Chapter 13 – Dain
DAIN
Iarrived in the common room to find everyone already there. The air was thick with barely contained energy; hope and fury warring for dominance. Quinton was pacing near the window, tension riding every step. He looked like he’d been doing it for hours. When I entered, he stopped and turned.
“Anything?” His voice was clipped and controlled. Barely.
“The council’s meeting today,” I said. “They should decide regarding her release.”
“Should,” Quinton repeated, voice edged with bitterness.
“You must be patient,” I said, meeting his eyes. “We’ve done everything we can. Now we wait.”
His jaw worked, but he didn’t argue. He turned back to the window and resumed pacing.
The hours dragged. Reyna sat with her arms crossed, fire magic flickering faintly around her fingers.
Kael sharpened his blade for the third time.
Zephyr made dark jokes that fell flat. Thorne stood silent by the door, stone still.
Lyra curled into herself on the sofa, Elias beside her, quiet and watchful.
Lirael hadn’t moved from her corner in over an hour. And Quinton kept pacing.
Every footstep in the corridor outside made someone tense. Every distant voice made heads turn. But no news came.
Then the door burst open. I was already on my feet, already moving, before I registered who it was.
Tallis. Panting. Wide-eyed and out of breath.
“She’s out.”
The room exploded. Everyone rushed toward the door at once; Quinton first, Reyna and Kael right behind him, the others surging forward in a wave of desperate relief.
“Wait!” Tallis raised his hands, blocking the doorway. “Whoa, I need you to calm down.”
“Get out of my way,” Quinton snarled.
“She’s receiving emergency treatment,” Tallis said quickly, voice strained. “She’s with Myrin.”
I stepped forward. “How bad?”
Tallis hesitated for a heartbeat. “She’s…” He swallowed hard. “She’s not well, Commander. Myrin said only you can come. Five minutes maximum. No more.”
The room went still. I turned to face the squad. They were all staring at Tallis, at me, desperation and fear written across every face.
“Reyna, Kael,” I said, voice steady. “Go to Tywin. Tell him everything.” They nodded, already moving.
I looked at the others. “Stay here. I’ll come back with news as soon as I can.”
Quinton took a step toward me, eyes wild. “Dain—” I reached out with my mind. Planting words was Darann’s trick, not mine—I’d never practised using my magic that way. But something had shifted in the last few days; my abilities were running hotter than usual, and I tried anyway.
Trust me. I’ll bring her back.
For a moment, nothing. Then Quinton’s shoulders loosened. His breathing evened. It shouldn’t have been that easy. I filed the thought away and turned to follow Tallis out the door.
We hurried through the corridors, boots echoing on marble.
“What happened?” I asked, voice low.
Tallis glanced at me. “One of the council guards came in maybe half an hour ago. Said Captain Sylvenhart was free to go. Told me to go retrieve her.” He swallowed hard. “So I took two of my men and ran.”
I waited.
“What I saw...” Tallis shook his head. “Gods, Dain.”
“Tell me.”
“She didn’t recognize me at first. Just sat there in the cell, staring at nothing. When I said her name, she flinched.” His voice cracked slightly. “Like she’d forgotten what her own name sounded like.”
“I tried to help her stand,” Tallis continued. “She pulled away. Flinched every time I touched her. It took me ten minutes to get her on her feet.”
We turned a corner, heading toward the Healer’s Wing.
“She kept asking where she was,” Tallis said quietly. “What day it was. Like she couldn’t hold onto anything. Every few steps, she’d stop, confused. Swaying. I had to guide her the whole way. She barely knew I was there.”
“And Myrin?”
“Took her straight into emergency treatment. Wouldn’t let anyone else near.” Tallis looked at me, eyes dark. “She said it’s sensory deprivation damage. Severe. Her mind… it’s fractured, Commander.”
I already knew that. I had read it in the Truthteller’s transcript. But hearing it from Tallis—hearing what it actually looked like?—
My hands curled into fists.
The Healer’s Wing doors loomed ahead. White wood, carved with protective runes. I’d been here a hundred times. Had never dreaded walking through them before.
Tallis stopped at the entrance. “I’ll wait out here.”
I turned to him. “Collect her gear. Artifacts, blades, everything they confiscated. Bring it to the common room.”
He nodded once. “Yes, Commander.”
I pushed through the door. The main hall was quiet and dim.
Beds lined both walls, most of them empty.
The scent of herbs and healing magic hung heavy in the air.
At the far end was a door marked Emergency Treatment.
I walked toward it. Every step felt too slow and too fast at the same time.
My pulse hammered in my ears. I reached the door, raised my hand to knock. Before I could, it opened.
Myrin stood in the doorway. Her dark auburn hair was pulled back, and her green eyes were sharp and assessing. She looked exhausted, older than I’d ever seen her.
“Dain,” she said quietly.
“How is she?”
Myrin stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind her.
Kept her voice low. “Physically? Dehydrated, malnourished, exhausted. I’ve run a focused scan on the deprivation damage—no severe physical trauma beyond what you’d expect from nearly six days in those conditions.
” She paused. “I’ve given her an enchanted tonic.
It’ll restore her hydration balance, help clear some of the residual fog from her mind. ”
“And mentally?”
Myrin’s expression darkened. “Severe sensory deprivation damage. Disorientation, memory fragmentation, non-responsive in places. She flinches from touch. Doesn’t recognize voices consistently.
Her sense of time is completely gone.” She met my eyes.
“I’ve moved her to a recovery room. Dim lighting, silent, rune-etched walls for calm.
Door visible, one window cracked for airflow.
She needs minimal stimulation right now. Anything more could make it worse.”
“Can I see her?”
“Five minutes,” Myrin said firmly. “And you need to be extremely careful. Keep quiet. No sudden movements, no loud sounds. She’s fragile right now, Dain.
More fragile than I’ve ever seen her.” She hesitated.
“I’m risking her wellbeing by letting you in at all.
But I think she needs to see a familiar face.
Even if she can’t fully register it yet. ”
I nodded, throat tight. Myrin stepped aside, holding the door open. I walked through.
The room was dark, lit only by pale mage lights that barely cut through the shadows. Azaria sat on the bed in the corner, knees pulled to her chest, hands moving in her lap.
Twist, twist, twist.
The sight nearly broke me. She was twisting the silver band on her finger, over and over. Frantic, repetitive, like it was the only thing keeping her tethered. I walked closer, every step deliberate, careful not to startle her.
“Az?” My voice came out barely a whisper. “It’s Dain.”
Twist, twist, twist.
No response. She didn’t look up. Didn’t acknowledge me at all. I moved closer until I reached the bed, then kneeled. The floor was cold beneath my knees. It was dark, but I could see well enough.
She was dirty. Unwashed for nearly a week. Her hair hung limp and tangled. The same clothes she’d worn when we left Solmarin: shirt and trousers now stained with dirt and gods knew what else. She was thinner. Cheeks hollow. Dark shadows carved beneath her eyes. And her hands kept moving.
Twist, twist, twist.
“You’re safe now,” I said quietly. “I’m here. Everyone is here.”
Twist, twist, twist.
“Everyone is safe,” I continued, voice steady even as my chest tightened. “Your squad is safe. Kael, Reyna, Lirael, Thorne, Zeph.”
Twist, twist, twist.
“The siblings are all right, too. Elias, Lyra, and Quin. They’re all right, Az.”
Twist…
She stopped. My breath caught. Her hands still shook, trembling faintly in her lap. But the frantic movement had ceased. Of all the names, that was the one that broke through.
I wondered if it was a mistake, but I reached for her anyway. My fingers grazed the top of her hand. Her skin was freezing cold. The moment I touched her, she flinched as if burned. My heart sank; I pulled my hand back immediately.
Twist, twist, twist, twist, twist, twist...
The pattern resumed, faster now, more frantic than before. I swallowed hard, jaw clenched so tight it ached.
They would pay for this.
“I’m sorry, Az,” I said quietly. “You’re safe now. Rest. Myrin will take care of you. I’ll tell the others you’re safe.”
She didn’t respond. Didn’t look up. Just kept twisting the band over and over, lost somewhere I couldn’t reach.
I stood, retreating toward the door. Every step felt like abandoning her, but I couldn’t stay. Myrin had said five minutes. And Azaria wasn’t here. Not really. Not yet.
I reached the door, paused, and looked back one last time. She was still sitting there, knees to her chest, hands moving.
Twist, twist, twist.
I stepped out into the hall and closed the door softly behind me. Myrin was waiting. “She flinched when I touched her,” I said, voice rough.
Myrin’s expression was grim. “She’ll flinch from everyone for a while. Touch became a threat in there. It’ll take time for her to unlearn that.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know,” Myrin said honestly. “Days. Weeks. Maybe longer. Sensory deprivation damage… it’s not something you heal quickly.”
“Can I come back?”
“Tomorrow,” Myrin said. “Give her tonight to stabilize. Let the tonic work. Let her sleep.”
I nodded once, unable to speak. Then I turned and walked away.