Eyes of Ember (Imdalind Series #2)(36)

“Thank you, Ilyan,” I said. “For everything.”

“I am proud to do it, Joclyn.” Ilyan returned the hug, his hand strong against my back. I let him hold me against him, my body leaning heavily into him. His arms were so comforting and the wildflower smell of his hair was so relaxing, I found myself slipping into sleep right then. He must have known it too. I felt his magic pulse against my hand, the heat of his energy growing strong for a moment before receding.

“Don’t fall asleep yet, Joclyn. I have a surprise for you.” I pulled away, his smiling face greeting me. I stifled a yawn, but he only smiled more.

“Look, Siln?.” I looked away from his intense glance and into the rest of the tiny room.

In that one pulse of energy I had felt in Ilyan’s hand he had completely changed the room. The bed was clean and covered with a new comforter. The carpet on the floor was new, and the walls were white instead of the gross brown wood paneling. My mouth dropped as I looked at it. It would take me hours to create such a change, but Ilyan had done it in less time than it took to breathe. There was even a dark blue, black-out curtain over the window.

“I take it you like it then?” Ilyan smiled from beside me. I quickly snapped my jaw shut, worried he had noticed.

“I can’t believe you did this...” I let the sentence trail away, unsure of what else to say. He did it all in a blink of an eye, all while still keeping his powerful shield centered around me.

“I can take it back if you prefer to sleep on dust...” I only laughed at him.

“No, no. This is fine. Thank you, Ilyan.”

“Anything. Now, unless you want to hold my hand for the next week...” Ilyan held our hands up to eye level, and squeezed a bit. I didn’t feel awkward holding his hand or being near him anymore, but being obligated to have him touch my skin for the next week sounded miserable.

“Uh, no. Shield me please.” I sat down on the new squishy bed, expecting Ilyan to place an immovable shield around the house. It would mean I was trapped again, but I knew there was no other option. I steeled my mind against the thought of being trapped here for the next week and allowed myself to dream about being in a beach house.

But instead of shielding us, Ilyan froze for a minute before coming to kneel in front of me.

“I want to try something new if you don’t mind.” His voice was soft, but this unknown suggestion somehow made me uncomfortable. I scooted away from him out of habit.

“What?”

“I want to create a ?tít inside of you that will hold some of my magic. It will never infiltrate your body, and I will always have control over it. But this way I can keep a stronger barrier around you, as well as be able to track you if we ever get separated.”

Ilyan had spoken very fast, his voice strained like he was having a hard time breathing. I raised an eyebrow at him in confusion.

“A ?tít?” I repeated. I had never heard of what he was talking about, and just when I thought I was getting a decent hold on our abilities too.

“Yes. Think of it like a bubble inside of you that holds my magic. It will help me to keep you safe, as well as allow you to leave this tiny room from time to time.” I jumped in excitement, and Ilyan smiled broadly at my response.

“I can leave?”

“If you let me do this.” He wasn’t as excited as me. My hope deflated like a punctured balloon.

“What’s the downside?” I didn’t want to hear it, but I could tell from Ilyan’s tone that there was one. I knew I was right when he sighed and looked away, his classic hesitation. I reached out with my free hand and pulled his chin back to face me.

“Ilyan. What’s the downside?” He sighed again, and I ran my finger along his hairline out of habit, it was something I would do to Ryland. I regretted it instantly. His face went blank as he stared at me. I pulled my hand away, screwing up my face like I had eaten moldy cheese – which was actually how I felt inside.

“I have only done this to someone who has undergone the Z?lství a few times before. I am not sure how it will work. It could upset the balance between you and Ryland in some way. It could upset your magic and you could fight against me even more when I try to heal or calm you. It’s a risk.”

My heart plunged down like a lead weight. Hearing him talk about the connection between Ryland and I breaking made me uncomfortable. Silly, considering that the connection was the reason I was being tracked, the reason I was bound to enter the T?uha on a daily basis, and a probable cause of my nightmares. I wouldn’t have to have a ?tít if it wasn’t for my bond with Ry. The only good part about my bond was Ryland, and he didn’t even remember me anymore.

“What if it does break the connection between us? Will my body turn against me like before?”

“It’s a risk,” Ilyan said, his other hand joining to mine. I could still feel his magic surging through me, his shield keeping me hidden from Ryland, keeping me safe.

“And if it does? Do you still have your mysterious back-up plan?” Ilyan smiled, that odd look back in his eyes.

“Yes.”

“And what is this mysterious back-up plan?” I asked, hoping to get some more information out of him.

“Something a good friend told me about eight centuries ago.” He smiled coyly and I could tell that was all I was going to get out of him.