Ruins In The End (We Three Mages, Book Two)

Chapter Twenty: End the Terrors

That night, Kyree was on his first watch duty. They had briefly explained why it was necessary for there to be a watch in the middle of the desert, but Kyree still thought it was a pointless idea. He had been thinking long and hard about the day he had had and though there was so much proof that the Legend was in their hands, it did not sit well with him. Kyree wrapped the blanket tighter around himself as the cool night air threatened its way to his skin when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Kyree swung his head to the right to see that it was just Jared fidgeting in his sleep.

Even these people have dreams. Kyree told himself. But the more he watched Jared, the more violent his fidgeting became. A scream hit the silent air so fast that it caused Kyree to yelp. In another instant, Calvin was next to Jared, trying to wake him.

"Jare! Jared!" Calvin tried to be loud and quiet at the same time. "Wake up you idiot!"

"Calvin! What's going on?" Mari ran out from her tent and to his side. "What's wrong with him?"

"I'm sorry!" Calvin couldn't bring himself to look at Mari. Soon, Devin and Nadia had joined them. "I'm really sorry!"

"Sorry about what?" Nadia looked at Jared with concern. He had begun clawing at his chest.

"He's been having these for a few months now. I wanted to tell you, but Jared didn't want any of you to worry!" Calvin still wouldn't meet Mari's eyes. So she placed her hands on Calvin's face and turned his head until her eyes met his.

"Calvin, what is wrong with my little brother?"

"They, they started out as bad dreams, ya know? But they got worse, much, much worse."

"Calvin, the point?"

"Night terrors."

Mari just looked at Calvin for a second, trying to comprehend what he just told her. Mari knew what night terrors were and how awful they could be, but why would Jared go through all the trouble and not tell her about them?

"Calvin, why are you so afraid right now?" Devin looked at his friend.

"Afraid?" Kyree asked.

"He's sweating a lot and his breath is short. I bet if we felt his pulse it would be off the charts." Devin listed off.

"These are the reason why we cut the time short on our time a part." Calvin tore away from Mari and looked back at Jared. "He would just wake up screaming nearly every night towards the end. So much that the guy who trained us gave him his own bunk house so he wouldn't bother the other guys." Calvin was talking quickly. "It happened two days before I contacted you guys. He was having one of his terrors and I was trying to wake him up, but nothing was working and just when I thought I had actually done it..." Calvin trailed off.

"What, what happened?" Mari pleaded with him.

"I think it was the Book," Calvin's voice was shaky now. "Everything and everywhere grew really hot except for Jared's bed. Then the winds began picking up speed outside and I heard thunder and, and," Calvin just shook his head.

"The Book responded to Jared's immense level of fear and retaliated for him." Nadia finished for Calvin.

"We weren't supposed to know that kind of magic, only the basic of the basic of spells. So when the guy in charge rushed in to what was happening, it hadn't taken him long to figure out Jared was causing it all. I got him out of there and then forced him awake. That's when I sent that message to you guys. I thought that it was stress from being a part from each other for so long, but now..." Calvin finished what he had to say.

"Based on what Calvin just told us, Jared is on his way to have another one of these fits." Nadia moved to the other side of Jared and placed her hand to his forehead.