Page 34 of Keldori By Daybreak

“There aren’t lake monsters, are there?” I asked Ciarán.

“Rest, Blue. You’re fine.”

Fana and I set up camp behind a line of boulders. The air was warmer here than it had been on the north side of the mountains, but it still sent a chill through us as it rolled off the lake. The boulders offered some protection from the wind, but I pulled my hood up over my head as I made myself comfortable on the pebbles.

Ciarán and Orla would be reaching the city soon, but maybe I could drift off into real sleep and get some proper rest before they needed me.

“Wren,” Fana whispered. I opened my eyes and jumped away when I found her inches from my face. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine.” I closed my eyes again. “Do you need something?”

“Yes. No. Well…” She huffed and fell onto the pebbles beside me. “Maybe. Can you promise something?”

“Depends.”

“Find Tiernan.”

I wrinkled my nose and looked at her through one open eye. “We talked about this. And Tiernan never really liked me to begin with.”

“He’s not bad. He’s not like Ferrin and Caitria, okay?” Fana insisted. “If he’s up there and you see him, tell him I’m here. He’ll help us.”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Of course.”

Her furrowed brow relaxed, and her face split into a relieved grin. She snuggled close to my side, and Jonquil purred between us.

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” Ciarán’s voice warned in my head. I scowled at the stars.

“Shouldn’t you be focused on climbing?”

“No, because we’ve made it.”

My heart jumped into my throat, and I took a deep breath in an attempt to loosen my chest. “Oh.”

“You know what needs to happen next for this to work, don’t you?” He was smirking. I couldn’t see him, but I knew he was smirking.

“Yes.”

“Then go on, Blue. Say it.”

Stubborn pride held me back, but this had been my idea. It wouldn’t kill Ciarán to be less eager about this part, though.

“I’m waiting,” he purred.

I balled my hands into fists and glared at the two moons. Drawing this out would only give him more satisfaction.

“I yield.”

“Oh, my Lady, how I missed the sound of those words.” His laughter pulled me out of my body and into the dark of sleep.

9. Environmental Physiology

Darkness rushed past, and consciousness collided with my newly formed Nightmare body. The pain in my stomach and ribs dissipated, replaced by strength and power I hadn’t felt in weeks. Orange sparks and magick that felt distinctly of Ciarán coursed through my fingertips, and I sighed, relishing the feeling of being in an unbroken body.

Then the world opened beneath me, and blue hair whipped around my face as I fell backwards off the face of the mountain.

A black-clad hand shot out and grabbed me by the black leather armor strapped across my chest, and I managed to keep a grip on the cliff with the toe of my boot.

“Stay on the mountain, please.” Ciarán’s cloak billowed in the wind behind him, and he heaved me back onto the ledge where he and Orla crouched beneath an opening in the stone cliff.