Daughter of Tide and Illusion

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Lyv tried her best to keep herself from falling into the darkness, but all she wanted to do was rid herself of the pain that raged through her body and mind. It wasn't the same darkness that controlled Mik or made Allel shift, or even the same darkness that was inside Corliss. No, it was the sweet darkness of death, coming to lead her into the land of light and shadows.

But something held onto her fast, not even daring to let go.

A familiar magic that warmed every part of her, a silver cord reaching out reaching out.

"Don't go, princess...stay with me."

No matter how far she reached, she was still falling.

Until something grabbed hold of her outstretched hand.

And she gasped.

Someone else's relief coursed through her, followed by a wave of absolute love and heavy exhaustion.

So, Lyv stayed. She held onto that healing mating bond as tightly as she could, pulling herself closer and closer to it before it started weaving back together with hers, even stronger than it was before, even though it had yet to be made whole.

Don't give up yet, princess, a familiar whisper coaxed through that bond. I still have a lifetime to spoil and love you.

A combination of a laugh and a sob broke from her chest, those words making her heart skip a beat. With that promise, why would she want to leave?

So, Lyv stayed, clutching onto the bond, never letting it go as she was pulled forward out of the darkness.

She wasn't falling anymore, but rather standing in a place she'd seen before – a shallow stream carving its way between two rock walls covered with vines down the sides and trees along the top. Why did she and Jai both seem to always be pulled here when they were stuck in between waking and unconsciousness? What was the significance?

The water rippled in front of her, making the bottom of the white gossamer dress she was wearing shift with it. Her eyes followed them to their source...found familiar boots just a few feet away...and looked up at a face she would have been overwhelmed with grief to see had she not realized that he'd never really been real.

Short dark hair, dark eyes, the shadow of a beard along his jawline. She remembered what it had been like to be held in those arms, against that chest...but the heartbeat beneath it was someone else's. The memories of their time together, even though Jai had replaced him in every one, rushed through her mind, including those final moments in the throne room of the Escarrali palace.

Those emotions had been real, though, and they were choking her then.

"Amory," Lyv breathed, clasping her hands together in front of her.

But the male in front of her shook his head and began to change. His hair darkened to red and grew slightly to brush along his forehead, his eyes shifted to a deep forest green, and his body changed into a shorter, more stocky build, but his face didn't change as much as a shift from the Amory she knew. Jai had to have taken his Amory persona inspiration from somewhere, right? The male who stood before her then looked as if he could have been Amory's brother.

"Not Amory," he told her, shaking his head once more. "My name was Hagan."

"Hagan," Lyv repeated, mind racing back to the morning of the siege of Escarral by Guinevere's guardsmen. "You were the one in the blacksmith shop."