Garden of Embers: Beneath Devouring Eyes #2

Chapter 18, Final Part

No stranger to illness, the hot haze of fever dreams was familiar to Domi. But the jarring transition from miserable delirium to full health and wide-eyed alertness? That was definitely new.

Between one breath and the next, his mind sprang free of the gauzy cocoon of his dreams and he jerked to a seated position.

"What?" he gasped, craning his head around in disoriented alarm.

A weird, springy floor beneath his body, radiating faint warmth.

Dingy tan walls of thickly-spun webbing.

The low, flat mushroom table, with its overturned amber bowl.

And Valens, face twisted in displeasure.

That last sent Domi cringing away, leaning back on his hands with a nervous smile. "Aedificanti," he greeted with all the meek politeness he could muster as he frantically searched his mind. Eternal Radiance, what had he done now?

Valens's glare skewered him like a little bug. "Congratulations. You successfully turned yourself into a blueberry."

For a long moment, Domi could only blink at the nonsensical statement. Had the Eyes finally devoured Valens's mind?

He stared at his aedificans. The older worldholder glared in return.

And then memory came trickling back, and the boy felt a chill sweep through his veins.

Eyes devour.

He lifted his arms, almost dreading what he'd find, and gaped at his vivid blue hands. "It worked."

Valens's eyes narrowed. "Indeed. Thanks for the warning, by the way."

Domi turned his hands over, staring in mixed horror and excitement. A thin slit, like a fish gill, gleamed silver-blue against sapphire skin where his wrist met his palm. He clenched his fingers and shivered as something stirred within.

He jerked his gaze up to Valens. The annoyed gold eyes felt way safer than whatever lurked inside Domi's arms. "We thought you'd stop us if we told you."

A muscle twitched in Valens's jaw as the older worldholder gritted his teeth. "You're right, I would have. This was ill-considered." He held up a hand as Domi opened his mouth to argue. "But Aix thinks it can be reversed if needed."

Panic spurted through him. "No! I don't want to reverse it!" This was the world's best chance, now. The Trellis had to come down.

"I said if needed." Valens shook his head and continued, exasperation thick in his voice. "What am I going to do with you?"

Domi grinned in relief and threw out an arm. "You can help me up. I want to see what I can do now."

Valens eyed his blue arm uneasily, but finally clasped his hand and pulled him to his feet. "I'm sure. Your brother is already at it." At Domi's questioning glance, he sighed. "He woke up a few minutes ago and is already proselytizing to the clivia, I'm sure."

Domi's eyes widened. "He can talk to them already?" If so, he wanted to try!

"Yes, I think so," Valens said, leading him to the ajar pod door. Promenia hummed as it gathered in a loose glowing golden ball in front of them.

Domi frowned as they began walking side by side. The tunnels weren't that dark.

"Aix decided it was best to make you both sleep through the last part of the transformation," Valens went on, squeezing tight against the tunnel wall and jerking Domi by the arm with him to avoid trailing white filaments as a clivia floated past. "Said the headache can be a bit much. But when your brother woke, he and Aix..." He guided Domi down the tunnel again, grimacing in the golden light of his promenia ball. "Well..."