The War of Six Crowns: The Heir's Choice

Callan Shares her Secret

"Callan! Wake up!"

She pried her eyes open and found herself standing with Kaela grasping her arms. How did she get there? Her heart thundered in her ears. She panted for air, wildly casting glances about her. From the near translucent cream cloth walls to the honey-colored wooden floor. To Kaela, whose silver eyes were filled with concern.

It had been a dream. Nothing Callan had seen was real. She'd killed the scarred man. Stabbed him. This was just the entity torturing her because she'd managed to get it back under control. It did that. Time and time again. Despite this, the scream she'd heard haunted her.

She couldn't escape the sound. Her stomach still churned from the horror of it.

Kaela moved away and tugged a rope connected to a pulley system. The cream colored wall rolled up easily, and gray dusky light filtered into the room. Leafy branches stretched past, forming green clouds on which her room and others like hers floated, connected by wooden walkways. Was this real?

Swallowing hard at the lump in her throat, Callan turned away to hide her terror. "Sorry. I had a nightmare."

"So I gathered."

She balled her shaking hands into fists. Time to get a grip. Sixteen years old and she risked losing her sanity after years of fighting to keep it. The entity was getting to her. More than it had ever done. She couldn't allow that. If she did, it would destroy her.

"I get them from time to time." She forced a self-conscious laugh. "Should have warned you, I guess."

"Do you remember what happened just before we rode into Aldrithe?"

Callan cast her gaze about the room, looking for clues, but only found filmy linen walls undulating in the light breeze. The splotches on the traveling outfit she wore caught her attention. Her lovely mint green suit was ruined. Stained by mud. Ah, yes. She must have fallen when she blacked out.

Crossing her arms, she took a few paces toward the bed, but found she didn't want to be near it. Not with the voice's scream still reverberating in her head.

She hugged herself tighter and faced Kaela. "Is that where we are? Aldrithe?"

"Yes," Kaela said, tilting her head. "What happened?"

That was exactly what she wanted to know. When she blacked out, all sorts of bad things tended to happen. Kaela didn't act like this was the case, though. Could it be that the entity hadn't hurt anything or anyone last night? For some reason, that was a far from comforting. She shivered, mulling over the implications.

"Callan?" Kaela grabbed her again and guided her to sit on the bed. Its soft sheets and cover were tangled from her restless sleep. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing...I...I...might just be hungry."

Kaela frowned. "And that's what made you fall?" Disbelief sharpened her voice, but Callan didn't have the strength to convince her.

Instead, she stared at the glossy wooden floor. "Guess so." The ensuing silence grew too long, so she faced Kaela again. "Where can we go eat?"

Kaela watched her for a few seconds longer, then shrugged and pulled the chain holding Callan's key from around her neck. "I kept this safe for you. Let's go see what we can eat."

"Gawain told me to hide the key," Callan said and stood up. "Is it more important than others or something?"

Kaela handed the key over. "To us it is. Its door opens into Castle Sylmion itself." She sent Callan a searching look. "The king trusted you with a lot."