Page 92 of When Storms Ruin

This book also confirmed Corianhadn’tpulled me into the dream against my will after all, he was simply dream walking in the location that I was already physically in. They must have been searching for us and happened to get lucky.

“But the townhouse wasn’t close to the new safe house, how would Fletcher have found it? Hedidsay Corian sent him, right?” Tess asked.

“He did,” I confirmed. “It must have been luck? Unless he somehow placed a token on my person, and I had no idea. Once he found out we were in Dragon’s Hollow, maybe he sent soldiers to search for us. Maybe someone saw one of us going there. I’m not sure.”

I pressed my pen into the spine of the book to hold my place and gently closed it, setting it atop the Kotova grimoire to bring it back to my room.

“There’s too much to go through tonight, it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” I grabbed the books and pressed them to mychest, making my way towards the library door as I stifled another yawn.

“What did I interrupt with Nik earlier?” Tess asked as she held the door open for me.

Our voices lowered now that we were in the hallway, only separated from Nik by the bedroom door.

“It was nothing, we haven’t spoken since…” my voice trailed off as I met Tess’ gaze.

“Since you almost sacrificed your life for his and destroyed any chance we had of defeating Donika?” Tess offered with a sarcastic smile.

“Yeah…that,” I replied curtly. “But it was nothing.”

“Whatever you say, witch,” Tess replied with a wink.

I opened the door to my bedroom with my elbow and tucked the two books at the bottom of my underwear drawer. I lit the fire in the fireplace, took a long soak in the claw-foot tub. By the time I wrapped myself in my robe and prepared for bed I was restless.

It had to be past three in the morning at this point, but despite my better judgement I found myself sneaking across the hall, my hand poised to knock on the door across from mine.

I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn’t gather the courage. I dropped my hand back to my side and shuffled back across the hallway, my slippers scuffling against the stone floor.

I paused with my hand on the door handle, glancing back at Nik’s door once more over my shoulder. There was no way he was awake at this hour, and whatever it is I wanted to say tohim could wait until morning. I wasn’t even sure what it was that had brought me here, had pulled me towards his door.

With a sigh I turned the knob and returned to bed.

Sleep didn’t take me until close to five in the morning. When it did finally pull me under, I could only dream of black tourmaline eyes, lifeless and unending, with a shock of white-blue hair.

Liss had joined us in the cottage underground the next day, but she had been spending her nights in the single bedroom upstairs with Zion. Tess and I had speculated whether she was involved with Zion or Isaac, and I think we had our answer.

Tess and I had examined the dream walking book endlessly over the next week, learning everything we could to be prepared should we face Corian again. He was sneaky, and I didn’t want to underestimate his place in this war. He was Donika’s right hand now that Zion left her, and he was connected to Donika herself, making him a dangerous enemy.

Nik had healed rapidly over the last week, no longer requiring the bandages to cover the wound on his abdomen. His strength was returning, and he had even joined us in the sparring ring outside to watch and give us pointers. It was the only time we had spoken since being interrupted in the library, and we hadn’t had any time alone.

Warrick had returned, but still hadn’t spoken with anyone but Puck, who confirmed he had lost family in the battle. He had locked himself in his room and Zion had asked us to leave him be. I couldn’t imagine what he might be going through and wanted him to know that he wasn’t alone. He had friends that he could lean on.

We had been bringing him his meals and leaving him little notes, and each day the trays were returned empty. It gave me some solace that he was eating, at least.

He hadn’t joined our sparring circles, which left Puck to lead the training on the days Nik wasn’t well enough to join us. We had come a long way, but needed to keep up our strength. I was strong enough to take Saanvi on andalmostwin…but she wasfast.

Nine lives and all.

That night when we left the training room Liss was in the library, studying and deciphering the key spell. Tess and I quickly bathed, changed, and joined her at the table where books were stacked high enough that you couldn’t see the person sitting across from you.

“Any luck with the translation?” Tess asked as I followed her into the library, the heavy door swinging shut behind us.

I tossed my still wet auburn hair over my shoulder as I glanced at Liss’ notebook, the translation almost complete.

“I’m not sure I’d call it luck,” Liss replied with a smile, the wrinkles at the corner of her eyes crinkling as she peered up at us. “But I think I have everything we need to understand it.”

“What did you find?” I asked, taking the seat next to her.

“I’m afraid I don’t have the best news…” her voice trailed off as her gaze lingered on the page of the notebook before her.

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