Page 18 of Spellbound Dreams
“We are too late,” Rorie replied as he fell to his knees and sobbed into his hands.
Renny lifted the hem of his ornate cloak and kneeled next to his mate. There was no room for his anger about the dream as long as Rorie was in such agony. Laying a palm on Rorie’s shoulder, he nearly fell on his rump when his mate suddenly threw himself into Renny’s arms. “I’m sorry,” he whispered against one hoop-filled ear.
“I wanted one moment to tell them of my love.”
“They know, Rorie. They definitely know.”
“What strange magic is this?” the female Fae screeched as she stumbled back a step. A second Rorie was running toward the cave.
“Where are my parents?” the duplicate Rorie asked.
“How did you go from being in some stranger’s arms, then disappear along with him, to run across the meadow?” the woman demanded.
“I know nothing of what you speak,” Rorie yelled. “Now tell me where to find my parents.”
“I guess no one can see you since you are touching me,” the Rorie in Renny’s embrace whispered, his voice still full of tears.
Renny held him as the newcomer Rorie learned that his parents were dead. Instead of bursting into tears, he stormed past the guards and his jaw tightened as he viewed the bodies. “What good is a world without you?” Rorie’s doppelganger asked, his haunted eyes missing the scales over the navy blue around his pupils. Straightening his vest, he faced the cave. “I will succeed where you failed or lose my life trying.”
A moment later, he was nothing but a memory as he sprinted inside with the guards on his heels.
“I was unsure at that moment if I truly desired a drekan or if I wanted to join them in theebirlloba,” Renny’s mate said.
“Ebirlloba?” Rafe asked.
“I believe you refer to it as on the other side of the veil,” Drekkoril explained. “It is the place where spirits go after they lose their bodies. You have mentioned you have relived the moment you bonded with Orlami often, Roriethiel. Why would you continuously subject yourself to the loss of your parents?”
“It was not like that. For three days I did not sleep or eat; I was solely focused on Orlami. In my haste, I brought no food anyway. When we dream of it, he takes me to the final day. His spirit entered me and helped lessen my grief. Orlami coaxed me to the ground, and he wrapped himself around me protectively as I finally gave in to the rest I needed. Without Orlami, I do not know how I would have made it through such sorrow. He was my light.”
“And yet, the Fae at the castle believe you were rash like your parents. Me included. I did you a disservice not to ask you why it was so important that you find a Faedrekan,” Drekkoril said.
“I tried to tell you,” Rorie argued.
“I know, and for that you have my apology.”
“What will we do for the next three days while Rorie’s supposed to be finding his Faedrekan? I’m assuming they want to show us more than this,” Chrysander remarked.
“We can return to the castle. No one will see Drekkoril until I summon him in a few days, but people saw me. They do not know I am supposed to be missing for three days. In a dream, I have limits. I can make decisions but ultimately cannot affect the outcome. So, I cannot bring Drekkoril in as Noble Protector early, but we can get you guys comfortable at the castle.”
“If Orlami and Zurenzi seek to show us what happened after our memories disappear, that is several weeks away,” Drekkoril warned.
“I guess we better get used to the Fae realm then,” Aleksander stated with a frown.
“Days may skip,” Rorie said. “It has in the past. If the Faedrekan do not wish to relive parts, they will propel us to the next point. And please remember that at your realm, other than the normal night hours of sleep, nothing else is lost.”
“Let me help you up,” Renny offered, gently extricating himself from Rorie’s embrace and getting to his feet. Holding out his palm, they laced their fingers while Rorie gave him a small smile. It shone brightly, but Renny couldn’t miss the still-tear-stained cheeks.
“May I continue to hold your hand?” Rorie asked.
“Yes.”
Renny let his lashes fall closed as Dra’Kaedan teleported them to Aleksander and Rafe’s room at the castle in Sindrell.
“Do you smell that?” Rorie asked. “It is the burning of thesotikabore. Time has already sped up. My parents and their bemollos are being honored in death today.”
“Another interesting difference. Warlock familiars disappear; they have no bodies to burn,” Dre’Kariston stated.
“I would say that it makes me think the warlock familiars are less solid than bemollos and bemollas, but I have now hugged Renny and he feels very substantial and lovely,” Rorie said.
