We gathered into a circle around a fire Raphael had insisted he make. I found myself sitting between Kalen and Casian, my weary head leaning against the former. I ignored the curious glances that were thrown our way, especially the heated glare from Mallory. What did she care? There was obviously something between her and Raphael that she refused to acknowledge. She whispered something to Natalia and torn her gaze from me finally. Something relaxed within me as soon as her eyes left me.
“I never really had a chance to ask how you were handling all of this royalty stuff,” I said as Eric and Raphael turned to sleep. Casian was short on their heels, telling us goodnight before Kalen could answer.
Kalen poked a stick into the fire, his thoughts suddenly very far away. “I don’t know. It’s a lot to take in. I never imagined any of this. It’s not any easy thing to accept. I mean, after all this time I had spent searching for my parents, they turned out to be the king and queen of Gynae. It’s surreal and I have no idea what to do about it.”
I rubbed his arm. “You’ll figure it out. You have my full support in whatever you decide to do.”
“When I do decide to take on Eerea, I’m going to need a lot of support. They managed to assassinate my parents who had magic as well. It’s going to be no easy task.”
“Nothing worth fighting for ever is. When you choose to take a stand, I’m sure many other sorcerers will stand with you. We are all tired of be suppressed and persecuted.”
“I really hope so.”
A yawn escaped me and I crinkled my nose at it. I wasn’t ready to sleep for fear that my nightmare still hasn’t decided to leave me.
“You should get some sleep,” Kalen said with a slight laugh, still poking at the fire absent-mindedly.
“I can’t. I’m… I’m afraid.”
His eyes hardened. “Nightmares?”
“It’s been the same one since…”
“Since you were executed.” His voice was devoid of emotion.
“I’ve been able to sleep with the aid of some sort of sleeping drug, but I doubt we’d find one tonight.” I paused. “I’m fine, I can make it without sleeping until we get to Andreas’ mansion,” I added to Kalen’s troubled expression. In my peripheral vision I noticed Natalia and Mallory also taking their positions to sleep. Kalen and I were now the only ones still awake.
He took a deep breath. “You should try to sleep. Perhaps the nightmare has finally decided to leave you in peace. I will wake you as soon as you start tossing, I promise.”
I bit my bottom lip, unsure if I should risk it. “It’s not pleasant… even if I wake up during the early stages. I’m scared to close my eyes….”
Kalen took my hand in his. “I’m right here. No harm will come you. Perhaps your nightmare recurs because you’ve felt alone in those days after your execution. You have no reason to be alone now. You have me, your friend and I won’t let any further harm come to you.”
Right on cue I yawned again. I glared at Kalen’s triumphant smile, but conceded. If I didn’t go to sleep now out of my own accord, my body would demand it by itself soon enough. “The first sign of me having a nightmare, and you’ll wake me?”
Kalen nodded. I hugged him and made myself comfortable on the grass, using my arms as a pillow.
I soon drifted off into a blissful, dreamless sleep.
My eyes flew open and I couldn’t move my arms. Realization slowly dawned on me as I tried to walk forward, but met with resistance. Slowly, all around me faces swam into focus. I was back on the stake, the torch was just lit at my feet and the slow approach of the fire began. I started squirming. “No, please no,” I wept. It was hard to be brave after experiencing the fire so many times now.
I willed myself to wake, but I remained within the dream. Tears streamed down my face before the fire even touched my skin. I had gone so long without dreaming since falling asleep. Why must this dream always creep in? Why?
I felt helpless, more so than I had on the actually day I was burned. And then the fire breached the distance it had left before reaching me. I cried out in pain as the fire contacted with my skin. Everything felt real as if it was happening all over again. Why wasn’t Kalen waking me? Had he fallen asleep himself?
The brave façade I had kept that day was a distant memory as I now whimpered in defeat. I felt myself slipping again, the fire becoming too much. And I caught that voice again, the voice begging me to hold on.
“LANA, NO!”
Unlike previous times, my mind was crystal clear. I could hear the voice this time, and my heart stopped. His eyes locked with mine, that deep blue piercing to my soul. I wanted to hold on longer, but I knew I couldn’t anymore. I tried to call to him, but I was already gone.
“Lana!” I sat upright immediately, finally torn from my dream. I was digging my fingers into someone’s arm, but I was still too disoriented to register whose. My vision slowly adjusted and I noticed Casian’s pained expression. I released him quickly as if I had been stung.
“I’m sorry, I –“
“Are you okay?” he asked, cutting me off. It was early morning, the sky a light purple as the sun began to rise.
I shook my head out of the daze. “I’m fine, just a bad dream.” My voice was shaky.
Casian turned my face to his. “You need a hug? I heard those help sometimes?” I started laughing, and he joined in.
“A hug would be nice, yes.” He pulled me to him and I felt the remaining tremors of the dream settle somewhere in the recesses of my mind.
When I pulled away I scanned the rest of our travel party. Eric was missing, but Raphael still soundly asleep. I willed myself not to worry about them. There was nothing they could do at this point if they disappeared. At least nothing I needed to be concerned about, I told myself. Kalen was fast asleep next to me, which explained why he didn’t wake me. I couldn’t blame him for succumbing to the fatigue, and my revelations of whose voice had called to me that night was worth it. My initial thoughts had been correct when I first came too. Andreas had been the one to call to me.
Which meant everything that I had told myself to believe over the past two weeks was wrong. Andreas had come for me, but he had been moments to late. I wasn’t sure what to make of this information. Casian regarded me curiously and I explained. “I had a nightmare about the day of my execution. And I remember hearing someone’s voice right before I went unconscious. I couldn’t place the voice until tonight.”
“Who did the voice belong to?”
“Andreas.”
Casian squeezed my shoulder, but chose not to comment further. Everyone started stirring, and soon we were all up and continuing our journey. A nervous energy bubbled inside me now, one of anticipation as well as apprehension. Anything could still happen.
YOU ARE READING
Haunting Shadows (Book 2)
Fantasy"What if my sins are all I've become? Will you still love me if the Andreas you once knew is too far gone to ever get back?" Lana had survived burning on the stake, but at what cost? Every time she closes her eyes, she revisits the horror of burning...
