Mermaid Tear (The Fated #2)

17 | Broken Dreaming

Whenever conversation drifted into silence, Iliana found herself attempting one of two activities.

The first was simple. After shifting into what she suspected to be the center of her cell, she would run her body through a series of exercises. Annoyingly enough, her mind provided memories of Lykos' tips and tricks to maximize effect as she worked. It was determination that kept her moving no matter how strained, stiff, or exhausted her body felt. If she allowed herself to get out of shape because of the circumstances, they would never change. Iliana had to be ready to run, or fight, on a moment's notice.

Occasionally, she would hear Del join her. It was as impossible for her to place how often he worked, just as it was impossible for her to track the passage of time. All Iliana knew was that sometimes, when she paused, she would hear an echo of labored breath from his side of the wall. It was comforting, knowing she wasn't alone, as well as that he must've approved of her passtime if he, too, took part.

The second task was both simpler, and more stressful.

With her fingers gripping a charm so tight it hurt, Iliana would attempt to drop herself into that world of white.

Ever since they'd crossed the border into Reotak, Iliana had found it difficult to follow the charm. The few times she'd almost succeeded, all she'd received was flashes of memory, or feeling. The only bits of memory she'd received Iliana knew must've been Kain's, because she'd recognized familiar folks and sights. The emotions had been harder to identify.

When she grasped the feather, she felt fear, confusion, and guilt. Occasionally there would be a flash of admiration, or worry, but for the most part it was the first three emotions. She got the impression that whomever the feather belonged to was seldom happy, if ever.

The silence charm, her connection to Lykos, always radiated anger, and resignation. Iliana suspected his stay in Reotak had been no better than hers'. That realization had sparked guilt, given her own hand in his current situation. Still, there was nothing she could do about it while imprisoned, so after sending a prayer to Koun for luck, she'd moved on.

Kain's charm, the twin serpents encircling a gem, held a confusing mix of emotions, all of which she found comforting. After all, if he were feeling such emotions, then he must've been alive. Happiness, worry, guilt, impatience, and something hard to identify, they were all things he felt.

The final emotion felt akin to affection. It fluttered through her, leaving her lightheaded and warm. And, for some reason, she was reminded of when she'd first discovered the charm belonged to him. It drew the words of Rhode and Melitta's conversation into her shifting thoughts.

'You like him, right?'

As she'd mused it over, the memory sparked realization over what such a feeling might be. Suddenly feeling like a voyeur, she had quickly moved on from Kain's charm.

The triskele was complicated.

Each emotion that flickered from it felt stronger than any of the other charms. And yet, muted. As if the person it belonged to felt so much, but did their best to shove each of those sensations as deep as they could go. It was an unsettling, yet familiar feeling for her. The most recognizable emotions tended to be worry, irritation, and affection. Uncertainty was also often shifted into the mix, with a worrying intensity. Whomever the charm belonged to, like her, they seemed to feel like they were standing on rapidly shifting ground.

When exhaustion eventually settled on her, it was that charm Iliana held as she drifted into her dreams.

'Give me your hand.'

Each of the people around her were fuzzy, their features looking as if Iliana were peering through an improperly focused spyglass. It made identifying them impossible. Still, she watched them with rapt attention. The scene was unfamiliar, which created a spark of life in her dull hours.