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Chapter59

KALLIE

A comforting warmthblanketed Kallie as the sun’s heat pounded down on her, hugging her. She wiggled her fingers, and coarse sand rubbed against her palms. Burying the tips of her fingers in it, Kallie let herself fall into the sand. When she inhaled, she did not choke on smoke. Instead, moss and bergamot lingered in the air as rushing water filled Kallie’s ears. Gone were the screams, the shattering glass, the pounding feet.

The last thing she remembered was the smoke and screams filling the temple. She didn’t know how she got here—whereverherewas. She didn’t care. All she cared about was—

Kallie gasped as the faint note of lavender wafted toward her.

Father.

Her eyes sprung open, and the sun blared into them, blinding her vision. She tried to get up, but her body ached, her head spun, and she sunk back into the ground. She had to find him. She needed to know if he was safe, if he was all right. She needed to—

“Kalisandre,” a gentle, melodic voice said.

That voice . . . it was familiar, but there was a strange tone to it. She raised a hand, shielding her eyes from the sun. As her vision adjusted, she realized the color of the sky wasn’t quite right. Something was . . . off. It was too perfect, too bright, too blue.

“Kallie.”

She forced herself up and onto her elbows. When she spotted the ghost before her, her heart skipped. “Fynn? But you’re—”

“Dead?”

The smirk on Fynn’s face was filled with all the boyish charm he had possessed in real life that Kallie questioned if he truly had died on that ship. In this version, however, Fynn’s eyes sparkled a little brighter, a little more golden. His chestnut brown waves were too soft, too smooth.

“Always the observant one, sister,” he said with a wink.

She stared at him, unsure what to do or what to say.“Why—how are you here?”

“Which is it?” Fynn asked, extending a hand.

Blinking, Kallie grabbed it, and he pulled her up.

“What?” she asked.

The wind breezed by, and the petrichor tickled her nose and whispered in her ear. Kallie, however, did not want to hear what the wind had to say. Because despite the tranquility that surrounded her, her heart was tearing itself apart.

Fynn quirked a brow. “Do you wish to knowwhyorhowI am here? Because those are two vastly different questions.”

“I—” Kallie stumbled. She couldn’t formulate the proper words, for she was still shocked that Fynn was here. Not covered in blood, not screaming or stabbing her in the heart. How many nightmares had she had where he had threatened to push a dagger through her chest? How many nightmares had she had where she had to watch him die over and over again?

But this . . . this wasn’t one of those nightmares. The colors were more vibrant, and the air was too rich. In her nightmares, her heart pounded against her chest, and her insides screamed at her. But right now? Her heart beat at a chaotic rhythm for an entirely different reason.

Although she supposed there was still time for this dream to go sideways, too. A dagger could still end up in her heart.

Fynn cocked a brow, and Kallie blushed. Could he hear her thoughts even now? As if to answer, Fynn chuckled.

Kallie squinted at him and their surroundings. The Whispering Springs sat behind Fynn. It was all so reminiscent of a dream she had once months ago. A dream she could barely remember, but the feeling of it was the same. However, in that dream, the man who had greeted her was faceless. She recalled having that dream when she was on the ship to Pontia after she had let—

Kallie gasped. “Terin—he’s doing this, isn’t he?”

Fynn nodded with a small smile. “Our brother has always been too humble about his gift. When asked, he tells people that he can force people unconscious.”

“But that’s not the only thing he can do, is it?” Kallie asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Fynn sighed and turned toward the waterfall. The water was crystal clear, and there were no clouds in sight.

“The mind is a strange place, Kalisandre. We do not know everything about it or why certain things are possible. And dreams?” he huffed. “Dreams are even more confusing. Terin’s ability extends far beyond knocking his victims out cold. He can manipulate dreams. Once he has a hold of someone’s mind, he can create imaginary scenes or make them recall different memories as they sleep.”