Page 79 of A Whisper of Cinders

“I can try.”

Conláed stops walking “Do it. Hold her tight and don’t let go.”

One second, we stand in the hallway, the other in the middle of the medical bay at the Sanctum. I probably passed out. How did I go from not going to the Sanctum to being here three times in such a short period of time?

“Althea!”

Running footsteps near us.

“What in the name… Dear moons, what happened?”

I don’t hear the answer, but faintly notice we are descending, the air full of oxygen and a cool blanket for my burning body. I hear splashing of water somewhere nearby, right before drops of water touch my skin, I hear it hissing. I hold tighter to the one who is holding me — Conláed — my fingers digging into his bicep.

“We’re just below the Sanctum. It too is a sacred place with multiple large ponds and large stalagmites and stalactites surrounding us. We’re going to try to lower your temperature. It will hurt in the beginning, but you will feel relief shortly after.”

It takes everything in me to do so, but I manage to open my eyes just a tiny bit. Conláed still holds me tight, closely watching me with his glowing amber eyes, his features even more striking than ever before. If that’s possible.

I reach out my hand to touch his cheek. “You’re so handsome,” I whisper, not even sure if he hears me. He leans into my touch, or maybe I am imagining that too.

“It’s time, Conláed, don’t forget to keep her moving. Her temperature has to decline slowly. If it drops too fast, she will go into shock.”

He looks up to whoever was speaking and nods. “Got it.”

When his gaze finds mine again, I see faint golden-red swirls hanging around him. It’s the most peculiar thing. I close my eyes, my mind too tired if it’s creating things that aren’t there.

“Let go, sylvaehtrin, I will take care of you. I promise.”

The words sound familiar, but I don’t think I have heard that language before. Or maybe I did, a long, long while ago.

I’m aware of Conláed sitting down somewhere, holding me as he lowers my feet into the water. He was right, the pain is nearly making me faint. He keeps talking to me, whispering words I cannot hear. Another voice guides him and when I don’t feel like I’m going to erupt out of my own skin, he emerges me fully into the water.

Opening my eyes costs a lot of effort, but eventually I manage and see I am no longer in the waking world. The lush green scenery is one I have only seen in my dreams. And so is the presence that is accompanying me, standing on the edge of a small river as tiny waves roll over my toes. “It has been a while,” I state.

“Indeed, it was to be expected. You needed time to adjust and that should never be rushed.”

Not sure what he means by that, but I won’t ask. It doesn’t really matter either. “Things are about to change, aren’t they?”

“Yes…I’m afraid so.”

The sun shines a little brighter and I close my eyes for a second, reveling in the warm beams that touch my skin, not one worried thought occupies my mind.

“Is it a bad way of change?”

The man doesn’t answer immediately, but maybe he doesn’t know the answer either.

“Is it ever? I cannot say. You have to figure it out for yourself.” He pauses, weighing his words. “You shall find help in unexpected corners, Mailene, but you’ve got to have faith. Not only in them, but most importantly, in yourself.”

The sky turns pink and gold, with hints of orange and purple interwoven as well. It’s a masterpiece that reminds me of the coloured glass in the Sanctum. I’ve always loved sunrises, I remember that now. They remind me that time moves forward, whether we fear it or not, that endings are always beginnings in disguise.

A tear falls down my cheek and a calloused phantom finger wipes it away. I still felt it, catching the faint scent of peonies and smoke. “Can I see you now? The real you, I mean, not just a flickering of light.”

A rumbling laugh bursts from the man, it sounds like the crackling of fire. “No, I’m afraid not. You will see me when the time is right.”

I sigh. It was worth a shot.

He is silent for a couple of heartbeats. “There might be something else I can tell you.”

A small piece of paper floats from the sky and lands into my waiting palm. The edges are a little uneven and black, the words glow in a fiery gold.