The Magic Wakes (15 page)

A scream broke the silence of the cave. Talia bolted upright and scanned the darkness.

Where am I?

Her breathing came fast and shallow, but the shivering hadn’t started yet.

Landry called up the lights from his cot.

Blinded by the light, Talia tried to lift her arm to shield her eyes, but the muscles didn’t respond. She squinted as they teared up from the glare.

“What is it? Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No . . . no.” Talia forced her body to obey and lay back down, pulling the sleeping bag over her head.

The trembling started and she tried not to whimper as her skin blistered. She ached for the small warm ball that should be curled up next to her.

Why did it have to be a burning dream?

Landry’s cot scraped against the floor followed by a dull thunk, thunk as wood landed in the fire pit. After a moment of silence, his hand rested on her shoulder, the slight pressure adding to her pain through the fabric.

“Talia, are you all right?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine, please just let me . . .” Her voice came out breathy and ragged as she shivered.

Landry pulled the bag away from her face and gasped. “What happened?”

Talia gingerly touched her face, assessing the damage. The hot skin was bumpy and raw beneath her fingers. Without seeing, she knew it was red and scarred from the burns. Her throat was raw, but she had to tell him something. The only thing that came to mind was the truth.

“It’s the aftermath of my nightmares. It’ll be better by the morning.” There was no need to tell him how. She would need to be quiet when she slipped out to drink the sunsrise. A lump formed in her throat and she missed the tiny tongue that used to comfort her.

“The one where you die in the end?” Landry interrupted her thoughts and she nodded. He reached out and touched her cheek. “Does it hurt?”

“I’m used to it.” Talia soaked in the coolness from his hand. “The shaking will stop in a bit.”

He lifted Talia up and sat on the cot, cradling her head in his lap. A tremor ran through her body. No one had held her after a dream for years.

Landry stroked her hair, reminding Talia of her father. The memory brought peace, and she settled down to wait out the rest of the symptoms.

As she closed her eyes and moved through her breathing routine, Talia reached out with her mind, searching for Landry’s. She visualized the wall he had built to keep her out and placed both hands flat against the sides. Leaning in until her forehead touched the roughness, she nudged it with her thoughts. The wall melted away and the swell of his thoughts washed over her. She shuddered with contentment.

Within their minds, Talia stood unmarked from the dreams. Landry stood before her in the same fuzzy and surreal haze she remembered from the first contact.

I’ve been alone for so long. I don’t want it to be like this, but . . .

Mentally, Landry stepped forward and placed a finger on her lips.

Shh, you’ll be fine without me as soon as you’ve recovered from today. But, just in case . . .
He waved his hands and the mental barrier reappeared between them.

As his presence left her mind, the hollowness returned and Talia reminded herself to be more careful. He filled an emptiness she hadn’t realize was there, and after only a few mental conversations with him, she craved it again.

She knew she couldn’t become dependent on his presence or rely on his strength too much. He would not be able to save her when the creatures came, and she had to remember that. She reached out and squeezed his arm tighter around her shoulder. Physical touch would have to do.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Landry squeezed back then brushed some hair from her forehead.

“Okay. I usually write in a journal, but talking to you will work too.”

Talia closed her eyes and told Landry about the dream in as much detail as she could muster, just like she used to do with her parents. Landry listened quietly, running his fingers through her hair the whole time.

“I didn’t learn anything new this time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ve had the dream for as long as I can remember. My mother believed I was born having them. Sometimes, I have more control over them and I can—” Talia stopped, unsure how to word her search for clues.

“I won’t think you’re crazy, I promise.” Landry spoke softly. “I saw parts of the dream that day in your office.”

Talia sighed. “The dream always ends the same, but sometimes I can put it off. I use the time to try and figure out who these creatures are, why they are killing, and how to stop them.”

“Tell me about the creatures.”

“They called themselves Dragumon in one of the dreams, but that’s all I know.”

“They look like something described in an ancient Signum legend.”

“Is that why you thought I worked for them?”

“One of the reasons. Have you had much luck learning how to stop these creatures?”

Talia decided it wasn’t worth pushing Landry on the issue of her loyalty to the crown. Hopefully one day he would trust that she didn’t work for a terrorist group.

“There’s never enough time. I get bits and pieces of information, but it’s all worthless. The dream occurs in different areas of the city. Sometimes other people are around me, running, fighting, dying. Nothing they do affects the creatures, and once I’m alone—” Talia shuddered and Landry’s arms tightened around her. “The dream has grown more frequent since I came to Joharadin. It feels real, and there’s always the aftermath. This dream ended in flames. Different deaths leave different marks.”

“Is that why you looked half dead on the tram? I thought you said the effects went away.”

“They do, eventually. Some take longer than others, and when the physical marks disappear, the exhaustion remains.” Talia was glad Landry couldn’t see her face. “This week I dreamed it every night, and the effect was worse than ever. Can you guess now why I built the satellite?”

Landry stiffened as the satellite’s potential for space exploration worked through his mind. “You’re looking for the creatures.”

“Yes. I’ve always known the woman in my dreams was me, but it didn’t really hit me until I turned fourteen. By then I recognized her in the mirror, and it scared me. The only way I dealt with it was by promising myself I would never go to Joharadin.”

“But you broke that promise.”

“I didn’t want to. If I could run away now, I think I would. That’s what I want to do.”

“Then what’s keeping you here?”

“If these dreams come true, millions of people will die. These Dragumon won’t stop with Joharadin. The best chance I have for finding proof of their existence is through my work with the SEF, and the SEF want me in Joharadin. I must find proof to take to the Royalist. You know as well as I do they won’t give me two minutes once I start talking about aliens and dreams.”

“You wouldn’t get past the gate. Look, I believe you. I can’t say why because none of it makes sense, but if we can share minds there’s a lot of stuff we don’t understand. I’ll help you if I can. Give me time to think on it. Let’s get some sleep now.”

Talia sat up and Landry stood and stretched. His clothes were wrinkled.

“I don’t usually sleep much after one of my dreams.” Talia lay down.

“Try anyway. I’ll stay here until you fall asleep.”

And he did.

She let the energy flow through her body, easing her troubled heart and clearing her mind.

As the suns rose higher, the magic melted away, filling Talia with peace and hope. Tears streamed down her face as she let the trees’ morning song wash over her.

The sound of Talia creeping through the cave woke Landry. His training kicked in as he lay quietly assessing the situation. Was she running from him and where did she plan to go?

Dropping his mental walls, he reached for her emotions and sensed an urgency compelling her to the door. As soon as she stepped through the cave entrance, he pulled on his boots and pushed the first and second buttons on the underside of his belt, activating his cloaking shield and the pickup call before following her.

He almost bumped into her outside of the cave. She stood there in bare feet with arms spread wide for a moment before running into the woods. Landry paused, frowning as her laughter drifted back to him.

When Talia moved out of site, Landry jumped back into action. He ran light-footed, familiarity with the land at his advantage, following her to the cliff summit.

She stopped and lifted her arms once again.

Landry crouched behind a bush and watched Talia transform again. Her hair lifted off her shoulders and streamed out behind her, and then the light from the rising suns enveloped her. In seconds, she glowed like a third sun. He shielded his eyes as beams of light bounced away from her and encircled him.

The energy was similar to when he touched Talia, but this time his strained muscles repaired themselves. Fatigue and soreness dissipated in moments. When the light returned to normal, Landry experienced a sinking hollowness open up in the pit of his stomach.

Talia stood calmly, her skin clear, her eyes bright and a deeper shade of violet than normal. Her tear-streaked face glowed with beauty. Fresh as the sunsrise after rain. Pure and perfect.

This was her secret, the one he sensed her holding onto even as she shared her nightmares with him.

Landry understood Talia’s desire to keep this gift a secret. She was a priestess appealing to the gods. But unlike the money-grubbers on the nets, the gods answered her. He looked away, ashamed to intrude on her supplication.

Before he could retreat, voices filled the air around him. Time slowed, almost coming to a stop. The wind stopped blowing and the small bird beside him hung suspended in midair. If he wanted, Landry could reach out and take it in his hand. He wondered why he wasn’t locked in the same forever moment as the bird.

The complicated harmonies and rhythms filled the air. Landry didn’t understand the language, but his gift picked up on the emotions they conveyed. Joy, life, beauty, hope—all things good. He scanned the area, looking for the source of the voices but there was no one.

Just as the song reached for the heavens, the melody changed. A new song interrupted the original, but this one was apprehensive, cautious. Time resumed its normal pace.

Landry heard the quadcarrier approaching before he saw it. His team had already responded to the call button he pushed before leaving the cave. Irritated with himself for ruining the moment, he pushed the second button again and the cloaking shield fluttered off.

Talia’s eyes locked on his for a moment before the quadcarrier settled between them.

The trees warned Talia that a transport approached the clearing. She watched as the aircraft flew in low over the hills. It was the standard Royalist quadcarrier, three times as long as the aeroflyers and windowless. Major Sutton’s men had arrived.