Eyes of Ember (Imdalind Series #2)(67)

“Why?”

“Well first, because of what you are, and second, because of who you are.”

I sat up straight at Thom’s words, my head almost hitting the shelf inside of Ilyan’s bunk. I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or hurt at Thom’s words, but my pride bristled a bit.

“What do you mean what I am?” I spat, the term made it sound like I was poison.

“You are one of the Drak, Siln?. The Drak do not normally heal those with different magic.” I glowered at him for a minute, hating the limit that my supposed new species was placing on me.

“But, I am also one of The Chosen.”

“Yes.”

“So I should be able to heal others as well,” I countered softly.

Thom looked away from me for a minute before coming to a decision. He placed the palm of his hand against the stone wall and pulled down, pressing hard against the surface. He brought his palm back to me, revealing a few shallow scrapes, one of them bleeding.

“Then heal me, and let us see if it works or not.”

Reluctantly, I placed my hand underneath Thom’s. I didn’t like physical contact with other people, especially with people I barely knew, but Thom seemed to be the same way, so I tried to swallow my pride.

I pushed my magic into him, surprised at how quickly it flowed. I closed my eyes and searched through his hand for the cuts, smiling when I found the dark black amongst the pink watercolor strokes of his skin.

“Now what do I do?” I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to lose the shapes and colors of his injury.

“Think about how your body heals you, about how you can feel it knit your skin back together, about how it straightens and repairs. Use your mind and your magic to do the same to me.”

I nodded once even though I didn’t quite understand what he was saying. I tried to focus on the colors and my magic that moved so close to them within Thom’s body. He had said to think about how my magic knit me back together. That seemed to make the most sense so I focused on it, pushing my magic into the black mass of his injury. I pushed the skin back together, laying it end to end before pushing even more in the hopes of eliminating the wound all together.

“Incredible.” I opened my eyes to Thom’s hand, shocked to see that not only did the blood flow stop but the skin had completely put itself back together. I couldn’t even see so much as a scar.

“I have never seen that work quite so fast before,” his voice was awed, but for once I wasn’t uncomfortable. Instead, I felt a bit proud.

I couldn’t help but smile at my accomplishment, and how quickly I had managed it. Although it was still weird to be referred to as a Drak, the Black Water had undeniably unlocked my ability.

“Now, I can heal Ilyan?” I asked, leaning away from Thom to sit next to Ilyan.

“No, Siln?, it is still not a good idea.” I froze at his words, his tone making it obvious what this was about.

“It’s because of what my Dad saw, isn’t it? Because of who I am?”

“Yes.”

“And, you’re not going to….”

“No,” Thom cut me off. “Dramin will decide when you are ready.”

I leaned over Ilyan, letting my eyes linger on his dull blue lids before moving back to sit by his feet. As I crawled back across the bunk my body began to ache again. I shoved the pain to the back of my mind, determined not to go inside the T?uha yet.

“Do you normally sleep with Ilyan? We have some double bunks if it will help you to sleep better...”

“No!” I interrupted him loudly, Thom stopped midsentence his face tensing in confusion. “I don’t sleep with Ilyan. I kind of sleep next to him, for half the night, after... after…” I had begun to ramble. I let my words drift away as Thom continued to glare. I turned away from him, ashamed.

“After your nightmares,” he finished for me. I turned toward him, my head nodding in agreement. I wasn’t sure what made me open up even a little bit to him, maybe it was the fact that he had heard my screams, but it made me uncomfortable.

“Do they happen every night?”

“Yes,” I whispered. I didn’t know how much I wanted to tell him.

“Dramin told me. He said that you would wail but the only one who was to help you was Ilyan.” I looked away from him. I was grateful neither of them had tried to help. I fought Ilyan when he had first tried, and my exertion against him had made it worse. And yet, the only one who could help me was asleep for at least a few more days.

“And, there is nothing you can do to stop them, a tea, maybe?”

I looked to him and shook my head. Ilyan had tried everything in the beginning, but nothing had worked. Now I understood why.

“Cail controls my dreams.” I said, my eyes looking back to Ilyan again. I wiggled my feet a bit until they were right up against his leg. I needed the reminder that I wasn’t facing this alone.

“Cail?” His voice was scared, and I didn’t blame him. He had every right to be. I was.

“Yes, he uses them to taunt me, to hurt me…” I rested my head on my knees, my eyes unfocused on the blanket in front of me. “I am scared to go to sleep anymore. And now, without Ilyan…” I exhaled and stopped, not wanting to elaborate anymore.

Thom didn’t say anything. He looked at me intently before pulling up a tall chair and sitting next to me. He didn’t get too close. He didn’t reach out to touch me. He just sat, looking around for a few minutes. Surprisingly, it wasn’t uncomfortable. We both sat thinking about our own vices for a moment before Thom spoke.