The Call of Home

CHAPTER 15

The morning light pierced my vision as I felt a hand shake me awake.

"Elyse?" Carina's voice hovered over me. My face stung as if she'd slapped me.

I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain stabbed through my head, and my stomach clenched hard. Groaning, I fell back, raising an arm to shield my eyes from the harsh light.

"Elyse, you were poisoned last night," Carina said. "Seren called me over when you started throwing up on the street. You've been sick all night."

Pain twisted through my stomach, and I doubled over, retching into a pail I hadn't noticed beside me. Sweat drenched every inch of my skin, and Carina's hand pressed softly against my back, her fingers tracing circles to help me through it.

"I don't understand who would do this to you, dear."

A comforting voice answered from the doorway before I could reply. "We do. That enid, Tavora, that's who." Idris stood there, arms crossed, his face set in silent fury. "She vanished right after Elyse left. Cerys didn't even see her slip out."

Still draped over the bed's edge, I couldn't bring myself to straighten up; somehow, this awkward position was the only bearable one.

Carina turned to him, her hand resting on my back. "Who?"

"Someone new in town, met with Cerys the other day. Fancy hair, dark purple."

Carina scoffed, clearly unimpressed with Idris' vague description. No doubt she'd dig up useful details from Seren or me later.

I forced myself to sit up partially. "Wouldn't be surprised. I just remember her shoving me..."

Idris' arms dropped. "She what?"

"Shoved me," I repeated, bracing against a fresh wave of nausea.

"Enough of that for now." Carina handed me a small bottle. "Drink this and rest. You'll feel better by late afternoon."

I didn't care about the bitterness of the liquid—only that it promised relief. "Thank you."

Idris took the pail, its contents sloshing unpleasantly, and I was too exhausted to be embarrassed as he left.

Another wave of nausea rolled through me, but nothing came up. My vision blurred in and out, and a familiar buzzing sensation began to pulse in my head. Fractals of an oncoming vision forced their way forward, gripping me with intense pressure. I'd tried evading these visions with drugs all day yesterday, but this one pulled me under, impossible to resist.

Tavora appeared in my mind's eye, standing on a platform with her arms crossed and a wicked smile. The image shifted, now showing beasts lurking in the woods, then flickered again, and I saw my own hand holding a bloodied axe, adrenaline flooding my veins. The scenes started flashing rapidly, each image blurring into the next, too quick to fully understand, until I felt like I was suffocating under the weight of it all—until, at last, I broke free.

Gasping, I clawed my way back to reality, my chest heaving as I blinked away the last remnants of the vision. The buzzing in my head lingered, and I could still feel the ghostly weight of the axe in my hand, my pulse racing as if I'd just been on a battlefield.

"Elyse?"

I took a breath, swallowing the bile that rose in my throat. "It was Tavora. I saw her again, in my vision."

Idris reappeared at the doorway, brow creased. "What did you see?"

I hesitated, the images still vivid in my mind. "She was on some sort of platform like she was waiting for something. And there were... creatures in the woods." I swallowed, the memory of them clawing at my mind, their eyes gleaming in the darkness. "Then I saw myself holding a bloodied axe. I don't know whose blood it was, but I could feel... anger. Like it wasn't entirely my own."

His lips thinned. "You know this can't be a coincidence. Tavora comes to town, charms her way in, and you're suddenly poisoned? And now these visions... they're warnings, Elyse."

I nodded, my jaw tight. "She's here for something, and it's more than just a warm welcome from Cerys. She's dangerous."

He paused, meeting my gaze. "We need to find her."

"I'm in no shape to hunt down anyone." I slumped back against the bed, my strength still drained, my body heavy as if filled with lead.

He set a hand on my forehead, assessing my fever. "I will handle it. We'll talk to Cerys and see what we can uncover. In the meantime, rest. You need your strength if these visions keep coming."

The idea of slipping back into another one filled me with dread. The visions were unpredictable, forceful, and each one felt like it was scraping away at my sanity. But Carina was right—I couldn't help anyone in this condition.

"Fine," I murmured, closing my eyes, willing myself to relax, "but be careful."

Idris gave a nod. "You rest, Elyse. I'll be back soon."

His footsteps retreated, and I sank deeper into the bed, my body finally easing as the effects of the potion dulled the ache in my stomach. But even as I drifted toward sleep, Tavora's cruel smile lingered at the edge of my mind, a reminder that this wasn't over.