I was spooked. By Selina, the missing memories, and now the person who’d snuck into my room simply to rifle through my mother’s things.
Despite all those factors, sleep came surprisingly easy. I slipped into dreams of home and Mother. But the dreams soon turned sour, taking me into the forest once more. To the circle of mushrooms and then to the quad outside Bramble Tower.
A shadow circled overhead.
The rook.
“You have to see. You need to see so that others may see.”
I didn’t like this. I didn’t want to look.
But my feet moved forward of their own accord, dragging me step by step toward the pavilion.
Every inch of me wanted to fight the pull, but even in my dream, Clary’s advice came to mind.
“If you don’t fight it, then maybe you’ll remember.”
If I wanted to solve Selina’s mystery, I’d have to give in. To let the dream take its course, even though dread pooled in my belly.
The pavilion loomed, closer and closer. My heart swelled with impending doom. No. I didn’t want to see. I didn’t?—
“Dammit, Onyx!”
I jolted awake in Vitra’s arms, the wind howling and ripping at my nightshirt.
“What…” I was outside. How had I gotten outside?
“You’re bleeding. Again.” Vitra scooped me into his arms, his jaw tight with anger. “If you want my attention, there are better ways of getting it.”
I was too shaken to take umbrage at his assumption. “I was locked in my room. The quarters. Pip…”
“Yes, yes. I’ll be looking into that.”
I clung to him, using his body heat to stave off the chill. “I was dreaming. I need to remember.”
“You need to get warm and have your feet tended to. You’ve cut them on the gravel.”
The soles of my feet began to throb as if on cue, a sure indication of an injury.
We slipped into the tower and up the stairs. “The others were in my room. They were sleeping in my room. I don’t understand…”
The thud of boots echoed down the stairs, and Benedict and Dori appeared above us.
“Fuck!” Benedict came to a halt, raking a hand through his hair. “Ana, we don’t know what happened.”
“What happened is you slept through your friend getting up and sleepwalking,” Vitra bit out.
“I’m a light sleeper,” Clary said. “I felt you get out of bed—but I couldn’t move.”
“Same,” Benedict said. “I heard you open the door, but I couldn’t pull myself out of sleep.”
“Something happened to us,” Dori said.
Vitra’s eyes narrowed as he studied me. “You’ll stay with me for the rest of the night.”
“What?” I tried to wriggle out of his arms, but he simply held me tighter.
“That isnotan offer, Miss Onyx. It’s an order.”
