxing a calming sensation against my skin.
Another wave of something warm caressed my head, alleviating a strong ache at the base. “Do not worry, my old friend, she will recover. Give her time.”
“I’m afraid that’s already something we’re running short of,” the third man whispered closest to me.
The ministrations against my scalp brought a sense of calm to my body.
Ever so slowly, a tightening on my nerves relented and loosened before disappearing altogether.
“That’s right, my moonlight, let it go. It doesn’t control you anymore. ”
I felt my body become weightless as my consciousness fought but slowly lost the internal battle. In the distance, a muffled voice—a deep baritone that I didn’t recognize—came in, issuing some sort of order before leaving.
“He’s making us wait until tomorrow? Who does he think he is?” I heard the younger man’s voice say.
“We’ll play his game, for now. At least he’s giving us his guest quarters,” the woman replied. “Fyom, should she stay here until she’s recovered?”
“She should wake in a couple of—”
“No,” the third man’s voice said strongly. “I’ll carry her to her provided room. Fyom, if anything happens, I’ll call for you.”
Before anyone had time to object, I felt strong hands move under my body before I was lifted against something warm and strong. The minutes passed, and I heard only light scuffling against the floor before I was once again laid onto something soft.
Another damp rag gently pressed along my brow, sending a violent chill through me.
The pattern continued as my consciousness finally won, my eyes opening as its prize.
The room was dark and heavily decorated with various kinds of wood.
A small fire crackled in the giant stone hearth.
It emitted just enough light for me to take in that I lay in a canopy bed lined with heavy cream fabrics.
How did I get here? How long had I been out? My memory was hazy as I tried to recall how I ended up in a fine room like this.
I turned my head and found Peiro sitting in a chair next to me, lazily gazing at me as he continued running his hand through the loose strands of my hair. He stilled the moment his brown eyes caught my gaze and laid his hand down next to the other, which softly held my own.
He continued to study me, as if looking for something that was meant to be obvious before he cleared his throat. “How are you feeling?” With a steady movement, he once again began running his fingers along my hair, gently pulling tangles as he went.
My body shivered at the sensations. “Tired,” I replied, feeling my throat dry and scratchy. “Where are we?”
Peiro reluctantly let go of my hand to grab a glass of water from the nightstand. I brought the cup to my lips and emptied the contents down my throat. “Lord Beralt has so graciously given us guest quarters.” Harshness laced his words.
My eyes widened as I tried to force myself to sit higher.
A tremor coursed through my body and the more I moved, the more I felt a tension ache in my head.
A gasp escaped through my teeth as I simultaneously reached for the back of my skull.
I pulled back my hands, expecting to see blood, but nothing coated my fingers.
“Easy,” Peiro said as he helped me to a sitting position and reshaped the pillows for extra support.
“Did I fall?” I reached for my head again.
Before I could register what was being done, warmth brushed against my fingers and into a wound.
The tension immediately disappeared. I smiled as I pulled my hand back and looked at my glowing fingertips.
“I could get used to Healing myself. I bet Fyom would be proud to know I finally did it. How did I get hurt?”
My smile faltered when I found Peiro’s mouth in a frown as he continued to make his assessment. “Ophelia, do you remember coming to Ventus Bluff?”
A few more moments passed as I tried to sift through the hazy memories. Jumbled images of the carved mountain in the distance, my sister waiting on Beralt to let her enter, guards on horseback to retrieve her.
“Kind of? It’s a bit hard to remember. Whatever I fell on must have made me black out. Why? What happened?”
“I knew he had no business hitting you as hard as he did. Fucker,” Peiro said under his breath as he took my hands into his once again. “You honestly do not recall anything?”
We sat in silence while I eagerly recollected my memories the best that I could as Peiro waited patiently.
“And then that one guard spoke ill to Ora, and then I remember my vision turning gray.”
“Go on,” he whispered as he lightly stroked the back of my hand.
“I remember bits of fighting and then getting hit on the back of the head.” I looked at him. “You said he hit me. Who hit me?”
Peiro flicked his eyes up to mine. His expression showed reluctance as he said, “Sury. He stopped you before I could.”
“Before you could? But why on earth would Sury attack me?” Something flashed in Peiro’s eyes right as a realization suddenly dawned on me. The pit in my stomach threatened to swallow me whole.
My tongue lay heavy within my dry mouth. I was too afraid to ask. Peiro might have sensed my spiraling guilt because his grip on my hand tightened into a gentle embrace. “Peiro? Your eyes. Why are they brown?”
“I’m fine, I promise.” I noticed a faint bruise around his mouth as he fumbled with his lip for a moment. “You said your vision turned gray. Do you remember what followed?”