ShadowSong [Book 1 & 2: Complete] [NaNoWriMo16/17]

Chapter 38 - That Which Was Broken, Part II

The next day, Jason woke up to the early light of the sun from the dream that chased him down every night.

The girl with the auburn hair, lying face down on the starstone. The silver dress that caught the light of the auroras. Ella, transformed and Manifested, standing between him and saving her. He kept calling her, but his powers refused to work. He was trapped in the binds of Ella's spirit magic. Always trapped, always reaching, screaming the girl's name--

He stepped out of bed and pulled his covers back. He greeted Sae and got dressed. He checked on the flower still resting by his window and attended to its needs. He had breakfast in the kitchen alone, taking note that his mother had never returned home last night, and it was that disruption to his usual routine that made everything come crashing down.

As he placed his plate in the sink, he closed his eyes.

Last night. It all seemed like a bad dream. His experiences as a Luminary always seemed somewhat disconnected from his real life, like the persona he adopted wasn't entirely his own to claim, but last night had been something else entirely. It felt fuzzy and vague, yet he could recall every detail with perfect clarity.

They had saved Ella Spiritcaller. As far as he understood, that meant the vision that had haunted his nightmares had been averted. Perhaps now, he could find closure and move on to the next thing that would wake him up in a cold sweat.

Jason returned to his room and closed the door quietly, finding Sae sitting by the window, gazing out into the sun, slowly climbing across the sky.

"I didn't imagine last night, did I?" asked Jason softly, his fingers tracing the edge of the starstone amulet he'd carried with him since receiving it. It hadn't changed. No power emanated from it. No otherworldly voice spoke to him. It just continued to hang on its chain around his neck as it always did, yet taking it off, the thought of leaving it behind, still felt wrong.

Sae turned around with a hop, tilting his head to the side. "You did not."

"And is Banshee well?"

Sae hesitated before be replied. "Yes, Banshee is fine, as far as I'm aware."

There was something in the way that Sae said her name that made Jason suspicious there was something else Sae wasn't telling him. "Is there a reason you think she might not be?"

"No, not for her," said Sae. "Banshee is still a Luminary."

Once again, there was the odd note in the Ascended's voice, but when Jason asked again, Sae simply deflected the question, saying that Jason had his answer. Jason scratched the top of Sae's head in an apology, watching him closely. He believed Sae about Banshee, but it was more than a little obvious that the Ascended was hiding something.

Still, given last night, Jason wasn't particularly feeling in the mood to concern himself with the world. If Banshee was well, everything else could wait. He needed a day to sort out his own civilian life--and it was with that thought that he picked up his Liaiser from the side table.

His heart was in his mouth as he tapped the screen. It flashed.

[1 new message - Ariel Cloudspeaker]

Jason pressed the top of the Liaiser to his forehead, breathing a prayer of thanks to Skypillar that she'd answered him before reading the message. He went over it several times, ensuring he had it memorised before he pocketed the phone and left the house.

His stride had purpose as he approached the Gleamer and placed his bag and violin case in the sidecar beside the second helmet. He lifted his eyes from the sight of it and strapped on his own helmet. He had a few things he needed to do before temple work began for the day and not enough time, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying.