Fora few more waves, we stood there in silence, but for once,Iwas the one to break it.
“Dreamsare one place that magic still lives most vividly in our world.Butit’s a fickle magic.Mostdreams can mean absolutely nothing.Butsome… some can mean everything.”
“HowdoItell the difference?” she asked without raising her head.
Ididn’t answer her question. “Whatdid you see?”
“Ithought you weren’t going to help me,Pallas.”Shewas right.Iwas about to pull away when she spoke again. “I’vebeen dreaming ofAbraxas.ButIknow it’s more than a dream.It’slikeI’mconnecting to him, talking to him even though he’s not with me.”
Iknew the feeling all too well.Hadeonhaunted my dreams and often even my waking hours.Torihadn’t explained, butIhad my suspicions about her connection withAbraxas.Shehad summoned his dragonfire in the cave.Theywere linked in a way outside of her control.Howhorrible to be unable to escape hisgrasp, even in sleep.Hadeonhad been terrible to me, butAbraxaswas a monster.
Iset my hand gingerly on her back and whispered to her so the commander wouldn’t overhear. “He’sgone,Princess.We’veleft him behind.Younever have to be with him again.”
Herhead shot up, anger filling her eyes, but they softened again as she beheld me. “Ilove him,Pallas.”
“Isaw what he did to you at those parties.BothinXyrandKoron.Theway he treated you.That’snot love,Tori.”Iwould know.
“Itwas all an act.Wewanted it to look that way.Thatwas part of the plan.ButIlove him,Pallas, and he loves me.Ihave no doubt of that.”
Iobserved her.Howoften hadIconvinced myself of the same thing?ForcenturiesIhad.Butthere was something in her eyes, something so trueIcouldn’t ignore it.Couldit be that somehow, she andAbraxashad…?
“Whatwas your dream about?”Iasked again.
Shamecrossed her face. “He… killed me.Alright,Iknow how that sounds!Don’tmake that face.Ican see you don’t believe me, butIthinkIcan show you.”Sheheld her hand out to me, palm turned upward.Ididn’t move.Shedidn’t close the gap but begged, “Please, let me show you.”Ididn’t respond and saw the frustration in her eyes.
“Pallas, you can help us.It’sclear you have more knowledge aboutHadeonthan almost anyone.Andyou also seem to know a great deal about magic as well.Pleasehelp us.Pleasedo some good with your knowledge.”
Somegood.Thememory rose from the bowels of my mind whereIhad stored it away.Jun’sscreams, his desperate pleading.Howhe clawed at the collar as it snapped around his neck.Howhis eyes darted to me before they dulled into obedience.Mestanding there, doing nothing.Doingabsolutelynothing.
“Andwhat you are doing is right?”Iasked. “What, because you loveAbraxas?Loveis a fickle thing that comes and goes like the wind.Itblinds you to the truth right in front of your eyes.Avacant thing that fills you with hope only to tear it away one small piece at a time until you have nothing left of yourself.”Ihad said too much, revealed too much.Isaw it inTori’seyes.
“Pallas, let me show you.”Sheheld up her hand again.Thefrustration was gone from her face, andIsaw the hints of pity below.
Thedeep part of me that was dark and sharp, all claws and teeth, tore at my heart.Itwas nothing but rage and hurt, seething with jealousy.Don’tlook, it said.Don’tlet her show you the happiness you can never have.Butshe didn’t force me, and her eyes looked so much likeJun’sat that moment.Theanimal was subdued, as it always was for him.Inodded to her.
Sheclosed the gap between us, and her palm landed on my chest.Agolden light flooded from her, mixing with the beams of the morning sun.Ifelt warm and safe in a way thatIhadn’t in centuries.Ifelt the kiss of a lover who desired nothing more than my joy and laughter.Ifelt the arms of a mother who held me to her heart as she sang me to sleep.Ifelt the embrace of a friend who knew me better thanIknew myself.Itwas the rising sun and evening twilight and the dance of the stars and light of the moon.Itwas the endless sky and sleeping earth.
Tearsstreamed down my face, tearsIhadn’t let flow in years.Ifell to my knees and clutched my face in my palms.Itwasn’t fair that she got to feel this whenIhad suffered so long.Yet,Iwas so grateful to her for sharing it with me, even for this brief moment.Shereleased her hand, but still, the feeling lingered like the warmth that clings to stone after the sun has faded.Ifelt her arms around me, andIleaned into her and sobbed.Shestroked my hair and cooed at me.
ThenIfelt another pair of arms. “It’salright,Pallas.”Junwas touching me in a wayIhadn’t dared hope for in months.Thatgolden light seemed to glow in my heart just a bit longer.
Thecommander was shoutingorders atTori, and all she did was shout back snarky retorts, but the sails got pulled, eventually.Inthe distance,Icould see the dark shore of theDragonKingdomemerging from the mist.Ourboat bobbed in place, the sails stowed, but the commander assured us we wouldn’t have to wait long.
Theywere correct.Thesun had barely moved in the sky when a huge, dark vessel approached us.Itdidn’t approach from the shore as it had been patrolling the bay.Asthe ship neared,Icould see countlessDragonArmysoldiers, clad in their pitch-black armor, lining the edge of the ship along with the sailors.Manyhad long bows drawn back so that the silver heads of arrows flashed in the morning light.Theywere all trained on us.
Icould feel the fear in my chest growing as they approached.Forhow many people had this been the very last thing they saw before their untimely demise?Theair grew colder around me, andIshivered.
Thecommander strode to the railing of our much smaller ship boldly, hands on their hips and shoulders spread wide.
“I’mglad to see you bastards can keep up the patrol schedules without me to beat them into you,” they called out to the opposing army.
Arustle went through the ranks, and someone from the ship shouted, “Commander?”
“Whothe hell else would it be, sailing in from the islands like this?Nowget us to shore!”Icould see bodies on theship moving about, trying to haul over a plank to connect the vessels.Outof the corner of my eye,Isaw a great dark shape swoop down from the upper deck, holding on to a single rope.Heslammed down onto the deck of our boat, armor rattling, and the entire deck threatened to crack beneath him.Hewas as tall as the commander, and even more broad.Hestood to his full height, andIcouldn’t help but shrink back as his hand came to rest on the hilt of his sword.
Hereached up to take off his helmet.Asea of shiny chestnut waves tumbled out from below, revealing a handsome, strong face.
“Commander, is that really you?”HeapproachedAvlyncautiously, but that caution faded away quickly. “Isshe with…”
