I bite the inside of my cheek. Of course he had to have been there for that discovery. I lift my chin a little higher. I will not be reduced to meekness.
“Read it!”
I scowl at him, then focus on the symbols that should logically be foreign to me. The words naturally infiltrate my mind and pour frommy lips—a series of rolled consonants and guttural vowels that are so satisfying to utter.How’s that for reading the passage, Iywan?
I barely register his raised hand before pain flares in my cheek. He shakes his hand out, clearly pained, and I catch a glimpse of the large ring on his finger. I start to lift my hand to my throbbing face, but I’m still bound to this godsdamned chair. I stare back with all the defiance I can muster.
“One more chance,” Iywan says.
“Fuck you.”
The next slap, I should’ve seen coming.
This time bright spots pulse in my vision and incoherent speech reaches my ears as multiple footsteps grow more distant. There’s a slam, and the room plunges into near darkness, save for the oddly flickering magelight left behind.
CHAPTER 61
Durvla
I’ve beendeep breathing for ages, trying to get my mind to somehow find Carys’s subconscious—or anyone’s, really. I’m bored out of my mind. Cracking one eyelid open, I stare at Kilkenny where he sits in front of me with his eyes closed. His legs are crisscrossed, as mine are, and the grass beneath us is slightly damp—it’s starting to seep into my trousers. Above us, pink and lilac blend into the grey-blue sky as the sun slowly wakes.
“I think it’ll rain today,” I say.
Kilkenny’s eyes open and his chest heaves with an impatient sigh. “Your focus is terrible,” he motions.
Around us, the others are beginning to prepare for our day of travel. Alys was the first to wake and ensured that I took my tincture before she began her morning routine.
I pull a face at Kilkenny. “Sorry, but nothing is happening. I don’t know how this daywalking works.”
“You aren’t trying hard enough.” I don’t have to be able to hear to know his tone is sharp. He sighs again and holds up his hands in apology before raking his fingers through his hair. “Neither of us knows what we’re doing. It isn’t your fault.”
I gasp theatrically, feigning shock. “The great Tiernan Kilkenny admits he doesn’t know how to do something? Alert the town crier!” He scowls at me, and I smile with mocking sweetness for a second before my shoulders droop. “Maybe I’ll never be able to control it.”
The wheels in his mind begin to turn. “Let’s try a different approach. Close your eyes and let your mind wander. That shouldn’t be hard with your focus.”
NowIscowl before closing my eyes. Deep breath in, and out, in, and… I’ve never been this far from home before. Will I ever see Cluain Baile again? How tall is Taig by now? Will he be happy to be reunited with me? What will life be like for us after this? I envision wrapping my arms around Taig’s little body and hugging him tightly. He’ll probably growl at me. I chuckle, imagining Kilkenny’s face right now.
He’s probably rolling his eyes at me. I’m tempted to peek at what emotions play over his face. I’d love to see that dazzling smile of his again.
Instead, it’s my own face I see.
My eyes are closed, a smirk on my lips. My hair is wild and messy, dark coils tumbling over my forehead and onto my shoulders. Impatience and admiration fill my body. No, notmybody; it’s as though I’m looking at myself through…
“Whoa!” I force my eyes open and scoot back on my bum. Soil makes its way underneath my fingernails as I clutch at the grass, needing to hold onto something, anything.
Kilkenny leaps up to his feet, his face frantic. Our gazes clash and we share one very loud thought:What in Ludga’s hells was that?
“Stop that.” Kilkenny points a finger at me.
“Stopwhat?!” I don’t even bother to lift my hands to sign, but clearly I was loud enough to draw everyone’s attention.
“Everything alright?” Osheen signs.
I shrug and Kilkenny shakes out his limbs before steepling his fingers atop his head. He walks back and forth a couple of times before spinning back to me so quickly that I recoil. “Did you… You… Were you…” He can’t form words.
Honestly, neither can I. All I can do is shrug uselessly again. “You said let my mind wander, so I did.”
He peers over my shoulder. “Alys! A word, please.”
