The Quest

Chapter Twelve - Dreams

Tom woke up to the scent of strawberries filling his nose. He opened his eyes to see Tess curled up next to him. Checking the bedside clock, Tom saw it was still early in the morning. He heard the potion bubbling at the foot of the bed. He untangled himself from Tess, then got up and stirred the caldron. His ears twitched when he thought he heard the door open and close while he was in the bathroom. He shook his head at the thought. The door was locked. Nobody would get in or out unless Tess was up.

He went back to his bed, laying down, ready to fall back asleep. He stopped when he realized something was missing. Tom looked at the bed, then around the room. Where was Tess?

"Tess?" he called, thinking she had moved to her own bed. He waited a few minutes, listening to the silence. "Tess?" he asked again, getting out of bed and turning the light on. The other bed hadn't been touched. Tom's heart raced. Where had she gone? Tom rushed to the door to see it unlocked. "Tess!" Tom called as he rushed down the hallway. She had never gone off on her own before. Why was she making a habit of it now?

Tess felt the wind in her hair as she walked through a daisy field. She breathed in a deep lungful of air; it smelt salty. A large fire in front of her surrounded by people. She could tell they were chanting something, but she was too far away to make out what they were saying. "You can share my fire," a voice said next to Tess.

Tess looked to her right to see the woman that had given her some of her fire earlier that night. "Thank you." Tess held out her hands and was given some of the woman's fire once more. Tess continued to walk towards the bonfire, feeling drawn to it.

"Priestess," Tess heard the people chant as she got closer. She looked towards the people, but couldn't make out their faces. She shielded her eyes as the bonfire grew bigger and brighter. "Priestess, Priestess," the chant grew louder. The people moved around her, making room for her to get closer to the bonfire. Tess' face grew hot as the bonfire grew closer. She lifted her hands up and released her fire, offering it to the bonfire, the chants filling her with peace.

"Lass!" a voice yelled at her. "Lass! Watch out!" She gasped as the crowd shoved her into the fire before her.

The voice knocked the wind out of her as she was grabbed around the waist. She let out a shrill yelp as her eyes opened to the docks. "What... what's going on?" Tess whispered as she realized where she was.

"Lass, what were you thinking, walking out to sea like that?" Destru's concerned face appeared in her field of view.

"Walk out to sea?" Tess' voice became small. She looked towards the angry waves under the dock. How close had she been to drowning herself?

"Tess!" Tom's voice called from a short distance away.

"Tom?" Tess gasped, fear still clutching at her heart. Destru was kneeling next to her, where he had pulled her to the ground.

Tom pulled Tess into a hug once he made it to her side. "Why were you out walking this late?"

"I don't know," Tess stammered out in tears.

Tom helped Tess stand up, his face softening at the distress Tess was in. "Let's get you back to bed."

Tess nodded, then allowed Tom to lead her back to the hotel. "Have a good night Destru," Tom called as they left the dock.

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Tess awoke to sun shining through the window, and Tom sleeping in a chair next to the bed. His ears twitching in his sleep as he dreamed. She sat up and removed the covers. "Oh, no!" Tess gasped, looking at the potion she was brewing the night before. It had simmered too long and was now a black, bubbling mess. "New moon, new me. What a joke," Tess muttered to herself. She searched for towels to clean up what had spilled over the sides of the cauldron.