Awakening

Chapter 9

I was siting at our kitchen table while night descended around me; the darkness crept in through the windows and doors and choked the room with shadows. Tom was sitting across from me, a chunk of ice from the frozen river pressed against a cut on his cheek. The gas lamp on the table emitted a static electrical noise as the light pulsed, which didn't quite fit the scene. Only the rich and the Archmages had power, there was no electricity in the slums.

Slowly, as if I'd pulled my head out from under water, the scene cleared. I knew I was dreaming now, but still I was stuck. I looked to the lamp, the only clue that I was walking in a dream and not real life. Could looking for these small differences be what Victoria meant by taking control? The lamp silenced itself and I could hear my parents yelling upstairs. My socks were itchy and my worn boots were two sizes too small. Everything was heightened, and now that I could see the memory, I wanted out.

"You din't have to do that Tom, you never do. Nothin you say ta him is going ta change his mind," I sighed.

"I have ta try Addy, you know I do. You know I can't just let him trade you away like yer property! Yer my sister," he said.

Words of comfort weight on my tongue like a thousand tonnes, I wanted so badly to tell him it would be alright, that I would get away, and we'd be together. But I was stuck. The words were stuck.

"Ma is asking for time," I said weakly, "maybe time is all I deserve."

"You can't mean that Addy!"

Feeling like my hand weighed more than a mountain, I reached across the table and placed it over his. I gave Tom a smile, trying to convey what I couldn't with words.

That hadn't happened in the memory.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When I finally awoke it was afternoon, and the sun was streaming through a hole in the top of the cave. I blinked the sleep out of my eyes, realizing that I was curled up on someone's lap. Relieved to see Tom's gentle green eyes staring down at me instead of Dominic's, I gave him a small smile.

"Morning Tom."

"Good morning. You were mumbling in your sleep, I figured you were still having those dreams so I came to sit with you," he said, his cheeks turned pink. Tom was always blushing for the silliest reasons- I wish I could tell him his kind disposition was nothing to be ashamed of, but I knew it would only embarrass him further.

I nodded, noticing that I was clutching his hand just like I had been in my dream. Maybe reaching for him in the real world had given me the ability to do it in the dream world as well?

"So where did our brave rescuer go?" I asked.

"He's outside looking for snow berries, Evelyn is watching him. I didn't want to tell him what we're doing, but without a good reason I don't think he'll let us go. And I'm not exactly in good shape to take him on." Tom gestured to his ankle which was bandaged.

"Maybe I should tell him. I mean, I think he's a run away of some sorts too. He's not really with the Ragamons or the Mages, maybe if he knows we aren't either he'll let us go?" I asked.

"You can try, but I don't know if his sort will listen. I think he's one of the rebels," he said, curling up his nose.

"Rebels?" I asked.

"Yeah, I mean, until lately no one thought they even existed, but with the High Mage being so fearful... Maybe it's just solider talk," Tom mumbled.

"Well if he's a rebel you could consider him to be on the side of the sisterhood, maybe he'll even help us escape," I said, pushing myself off the ground.