Page 29 of A Touch of Royalty

“Is there anything else you need, Emryn?”

“I just don’t want to be alone tonight.”

19

WAKE

Emryn was trapped in the dark again. She was used to it by this point, and as tired as she was, it meant that the Mother needed to speak to her. Or maybe she was flattering herself and these were simply elaborate dreams that she’d made up to make herself feel like she belonged somewhere.

That was probably the case here. Her home had been stripped, her vows ended, and she had nowhere and nothing now. She was wife to the prince of Rodilla, but that didn’t mean she belonged in his world with the courtiers that looked down their well bred noses at the prince’s common wife.

That didn’t matter, what mattered was that the prince would live. One life was worth it, worth everything that she’d lost and she would continue to tell herself that until she believed it.

Because it was truth.

Emryn rose from the ground and went in search of the light. The Mother was calling her, and even if it was only an elaborate dream, she still wanted to know what would be said.

The light was weak tonight, the chains around the Mother thicker, than she’d seen them to this point. And the woman in the throne looked pained beyond bearing.

“Mother?” Emryn went to her knees. “How can I- I want to help, what do I do?”

“My Wings,” the mother sounded choked. “Your Phoenix, help him find his flight.”

“I don’t know where to look, Mother.” Emryn reached for the chains, but as before she was stopped by an invisible barrier. But she had her flame back, and if the Mother’s light was weak, couldn’t she help with that?

Emryn let her flame pool in her hands, drawing the light up and out until it was brighter than the weak light around the Mother. Who tilted her face into the light, and as Emryn watched, the chains lightened.

“Thank you, my Wings.” The Mother said as Emryn let the light die. She was still weak, and that was all she could do for now. “You have touched two, and the way to three is open.”

“I will do my best, Mother,” Emryn bowed. “Can you tell me anything else?”

“Time runs short, my Wings.” The Mother smiled, but there was pain in the expression. “Your Phoenix is there, he must find his flight. He is not to fear.”

“Yes, Mother.” Emryn bowed as the light faded and died, leaving her there in the dark, alone.

But she’d never been afraid of the darkness.

Emryn got up, spooling out a thin thread of light. It flew off into the dark, attaching to something beyond what she could see. Emryn followed the light thread, but it went on into the dark forever.

Far beyond where she could go.

She was stopped in the end, that invisible barrier like the one around the Mother stopped her. Then it grew a fist and pummeled her back.

Emryn jolted, bolting upright in the bed, shedding a weight that shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

“What is it, Emryn?” Cas’ sleepy voice hit her ears. “Were you dreaming?”

“Yes,” she tried to steady her breathing. “That’s all, just dreaming.”

“Come back and rest.” There was a soft hand on her back. “It’s too early to be awake.”

She nodded, laying back down and letting Cas put his arms around her again, holding her close and closed her eyes.

She must have slept, because it was full daylight when she opened her eyes again. Emryn kept healers hours, she never slept this late.

But she wasn’t a healer any longer. No, that was wrong, she might not have a vow to the temples, but she was and would always be a healer.

And Cas was still asleep. But that made sense, if he was still ill, it was right that he sleep. Emryn wiggled slowly from his arms and stood. She had her fire back, and she was going to ignore the weakness that she still felt and go find breakfast.

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