Eyes of Ember (Imdalind Series #2) (23 page)

“Then heal me, and let us see if it works or not.”

Reluctantly, I placed my hand underneath Thom’s. I didn’t like physical contact with other people, especially with people I barely knew, but Thom seemed to be the same way, so I tried to swallow my pride.

I pushed my magic into him, surprised at how quickly it flowed. I closed my eyes and search
ed through his hand for the cuts, smiling when I found the dark black amongst the pink watercolor strokes of his skin.

“Now what do I do?” I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to lose the shapes and colors o
f his injury.

“Think about how your body heals you, about how you can feel it knit your skin back together,
about how it straightens and repairs. Use your mind and your magic to do the same to me.”

I nodded once even though I
didn’t quite understand what he was saying. I tried to focus on the colors and my magic that moved so close to them within Thom’s body. He had said to think about how my magic knit me back together. That seemed to make the most sense so I focused on it, pushing my magic into the black mass of his injury. I pushed the skin back together, laying it end to end before pushing even more in the hopes of eliminating the wound all together.

“Incredible.” I opened my eyes to Thom’s hand, shocked to see that not only did the blood flow stop but the skin had completely
put itself back together. I couldn’t even see so much as a scar.

“I have never seen that work quite so fast before,” his voice was awed, but
for once I wasn’t uncomfortable. Instead, I felt a bit proud.

I c
ouldn’t help but smile at my accomplishment, and how quickly I had managed it. Although it was still weird to be referred to as a Drak, the Black Water had undeniably unlocked my ability.

“Now, I can heal Ilyan?” I
asked, leaning away from Thom to sit next to Ilyan.

“No,
Silnỳ, it is still not a good idea.” I froze at his words, his tone making it obvious what this was about.

“It’s because of what my D
ad saw, isn’t it? Because of who I am?”

“Yes.”

“And, you’re not going to….”

“No,” Thom cut me off. “Dramin will decide when you are ready.”

I leaned over Ilyan, letting my eyes linger on his dull blue lids before moving back to sit by his feet. As I crawled back across the bunk my body began to ache again. I shoved the pain to the back of my mind, determined not to go inside the Tȍuha yet.

“Do you normally sleep with Ilyan? We have some double bunks if it will help you to sleep better...”

“No!” I interrupted him loudly, Thom stopped midsentence his face tensing in confusion. “I don’t sleep with Ilyan. I kind of sleep next to him, for half the night, after... after…” I had begun to ramble. I let my words drift away as Thom continued to glare. I turned away from him, ashamed.

“After your nightmares
,” he finished for me. I turned toward him, my head nodding in agreement. I wasn’t sure what made me open up even a little bit to him, maybe it was the fact that he had heard my screams, but it made me uncomfortable.

“Do they happen every night?”

“Yes,” I whispered. I didn’t know how much I wanted to tell him.

“Dramin told me
. He said that you would wail but the only one who was to help you was Ilyan.” I looked away from him. I was grateful neither of them had tried to help. I fought Ilyan when he had first tried, and my exertion against him had made it worse. And yet, the only one who could help me was asleep for at least a few more days.

“And, there is nothing you can do to stop them
, a tea, maybe?”

I looke
d to him and shook my head. Ilyan had tried everything in the beginning, but nothing had worked. Now I understood why.

“Cail controls my dreams.” I
said, my eyes looking back to Ilyan again. I wiggled my feet a bit until they were right up against his leg. I needed the reminder that I wasn’t facing this alone.

“Cail?” His voice was scared, and I didn’t blame him. He had every right to be
. I was.

“Yes, he uses them to taunt me, to hurt me…” I rested my head on my knees, my eyes unfocused on the blanket in front of me. “I am scared to go to sleep anymore
. And now, without Ilyan…” I exhaled and stopped, not wanting to elaborate anymore.

Thom
didn’t say anything. He looked at me intently before pulling up a tall chair and sitting next to me. He didn’t get too close. He didn’t reach out to touch me. He just sat, looking around for a few minutes. Surprisingly, it wasn’t uncomfortable. We both sat thinking about our own vices for a moment before Thom spoke.

“Have you ever seen the statue of the Greek Titan
, Atlas, who holds the world upon his shoulders?”

I looked to him, confused as to where this could be coming from. His comment was so out of the blue. I rac
ed the story of Atlas through my brain. I knew it, but I couldn’t find any similarities with what we had been talking about.

“Yes
,” I said.

“My father had that statue in
our home when I was with him. He used to say that it was there to remind him of the best way to defeat your enemies. Those who hold the world can do nothing but struggle and cry.”

“So, you’re saying
that Edmund is doing this to weaken me, to keep me from whatever it is I am supposed to do?”

“Exactly,” Thom’s eyes sh
one. I groaned and rested my head on my shoulders.

“Well, he is succeeding
,” I mumbled to myself.

“
If you think like that, then you have already lost.” I snapped my head up to Thom and fought the urge to yell at him.

“He has taken everything from me, Thom
, forced me into this life with its pain, and fear, and secrets. And I still don’t even know all of it yet, in case you have forgotten.” I was a little bitter, and I knew it, especially since Thom was trying to give me words of wisdom.

“You need to fi
nd someone to help you carry your load. That is where Atlas failed. He tried to trick others into taking it from him instead of asking for help.”

“How can I lighten my load if he has taken away everything that was a
support to me?” I had calmed down, but I still felt my anger surge.

“You are spe
aking of your friends? Of your Father?” Thom leaned forward in his chair.

“Yes.”

“What of Ilyan?” Thom asked.

“He’s kind of busy at the moment, isn’t he?” I
said.

“You never know who may be supporting you from behind the scenes, Silnỳ. Even though Ilya
n is ill, he is still with you. He has the strength to carry the weight of the world for you, and he has that strength for a reason. When he wakes he will be there to help you hold it, and hold you up if needed.”

Ilyan
had told me several times he would be there to support me, to help me, to lighten my load. And I knew he would be. I knew I could trust him. I just wasn’t sure I wanted him to. Ryland’s riddle was still too fresh in my mind.

“I think I see what you’re saying,”
I admitted. I nodded once to Thom who said nothing, grabbed his chair, and walked away.

I
slid off Ilyan’s bed, my body aching at the movement. I moved to Ilyan’s head and smoothed his long hair. Thom had said that Ilyan had his strength for a reason. I couldn’t rely on him carrying all of my worries for me – I didn’t want him to – but I didn’t know if I had enough strength of my own, I didn’t know which I wanted to be, strong on my own; or strong enough to ask for help.

I didn’t know which I was supposed to be.

Twenty-
One

I
clutched the mug of Black Water and pressed it to my lips, a soft groan escaping as I felt the liquid flow through me. I tried to ignore Dramin’s happy chuckle from behind me and let myself enjoy the way the Black Water made me feel. It was better than a cheeseburger.

Dramin had been supplying me with the drink since he had returned
earlier that morning. Although it had been weird to only eat a small amount of rice and vegetables for lunch, my body didn’t want food anymore. And I didn’t care. The Black Water was all I needed. Dramin was right.

“Do you need more?” Dramin
asked.

“Not yet. I
t’s good this is just water, Uncle, or I might be worried I was turning into an alcoholic.” Dramin chuckled, and I heard Thom grunt loudly from beside me.

“
Poisonous water,” Thom amended, which only caused Dramin to chuckle more.

A grunt and a chuckle. I couldn’t think of anything else
that could explain the two men better.

“Well, if you don’t need more,” Dramin said, “let’s get back to work
, shall we?”

I took another drink and let the warm energy pulse through me
. So far it was taking away all my aches from having avoided the Tȍuha today. I enjoyed the feeling, but what I loved even more was that the Water had fully unlocked my abilities.

I had spar
red with Thom this morning, and even through my sore and rigid body, I was able to beat him in three matches. I could tell he wasn’t as powerful as Ilyan, but I had never beaten anyone before – without cheating of course. It made me excited, while it only made Thom surly.

I sat on the floor of the large training hall
, a large fur cloak draped around me. It was there not only for warmth, but also for some semblance of decency. I hadn’t had a chance to change clothes, or even take a shower, since before the fight in Santa Fe. And thanks to last night’s nightmares and today’s sparing matches, I was sweatier and more ratty than usual. I had tried to smooth my hair, but gave up when I realized I was fighting a losing battle. I would have to look a little bit derelict until I located a shower and a clothing store – both of which I had been informed the cave did not have.

Dramin stood about ten feet behind me and Thom
slightly to my left. Even with my eyes closed I could see them. I had opened up my internal vision to include the whole room, much to Thom’s dismay. He could only manage about a ten foot circle. And even though I could see the whole cave, I was sure I could manage even more if I focused.

“Ready,” I called out. Thom stretched his fingers before he began to shoot object
s away from him: real, magical, and conjured. I caught the real objects with my mind, only to set them down by the entrance where they had begun, I shattered the conjured objects with a pulse from my own magic, and intercepted each of the magical attacks with either an attack of my own or a wave of negative movement.

The room exploded with color and
action for the brief time it took me to do away with each of Thom’s potential weapons. The ribbons of color snaked down to the ground last, only to fall in pools of glittering power before they disappeared back into the stone. And through it all, I did not move my hands an inch.

“Six
seconds!” Dramin called out. I saw him running toward me, so I opened my eyes, stiffly moving to my feet again.

“How many was that, Thom?” Dramin asked as he came up beside me, his eyes eager.

“Twenty real, ten conjured, and five attacks.” He didn’t seem too pleased, although after our talk this morning I was realizing that Thom was not one to show his emotions in public.

“You probably could have gone faster,” Thom grunted.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Thom,” I said a bit sarcastically. Thom only rolled his eyes and moved away from us.

“Do you think you could do more, Silnỳ
?” Dramin asked as he bounced on his heels. He took my hand in his, but I pulled away, fighting the urge to ask him not to touch me. He looked a little shocked, so I grabbed my mug, drained it, and shoved it into his chest.

“More items or more magic?” I asked, not understanding.

“Both,” Dramin’s voice was so eager, he reminded me of a five year old being offered ice cream.

“Well,” Thom yell
ed from across the large space, “if you don’t need me, I am going to go check on our invalid.”

“Thom!”
Dramin yelled after him, but Thom only waved his hand in farewell.

“Thom!” Dramin tried again, but Thom didn’t even turn to
look back. “You great lazy oaf! Get back here!” Dramin yelled loudly but Thom had already disappeared back into the main room where I was sure he was going to take a nap by the fire.

I
smiled a bit and Dramin turned to me, joining in before returning my now filled mug back to me.

“Well, what are we going to do now?” I asked, before taking a nice long sip of the
Black Water. Yep, I was definitely becoming an alcoholic.

“How about we test you
r sight?” I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. I knew what he was talking about and honestly I wasn’t interested.

“It’s twenty-twenty thank you very much.” I spoke as brightly as I could before smiling and strolling away, following after Thom. I may have Drak blood, but I did not want to see any of the things the sight could give me.

“What’s twenty-twenty?” Dramin asked obviously not getting the reference.

“My vision.” I provided, but Dramin sighed, his regular smile disappearing a bit.

“I am talking about you
r sight, Silnỳ. Not your vision. There is no reason to be scared.”

I froze, but did not turn to face him. I looked up to the large gash I had placed in the stone dome the day before, not wanting to give him an answer. Of course I was
scared. I had no interest in reliving my past, let alone seeing the future.

“There is no reason to be scared
,” Dramin repeated. “This is simply another step in the process. Without using your sight, you will not be able to summon the Black Water for yourself, and I will not be able to show you the sight that told of your true purpose.”

“That’s not
a problem,” I said, turning toward him. “You can come with me and Ilyan, and you can tell me what was said rather than show me.” I smiled brightly, happy when he chuckled – only to have my thoughts of compromise dashed when he began to shake his head.

“I cannot follow you all around the earth while you fight Edmund, Silnỳ. I am
also not going to travel with you on your honeymoon, or always be there when you are injured.”

“Honeymoon?” I said, interrupting him. “Who said anything about a honeymoon?”

“
You must call the Black Water on your own,” Dramin continued as if I hadn’t said anything. “And as for the sight, I have to show you.”

“
You don’t
have
to,” I countered, folding my arms and bringing the fur cloak closer around me. I still missed my hoodie.

“I do.
I have seen it, Silnỳ.”

I
knew he had me, and I hated it. I needed the Black Water. I could already feel my body calling for more. And as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I did need to know what had been said about me. I turned toward him, keeping the cloak around me tightly.

“Fine,” I said grumpily. “Show me the way.”

Dramin bounced once before turning and walking toward the large opening he had shown me the day before. I followed after him, my body hurting the more I moved. I took a drink as I walked, the Black Water taking away the ache for the moment.

I followed Dramin into
the adjoining chamber, this one different from the others. It was the same dome shape, the same raised stone work circling the walls, but no bunks or benches lined the platform. There were odd rune shapes carved into the stone and a portion of the circular room was sunken, but you wouldn’t be able to tell without looking closely. The sunken area was filled right to the top with an unmoving liquid that I could easily recognize as Black Water. Somehow, even though the water did not move, the room was filled with the rippling reflections of waves on a pond.

The rippling light hit against the
far wall revealing more carvings, more runes, and delicate glass work that revealed the outside where the blizzard still reigned. The light of day that made it through the blizzard filtered into the space, mixing with the magical shimmers.

I stepped
around Dramin to walk around the large cavern. The light ran over my face as I traced the rough carvings with my fingers. I didn’t feel any peaks of my magic or strong sensations of what was going to happen, but I felt comfortable. The terror at seeing into the past or future had ebbed, leaving me with a jittery excitement.

I continued to walk, letting my fingers trace the shapes
. I had all but forgotten that Dramin still stood behind me until he spoke.

“The Hall of S
ight. This was the last one built and one of the only ones that remain. They can only be built in select places on earth where the magic seeps to the surface, the Black Water bubbling up for our use. While we can use the Black Water at any time, because the Water resides within us, the larger, more important queries always require our sight to be used within this hall. And, many times, more than one Drak must be present.”

I barely heard him
. My blood seemed to hum the more I was in the room, reminding me of when Ilyan had centered my magic.

“It has been many years since I have used my sight beyond the mundane. I miss the power very much.
Someday perhaps I will be able to see with others again.”

“Is it hard to do?” I asked, the question more to myself then to Dramin, my nerves having almost left.

“It is as easy as breathing, Silnỳ
. The magic already resides inside of you. Once you have unlocked the door, the rest of your abilities will open to you.” He said reverently. I could feel his excitement at what was about to happen.

“What abilities?” I turned from the runes to face
him. He stood right by the water, the still surface reflecting nothing.

“The ability to recall previous sights, provide yourself with the nourishment you need, and most importantly
, to use your sight at will. After you experience your first sight the Black Water will become a part of you.”

I swallowed heavily, my feet moving me toward him.
He held his hand out to me, but I did not take it. I stood next to him, looking into the smooth reflection-less surface of the water. I could feel my body pull me toward the surface, willing me to join it somehow. I took a step forward, before moving back again, fighting my need to touch the water.

“Does it hurt?” It was a child’s question, but I needed to know. My life had been full of so much pain, so much loss.

“No, child. But your first sight will be the strongest you will ever experience on your own.” I looked toward the water, my uneasiness growing again.

“
As the water moves into you and becomes part of you, you will see the past, present, and future for yourself and those you hold in your heart,” Dramin whispered. “It will come in a web, and likely nothing will make sense. It is only after, when you learn to recall your sight that you will be able to make sense of the confusion.”