Wake of Darkness [1]

Chapter Thirty-Seven

♕ Farewell ♕

The world looked like it was covered in a layer of dust. Asher first noticed the lack of energy surrounding him. The lack of warmth radiating from beneath his veins. It took him more than a few minutes to get used to the brightness of the light. When he finally did, Taj and Vereena were asleep at his feet.

"Hey" Asher said, standing up. Both of them bolted awake, as if the sound of his voice had sent a bolt of lightning through their ears.

"Holy hell" Taj said, grabbing him and hugging him. "I thought I'd never get to scream at you again" Asher frowned returning the hug. Instantly remembering the sting of long nails digging into his skin.

"What happened?" Asher mumbled after Vereena pulled Taj out of the way to hug him herself.

"Why don't you tell us?" Taj said rubbing his face. "Because we have been trying to figure out that exact thing all day" Asher let go of Vereena.

"Bree..." he whispered, thinking out loud. "I need to go look for Bree..." He said stumbling over his words trying to get himself out of the door. Feeling the ground underneath him tilt as he tried to take a step forward. Taj grabbing onto his shoulders before he could slam against the floor.

"Bree is gone Asher" He said, trying to get him to sit again.

"What?"

"She left. We looked for her all morning" Vereena said.

Asher expected to feel the usual heat of his magic burning through his skin, but nothing came.

"Deirdre" he said, remembering the words of her sister. "She was here. She...She took her." Asher pushed past Taj's hands trying to get his eyes to focus on the door. He needed to go. Needed to keep moving. Needed to find her before they could harm her. If they hadn't already.

She'd warned him. She had tried to tell him this would happen, and he had not listened.

"Asher can you please stop." Vereena said as Asher's breathing became more agitated.

"Deirdre's sister. She was here." He said once more, trying to get his mouth and brain working together.

Asher looked down at his arms, and gasped. Shaped like small crescent moons, scars were all over his arms, were she had ripped his skin open with her nails. Asher saw the small marks. Scars that should've already have healed by now and felt his heartbeat drop. There was no familiar spark beneath his skin. And he couldn't feel the world around them, waiting for him to pull onto it and slow it down.

"Asher..." Said Taj trying to take a step towards him.

"I can't feel anything I can't ..." He said trying to explain in a logical way why his magic did not respond to him.

"Asher" Taj said again more impatiently.

"What!?" Asher screamed.

"Your hair..." Vereena said looking to him, handing him a hand mirror.

Asher froze at the sight of his face. He looked tired. No, he looked and felt exhausted. But that could not compare to the lack of brightness on his eyes, the lack of color in his hair. White as snow.

"We found you like that" Vereena whispered. Asher cleared his throat, trying not to care. Trying to remind himself magic wasn't what made him himself. That he shouldn't feel as devasted as he did.

"I'm so sorry Asher." Said Taj.

Asher took a deep breath, counting before letting it go. Trying to force his mind to stop racing. He had no time at all. No time to dwell. He would not sit back and do nothing.