Elven Legacy

Chapter 57

Noah

It happened under the harsh glare of the midday sun. The caravan master, the merchants, Fenek, Noah, as well as the dromedaries and oxen sat sheltered under a vast opaque canopy. According to the caravan master, they were only a few hours away from Penkanac now, and they would clear that distance in the fresher evening.

As the others shared conversations and food in the center of the shaded space, Noah crawled away to a corner pole, claiming he had an upset stomach and wanted to be left alone. Fenek trailed after him worriedly anyway, but Noah didn't mind if it was just him.

The dry desert air pricked his eyes as he sat, huddled with one arm hugging his knee, his other hand clutching the slim wooden pole, which felt warm, rough and splintery on his skin. Fenek sat cross-legged facing him, near the line that separated shade and sun. Two slim black braids framed his concerned boyish face.

His hand went to his chin with three knuckles folded down, thumb and little finger splayed outward, "What's wrong?"

Noah answered, "I think he's waking up."

A few hours ago, back on the road, he'd felt this tangled mess of panicked emotions and pain from Jaden. And it had been frustrating as hell for Noah, because he'd had no idea what was going on, and Jaden wouldn't tell him anything. But Noah had, of course, this sneaking suspicion that Jaden had gone to the Azuria Palace to confront everyone's least favorite emperor on his own.

Which Noah would've been really pissed off about, except he was too busy worrying himself sick.

Because he'd felt it, when Jaden had passed out. He'd felt a sudden tug of weariness as Jaden got weak and his body and mind failed him. And then it had felt like Jaden was trying to tell him something, but he was too far into unconsciousness for it to properly make sense.

So Noah had spent anxious hours waiting for something – for anything. And Fenek knew – not in so many details, but he knew that Noah was concerned about his friend, the one who had the catalyst's other part.

Now, Jaden was waking up. The presence somewhere deep inside Noah woke up, too. It had still been there while Jaden was unconscious, only . . . dimmer. But now—

Sudden pain stabbed his chest like needles, and vicious spikes of agony echoed along his body. Noah breathed hard, clenching the pole, leaning his forehead on it.

Jaden wasn't waking up easy; he was being forced awake.

Another jab of searing pain, licking the skin of his chest and reverberating deeper, biting at every nerve.

Fenek grasped Noah's shoulder, searching his eyes.

"He's in a lot of pain," Noah explained with small circular motions of his fists, index fingers outstretched.

"Why?" Fenek asked. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," Noah answered.

It lashed him again, surging along his sternum and racing through him, leaving white-hot trails of pure agony. He held Fenek's hand gratefully, and realized he was panting. Noah's other hand clutched his own chest through his tunic, as if that could somehow alleviate—

They swapped places, abruptly. It lasted only a second.

Through the hazy blur of pain, he saw a small white room, smelled something like disinfecting solution, and there was . . . a gag in his mouth, but even so, Jaden had bit his tongue or maybe the inside of his cheek, from the taste of blood . . .

Then Noah was back on the desert plain, under the canopy, conversations of people sharing a meal just a few paces away. Fenek's concerned frown facing him.