“I’m not sure it’s coming from him.” I looked up at Ilyan as I felt the skin knit back together, the red tips of his fingers moving away from the tender skin. He raised his eyebrow at me, prompting me to continue. I swallowed hard, worried as to how he would respond.
“Cail made it very obvious that he is in control of my dreams. I think he is manipulating the Tȍuha as well.” I picked at the hairs of the furs we were covered with, uninterested in looking at him.
“What!” Ilyan’s voice echoed around the cave and I cringed a bit and moved away from him, but he only moved me back against him. “Has he hurt you?” His magic surged strongly into me as if expecting hundreds of broken bones.
“No, he likes to mess with my head, but I don’t know what else to do. I have to go into the Tȍuha. And I can’t control if the dreams come or not.”
Ilyan’s body stiffened, his panic seeping into me. I could tell that my new injury, mixed with the fact that Cail was controlling my dreams, was terrifying to him. I had been worried before, but hearing his shallow breathing against my hair, the worry was building into fear.
“I only went in once while you were gone,” I said as I pulled away from him, desperate to calm him down.
“How long was I gone?” he asked, his voice soft.
“Three days.” Ilyan’s hand moved down my face to lift my chin up to look at him.
“And the nightmares?” I looked away from him, not wanting to be reminded of the horrors I had been faced with. “I will fix this. I will make the Tȍuha safe for you to go into. I will never let it happen again.”
I pulled his hand away from my face, holding onto his fingers tightly. I still couldn’t believe that he was alright, that he was awake.
“Thank you,” I said. “I can’t do this without you.”
Ilyan pulled me against him, his hand still wrapped around mine. “I know.”
He held me against him, his heart beating in my ear. I traced his scars with my free hand, his grip pressing me against his chest.
“I will never leave you,” he whispered in my ear, before he kissed my mark. The jolt I had felt only twice before shot through my body. I stiffened at the sensation, looking up to Ilyan in a panic.
“You feel it too?” His voice was awed, which somehow made me worry more.
“Yes. I felt it before, when you... in the sight, I mean...” I let my voice trail off uncomfortably, unsure of how to phrase it.
“You felt it then?” Ilyan’s voice was quiet and unsure. I had never heard him without his confidence, it was somewhat endearing. “I have always wondered – since that day all those centuries ago – I always wondered if you felt it too. If you heard what I said.”
I nodded once, his face relaxing, his confidence almost instantly returning. It was interesting, every time I saw that hidden side of him, it was like I was seeing the real him.
“I did. I heard every word.” He smiled again and I looked away, unsure if I wanted to talk about this.
“I meant every word,” he whispered. “I will always love you, but I will never force you to be with me. I will never stop you from being with Ryland. He is your mate, Joclyn. I will always respect that.”
Ilyan gently placed his hand against my face, and lifted me to meet his eyes. He looked at me softly, his eyes full of the golden specks of light I had seen before.
“Thank you, Ilyan.”
“Of course,” Ilyan let his finger trail up my jaw to rest on the mark on my neck, the jolt shooting through my body again. Ilyan smiled, I am not sure he could help it.
“Ilyan, what does it mean?” He only shook his head, his face confused and yet so hopeful.
“It means,” Dramin began from behind us, his voice making me jump, “that the Silnỳ has come to accept what you mean to her, My Lord.”
Ilyan turned at Dramin’s arrival, his face breaking out into a wide smile. Dramin returned the smile as he set down a heavily laden breakfast tray before embracing him.
“Welcome back, my old friend,” Dramin said. “It is so nice to see you alive and well. You had us worried.”
“I highly doubt that,” Ilyan chuckled, “but thank you for taking care of me and Joclyn. I cannot thank you enough.”
He clapped Dramin heavily on the shoulder, but Dramin only looked at me curiously.
“So, Joclyn, is it? That is a very pretty name.” He smiled and I instantly felt awkward. I hadn’t realized I never told them my name.
Ilyan looked at me, his eyebrows raising in confusion.
“They never asked.” I reached out to grab a mug out of Dramin’s hands in an attempt to ignore the look he was giving me.
The cup had made it only half way to my lips before Ilyan hollered out and hit the cup hard. It sped away from me, spilling the delicious Black Water all over the floor.
“Stop! Joclyn! Do you know what that is?” I turned to Ilyan, my stomach tensing in realization. There was something he didn’t know after all.
“Oh,” I said, nerves wiggling into me. I turned to Dramin who nodded to me once in encouragement.
I said nothing as I grabbed the empty mug off of the floor and placed my hand over the rim. I felt it fill instantly. I took a deep breath before removing my hand; I knew there would be no easy way to tell him.
“Yes, Ilyan, I know exactly what it is.” I spoke as plainly as I could, trying to ignore the nerves that filled me and the terrified look on Ilyan’s face as I took a drink from the rich Black Water. I felt it move into me, tingling me to the very core. I sighed appreciatively and turned back to Ilyan, smiling shyly.
He looked at me, with his mouth open, his eyes looking at me with a heavy, new found appreciation. I felt my insides loosen. I was afraid he would react like Thom, or worse.
“You’re amazing,” he said, his hand moving softly up my arm.
“If you think that’s amazing,” Dramin chuckled, “wait until you see what else she can do.”
Twenty-Six
I stood in the middle of the training hall, the three men facing me. Dramin bounced on his toes in eager anticipation, Thom stared off into space looking bored, and Ilyan looked into me with a deep rooted mix of confusion and anticipation. I shrunk into myself again, feeling uncomfortable, before consciously shaking off of the feeling.
I firmed my feet against the ground, took another deep drink of the Black Water, and prepared myself.
“Now, Ilyan,” Dramin said, “remember, you cannot help her. As much as your body calls for you to do so, she will not be able to show you all that she has accomplished if you do.”
Ilyan nodded once before turning back to me, the intensity of his gaze increasing somewhat. I felt my pulse quicken.
“Great, Dramin!” I yelled back to him. “Now if I mess up who is going to come to my rescue?”
Dramin laughed and I felt my nerves jump.
“What’s the score again?” Thom asked as he flexed his fingers and shook his head, his dreadlocks swinging clumsily.
“Six seconds for thirty-five attacks,” Dramin said with a hint of pride. I let out a deep breath and took another drink.
“Sounds good. You ready?”
I nodded in response to Thom’s question and closed my eyes. My mind opened up completely, letting my mind’s eye see the room in detail. The second I closed my eyes, Ilyan shifted his feet. I could tell he was getting nervous.
“Go!” Dramin’s voice rang out in my ears and Thom rained hell in my direction.
Rather than send things flying around me as we had done in the past, he sent each and every object flying directly toward me. I hesitated for less than a breath before clapping my hands together and forming a large orb around me. The objects began to hit my shield and the fireworks started. The magical arsenals hit the barrier with an explosion, conjured objects vanished, and with one flick of my mind, I sent each of the furniture pieces back to line up along the side of the room.
“Joclyn!” Ilyan’s voice was panicked, but I stayed still, waiting for
the smoke to clear. My eyes still closed, I saw Ilyan barreling through the mess to try to reach me. His magic was flaring through my shoulder as he desperately checked for injuries. The second he broke through the smoke, he stopped, his eyes practically bugging out of his head at seeing me standing there unharmed.
“Four seconds!” Dramin yelled, his excitement evident. I heard Thom swear loudly, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Ilyan.
He walked toward me slowly, like I was going to go wild and attack him.
“Don’t look at me like that, Ilyan. You’re making me feel like I am going to sprout an extra head.”
He stopped his slow advance, his face breaking out into a smile rather than the odd reverent face he had before.
“You’re amazing.”
“So I’ve heard,” I said a little too bitterly.
“I’m not sure you need me anymore.” He spoke lightly as he came up beside me, but his words made my stomach drop to my toes.
“Don’t say that, Ilyan. It is not true. I may have power but I do not have strength. Do not forget, I have seen the sight. I know what was said, what you said.” He blanched at my bluntness, we had yet to discuss all of what I had seen and what it would mean to either of us.
I stepped forward and grabbed his hand, pressing it between mine. I hoped he understood what I was saying. I knew he wasn’t being serious before, but I needed him to understand.
“I know, mi lasko.” Ilyan said, his finger tracing to my mark. The jolt moved through me again and I shivered.
“I heard you. The night you came to me while I slept,” he said softly. “I heard you.”
I blushed and moved away as Dramin came bounding up, grinning ear to ear.
“See, Ilyan, I told you. Turn the girl into a Drak and suddenly the world opens up to her.”
Dramin grinned at me, but I turned away from him still waiting for the blush to go down in my cheeks.
“It’s a little weird, I must admit,” Ilyan said, “the fact that she can see into my future, but the extra power is nice. Makes my job a little easier.”
Ilyan smiled widely and rubbed his fingernails against his black polo like he had just taken credit for something spectacular. I glared at him and smacked his arm, which only caused him to smile more.
“Well, what do you say? Do you want to fight her?” Dramin’s eyes sparkled as his voice bounced through the cave.
“I’m not sure,” Ilyan said, looking me over. “Are you ready to lose, Jos?” I flinched at my nickname but tried not to let it show. That made two times he had used it. I let my nerves melt, bringing a smile to my face.
I had beat Thom twice before. While I was sure Ilyan would be much more of a challenge, I was kind of up for it. I knew I would at least be able to mark him without cheating, and that in itself would be a miracle.
I swiped my hand through the air. A large ornate sword appeared, only to fall gracefully into my hand. Ilyan’s eyes popped a bit before settling into an impressed smile.
“I’m sorry, what where you saying about losing?” I knew my attempt to trash talk him was useless, but I didn’t care. It was kind of fun to do.
Ilyan smiled at me before producing his own sword and swinging it through the air. I rolled my eyes at him.
“Magic and conjured weapons, first person to five wins, unless I take you down first.” I announced confidently.
“Wait. Magic and conjured weapons, Joclyn? Are you sure?” I could see the worry behind Ilyan’s eyes, but it just made me more excited to show him what I could do.
“I’m sure. Will you keep score Thom?” I yelled back to him, but he only grunted in reply. I took that to mean yes and squared my shoulders once before attacking Ilyan. I wasn’t going to hold back.
I swung my sword wide while simultaneously shooting a wave of fire toward him from the other angle. Ilyan swore loudly as he turned to stop the magical attack, my sword hitting his arm.
“My point.” I jumped back, spinning through the air to land twenty feet away from him. I held my sword up in front of me, my head low in preparation for what was to come.
Ilyan froze and stared at me in awe before his jaw set and his eyes lit up in eager anticipation. I watched as he processed my new abilities and I winked before exploding into the air. He jumped at the same time, meeting me mid-air. Our swords clanged as we met in the middle of the room, the force of our collision sending me away from him. I could see that Ilyan was content to glide back down to the ground, so I quickly changed direction, shooting myself toward him. I met him as he landed. My sword moved fast, his moving only slightly faster.
I closed my eyes and continued to fight him, my mind seeing more than my eyes. My action offset him and he lost his nerve for a moment, but it was enough. I swung wide, sending a strong burst of wind into him that knocked him into my sword before he was slammed into wall with a dull thud.
“Two points,” I said as I smiled at him. He returned my smile and lunged at me, his eyes determined and dangerous.
“You’re going to keep trying, Ilyan?” I asked as he swung wide, his attack blocked not by my sword but by my magic.
He didn’t acknowledge the block. He continued to move, going from one attack to another as he got into his stride. I knew I was only going to have enough in me to barely match him, even with my new found power.
I sent another attack toward him and he spun away from me, the movement of his hair revealing tiny drops of sweat near his hairline. He was working hard in order to match me, and I was barely exerting myself. The thought made me laugh out loud, my hand swiping toward him and sending him off balance as I flew through the air away from him.
“You’re looking a little tired, Ilyan? You doing okay?” I asked lightly. I was shocked when he scowled at me.
I should have known what was coming, but his move blindsided me as he came behind me, his arm wrapping around my waist to bring me flat against him.
“Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?” he said softly in my ear. He released me and I spun away from him, my feet faltering. He took advantage of my stumble and hit my leg with the flat side of his sword. “My point.”
“Once,” I replied, not going to give him the credit of admitting his dirty trick had worked. “Several hundred years ago. You were very sweet about it too.” I smiled sweetly at him as I moved carefully around him, watching my steps.
“Of course I was sweet. My mind was filled with images of kissing this beautiful girl I had been told I could never have.” He smirked and I balked again. My jaw dropped and my hand flew to my mouth in horror. Saying it like that made everything much more real.
He took advantage, swinging his sword toward me, but he was not fast enough. I jumped and swerved, my body moving faster than I had ever been able to accomplish before.
“You’re right,” I taunted him, trying to ignore the kicking in my chest. “You can’t have her.”
“Yet.”
I balked in confusion at his one simple word. “What do you mean, ‘yet’?”
Ilyan only smiled wider.
“I’ll tell you in a hundred years or so.”
“Not fair.” I pouted and pushed two waves at him from opposing sides. He grabbed me and shot us up into the air, his instincts to protect me kicking in.
“You don’t need to protect me here, Ilyan.” I smiled before kicking hard off of his chest and sending him flying back into the wall. I spun and flipped to land carefully on the ground of the cement hall.
“My point,” I said, as I carefully watched to make sure he was okay.
Ilyan jumped up and sped toward me, his body like a bullet through the space. I threw my sword to the side, the conjured weapon vanishing into the air at one simple thought, and jumped right before he met me, my arms wrapping tightly around his neck.
“Sorry, Ilyan,” I whispered in his ear. I kissed his cheek before spinning us around and pinning him to the ground, my sword appearing in my hand pointed right at his heart.
“I win.
” We stared at each other for a moment longer, his eyes holding that same fiery look of desire that I had seen before.
Finally, I could take no more. I moved away from him, sending the sword back into the air.
“That was amazing, Joclyn!” Ilyan exclaimed as he jumped up. Who knew he would be so happy to lose? He hugged me tightly before stepping away; making it obvious he was giving me space.
“Of course, you always knew she would be, Ilyan,” Dramin laughed as he walked up, a reluctant Thom following him over to us. “You did see her in the sight after all, and a sight is never wrong.”
He smiled and looked between us, and I knew what he was getting at, all those images of Ilyan and me.
“What do you mean, ‘a sight is never wrong?’” I asked, alarm settling comfortably into my voice.
Dramin’s eyebrows arched precariously high. Ilyan looked worried, and Thom looked like he was preparing to settle in for a show.
“A sight is never wrong, Silnỳ.” Dramin’s voice was placating, like he was herding baby tigers.
“Now, that’s a matter of opinion, Dramin.” Thom interjected, his voice hard.
“Not in the opinion of the Drak, Thom.” Dramin stared sternly at Thom as he spoke.
Both men stared each other down, jaws and fists clenching. Ilyan’s hand snaked around my waist protectively as he pulled me against him.
“He understands that, my friend,” Ilyan said, Thom’s scowl increasing as the tension built, “he is only talking about the few times where sights have never seen fruition.”
“You are talking about the zlomený.” Dramin snapped.
“That is exactly what I am speaking of,” Thom spat, “sights which never came to pass.”
“It is hard for a sight to be infallible when the one who gives it is being tortured,” Dramin said, his face inching closer to Thom’s.
“And what about the one who was tortured after? What about her?” I had only seen Thom mad once, when Dramin had given me the Black Water for the first time, and that outburst was nothing compared to this. The air around him seemed to ripple, his dreadlocks shook, and his fists were clenched firmly by his sides.
Eyes of Ember (Imdalind Series #2) Page 26