He strode toward the mountain quicker than should be possible, and Torin and I slowly climbed to our feet.
“Is it . . . unnaturally quiet?” I asked, the air suddenly heavy with the taste of magic. I looked up at the sky and gasped.
There was no thunder, no lightning. The storm was frozen, the colored tendrils in the sky creating a kaleidoscope of colors like a beautiful painted mural.
There was a groaning and cracking in the distance and Torin’s grip on my hand tightened.
“It’s time to go, Ell. I’ll come find you, I promise.”
I wanted to believe him, but after so many failed promises, I couldn’t. I simply squeezed his hand in return and began to walk away, the white light encasing me.
“I wish I could believe you, Torin. But I can’t right now,” I said sadly.
His face broke at that, and he scrubbed his hands down his cheeks.
“I’ll prove it, Ellowyn, just . . . wait for me,” he pleaded.
The white haze enveloped my body completely and I said nothing in return.
There was nothing to say.
Chapter 67
Lex
My head throbbed and I pressed my hands into my temples to try and ease the ache there, but it didn’t help. Ilyas and Sasori weren’t faring any better, all of us were completely tapped and exhausted from the events of this morning.
Had it only been this morning?
While I was able to refill my Pain Magic periodically throughout the morning and into the afternoon, my Pleasure Magic was woefully low with no ability to refill it in sight.
I groaned at the thought of empty reserves for the foreseeable future.
It was a given that we’d be stationed here for a while, or at least part of our company would. Lord d’Refan’s announcement of absorbing Hestin was one thing, but the quick appearance and subsequent disappearance of the rebels was another entirely.
We’d have a military presence here, of that I had no doubt. The question just remained: would Lord d’Refan keep me here as one of his hybrid freaks or would General d’Alvey fight for me to return to the Academy to continue teaching and training.
I sighed and leaned back against the couch. The Mages that accompanied Lord d’Refan on this trip were given accommodations in one of the few inns, but they were slowly filled to the max. We were given ourown room, since three of us were sharing anyway, but many other Mages and Vessels weren’t so lucky. Sasori and Ilyas were fast asleep on the bed behind me, cuddled tightly together, but I couldn’t find it in me to sleep, despite my exhaustion.
There was a soft tap on the door, rousing me from my sleep-inhibiting thoughts. I pushed up from the couch, taking a moment to steady myself as a wave of dizziness swept over me.
Fuck, when was the last time I was this drained?
I knew when it was, but I didn’t want to think about that day if I didn’t have to. My exhaustion pulled at my mental blocks and guards, threatening to permit the nightmares from that day to dominate my thoughts again. I’d just recovered from my last bout of memory debilitation, and I didn’t need anything to trigger those thoughts again.
Shaking my head lightly, I softly padded my way over to the door on bare feet. I thought about putting a shirt on, but disregarded the notion once I heard another tap, a bit louder this time. Ilyas shuffled in his sleep, and I willed my feet to walk quicker. I didn’t want to wake them, gods know they deserved the rest.
I popped the lock on the door before pulling it open a crack, the light from the hallway spilling into the room. A figure was highlighted by the light, and I squinted, willing my brain to recognize them.
“General d’Alvey,” I rasped, my voice thick from disuse and exhaustion. He was dressed in his usual Mage blacks, and there were lines of worry creased on his forehead and mouth.
“Did I wake you?”
Is that concern I detect?
I shook my head before whispering, “No, but Ilyas and Sasori are asleep. Is there something I can do for you?”
The General seemed to mull over his words before giving me a curt nod. “Put a shirt on then meet me in the common room,” he said before tacking a “please” onto the end.
