Page 13 of The Silent Mountain
“It’s okay,” Favia whispers. “You are okay. You had a nightmare. A very real one. It mixed with your reality.”
Now that she’s said it and that Ros is with me again, I feel my senses return completely. The ringing in my ears stops. There is no battle sound, no cries, nothing, just someone panting next to me.
“How did this happen?” I whisper.
“I don’t know, but we will find out,” Favia promises, grabbing my face and looking at me. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you. My dragon king needs his warrior princess more than anything else.”
Her dragon king… Favian! I feel the tingling, so he has to be here with me. It’s the final push I need. Favia just smiles at me as her frame becomes more blurred again, and she disappears. Ros is back in my mind, and I can finally open my eyes to reality again. I am kneeling on the ground with Favian hugging me to his chest. I am in the castle, in the corridor that connects his chambers to mine, and the dagger is lying next to me.
To my horror, there is blood on it.
five
Two Minds Alike
*ALANA*
Thefoginmymind has cleared completely, and I can finally see the damage I did. “I hurt you!” I blurt out. “Favian!”
Favian grabs my face between his hands. “It’s just a minor wound.”
“But-“
I can hear footsteps approaching, making my heart beat faster in fear. I attacked their king; they will want to see my head roll. To my surprise, Favian’s aura changes completely, though, to something strong and serious, something that doesn’t allow anyone to disobey him. “Go back to your position,” he says to whoever approached us. “Princess Alana was dreaming. Nothing happened.”
“I apologize, my king,” the man hurries to say before he retreats, the sound of his footsteps disappearing.
“I can’t believe I hurt you. I attacked you,” I say. “I am so sorry, Favian.”
“Look,” he lifts the sleeve of his shirt, and I can see a superficial wound on his arm. “I don’t call that getting majorly hurt. Besides, you were clearly sleepwalking and haunted by a nightmare.”
“This isn’t normal,” I conclude. “This is not a normal nightmare. It was so real.”
He looks worried.
My gaze wanders down his arm again. “Let me check on that.”
“Alana, it’s-“
“Please.”
“Alright, come. I have an emergency kit in my room.”
I know it’s not necessary for me to nurse him, yet I am glad he humors me and lets me do it. I hold his hand while I follow him to his chambers. It’s the first time I have been in them. His place is spacious. There is not a lot of stuff in his bedroom, but adjacent to it, I notice his living room, the walls covered with shelves full of books. My sister, Eibhlin, would love it here. I’m not a huge reader, but I find it amazing.
“You read a lot?”
“Yes,” he says. “It’s my escape.”
“I guess like horses are for me,” I muse.
“Probably,” he agrees.
I notice his bed is still made. It seems like he hasn’t been in it today. Did he not sleep at all? It’s far into the night already. Was he up all night working, again? I allow my gaze to wander further.
“What’s up there?” I ask, pointing toward the staircase leading upstairs.
“It leads to the top of the tower,” he explains. “I sometimes shift to my dragon form and overlook everything from up there.” He smiles at me. “I can show you.”
