~Marcie~
Charlotte's greatest fear.
It was I who had said it. After Tennin had murmured blood, the word left my lips and did it's damage--a single tear ran down my face as I watched Charlotte struggle, Ashan and Tennin holding her down as her body spasmed in pain.
I couldn't begin to imagine what her mind was going through.
I felt, rather than heard, someone stir behind me. I whirled around in a sudden movement and placed my hand on Risun's chest. His eyes grew wide and froze as a bolt of blue energy coursed through his body, and he fell to the ground, as limp as a rag doll.
"We have to get out of here," Tennin said urgently. He pulled Charlotte to her feet, her body still jerking violently. Grebon rubbed his hands together, mad eyes dancing.
Ashan helped pull Charlotte to her feet, and one of the guards began to get up--I shot a bolt of light towards him and he fell to the ground. At the same time, I felt a sudden pain in my chest, the same burning sensation as before, reignited. It coursed through my body, lighting it on fire, and I fell to the ground in pain. Gasping, I crawled over to where Prince Dominiv lay on the ground.
"Help..." I choked out feebly. There was a pulsing fire inside of me, growing bigger every second.
His eyes flickered open. I saw a gash at his side, blood dripping down his royal clothes, the work of Fear. He sat up, seemingly not noticing the pain as his hand began to glow.
He coughed, and the blue light flickered, but his eyes narrowed as he leaned forward and put his hand on my stomach. Immediately I felt it, the soothing, calming sensation, calming my inner fire. I couldn't contain a sigh.
"Marcie!" Ashan's voice was urgent. More of the guards were stirring, and Fear sat up, growling.
I looked up to meet Dominiv's eyes. They were clouded with pain from his wound, moss-green and rust-orange. I heard Ashan run up to me.
"He's coming with us," I said simply, as I was pulled to my feet.
Ashan made a disapproving sound as he dragged me away. Dominiv fell back to the ground, coughing, and blood trickled from his mouth.
"No!" I tore away from Ashan and ran back to Dominiv. His eyes were closed, his chest barely rising and falling.
I knelt beside him, looking over his wound frantically. When I heard Ashan behind me, I simply threw a jolt of blue light over my shoulder, not paying attention to the sudden throbbing pain in my chest.
The Prince's wound was deep. His whole shirt was drenched in blood. I reached out and put a hand to his side where I thought the gash was. I took a deep breath and concentrated on his breath, holding on to his last shred of life.
This time, the energy was green.
I watched as it pulsed out of my chest, down my arm and out of my hand, running over him and throbbing in time with his heartbeat. It intertwined with his aura, glowing brighter and brighter with each of our breaths--until suddenly his eyes flew open and he coughed, his chest heaving as his lungs filled with air. I fell back, breathing heavily and feeling strangely exhausted.
"Come on!" Tennin ran past us, and I turned to see Ashan getting to his feet. The cut on his shoulder must have been from my bolt. I looked up at him guiltily as he cursed, grabbing my arm again and pulling me up roughly.
"He has to come," I said urgently, refusing to move and pointing at Dominiv, who was sitting up and examining his wound. Another guard started towards us, and Fear hissed.
"Wh--"
"She's right," Tennin said quickly over his shoulder, pulling along an unconscious Charlotte. "He has the scroll."
I didn't wait for Ashan. I reached down and pulled Dominiv to his feet, brushing past Ashan and running after Tennin and Charlotte. Grebon was ahead of us, ducking underneath a dead, twisted tree branch and scuttling down a darkened passage I hadn't noticed before. I followed, not looking back.
Dominiv kept up with us, running just as fast as me, but I could see it was taking it's toll. His aura was faint, and twisted with red cords of pain. I just kept going forward, hoping we would soon reach our destination.
"Where are we going?" Ashan called from behind me, voicing my thoughts. Tennin in turn looked to Grebon, who was leading the way through dark passages.
I looked quizzically behind me to see Ashan's face pale. "Oh no," He whispered.
"What?" he didn't answer.
"Tennin!" Ashan called. Tennin looked behind him, still supporting Charlotte. "It's her."
Tennin looked suddenly angry and stopped altogether. Grebon turned, his brows knitted in frustration, his eyes darting around wildly.
"Must go. Must be safe." He muttered.
Tennin shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "We can't go to her. Do you think she would be happy to see her?" He gestured at Charlotte.
Ashan winced. "They've...already met."
If it was possible, Tennin looked even angrier. "So you deliberately disobeyed me!"
"I--"
"Haiga," I breathed. I had figured it out. It was understandable that Tennin wouldn't want to see her. She had made it very clear she did not believe Charlotte was the savior of Sub-Terra, and for that she had been shunned by it's inhabitants--it made sense that she would live out here, close to the ruins of the old city. "Take us to her, Grebon," I said confidently, letting Dominiv lean on me.
"You--" Tennin sputtered. I pushed past him and followed the madman.
"No time to waste," I said, looking behind me. "Safety awaits."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Everything about it was soft.
The room was welcoming, open, clean, comfortable. It was as large as a loft, and gnarled roots covered the walls, but they were draped with lovely gauzy curtains. Everywhere there were gentle colors, beautiful little chairs and cushions. It seemed to good to be true, and as much as I wanted to collapse into one, I felt more in my place with our little band of broken, bloody, soldiers, half of us leaning on the others.
Haiga didn't ask a single question, didn't even speak as she did things very quickly.
Grebon recieved a pat on the head, and instantly something changed. He blinked, and when he looked up his eyes bore traces of sanity I had never seen. Wordlessly, he helped Dominiv over to a curtain that he pulled aside, gesturing for Ashan and Tennin to follow him.
Haiga led me away as well, and I pulled a limp Charlotte along with us. Her eyes flickered behind her eyelids, and her body still jerked. She let out a small wimper of pain.
I watched her worriedly as we went behind another curtain, into a small room. Haiga bustled over to a cabinet, made out of the roots in the wall. She pulled out two white, soft dresses and set them on a chair. She then went over to another wall, where a trickle of water ran into a small bowl made out of the wall-roots. She took a small ceramic jug from a shelf and filled it, coming over to us and handing it to me.
I looked down into the water and winced at my reflection, something I hadn't seen in a long time. I wondered how long my hair had been twisted into those knots, how that blood had gotten on my cheek and if it was mine.
Haiga nodded to one of the dresses, and I took it with me behind another curtain. Doing the best I could to scrape the blood and dirt off me, I winced when I found a shard of Kriskan rain stuck in my spine. I pulled it out and let out a little involuntary scream. I put a hand over my mouth as the tears rushed to my eyes, and I gripped it tightly. Opening my fingers, I saw that it was quite large. I wasn't quite sure how it had gone unnoticed before, but judging by the current pain at the base of my spine it had been wedged in very deep. I placed it carefully on a root-shelf in the wall and shivered.
I pulled on the white dress, hoping it wouldn't get too bloody. I stepped out from behind the curtain, running my fingers through my hair and doing my best to dissipate the knots. In my frustration, I felt a burst of energy in my chest, and pink sparks flew out of my fingers--immediately my hair was smooth, and free of knots. I ran my fingers through it in confusion. Deca flittered happily among my now smooth curls.
Haiga and Charlotte were nowhere to be seen, and I pushed aside a soft peach-colored curtain to the main room. Tennin was bending over Charlotte in a corner, and Haiga was speaking with an alert Grebon in whispered tones at a low wooden table. I couldn't see Dominiv, but Ashan strode up to me at once.
"Are you all right?" he turned me around, looking me up and down worriedly. He sucked in his breath suddenly. "What happened here?" He touched the spot on my lower back where the shard of rain had been, and where I imagined a blood stain was forming.
"Nothing," I pulled away from him. My attitude had changed towards Ashan, and, in some ways, it hadn't. I had always seen him as a captor, someone to get away from. It was only Charlotte's attachment to Tennin that kept me from proposing ludicrous escape plans, but after a while Ashan's hovering only succeeded in annoying me. I wasn't the important one to be protected, after all. Why was he so obsessed?
He frowned and took my arm. "It is something. Let me see."
"No." I felt energy gathering in my chest, and I turned to him angrily, but all of a sudden my entire body relaxed as I felt a calming sensation spread through my back throughout my whole body. I turned to see Dominiv, trailing green threads throughout my aura, and I couldn't help giving him a weak smile, feeling more peaceful.
Ashan looked at Dominiv with a wary expression. "What have you done?"
"Relax," Dominiv gave him an easy smile and kept his hand on my back. I felt his healing effect course through me.
"Charlotte," I said quickly, ignoring Ashan and starting towards her. This time it was Dominiv who took my hand and pulled me back.
"She will be fine," he murmured, gesturing to Tennin, who was stroking her forehead and watching her closely. Her eyes were closed, now in a more peaceful state. "It is you who needs looking after. Especially if you want to save her."
I let Dominiv take me to another corner of the room, where there was a large cushiony bed, surrounded by drapes. He sat down and patted the space next to him, smiling. I sat down watching him warily.
"There are only two reasons you are still alive," I told him coldly, smoothing out my dress.
He raised an eyebrow. "Two? I was under the impression that my only value to you was as the keeper of the Zadax scroll, the only one who could read it."
I looked around fervently. Tennin was still leaning over Charlotte watchfully, and Haiga was bustling around in another part of the room, setting wooden plates on a table. Grebon was slicing a pieces of meat off a strange-looking animal, and Ashan sat alone, polishing his sword intently, but I saw him glance up at us.
"You and I both know you are the only one who can help me," I whispered forcefully, looking at Dominiv. He was looking at me with a strange calculating expression, a smile playing around his lips.
"Help you how?" He said, putting his chin on his hand and widening his eyes up at me.
I made an exasperated noise. "You are the only one who can...you know..." I played around with sparks of blue on my fingertips. "Control me..."
He reached out and put his hand over mine, extinguishing the sparks. He kept it there and I met his eyes, as he stared at me sternly.
"You are on a path of self-destruction," He said sternly. He raised his other hand, where blue light danced over his palm. "This magic is Destruction. You have misused it, broken the Ethics of Power. Now, you are aware that you have a unique aura..." He reached out his hand and brushed my shoulder. His scarlet aura flickered against mine, and I shivered, still meeting his gaze.
"It contains all the colors," I whispered. He smiled, pulling his hand away from mine and raising his fingers. A different color of light shone from each one.
"I shall attempt to teach you a concept that took me years to master," he said lightly. I shifted and faced him, staring at the light of his fingertips.
"Destruction." The blue flared to life, and I gazed at it in wonder as the light became a series of tiny images. It was a tiny tornado, a flood, a waterfall...
"Creation." The orange light flickered out and died, only to reappear again, even brighter. I watched, entranced, as it formed a flame, and then a casket.
"Healing," The green bubbled happily on his fingertip, becoming a plant, and a shelter.
"Beauty." The pink shone and danced, becoming a comb, and then a shimmering butterfly.
"Vision," The violet seemed to become deeper, and it drew me closer. There was a labyrinth, and a pool of water.
"Joy," The yellow grew brighter, becoming a torch, and a shining ball.
"Passion," I watched the red as it swirled, a rose, and then a pair of ruby lips. I frowned, remembering Nusir and her comments about Ashan. I shook the thought away.
"Sadness," The indigo curled itself insidiously around his fingertip. I watched it become a tear, and a broken mirror.
"Purity,"A white light covered his finger, and became a cloth, and a tiny white flower.
"And...Evil." The black was present for only a second, enough for me to see a blade, and then a muddy pool of water, before Dominiv made his hands into fists and all of the lights were extinguished.
"With my training, I have only come to know a little of each. I naturally take to Passion--" Red sparks shimmered around him, matching his aura. "But I have learned bits and pieces of Destruction and Healing alike. Now you, you are the truly interesting case." He leaned forward and I stayed very still and his eyes ran over me, examining my aura. "All of the colors..." He murmured. He sat back and looked at me with a piercing expression.
"So...I have all of this...magic?" I held up my hands. On each of my fingers, I could see shadows of each of the little lights, the blue burning brighter than the rest.
"Yes." He put his hand over mine again. "But that only means you must seek to attain balance. Right now, Destruction is consuming you." He put a hand on my stomach, and I felt the stirrings of the fire inside me. "You have used to too much, without cause. It will seek to control you, to rule all of your magic, unless you control it."
I looked up at him, and I'm sure my eyes betrayed worry. "How?"
He sat back and looked at me carefully. "We must return," He said carefully. "And see all of the times you used it. We must rationalize it, align it with the Ethics of Power, and atone for all this destruction so that your psyche can be at peace. All this pain--" He reached forward suddenly, trailing a fingertip over my forehead. "It's all up here."
I gave a weak laugh. "Certainly doesn't feel like it."
He nodded, still watching me.
I took a deep breath. "How do we return? How do I...'atone'?"
He took both of my hands in his. I felt Ashan's gaze on us.
"Close your eyes," He said softly. "And relax."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Posted by
Marcie
I was standing in the rain.
I headed for the nearest tree, shivering and pulling my jacket around me.
Wait.
The scene froze. I stared around me and a figure approached me. I couldn't move.
Dominiv was flicking through the pages of a book, a book that shimmered with all the colors of my aura. It's glossy title read Memories.
He turned a page.
The scene accelerated, and I was standing in the forest with Charlotte. Dominiv turned pages faster and faster, and Mushroom transformed before our eyes, muttering the phrases of a prophecy. We were in a darkened cavern, and Deca sat upon my shoulder. We were in a circular room, Lida was chained to a pole, Master Arin was emerging from the shadows. Ashan and Tennin were leading us away. A room with knots on the walls. A stick. A window. Hiaga.
Dominiv stopped and leaned into the page.
"I am a word-weaver, you see. Just like this one." Haiga put a hand on my shoulder and I smiled.
There.
Dominiv strode towards us. This is where you Awakened. He reached out and touched the strands of my aura in my memory. They had sprung to life, glowing at Haiga's words.
He opened the book again and turned the page.
There was dust all around us, and past Dominiv's hand was on my arm. The present Dominiv watched as Deca exploded with light before his eyes, and winced.
That was unnecessary.
He kept turning pages, past our escape, Ashan's mother, the carriage, a ball of blue light, the tomb...
Ah...
Deca became a ball of light, banishing the Monster's gas. Charlotte swung her sword and plunged it deep into it's skull.
I knew it.
The scene froze again, and I watched, Deca still glowing in my hands, as Dominiv walked over to us.
Banishing the Beast, he said, looking at past me. So that the Koreask can defeat it.
I felt a throbbing sensation in my chest as something fell into place.
He nodded and opened the book again.
Our journey to Gralad. The Kriskan rain. My back throbbed in pain as I ran through it. Ashan carrying me into the castle. Charlotte and Tennin, drawing their swords. Grebon.
Ouch.
A bolt of blue light flew out of me and hit Grebon squarely in the chest. He collapsed.
Defeating the madman, cleansing the bitterness. Dominiv approached me again. But no...this is the Koreask's power. He followed the trail of energy on the ground, and looked over at Charlotte. He turned to me and smiled. Don't you worry your pretty little head about that one, he said, pulling out a quill and scratching something out of the Memories book. Again, I felt something in me change.
Another page turned.
We jumped out of the window, Charlotte hanging from the edge of the roof. Birds, attacking us, and I ran up to Charlotte...
Fear. Dominiv walked over to me as I bent over the dark shape in my hands. What an interesting emotion to play with. Continue.
Running from Risun and his men. Following Grebon to the clearing. Making fire, sitting down, sleeping. Nusir. The dream.
A prophecy. Dominiv watched as I fell past the images. The army, the hair, the horse, the shadow. And a truly remarkable one indeed. Remember that, Seer. But wait--I watched the dream play out again, watched Charlotte and Ashan and Dominiv whisper the same words; The Koreask is coming.
And we must be prepared. Dominiv looked at the book grimly. I am quite flattered to have such a prominent role in your deepest dreams. What does that say, I wonder...he smiled to himself and turned another page.
I was inside Charlotte's dream, watching her take Risun's hand, and the violet light shot out of my hand, my desperate attempt to pull her out of his grasp.
Ah, Vision. Dominiv chuckled, looking down at the book. You may have saved her life.
Charlotte and I awoke, and Nusir was standing by Ashan, trailing her fingers through his hair and reminiscing...
Do I detect a hint of...jealousy? Dominiv peered closer at the book, and pulled out a thin strand of green, holding it up and observing it. How interesting, that you should fall for your captor so easily.
If I wasn't stuck in the past, I would have strangled him.
He simply laughed, and turned another page.
Risun ordered Charlotte to take me, and she pulled me to my feet, still in a trance. I exploded in violet light as Ashan brushed past me.
Dominiv made a disapproving noise. You had the right idea, it was simply without focus.
I shivered as my body realigned itself once more.
Ah, he said, turning another page. And here I come to save the day.
Dominiv approached me, calming the fire inside me, and arguing with Risun. He held up the Zadax scroll, and we set out on our way, following Ashan as he led us towards Tennin's trap. Nusir, dancing away from Fear's claws, Risun and Ashan battling, and Tennin, coming out of the trees and giving Charlotte a single kiss.
How sweet, Dominiv smirked, turning the page. The Lovers reunited.
Charlotte, mind still lost, screaming as I uttered the word massacre. Risun, standing up, my bolt of blue hitting him in the chest, and the guard, and then Ashan's shoulder...
And here, my dear, is where you begin to get out of control. Dominiv took a seat next to his past self, studying the page intently. Perhaps, one could say that the former two were in the pursuit of self-defense...My mind clicked together at his words.
...But this last one...why ever would you harm your beloved Guardian? Dominiv leaned forward, looking down at the Memory. You dismissed him in your hurry to save me...he looked up at me with a smirk. You'll explain yourself later, I'm sure.
I seethed in annoyance, still unable to move, trapped in my memory, tending over Dominiv's fallen body.
His present self closed the book and leaned forward. And I am indeed grateful to you, for saving my life...
He pressed his lips to mine, and I awoke in the present.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Unfortunately, still connected to his mouth.
I pulled away as fast as I could, and Ashan jumped up. I turned away from Dominiv, feeling the heat rise to my face as I brushed sparks of red from my lips.
Ashan strode over to us and pulled Dominiv to his feet roughly, shoving him against the wall. I stood as well, indignant.
"What do you think you're doing," Ashan hissed, hand tight around Dominiv's throat. Dominiv only smiled.
"Saving your charge. Wasn't it your duty to protect her? Why should I have to go back and clean up the mess?"
Ashan stared at him, blood rising to his temples.
"Stop!" I said forcefully. A jet of blue light knocked Ashan over, and Dominiv brushed off his white shirt, as if nothing had happened.
"Dinner is ready," We heard Haiga call.
Ashan got to his feet, looking at me with a strange expression. Dominiv smiled maliciously behind his back, and I turned away from both of them. It was strange--after what I had just done, I hadn't felt the usual fire begin to consume me. I wonder what had just rationalized my action of hurting Ashan.
"Marcie!" I looked up to see Charlotte, whole and new again, beaming at me. I embraced her suddenly, squeezing her tightly.
"How are you?" I whispered, choked up.
"Better," She whispered back. "But..." She shivered. "I don't ever want to got there again..."
I pulled away slightly. "Where?"
She looked around, smiling. "That looks delicious!" She turned back to me once more, serious for a moment. "I'll tell you later."
I nodded.
We took our seat around the wooden table growing out of the floor. A white tablecloth had been placed over it, and our chairs were comfortable and I sighed at how nice they were. I met Charlotte's gaze and we both smiled.
"Eat up!" Grebon leaned over us and started dumping spoonfuls of a brown and green mush, filled with some sort of meat and some sort of vegetable, onto our plates.
I looked around and saw Dominiv, at the other end of the room, talking to Haiga in whispered tones. He said something to her, and she pointed towards a curtain. He nodded and started towards it, but she took his arm and said something else, but he shook his head. He strode away and ducked underneath the curtain and out of sight, and Haiga returned to us. Ashan was watching Dominiv warily.
"Eat eat eat girls!" Haiga said, smiling. She tottered over to a chair and sat down, serving herself some of the mush. I bit into some of mine and found it surprisingly tasty.
"Now where is Lida?" Grebon murmured, looking around. Charlotte and I glanced at each other. It was strange to have him acting so normal.
Haiga closed her eyes. "3...2..."
"I'm home!" I turned to see another curtain fly open, and Lida burst through it. She barely resembled the girl we had rescued in Sub-Terra. Her clothes were clean, her long dark hair was braided back from her smiling face, and she held a small pail in her hands.
"Are those the Escarats? Give them here, dear." Haiga stood and took the pail from her hands. Lida brushed a strand of hair away from her face and ran over to us, smiling happily.
"You!" She said, giving Charlotte a sudden hug. Charlotte looked taken aback, but then she smiled, and wrapped her arms around the girl as well.
"And you!" She ran over to me and gave me a bone-crunching hug. I grinned and squeezed her back. She jumped up again and ran over to where Haiga was working in the kitchen, doing something with the objects in the pail.
Grebon chuckled and took a bite of his food. Charlotte looked over at the little girl, and looked at Grebon, taking a cautious bite.
"So...how do you know...Haiga?" She said softly, looking up at Grebon. I had wondered the same thing myself, after he had led us here, even in his mad state.
"She's my mother," He said simply, taking a large piece of meat and gulping it down.
Charlotte and I stared at him for a moment.
He looked up at us, confused. "What?"
"So then Lida is your daughter?" I said, regaining my composure. Charlotte was still staring.
"Yes!" Came a little voice from the kitchen. Grebon smiled and winked at her.
"So then...do you think the Koreask will save Sub-Terra?" I said, drawing on my knowledge of Haiga.
Grebon stopped chewing and looked around the table. Charlotte still seemed to be a bit shocked, as she ate her food slowly. Tennin gripped his fork tightly. Ashan stared moodily down at his plate, not seeming to hear anything.
"I'm not sure what to believe," He said carefully. Tennin still looked angry, and he stabbed a piece of meat.
"Well, here we are!" Haiga came over to the table, carrying a steaming plate of what looked like tiny roasted bugs. Lida slid into her chair and grabbed one, munching on it happily.
Charlotte reached out and took one hesitantly. Tennin took one as well, and I saw the two share a secret smile. I felt a strange feeling in my chest, and I looked over at Ashan. He was staring down at his plate.
"Excuse me," I said lightly, pushing my chair back and standing up. I didn't look behind me as I walked across the room towards the curtain where Dominiv had disappeared to.
I pushed it aside and found myself in a huge room, larger than the one I had just been in. This one had a soaring ceiling, and stretched on for quite a while. It seemed to be at the very center of the tree we were underneath--I couldn't fathom how big it must be.
I saw Dominiv. He was standing in the middle, and as I watched, he spun suddenly, shooting darts of blue out of his fingertips, and they shattered against the walls with deadly precision.
I walked up to him slowly, and he straightened, turning to me with a smile.
"Couldn't stay away, could you?"
I looked up to him with an intent expression. "Why could I hurt Ashan without hurting me?"
He grinned. "You truly want to know?"
I nodded. "And I want to know why you had to kiss me," I said, frowning.
He chuckled. "They are very much the same reason. You see, I had to test a theory."
I disliked being the test subject for anything. "What?"
His aura flickered to life, a deep, pulsing red. "The only way you can live in harmony with your magic is if it coincides with the Ethics of Power,"
I blew a strand of hair out of my eye exasperatedly. "And what do these Ethics state, exactly?"
He grinned, coming closer. "That you can only harm another living being in self defense...or defense for one you care about."
I stared up at him, perplexed.
"You could harm Ashan," He said softly, tendrils of scarlet snaking towards me. "Because deep down, there is a part of you, a part of your dreams, that cares for me," He stepped closer and leaned in, and red clouded my vision, and I was surrounded with a sweet, entrancing scent. "...that desires me."
He pushed me against the wall suddenly, and kissed me again. This time, I didn't fight it. Scarlet swirled around us, pervading my senses and filling me with a strange kind of ecstasy. His breath tickled my cheek as he moved his mouth down my neck, and I gasped. This was a strange feeling, our auras mixing together and moving as one.
"Marcie?"
It was Charlotte's voice.
We pulled apart suddenly, and I didn't look up at him. I shivered, red sparks still woven throughout my aura.
"Coming," I said softly. I glanced up at Dominiv as I moved towards the curtain. He was surrounded by a brilliant red light, smiling, and I knew if I stared at him long enough I would get pulled in again.
I stepped through the curtain and let out a deep breath.
Charlotte was looking at me with a strange expression as the curtain fell back behind me. "What happened?"
"Nothing," I said softly, grateful that Charlotte was not a Seer--she wouldn't have been able to miss the threads of red, intertwined with my aura, and making my whole body buzz.
But she seemed to notice something, because she gave me a disapproving look and pulled me away. "Come on. Time for much-needed sleep."
"Careful," Tennin said as he passed us. He touched Charlotte's arm and looked at her. "You are still very vulnerable in dreams."
She nodded, and gave him a small smile. I looked away from them.
Charlotte and I made our way towards the first room we had been in. I pushed aside the peach-colored curtain and smiled at the huge poofy beds that awaited us.
"Heaven," Charlotte sighed, collapsing on one.
"Ecstasy," I murmured, falling onto the other.
She gave me a strange look, and then we both burst out laughing. But as the torches extinguished, and I turned away from her, squirming into the warm blankets, I still felt that the word described how I felt. No matter how hard I tried, I could not deny the red tendrils that still sparked and spun around me, making me smile for a reason I could not determine. I snuggled deeper into the bed, and tried to ignore the face that swam in my mind. Soon, I was lost in Dream, and the soft blankets.
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