The wind was his only answer, but all at once, it stopped.
From the deep corners of the darkest cavern, a sinister whisper beckoned.
He lifted his head, messy dark hair falling into his eyes. "Is anyone there?" His voice was thick with tears.
The shadows stretched and grew, and she watched as Caliban stood, walking slowly to a deep hole carved into the side of the cliffs.
Luella followed, face beside his, as she stared intothe hole. It was vast, yawning, and she swore something stared right back at her from its depths. A shudder wracked her frame, and she stepped back, uneasy with whatever was unfolding.
Something tickled her foot, and she gasped, the sound loud in the unnatural quiet of the forest. Shadows curled around her ankle, and she jolted, jerking her foot back as the shadows retreated, slithering like a serpent over the dark grass and pine needles.
Her brow furrowed.
Wait. She had seen brittle pine needles like these before, had even smelled the scent of pine that pierced the night air.
With sudden clarity, she staggered back. "The Silva Noctis."
The shadows seemed to laugh at her.
Caliban pulled away from the hole, shaking his head. "Gods, I’m going crazy, aren’t I? I must tell Enora about this…"
He took a step away from the hole, but a thick shadow tangled around his feet andpulled, making him fall face-first onto the pine-laden ground.
"What is this? No!" Caliban gasped, shock clouding his tone. The shadows wrapped around his body. "Oh, gods. No! W-wait," he stuttered fearfully.
His fingernails dug into the dirt, cracking as he desperately clung, but it was no use.
The shadows pulled him into the cave, and he disappeared into the dark, his terrified screams echoing through the vastness and reaching the treetops.
The last thing Luella saw was pleading green eyes, locking onto hers as he was dragged away.
The crack of thunder jolted Luella awake.
Green eyes stared down at her.
She frowned, pressing a hand to her temple. Her mind spun. What had happened?
With a gasp, she shot up, anger filling her. The thunder grew louder. "You drugged me," she accused the dragon shifter before her.
Vale’s green eyes slanted as he sat back. Without him filling her vision, she realized they were not alone.
Tharen sat by the King’s side, Bastian by him. On the other side of the room, Graves stood by the window, unfaltering gaze on her while Az paced, the action mimicking Vale’s earlier path.
"I did," the King agreed with ease.
Her incredulous voice filled the room. "Why?"
Everything was hazy, and she tried to make sense of the strange looks cast her way. She braced a hand underneath her, shifting back on the soft cushions behind her. Her black gown was rumpled, throat dry. Had she slept for long?
"No, not long, pet," Bastian interrupted, reading her thoughts.
She was too disoriented to be angry that he stole into her mind. Running a hand through her sleep-tangled, white hair, she sighed. "Why did you drug me, Vale?"
"So I could watch you dream." Vale’s words lingered, and she had a hazy recollection of hearing him say that right before she fell into unconsciousness.
"When you said you heard about Caliban in your dreams, we started to wonder." Bastian rubbed a hand over his jaw.
Tharen rested an arm over the back of the lounge. "Vale wanted me to observe you with my magic while you dreamed. Your body was calm, like you were sleeping normally… But your spirit was somewhere else. Somewhere other."