Eyes of Ember (Imdalind Series #2)(83)

I knew I should move away. I knew it was wrong for us to be lying like this, but I didn’t care.

I looked over Ilyan’s still sleeping body and smiled, he was so calm. I could feel his magic’s strong presence in my shoulder, the gentle lull of it as small tendrils weaved throughout my body. I knew that he was here for me no matter what. If the sight had not given me enough proof, what I was feeling now was more than enough I sighed heavily and shifted a bit, cursing my sore joints that creaked and fought me. I hadn’t entered the T?uha yesterday because of the sight, so today would be a miserable day. Unless... I was stronger now I could face it.

I pulled the necklace out from underneath my torn shirt and let it rest in my hands. I knew whatever I found inside would not be pleasant, but even a quick trip would help my body and then I may not have to worry about it for a few days.

I grasped Ilyan’s hand tightly in my own and leaned into him again before I pushed my magic into the necklace, closing my eyes to enter the T?uha.

It was all the same – the same kitchen, the same mold, the same deathly silent space. My heart beat erratically as I stood alone in the middle of it, suddenly terrified about what was going to happen. I didn’t know if Ryland would do something to shove me out or if ‘the dark-eyed man’ that Ryland had told me about could find me here. Either way, I needed as much time as possible here.

I moved further into the kitchen before ducking down and sliding myself underneath the counter by the bar stools. My knees slipped on rotting food and a couple of small mice scurried away, but I barely took notice.

Had it come to this? Had the T?uha really become just vessels for energy? I was hiding underneath a counter, amongst garbage, terrified about what was going to happen in this place that joined me to my mate. Ryland’s voice echoed in my head, his promise to break the Z?lství, his gentle words begging me to do the same.

And yet here I sat, hiding from him, just so I could keep the connection without wasting away. It seemed ridiculous, even to me. What was I doing? I felt my eyes burn with the threat of tears. My emotions were too close to the surface after last night.

“I thought I told you not to come!” Ryland yelled.

I could not see his face, only his foot as he attempted to kick me. I was sure the contact would send me back so I dodged it, scrambling through rotten food and broken glass, sending barstools side-long into the kitchen.

“Get out of here!” he yelled as he chased after me.

“Please leave me alone, Ryland. I will leave in a minute,” I begged as I continued to crawl away, my hands and knees covered with filth and dirt.

“No one wants you here anymore!” Ryland yelled again. I looked back to him as I reached the end of the counter, my stomach dropping to see his angry little body swinging a bar stool right toward my face.

It made contact and I howled out in pain, the impact sending me right out of the T?uha. I sat up automatically, my hand flying to my nose. Pain had never followed me like this before, not like it did with the nightmares. Even with the nightmares I was never truly injured. In the T?uha, however, it seemed that I could be.

I lifted my hand to my nose, hoping to add some pressure to my magic and help the injury to heal faster. I froze when my fingers touched the warm wetness of my own blood, which seeped from the gash in my face. I stared at the blood on my fingers, my breath coming faster than usual.

“Joclyn?” Ilyan asked softly. My panic had obviously woken him up. He placed his hand on my back, rubbing up and down my spine in a comforting way. “Are you okay?”

“I’m bleeding.” I spoke like it barely even mattered, my shock still seeping in.

Ilyan was up in a flash, one arm wrapped around me while the other held my hand before moving to inspect my face. His fingers pushed softly against the skin, his face filled with deep worry lines.

“What happened?” Ilyan asked.

“Ryland threw a chair at me.”

Ilyan froze, his hand still pressed against my face. I felt his other hand tighten against my hip, his magic swelling in frustration.

“In the T?uha?” The heavy restraint he placed on his words made me tense.

“He has become very aggressive in getting me out of them.” I said and looked away from him.

“But... to hurt you?” Ilyan’s fingers pressed against the bridge of my nose, his magic healing me quicker then I could heal myself.

“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 T?uha 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 T?uha. 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.