Eyes of Ember (Imdalind Series #2)(54)

“Ilyan please!” The wind howled around me as I yelled, taking my voice with it.

I pressed my hands against his skin, pulsing my magic into him desperate to awaken him, to heal him, but not knowing how. I looked around, knowing that my search for shelter, for help, would be in vain.

“You can’t leave me!”

I didn’t know where we were, or how we got here. I didn’t even know what was going on.

“Help!” I yelled into the snow, my body shaking uncontrollably now, the cold freezing me down to my bones. I clung to Ilyan, my magic surging as I attempted to keep both of us warm, but I couldn’t focus enough to keep the flow of magic going.

“Anyone! Help.”

I turned back to him, my hands touching and pressing against his skin, desperate for any response.

“Ilyan!” I couldn’t keep the hopelessness out of my voice. Everything was an impossible web of danger and fear, and I was trapped in the center of it.

My life was repeating itself, over and over. Somewhere deep inside I wished this to be a dream, whether or not it was controlled by Edmund. I wished that all of this was a fabricated nightmare. But I knew it wasn’t.

I lay down next to Ilyan, my skin freezing against the snow and my arms clinging to his still body.

“Ilyan...” I pleaded, unable to deny the ache I felt for him. “Don’t leave me...”

I had barely gotten the words out before I saw a dark figure moving toward us.

The shape was huge. I cringed against Ilyan’s still form, fear of the unknown shape gripping me. I pulled my magic up to the center of me, dreading having to attack some monster. As it got closer, I could barely make out the shape of a man as he lumbered toward me. I sat up, not daring to hope, but terrified all the same. The figure yelled out something into the storm, his voice carried away by the wind.

Soon, the shape towered over me, his sharp green eyes digging into mine. He was an absolutely hulking figure, mostly caused by layer after layer of large fur coats. He pulled down his scarf to reveal a cleanly shaven face.

“Siln?! What are you doing here? What happened?” The man was panicked. He reached out and grabbed my shoulders with his heavily gloved hands, bringing me up to eye level.

I stared at him, unsure of what to say. I didn’t know who this man was, and his voice and manner were scaring me.

“Tell me! You are in safe hands, but I must know!”

“Thom?” I asked, hoping beyond hope that Ilyan had gotten us to safety.

“No,” he said, his voice strained. “He is coming though. Now, tell me, what has happened? Is everyone safe?”

He continued to look into me, and I felt my heart fall. No, no one was okay. Ilyan was hurt. Wyn was gone. Prague...

“Prague. They found them,” I stuttered, trying to find the right words. “They found us. Ilyan…” My voice broke and I looked toward Ilyan’s still form, scrambling out of the man’s hold and back to Ilyan’s side.

“So it has happened.” I barely registered that the man had spoken, my focus back on Ilyan again.

“Ilyan is hurt,” I said, pulling the man’s attention away from his reverie, desperate for help.

“Do not worry over your Protector, Siln?, his energy was spent in getting you here. He will be well in a few days.” He smiled, his face lighting up.

“Thom!” he yelled into the blizzard that surrounded us before turning back and grunting a bit. “The poor lad moves slowly in the snow. My name is Dramin, by the way, but you can call me Uncle.”





Seventeen


I leaned my body over Ilyan’s protectively. Dramin smiling at me, as if he was amused.

“Uncle?” I asked, my voice shaking as my body convulsed in the cold.

“Yes, didn’t Ilyan tell you?” He leaned over me, and I moved away instinctively.

“Ilyan didn’t tell me anything.” I grabbed Ilyan’s hand, my heart plunging at his lack of response.

“I told you Dramin, Ilyan wouldn’t do anything he didn’t need to, especially when it comes to her.” I turned my body toward the gruff voice, surprised at the other large shape that had appeared out of the snow. He was tall and appeared twice as wide as I was sure he was, thanks to all the coats he wore. I could just make out a long dirty brown dreadlock protruding from underneath his woolen hat.

“Put that on,” the second man said, dropping a huge fur coat in front of me. “You don’t want to freeze to death.”

He leaned over me and I caught a glimpse of deep blue eyes as he shooed me out of the way. He picked up Ilyan’s limp and unresponsive body with one big jolt. I called out as he moved Ilyan over his shoulder and covered him with a shaggy fur. The man turned to me, his stare piercing me even through the blinding snow.

“You look just like your Father,” he said, before turning away and walking away into the snow storm. I jumped up, moving to run after him, but my red shoes slipped in the snow filling them with wetness. I grabbed the coat and attempted to put it on, moving after them as quickly as I could.

“Slow down, child,” Dramin said from beside me. “You will be going nowhere fast if you continue at that pace.”

I glared daggers at Dramin and ignored his warning before continuing my trudge after Ilyan and the man I could only assume to be Thom. I could see Ilyan’s blonde hair swinging beneath the heavy fur that Thom had covered him with, the snowstorm threatening to swallow them up. I continued to slip and slide through the snow and wind, desperation filling me as they vanished.