Elements

Chapter 4/ Ash

In my dream, my sister was chained to a wall, screaming in pain. She had a black eye and probably a broken rib or two by the way she was wincing.

I wanted to say something but my mouth wouldn't work. I wanted to tell her that we were going to find her.

A man walked in just then. I hissed through my teeth and knew he wouldn't see me.

Once he got closer, I realized something.

Alturas, the unseelie king took my sister.

                                                                ***

I woke with a gasp. My body was drenched in sweat. I sat up with a jerk and called for Ryland to get Kaiden. His head popped in the door and he nodded before looking at me. "You might want to splash some water on your face. You look horrible. Just saying." He said, looking annoyed. I threw a pillow at him and glared at him.

"Just go get Kaiden." He left and I got off the bed. I looked at my clothes and noticed that I must have changed into a long sleeved shirt last night. And that was all I had on besides my underwear. I padded into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I had shadows under my eyes and my eyes were swollen from crying myself to sleep.

I heard the door open and I walked out. My legs were cold so I crawled back into the bed, with Kaiden and Ryland watching me.

"What happened," Ryland snapped, "that is so important that you had to wake us up?"

I glared at him. "I happen to know something important but going to be like that, I won't tell you."

Kaiden cleared his throat. "Ryland. Calm down. Ash, please tell us."

"Alturas took my sister."

They both started talking at once.

"How did he?"

"That's not possible!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT IT!" I snapped, well, screamed. They froze, shocked at my outburst. I sighed. Heat rushed to my cheeks and I got a choking feeling in my throat. I pulled a hand through my hair, frustrated at myself. "I saw, in my dream, my sister chained to a wall, covered in blood. She was screaming in pain. She looked as if she had a couple broken ribs and maybe a black eye. The room she was in was dark, but I was still able to make out the features of him. I am absolutely sure that it was him." I said, feeling tears run down my face at the last words. I cradled my head letting my sobs finally come out.

They both sat on the edge of my bed trying to comfort me. Kaiden wrapped his arms around me and laid a soft kiss on the top of my head. I clung to him and just cried. Ryland spoke saying something about telling the guards about the situation, but I barely heard him. Kaiden pulled me onto his lap and sat against the wall next to the bed.

"It will be okay. I promise you, your sister is strong.  I won't leave. You'll be okay." He mumbled, lying soft kisses on my head. He pulled a blanket around me and just held me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt him lay a kiss on my temple. He was smiling.

After a while, I fell back to sleep. Kaiden still had his arms around me when I did.