The Book of Glass

Burning (9)

Emory ran from Lysander's house, her mind fighting through the fogginess to make sense of what she just saw. It felt like more than a nightmare. It felt real. She ran into the inn, knocking on the door of her room until Ingrid answered.

"Where have you-"

Emory pushed her aside and looked out the window of the room. They had drawn the curtains shut, and when Emory drew them back they revealed... nothing. "How... I don't..." Emory backed away from the window, and Ingrid grabbed her shoulders, spinning her around.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm... fine. I think I just had a few too many drinks. I'm ready for sleep." Emory pushed Ingrid's hands off of herself, and began moving towards the bed that Shay was sleeping in.

"You're not even going to explain where you've been all night? You've been gone for hours, Emory. I was beginning to worry. You could have at least come up and told us-"

"Just stop. I don't feel like this right now." Emory sighed and slid her head beneath the pillow. Block out the voices. Block out the light. But she couldn't, it was burnt into the back of her eyelids, and she couldn't get it to leave. It was a warning she didn't understand.

"Do you think she'll be alright?"

"I don't know. I didn't even hear you two when she came in last night. She really might have just drank too much, Ingrid."

"Fine. Are you going down for breakfast, or having it sent up?"

"I was hoping for it to be sent up. I'm not sure I'm ready to go back down there again. And I think someone should keep Emory company, just for a little bit."

"Alright. I'm going to go buy some supplies, since you two seemed to forget about them yesterday."

"Sorry. Could we maybe see about another horse? I don't think we'll make it through another day of walking, especially when we don't have a set destination like we did Waektown."

"I'll see what I can do."

Emory listened as the door to their room closed, and she felt Shay move around the room. Resting for a few beats, Emory worked up the courage for what she was about to ask of Shay. Then, she quickly rose up from the bed to find Shay looking out the window, as if trying to look for what Emory had been last night. Shay looked surprised, but shut the window curtains. "You're awake."

"Can you pray with me? I had a nightmare last night. I can't shake it off." Emory rubbed her arms and Shay laughed.

"So I heard. Come on, I set up a shrine over here yesterday." Shay crossed her arms, her almond eyes softening as they watched Emory. She looked miserable.

"Thank you."

The girls sat across from the shrine on the floor, their legs crossed and hands face up on their knees. Emory had her eyes closed tightly, the fires still burning there. Shay took in a deep breath, grabbing the carnations they had bought the day before and picking the heads of the flowers off. She sat a few flowers in the palms of Emory's hands before gripping onto the two she reserved for herself. Shay let her mind wander, allowing Rosalind's warmth to wash over her in comfort, but suddenly Emory shifted beside her.

"I think I'm too hungry to pray right now, actually. I'm going to go downstairs and grab some food for us. I'll be back soon." Emory dropped the carnations into Shay's hands and then hurried out of the room. She had really tried, but it didn't feel right. She felt as if the fires were only pressing her harder, making her sweat from the all too real heat. She made her way downstairs, and just as she was entering the tavern Lysander was coming in from the town square. They met eyes, and Emory thought about turning around. If she turned back around, though, she had a feeling Shay would press her to either tell her about last night with Lysander or tell her about last night and why she was so scared.