Half Wylde | Book 1

Fifty: Together

I had always thought being buried would be a terrible way to die. Surely something quick would be better. A beheading maybe. Or poison, if it were the right sort. But slipping into unconsciousness wrapped in Schulas arms beneath the rocks, it was hard to argue with the dark and comfortable sleep that beckoned.

~

I was floating in the dark.

It was like meditating, but I wasn't in my cabin.

Wherever I was, it was definitely magic. It wasn't water, because I could breathe just fine.

I was in my body. Or maybe I wasn't. Whatever I was, was purple. And I glowed.

I giggled.

It occurred to me that my thoughts were jumbled, and I was having a hard time keeping them straight. If Bryn heard my thoughts right now he would think I was mad with fever.

A white glow next to me drew my attention. It wasn't shaped like anything, it was just there.

I wanted to reach toward it, and I pushed myself that direction. Apparently the white glow wanted to come to me too, so it did.

We floated slowly to each other, and as we finally touched it all came rushing back.

The fight. Our last stand. The soldiers. The gauntlet.

The ceiling crumbling down around us as Schula elated in it's destruction.

I wrapped myself around Schula, and she wrapped herself around me.

I tried to speak, but no words came out.

She squeezed me tighter, and I relaxed into her embrace. At least we had each other.

But where exactly were we?

I tried to look around. Everything was slow, as if I was wading through a thick mud only there was no mud, it was just nothing. Empty. Darkness.

Then I felt it. A light brush against us. I stiffened, Schula shivered.

We faced the direction it came from, and that's when I felt it again.

Smooth and warm, and old. A consciousness that spanned an impossible distance to reach us.

I shuddered. It was overwhelming.

It was the black spark. The one I had first seen from a great distance away when I met Nassir. I now knew the white spark I saw at that time was none other than Schula. But who or what the black spark was, I still didn't know, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to.

It reached out again, firmer this time. It seemed curious, inspecting us.

I held Schula tighter.

Then, it suddenly drew back. I wasn't sure what to think. A part of me was glad the overwhelming presence was gone, but another part of me was saddened by it.

I gently reached out, but fell much to short to reach it.

Schula added herself to me, and we both reached out again. This time it was much farther, but still impossibly far from the presence. But our actions didn't go unnoticed, as the black glow came back to meet us again.

I was a little happy to feel it again. I didn't have a particular reason to be, I just was.

And then, it did what we hadn't been able to do yet. Communicate.

I felt the intentions more than I heard anything, but the message was clear.

Wake up.

Find me.