Page 116
Story: Blood Rains Down
She nodded, pushing a curl behind her ear as she stood. “I’m taking it by the day.” She sighed, stepping toward me and extending her hand. “I think I may be stronger than I gave myself credit for.”
“You are.” I slipped my hand into hers, letting her pull me from my seat.
“I need coffee before this day starts, come with me to the kitchens?” she asked, weaving her way between the crates toward the door. I followed behind her as she exited my rooms and Cyloe trotted behind us, her paws clicking against the marble floor.
Cin began talking about the solstice party that she was still hoping to throw as we made our way through the quiet corridors and though I think she knew it wouldn’t happen, I was glad she still had something to hold onto in all of this. Some joy to keep her grounded.
I lifted my eyes from the ground as we rounded the corner and the breath caught in my lungs as I watched Andrues and one of the guards making their way toward the war room, talking quietly over a piece of parchment the guard held in his hands.
He was so Gods damned beautiful.
I had known how handsome he was before, knew that he was an attractive man, but as I looked at him now, I couldn’t believe I had missed it. Missed how his hair fell perfectly over his thick raven brows, how the muscles in his forearm flexed every time he played with the rings on his fingers, how the necklaces kissed the scar around his neck and the muscle in his jaw feathered every time his full lips broke into a smile.
That smile sang for me,and it was fucking deadly.
He glanced up from the parchment as they approached us, giving Cin a small nod in greeting before his sapphire eyes caught mine. I commanded my feet to keep moving, to keep walking and not stop.
My hand flexed at my side, instinctively reaching for him as he walked by me. Our knuckles brushed, our fingers silently colliding as we passed each other, and for one fragile moment, my heart stopped beating. His scent overwhelmed my senses as it flowed from him, forcing my eyes to close for a single breath as I devoured the smell of him. The world muted around me as that fleeting touch echoed in the silence. I could still hear Cin talking, the sound of her voice swimming in the haze as I looked over my shoulder to see Andrues looking over his.
“Ata, did you hear me?”
My head snapped back to her, nodding though I hadn’t heard a single word.
He’s your fucking friend.
Myvisionfadedtowisps of smoke—tendrils dancing across barren, blood soaked sand. The heavy scent of death and sorrow hung in the air, mixing with the haunting melody of grievers crying out for the lives lost. As I turned to look behind me, the picture shifted and I jolted as a shadowed figure swept by me, an iron chain and collar held tight in their hands, glinting in the dim light as a red dragon roared into the sky behind them. The heavens flashed violet for one moment as a scream cracked into the silence. My eyes searched frantically for the source as green and black magic bled from the ground, the fallen soldiers rising as their limbs twitched and twisted. My hands searched for my weapons at my belt, but they weren’t there and as I reached for the bow and arrows laying on the ground in front of me, the world swirled into mist, opening back up to the marble throne room. Every inch of it dripped with crimson. My gaze landed on Cin, who sat upon the golden throne amidst raging flames. She was held in place by five pairs of shadowy black hands, emanating power and control over her every move.
A gasp flung itself from my lungs as the vision dissipated. My eyes met Yenne’s, wild and frantic as I pulled my hand from hers.
“What does it mean?” I asked as she looked at me with furrowed brows.
“I d’na know what it means—I c’na tell ye zat. I can only teach ye ta control zem. Ye must learn ta sort out what ye saw ‘n compare it wit’ what is ‘appening around ye.”
“Control them, like call on them when I want?” I asked.
“Yes. From what ye ‘ave told me, they ‘ave only come in ze past while ye sleep, or when ye ‘ave been inna emotionally charged state,” Yenne said, slapping a deck of cards on the crates stacked between us. “Zese will ‘elp ye ‘arness ze visions ‘n control ze scene ye see. Zese are for ye, d’na let anyone else touch zem.”
I studied the tarot cards laying between us before pulling my eyes back to Yenne. “What am I supposed to do with them?”
“Shuffle,” she ordered, gesturing her hand over the deck as the other brought a teacup to her lips.
I lifted my hand, reaching for cards as a hum of energy danced at my fingertips. I snapped my hand to my chest, looking up at her with wide eyes as she smirked over at me.
“Zey call for ye,” she said, tilting her head toward them.
Hesitantly I extended my hand back out, letting it hover over them for a moment, feeling the energy pulling between my palm and the deck before wrapping my fingers around them. The buzzing energy grew more intense with every shuffle I made, as if sparks would start flying at any moment.
“Now what?” I asked, lifting my eyes to her.
“Spread zem, zen choose tree. Let zem call to ye, only pickin’ ze ones zat are screamin’ ta be heard.”
I nodded and wasn’t sure if the fact that I was beginning to understand the nuance in the things she said made us both crazy, or if I had really just been so far withdrawn into my own head.
Shuffling the cards one last time, I spread them in a half moon across the crate’s surface then let my fingers glide over the blackand crimson art painted across the back of each card. I grinned as the first card came to me, like a magnet pulling me toward it. I slid it out from the rest, choosing the next two until the three of them were centered in front of me in a straight line.
I glanced up at her. “Now what?”
“Flip zem, slowly ‘n wit purpose,” she said, leaning forward as I let out a deep breath.
Table of Contents
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