Page 6

HAZY DREAMS

A bright burst of light snapped me into awareness. I could move my arms. My fingers were tingling and stiff, but I still wiggled them. My eyelids felt pasted to my pupils and were reluctant to open. A crisp breeze wafted over my face; the scent acrid with decay.

Scrunching my cheeks toward my forehead, I opened my eyes, squinting and adjusting my sight to the gloom around me. Pushing myself into a sitting position was a burden—my muscles were achy and my bones creaky. A cough scratched my throat, and I unglued my tongue from the roof of my mouth. Had I drunk a gallon of honey wine? I wondered.

With effort, I stood. I hugged my arms protectively around my curves as I absorbed my surroundings. Between patches of dense haze, stony islet landforms appeared suspended and rocking in the sky. They weren’t supported or tethered to anything—simply hovering high above in the churning, stormy firmament. Below my feet, cracked clay plains stretched far beyond the horizon. The land was pocked with massive shadows cast from the swaying islets. Every so often, a massive stone would plummet from a jagged base, cracking the ground on which it landed. Deeper fractures around the fallen rock splintered out from the impacts.

What the Ancients am I looking at? Am I dreaming? Panic bit into my spine, the chilly air slicing its way into my veins.

I took a few deep breaths, flexing my chilled fingers in time with each exhalation and extending with each inhalation. I rubbed my eyes, thinking I could no longer see in color. Everything was smoggy and bleak. Watching my hands as they skimmed down my kirtle, I realized nothing was wrong with my vision. My skin, hair, and clothing were muted shades of gray. Did this place bleed the pigments out of all that it touched?

A whimper escaped my lips. I was wide awake but had lost my mind. I couldn’t grasp any other explanation.

“Seryn!” I jumped as Letti erupted from a cloud of mist and tackled me.

“Letti, thank the Ancients. Do you know where we are? Is the Dormancy over?”

“I’m not sure what’s going on. I saw a sparkling light and ran toward it.” Her shoulders slumped as she stepped away from me.

“Ah, well, let’s pick a direction and look for others.” I turned, looking behind me. Far into the distance, a mass of jagged mountains bracketed the entrance of a valley. A furious, storming squall heaved over the vale, casting it in sinister shadows. The floating islets closest to its entrance juddered violently but also progressively decreased in size until they disappeared.

Acid frothed in my belly, my nose crinkling. I faced Letti and nodded stiffly to the pallid plains behind her, heeding the urge to evade the ominous valley entirely.

We drifted through the lifeless terrain, chalky dust clinging to our tattered leather slippers. Storm clouds rolled above as we avoided walking under the islets. Being crushed or impaled by crashing cobbles wasn’t high on our list of things to do.

“My legs feel too heavy. I’m so tired, even though we haven’t been walking long,” Letti grumbled, her last word caught in a yawn.

“I think it’s this place. Maybe it’s made of nether ember or cursed,” I offered with a shrug, the gesture taking more effort than it should have. I wondered where everyone else was and if they were safe. How long had we been here? My sense of time had ceased to exist. There was no sign of the sun to guide me. Was it day or night? Perhaps something had gone amiss with the pods’ ember. Was this the Nether Void?

A vibrant glimmer ahead of us startled me from my spiraling theories. “Did you see that?” I asked, swatting Letti’s shoulder.

She yawned again, her eyelids drooping over her faded eyes. She rubbed her shoulder, glowering. “Huh? No, what’re you talking about?”

“Up ahead. There’s a bright-green light!” I exclaimed, pushing my legs to move faster.

“Are you all right, Ser? I don’t see anything.” Her mouth curved slightly downward in confusion.

Maybe I was hallucinating, but I didn’t care at this point. My breath quickened at witnessing such a vibrant hue mar the monochrome gloom. As we approached the glow, it shrank inward. In the mist, a person-shaped outline formed. I slowed and called out, “Hello?”

“Hello? Seryn, is that you?” a gruff voice responded.

“Kade!” I shouted and ran to the opaque form in the haze. Our bodies collided, and his sturdy arms scooped me up, twirling me through the fog. I moved to kiss his cheek, but he turned his face toward mine at the same moment. My lips brushed his, and heat raced through me, making me forget how cool the air was. His hands tightened on my waist before he set me down, his ears turning a darker shade. I glanced away and went to Letti’s side, a smirk drawn on her pale face.

“Uh, I can’t believe we found you,” I said, shifting my feet. “Do you know where we are or what’s going on?”

“Sadly, no. I’ve been walking around for who knows how long. A while ago, I thought someone was following me. It’s all shadows here … maybe I was seeing things.” He scraped his hand down the dark stubble covering his strong jawline. He usually was clean-shaven. Why am I so distracted by his facial hair?

I shook my head, my own hair falling over my shoulders. A sleepy smile carved through his stubble, his mouth full and wide. “Let’s keep moving that way. There wasn’t anything from where I came, and I’m guessing there wasn’t anything in the direction you left. I’m hopeful we can find your father and Gavrel since we’ve found each other.”

“Agreed. I don’t think we should return to where I woke up.” I shivered. “There was a creepy valley that way. It felt … off.”

Letti snorted. “Like everything else here.”

I smiled, nudging her shoulder. “Obviously, but it was … I don’t know. More threatening somehow.”

“Well, let’s skip that part of the adventure then. Come on,” Kaden laughed and moved perpendicular to the path we had been on.

We walked for hours, or was it minutes? Days? I wasn’t hungry or thirsty. I counted this as a blessing since there was no food or water to sustain us. The desire to lie down on the splintered ground, a sleeping corpse, was overwhelming. My thoughts were bobbing in a sea of dreary murkiness. What was the point of going on? I stretched my neck from side to side, trying to dislodge such notions. I glanced at Kaden and Letti beside me, forcing my shoulders back and marching on.

My eyes were playing tricks on me. I didn’t bother mentioning the occasional glimpses of shadowy specters lingering in the margins of my vision. We didn’t converse with each other. We were all depleted, weighed down with the unending mystery of our situation.

At last, we approached a craggy landscape speckled with imposing boulders. The haze dispersed. Closer to the horizon, the grounded boulders grew. This correlated with the gradually shrinking, suspended islets.

The sky was now mottled with black, agitated clouds, occasional streaks of lightning slicing through them. Odd, considering this region didn’t appear to have seen water in centuries. Intermittently, a furious clap of thunder would explode in a mighty tantrum.

“Look over there!” Letti exclaimed.

I squinted in the direction she was pointing. A sturdy-looking woman slouched against a huge, wedge-shaped boulder. We walked to her, leaden legs hindering our pace. I couldn’t tell if she was breathing. Her eyes were closed, and her head slumped against her shoulder.

Kaden leaned forward with his pointer finger leading the way. I rolled my eyes and smacked his finger away, snickering. “You goon, don’t poke her.” A sheepish smile pulled across his teeth as his hand swung back to his side.

The tips of my fingers touched her shoulder, covered in a tattered, dusty tunic. Around her waist, a leather belt cinched baggy trousers to her slim form. She looked to be in her late twenties, but it was hard to tell with everything so layered in shadows. Her straight, chin-length hair was a mess. Most of its dark strands were resting against her rounded cheeks.

“Hello, miss. Are you all right?” I jiggled her shoulder. Her head bobbed, her chin bouncing off her chest, and she yelped, rolling away in an unsteady crouch. Her hands reached toward her belt, grabbing air. Not finding what she wanted, she growled. My mouth fell open in surprise as a faint cherry-colored aura shimmered around her body. I glanced at Letti and Kaden. Their gaze appeared wary; however, they did not seem startled. Can’t they see her lit up like a damned candle?

“Come near me, and I’ll claw your faces off!” she threatened, calling my attention back to her. The glow brightened with her exclamation.

I believed her.

“We mean you no harm. We were checking if you were still alive,” I said gently, backing away. My hands opened in front of me, palms facing her. One of her eyebrows arched, and she rose, eyes still tracking us. The red shimmer around her dwindled.

“All right then. You seem fairly harmless, and that one is easy on the eyes.” She nodded at Kaden with a smirk. Her accent was reminiscent of Magister Barden’s Pneumalian impression but cheekier. She must be from near the city in Southern Pneumali , I thought, tilting my head.

“I’ll put my claws away for now, but no funny business. I’m Breena Cadell; you can call me Breena. Unless you think of a marvelous nickname that I approve of.” She snapped her fingers for emphasis and put the other hand on her cocked hip.

“Uh, nice to meet you, Breena,” I replied, still bewildered, pushing one hand toward her. “I’m Seryn Vawn, and this is my sister Alette. My best friend, Kaden Larkin.”

At once, Breena shook my hand in a powerful grip. She grabbed Kaden’s hand but lingered, a sassy smile stretching her mouth wide. Kaden let loose an awkward chuckle, gulping. Somehow, he freed his hand from her grip, stepping closer to me as if for protection.

“Oh no, Kade. You aren’t using me as your shield,” I laughed, and so did Breena. Her grin brightened her pretty, heart-shaped face.

Kaden rolled his eyes to the skies, a lightning flash reflecting in them. “Anyway, shall we get moving again?”

“Yes, let’s,” Breena purred, clapping her hands together.

“How do you have so much energy? You were just passed out, and I feel like I’m made of cement,” Letti muttered, one side of her mouth tipping up.

“Must be the battle fever you all inspired within me … or my sparkling personality.” She smirked as a clap of thunder boomed. I chuckled, blowing out a small breath through my nose. Letti and Kaden smiled politely. Sparkling, indeed.