The Songbird

Chapter 10: In Dreams

Jesmyn sprinted down the castle corridors, pulling her armor into place and fiddling with the straps of her black cloak. She knew she looked unkempt, but she doubted the King would mind once she divulged the secret burning her tongue.

Coming upon the doors that led to the throne room, she heaved them open and ambled inside, the words nearly falling out before she managed to compose herself.

Abbott was on his throne and seemed to be having a stern conversation with Dante, no doubt about their inability to find the girl or Talmage's conspirators. Indeed, when Dante turned his face to hers, Jesmyn was met with eyes that practically begged her to leave. Abbott didn't look too keen on being interrupted, either.

"My king," Jesmyn acknowledged, bowing her head. "You have my apologies for the sudden interruption."

"This had better be for a good reason, Jesmyn," Abbott replied.

"I assure you, it is," she said, walking down the velvet rug that ended at the base of his throne. "I've just had a dream about the girl we've been seeking."

The King's steely eyes lost some of their harshness, replaced instead by a cautious sense of eagerness that he seemed intent on trying to reign in.

"Go on then."

Jesmyn kneeled, ignoring the way Dante tensed up with exasperation beside her.

"I saw a girl," she began. "And I think she's in distress. In my dream, she was running through these dark caverns with her head bowed. She seemed distraught, and every once in a while, the walls around her would explode. Only as the dream went on did I realize that she was doing it herself, and that with every cry that she let out, another wall would break. She ran and ran until she eventually just stopped, and then collapsed."

"I see, and so I was right. We are dealing with a Favor-Born," Abbott said, more to Dante than Jesmyn. After all, Dante was the one who'd harbored doubts with each search.

"Indeed," said Jesmyn, trying to divert the attention back to herself. She didn't know everything about Abbott and Dante, but she understood that the lead knight took the brunt of punishment from the rest of them and was often their scapegoat. And no matter how annoyed with her he may be for interrupting their meeting, she still hated that he suffered for that.

"And what did she look like?"

"Dark hair that hung loose and long. Light brown skin. She had a red cloth, too."

"Ah, a Red Alley dweller. What else?"

She thought on that for a moment, trying to retrace every inch of detail. But the more she fought to recall, the less she found available.

"That's...it, King Abbott."

"What do you mean, that's it? Surely you saw her face."

But she hadn't. The girl's long hair obscured her face in the dream, keeping her identity a secret.

"Look at me, Jesmyn."

The tone he used was not one she often heard. It was equivalent to steel on rock, commanding in a way that made her want to do the exact opposite of what he asked. But she was in his service, so she met his eyes all the same. Any sense of confidence she brought into the room left her as soon as she did, for she bore witness to his anger that brimmed on his face.

"How do you expect us to find her if we don't know what she looks like?" He asked, although his tone indicated that it was more of an accusation than a question.

"Your majesty, I thought you'd be pleased-"

"All you've done is confirm what I already know. Never come in here unannounced again, or I promise, you will regret the very moment you do."

There was a knot in her throat, and shame heated her cheeks. Years ago, his words would've brought tears to her eyes. Time and training had beaten that sort of cowardice out of her, but she still felt the desire all the same.

"Perhaps she didn't waste our time, Your Majesty," Dante offered after a few moments of pained silence.

Jesmyn whipped her head to face him, incredulous that he'd defy Abbott's observation. Privately, she'd often wondered if he found enjoyment in getting himself in trouble.

"And how is that, Dante?" Abbott asked.

"Jesmyn said that she saw the girl running through caverns. Dark ones. I found a cave system once, beyond the Stonehue River and nestled deep into the forest. Perhaps the girl frequents there."

Abbott didn't look convinced, and Jesmyn vaguely wondered if Dante would be whipped for speaking out. But after a long while, he slumped into his throne with a dismissive flourish of his hand.

"Since you've failed to find her everywhere else, I suppose it's time to start looking in foolish places. Go now, and take the others. Then we'll see if Jesmyn's dream has any merit."

They both bowed their heads and scurried from the room, eager to be out of his line of sight for the time being.

"What were you thinking?" Dante rounded on her once they were in the main corridor, the doors to the throne room shut tightly behind them.

"Don't belittle me! How was I to know he'd react like that?" She demanded.

"You can't do things like that, Jesmyn," he said, running a hand anxiously through his dark hair. "Always run your visions by me first unless he asks you himself. You'll get into trouble otherwise."

"Like you don't get in trouble with Abbott every other week? I should think I have enough agency to address him when I believe something is urgent."

"Well clearly, he doesn't agree. Forsake it all, I thought he was going to..."

Dante trailed off for a moment, closing his eyes as his body went stiff.

"Going to what?" She prodded.

He seemed to be outside of himself, face scrunched up as if remembering something painful. His hands shook at his sides, and in that moment, Jesmyn forgot her anger.

"Dante?" She whispered, coming up to lay a hand on his shoulder. He relaxed under her, but when he opened his eyes, she found fear swimming in their depths of pale blue.

"If you won't listen to me as family member, then listen to me as your leader. Don't do something like that again."

"What does he do to you, Dante?" She begged, hating the hidden pain that she couldn't save him from. But he merely shrugged her hand off his shoulder and made to walk away.

"I'm going to find Sam. You get Izan. We have a Favor-Born to catch."