Page 54 of Of Withering Dreams
One side of his bushy mustache twitched. He brushed bent fingers over his nose as if it was an itch and not the beginning of a smile that bothered him. He huffed, looking at me. “What is it then? Be off bothering your sword-swinging friends, why don’t you?”
“Ah, Mr. Burlam, but I thought you might have some insight—a man as sensible and clever as you.”
“Get on with it,” he mumbled after a moment, placing his reading spectacles on top of the papers on his desk.
I described the flower and meadow from my dream. As I did, his thick eyebrows raised, making me realize how big his gray-blue eyes were when he wasn’t scowling.
“Of course I’ve heard of the Mirage Orchid, girl. It’s the rarest flower in all the realms. Said to have Ancient-gifted ember, but not a soul has seen one in over a century. Did you go through primary education, girl? My Ancients, future generations are doomed.”
“Thank you for the information, Mr. Burlam. I knew you wouldn’t lead me astray.” I tapped his desk, turning to return to the others.
“Wait, girl. Is this part of that nasty game the Elders do every Dormancy? Those flowers—if they exist—are said to be guarded by vicious monsters somewhere past the veil.” He puckered his lips, a puff of air from his nose rustling his mustache hairs.
“Aw, Mr. Burlam. You really do care. Never fear. I’ll have my sword-swinging friends and my new dagger.” I winked, patting Morpheus’ blade strapped to my waist, and walked away, leaving Mr. Burlam sputtering.
I settled next to Kaden, updating the group as Xeni found us. She took a seat next to Letti. “In my dream, a creature stalked me through the meadow.” I left out the part about the Larkin brothers falling off the cliff.
“Wonderful. Always love meeting new monsters that might tear us apart,” Kaden grumbled. I rested my hand on his knee.
Xeni scratched her chin. “As a child, I heard tales of this flower. It’s rumored to possess immense power, but the stories about its capabilities are inconsistent. Alette and I can look into it more while you prepare for your journey.” She pulled the books closer to her on the table as Letti nodded. Xeni paused, pursing her lips, her brow dipping. “I’ve never come across the meadow you described, but I have only been on a few missions beyond the veil. Hale?”
Rhaegar shook his head. “If this Mirage Orchid is along a cliff, we should explore along the coast through the Reverie Weald.”
“Brilliant. We leave tomorrow.” Breena smacked her hand on the table, causing Letti to jump in her chair and grimace. Xeni put her arm around my sister, rubbing her shoulder.
Kaden leaned back in his chair; his arms crossed across his chest. “On to the next adventure.”
My lips scrunched together as my hand left Kaden. I tucked some curls back and then rubbed my palms against my skirt as I thought about my recurring nightmare. My jaw set, fingers curling into fists.
I wouldn’t let anything happen to Kaden. Or Gavrel.
We’d find the orchid and then compete in the remaining Winnowing Trials. There was no other option.
A sense of determination flowed through me as I stood, piling volumes in my arms out of habit. I noticed some other competitors trickling into the library. “Let’s put these away and get on with it. We have a head-start … for now.” I nodded to our opponents.
Kaden followed me to the stacks as Breena and Rhaegar went to reshelve their books. Letti and Xeni delved into their tomes. I was grateful for their help.
Kaden took a book from me as I struggled to return it. He slid it onto the higher shelf and then adjusted my hair out of the way so he could place a warm kiss on my neck.
“Wanting to recreate our first kiss, huh?” His hands ran around my waist, hugging my hips.
I turned in his hands, leaning against the shelves and bracing my palms against his chest. “Of course, Mr. Larkin. But we have a quest to prepare for.” I smiled, stretching up to kiss him.
His chest rumbled as he pressed his firm body into mine. “Fuck the quest.” He wrapped his fingers around my backside and pressed his lips onto mine hard. As if he couldn’t get close enough.
I pushed against his chest, smirking. “I’d love to continue this, but we need to prepare for tomorrow.”
He sighed, resting his forehead on mine. “You’re right. But that doesn’t mean I like it. I wish we didn’t have to go find this damned flower.”
“Me neither, but we’re all in now. Let’s make the best of it.” I snapped my fingers, my eyebrows rising. “If you play nice—I’ll let you share my tent.”
He let go of me, grinning as we made our way out of the library. “Now that’s a quest I can get behind.”
21
BEYOND THE VEIL
“Only two tents?” Breena grumbled.
