Page 143 of Whisper of Nightmares

The air in the room turns thick.

Suffocating.

The thing that is not Dagfinn tilts its head the other way while its jaw hangs limply. It takes another step, and Euphemia can’t help but step backward with it. But the haunted Dagfinn keeps approaching, slowly, its eyes fixed on the deed, until Euphemia bumps up against the wall.

The creature gets so close that all Euphemia can smell is damp earth and rotting logs. She tastes grime at the back of her throat. Beneath it all is the cold chill of death, wafting from the creature like an infection.

It stares at the document, its tongue heavy like a slug in its mouth.

Then the black eyes close.

The stench of decay flees the room on a draft.

And before she has time to react, Dagfinn’s body goes limp and collapses to the ground.

Chapter 28

Roseroot

Kelda rushes into the parlor not a moment later.

Dagfinn’s sprawled form at Euphemia’s feet would be impossible to miss, and she reacts to it immediately.

“Gods. What happened?” Before Euphemia can answer, Kelda shouts over her shoulder, “Asvald! He’s in here! Come quick!”

Kelda rushes to Dagfinn’s body and starts frantically inspecting him.

Shaking him.

Pulling his eyelids open.

Slapping the sides of his face.

Screaming his name.

Sobbing.

Roaring with the rage of a mother who had only just found hope again.

Only once Asvald arrives does Kelda finally settle.

She asks Euphemia what happened. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to make up much of a lie. She tells them he was standing there one moment, and then all of a sudden he collapsed like he had suddenly fallen back asleep.

The three of them carry Dagfinn’s body back to the tower where Kelda says he’ll be more comfortable. Truthfully, Euphemia thinks Kelda would simply rather have him in a secure chamber just in case something strange occurs again.

They spend the rest of the afternoon making sure Dagfinn is comfortable, bringing hm food and drink, and stoking the fire.

But mostly Euphemia is there to comfort Kelda. Over the hours, she bursts into tears multiple times. She asks the two of them if they think she did the ritual wrong, or if something might have broken it. When they find the dream ward still tucked safely under his pillow, they’re finally able to convince Kelda that she did everything right. None of this is her fault.

Euphemia wants to tell her the truth.

But until Dagfinn is back home, she thinks it’s best to wait.

At least Kelda doesn’t have to wait much longer. None of them do.

As the evening winds down, they eventually leave Dagfinn in his chamber and head downstairs, Kelda leading the way.

Her arms are folded over herself, her head bowed.