Dream and Nightmare

Chapter 27 - An Unknown Enemy

Anah woke up several times after the building had collapsed on her head. The first time, she was barely for a second, and all she remembered hearing were screams and the bone-chilling sound of metal hitting metal as Southern men and women fought an unknown enemy.

The second time Anah remembered being conscious could've been minutes later or days. The atmosphere was different and, if possible, worse. There was no sound other than a man's breath near her ear, and yet when Anah managed to pry her eyes open, she found herself surrounded by rubble in the same cell she was in before the attack.

Trying to lift her head had proved a waste of energy, and a gentle hand cradled the back of her neck and guided her back down to the ground. "Careful, my dear," a voice had cautioned her. "I won't see you dead before your time." She was sure she recognized that voice, but her mind was being slow to think of a culprit.

Fingers brushed the rocks from her hair. The gesture broke through her foggy trance, reminding her of another person who has done much the same thing earlier. "Jack." She tried sitting up again, but her muscles were still too weak.

"It's just you and me," the man told her. Realizing who he was, Anah was easily able to see past the loving tone of his voice. In fact, he seemed impatient and annoyed; whether it was at her or not was hard to say.

Her thoughts may have been starting to clear up a bit, but she still felt like she was trapped in a dream as she said his name, "Shritaum."

"Soon, my dear," he had said. "I have big plans for us. But now you should rest."

Maybe he hadn't been using magic on her before those words, but as soon as he said 'rest', a peaceful calm swept over her and her eyelids closed on their own accord.

When she woke up a third time, it was only long enough to open her eyes for a moment. In that second, she saw Rendel standing above her in the ruined cell, a grim, dark look on his face as he spoke nonsense words to someone behind her who was combing rocks out of her long hair.

She was sweating when she finally managed full consciousness, and she kicked the pile of blankets that were encircling her onto the floor.

It took her a moment to recognize where she was and even longer to remember what had happened to her. Several thoughts crowded her head at once, and her hand flew to the spot on her head where she'd been hit. The spot was bandaged and tender, but it didn't seem life threatening, so she decided to forget about it for the moment.

Her next and primary concern was Jack. Through all the times she remembered waking, she hadn't noticed him there once. Was he even...? Anah stopped herself before she thought those dark things, but she couldn't stop the fear.

Darkness threatened to reclaim her as she stood from the bed, swaying from dizziness. She didn't let that slow her, and she stumbled her way out into the hall where she fell into Kellen. "Jack," she said, trying to push away from her brother's arms. "Where's Jack? Is he..."

"He's alive," Kellen said, but it sounded more like a question to Anah's ears. "You should sit down. You're not looking good."

She ignored his advice. She was not going to rest until she was at Jack's side and she saw for herself that he was alive. "Where is he?"

He must've seen the stubbornness on her face because he wrapped his arm around her waist to support her down to Jack's room.

Jack was on his bed. His eyes were closed and his face deathly pale. Black hair was a mess on his head, falling over his brow and across his pillow. There was blood on his white skin that looked fresh, and a nasty looking cut that ran under his eye. Kellen brought her to his side and pulled a chair over for her, still insisting that she sit. Feeling for a pulse, she felt nothing, and her heart squeezed tight.