Page 63 of Obsidian Dream
Chapter Twenty-Seven
TALIK
Talik slowly openedhis eyes.
The scent of peonies surrounded him.It reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t quite remember who.He scooped up a handful of them—all differing hues, including blue, pink, and red—and watched as they floated slowly to the ground.They were everywhere; beneath him, over him, and as far as he could see.The field he was lying in never seemed to end.
The flowers were beautiful in full bloom.It was the softest blanket he had ever felt.He tilted his head to catch the warmth of the sun, the pale-blue sky was not marred by any hint of clouds.Pushing himself off the ground, he slowly stood, surprised at the stiffness of his body.He must have been lying down for a long time.Stretching, he realized he was no longer in pain.He frowned, trying to remember why he had been in pain.But the memory didn’t seem so important anymore.
The bright light made him squint as the smell of myrrh and frankincense wafted their way toward him.In the distance, there was movement, a speck on the horizon.Voices rose up in the distance, a mixture of languages.He strained to hear what they were trying to say.It reminded him of the small village he had grown up in.Their markets had been a place of pride among their people, and travelers, human and Atlantean, had come across the globe to experience their wares.
He turned his head.The markets on the edge of the field were bustling.And the aroma of familiar cooking meats made his mouth water, and his stomach growled in anticipation.The roasted duck smelled exactly the same as when his father had made it.He didn’t know how long it had been, but if he closed his eyes, the memory was all he could focus on, so real it was almost like he could taste the rich meat now.
Decision made, Talik headed toward the market, hoping to make it before it was too late.He walked there in silence, but every so often, he would stop as if he was forgetting something.After a minute of trying to recall it, he would move on.His feet almost floated above the field of flowers.He brushed the blooms, enjoying the satin-like petals and the vivid colors.A flash of memory dangled just out of his reach.He half expected something to be there, but there was nothing.Trying to catch it was like trying to catch a cloud.Checking his sides, he was surprised to feel nothing; it was tinged with an emptiness as if he was missing something.Shrugging, he walked toward the noise and people, his hands trailing along the tops of the field of flowers.The soft petals caressed his palms, tickling him.
He didn’t know how long it took him to reach the crowd, but once he had arrived, he was greeted by friendly voices.A wave of happiness floated around him.Colorful tents surrounded him.The stalls were varied.Some carried mulled wines, some meats, and others carried wooden toys.
Children laughed in the background.In response, a wave of warmth rushed through him and with it, a hint of memory that he tried to push to the forefront, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.
His stomach growled, urging him forward toward the stalls.Food and drink may help his memory loss.
A flash of silver caught his attention before recognition dawned on him.
The figure floated through the peonies, and he forgot all about the market and his hunger, far too entranced by the beauty who had stolen his breath.He walked toward her, leaving the crowd behind.
Long-limbed and dressed in a simple black dress, the woman swayed silently to music only she could hear.She moved with the grace of a trained dancer, every move designed to elicit desire and awe.He couldn’t look away.Her silver hair hung in loose waves, reaching her waist, carelessly held together by a leather band and a delicate floral hairpiece.The blood-red petals were a stark contrast to her hair and the only color she wore.
Khalida.
The wind caressed him, moving him forward, he reached out then stopped himself, not wanting to disturb the trance she was in.As if she sensed him, she danced toward him, close enough that her warm breath filled his senses.Grabbing his hand, she twirled around him, making him walk in a circle.She swayed silently until the dusky hues of the sky darkened above the field.The sounds of the market had long disappeared.
“Khalida.”
She laughed.The sound vibrated through him, sending a rush of warmth to his heart.
“Do you not remember me, my love?”
Stopping in front of her, he was hypnotized by her kohl-lined gaze, her eyes sparkling in the dying light.She reached out.Her hand caressed his face before she brushed her mouth against his.
“I do,” Talik answered.Her touch was so familiar and gentle, he never wanted this to stop.
“What do you desire most?What do you dream of?”she asked, her lips grazing his cheek.She pressed herself against him.“My beloved.”
Talik swallowed as she pulled back.Yellow wolf-like eyes gazed at him, full of wonder and lust and a hint of something else.Something he didn’t recognize.
“I can give you anything you want.”
The possibilities were endless, but something in the back of his mind was gnawing at him.It was too neat and perfect.Talik had learned a long time ago that life was messy and chaotic, full of both pleasure and pain.This was the opposite.It was like all his dreams, even the ones he had never acknowledged to himself, were coming true.For him, the light was nothing without the darkness that surrounded it.This was far too easy.
“My beloved.”
Something was wrong—the voice was too sweet, too submissive, nothing like the real Khalida.Even in his dreams, she had never been like this.There was a tightness in his chest as he tried to sort through his thoughts—they weren’t making much sense.A flash of a memory he couldn’t hold onto zipped across his mind, disappearing before he could decipher it.
