Page 26

FARRENDEL LAY ON THEFLOOR of the porch, staring at the branches of Ellonahshinel that he was too weak to run or jump across like he used to.

Even if he was strong enough, he did not care enough to move, much less exert that much effort. He had slept right there on the porch the night before, not even caring enough to crawl back to bed. Not that it was truly his bed.

Night...Farrendel dug his fingers into his hair, as if he could claw out the nightmares and fog filling his head. He could not think. His head was spinning and heavy. A weight pressed him to the floor, making it hard to take more than shallow breaths even as his fingers tingled from lack of oxygen.

How was he going to face yet another night of reliving what had happened to him? Last night had been filled with terrors and pain. Would he ever escape that dungeon, or would it be forever embedded beneath his skin and torn into his mind?

A loud pounding sounded on the door at the base of the stairs, much too loud to be Essie. “Farrendel! Open this door, or I will break it down.”

Weylind. Farrendel curled tighter in on himself. He did not even have the energy to shout back.

Weylind’s magic burst to life nearby, the green sense of it flooding Farrendel’s senses. A crack sounded from below, then Weylind’s footsteps were on the stairs. In a moment, he was pounding on the door to the guest bedroom where Farrendel had retreated last night.

This time, Farrendel gathered a lungful of air. “Go away.”

Weylind strode around the porch, the floorboards creaking faintly beneath him. The boot steps halted behind Farrendel, and Weylind’s shadow loomed over him.

Farrendel did not push himself upright to face his brother. “I told you to go away.”

“You know I will not.” Weylind’s tone was hard, and Farrendel did not need to look to know he had his arms crossed.

This was not a battle Farrendel wanted to fight today. He was already so weary. Exhausted from lack of sleep and the battles of nightmares and memories that left him foggy and disoriented. “Leave me alone.”

“No.” Weylind’s voice cracked even harder against the stillness of the treetop.

Farrendel gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. Why would Weylind not just go away? Could he not see that Farrendel just wanted to be left alone?

“Farrendel, look at me.”

Farrendel shoved onto his elbows, heat building in his chest. If Weylind wanted him to look at him, then fine. That was what he would do. He pushed to his feet and spun to face his brother. His head whirled, his vision blurry, and he braced himself with a hand against the wall. “I am fine.”

“No. You are not.” Weylind’s crossed arms and scowl came into focus. “You need to eat and change your clothes, and then we need to talk.”

Heat built inside Farrendel’s chest. Weylind was talking to him as if he was a child. Well, Farrendel was done taking orders. “Stop. Just stop.”

“Or you will do what?” Weylind’s fists clenched as he took a step forward. “You can barely stand right now.”