In Dreams I Lie

Chapter Ten: Saving Spider Webs

I have never minded being alone in the dark. My room is seldom lit, and if I do need to illuminate a page of a book or other oddment I solely use small candles. Philosophers feel that it is the unknown people fear, not the inherent lack of light. I guess there is so much unknown inside of me that I do not need to be scared of mysteries on the outside. The orientation of the room is easily memorizable, so much so that I need only set my feet down to the stones bellow me to orient myself. To my left will lie the table filled with surgical equipment, in front of me is a plain wooden box with an assortment of knives locked down to the case. To the right lies open space and a the wall. If one was to walk to it then go forward a bit, one would reach the alcove where sits the door, heavily latches with a deadbolt, three locks, and a spell I saw them cast once before they stepped away.

My mind is becoming clearer as more time progresses; I can even feel the individual portions of my brain that are still affected by the noxious poison. That's not the part that worries me. Slowly, as not to agitate myself more, I bend my legs and begin the dissent to the floor.  At home, I never accept pain killers nor any other medication like so. They never mix well with my system. The half of my magic I fight so hard to keep down can practically sense my lack of control and rears up. My light half also increases in strength, due to the fact that I cannot seem to use one without the other. At times like these I feel strange, dangerous even, as if I cannot really trust myself and even a little noise might set me off. I breath, letting gulps of air down into the deep caverns of my lungs. I count how long each breath takes me. This is common practices. The urge to send darkness radiating through the floor subsides a bit and I open my eyes. The room seems smaller to me now.

I stand, but pain shoots like a bullet in between my eyes. I hear voices clamoring high and loud, a ring leader directing their whispers into the depths of my skull. Telepath. They aren't that deep yet or I would not have the ability to feel them. They are simply poking at my defenses trying to see where to strike first. I flash a warning. Get out of my head. They do not take the out. I do not know who to blame, them or myself, but the leash is off my magic. A wall of tentacles slams into them, first blinded by searing heat, pure white. Even though I cannot connect to their thoughts, their mental cry of anguish comes back to me. Good. Vindictive pleasure surges through my body and I push deeper. One is not permitted to play with my mind without enduring the consequences.  My teeth bare. It is lucky I bit my tongue. The flash of pain sends me spiraling back to reality. The waters of magic ebb and flow within me. Whom did I just hurt?

I open my eyes which I did not realize I had closed. A flash of light flies before me. Stumbling back, I press myself to the wall, not for my protection but for theirs. The light coalesces into a boy, thin and pale, translucent, as though he had never seen the sun. Even his eyes are odd. They glow, whiter than the cold glares that come from the metal in the West.

"Stay back." I choke. "It is not safe for you with me like this." I don't care who he is, only that he leaves.

But he does the opposite. He stretches his hand out to me, eyes filled with millennials of sadness. "Do not despair," He whispers. "You are not alone in this world, under this sun. Do not give up hope."

I stay pressed against the wall, willing him to leave, just leave me in peace. Who ever the apparition is, doesn't he see that I cannot be saved? That I have already damned myself?

This time he goes, shattering into fractals of light that disappear before they touch me. My magic cries out at his loss but he didn't go not a moment too soon. The locks jiggle at the door and Colier enters, bearing a torch. The light fire gives is so different from the pale luminescence of the boy.

Colier snarls when he sees me. "Get over here. Prince Nikoli and his betrothed want you." He says the word betrothed with disgust.

I do as he ask, keeping  my head down. The only focus for me now is keeping my magic pinned down. Colier binds my hands and pokes me. I guess we are heading to the main chambers, I do not look up to check and make sure. It is sloppy that he does not blindfold me, any spy in their right mind would. Unless he is not worried about my escape. We travel up several flights of stairs. Even my legs ache when we reach the top. My feet, being bare, relish the soft carpet below them. I must have moved to stop, to let my feet sink in a little more, because Colier prods me and tells me to keep moving. We stop at just before another slight set of steps. My head is still down, I cannot see what, or who, is placed at the top.

I never get the chance to see them, for Colier forces me to my knees, and elevates my neck towards the ceiling. My head twists backwards, making it difficult for me to speak or swallow. 

An amused voice sounds from above me. "So this is the southern princess?" His voice is smooth, it doesn't carry the gravel of an older man. This must be the prince.

Colier answers. "Yes, your highness." Colier's voice, now in Colier's voice lies a shift. He speaks softly, kindly. Now I begin to understand his dislike for the 'betrothed'.

"Oh, let her head down down from there. Haven't we tortured her enough?"

No. Don't let it be true. Let me have misheard, let it be someone else. Anyone.

Colier tilts my head down and there is not a sword or spear on this earth or the next that could have torn me so.

Sansori glides towards me, clutching my own dagger in her hand. "Arcadiel, I tried to protect you, I tried the best I could, I always have but you were so naive." She envelops me in her arms. "Why did you have to be so stupid?" I have heard my sister whisper many times, but not like this. I do not speak, I do not cry out. I am stone and will be steal, even as the dagger shoved between my ribs pierces my heart and I bleed all over the beautiful, red carpet.