Dizzy and still oscillating between the dream realm and this world, I heard voices.
“How did this happen?” a male voice demanded—Caius’, I thought.
Nevander tried to explain to him that it was only a dream.
Fiora’s voice came through clearly from above me as I lay, unseeing, on my side. She gripped my wrists with tiny, delicate hands. “Thisdoes not happen to someone from a simple dream,” she said, anger lacing her words.
“Does Thaddeus know?” Caius asked.
“Tarrin is getting him,” Nevander answered.
I lost consciousness, waking to Thaddeus’ tender hands stroking my hair.
“Nyleeria?” he asked gently.
My eyes fluttered open, but I couldn’t muster much more. My body recoiled at the effort, and I dry-heaved again.
“What happened?” Thaddeus demanded to the room at large. Smaller female hands replaced his, comforting me.
Nevander tried explaining again.
“How long did it take to wake her up?” Myron’s velvety voice asked.
“Almost ten minutes,” Nevander said, and I noticed then that his voice was raw from yelling at me to wake up. No wonder he’d used water.
“How long was she in this nightmare?” Myron asked like a healer trying to understand all angles before diagnosing and prescribing.
“Half an hour at most,” Nevander offered.
“How are you so sure of the timing?” Caius said, suspicion creeping into his voice.
Silence. Nevander didn’t answer knowing it was when Thaddeus had left—we all knew telling them would cost us.
“She had a visitor until then,” Nevander hedged.
“Who?” Caius demanded.
“That’s none of my business, and none of yours, High Lord,” he said, and everyone tensed.
“Caius, it’s of no consequence,” Fiora interjected. “If Nyleeria decides to tell us when she can, that will be her decision to make.” Her words left no room for negotiation, and I felt immense gratitude toward her.
“My darling,” Fiora said with deep affection to her love, “when you healed her, did you not help with the memory of today?”
“No,” Myron answered, his footsteps coming closer to her, to me.
“Why ever not, my dear? It’s something you would’ve done for a fae had they endured the same trauma. Surely, the girl deserves similar consideration, no?” Her words held no judgment but possessed the tone of someone looking to understand.
“She refused it. Once before I started healing her, and then again when I tried anyway.”
“She refused itbeforeyou began? How did she know about such a thing?” Fiora inquired.
“I’m not sure, but the second I tried, she told me to stop. It was like some sort of violation to her. I’ve encountered nothing like it.”
“Do you know why?” Fiora asked, and I assumed she was addressing Thaddeus.
Shit. I really needed to pull it together, get up, get both feet in this reality.
A long silence filled the room before Caius offered, “She communes with the Mother.”
