PERVY ACTION?
Arioch
Closing my eyes, I blanketed myself in darkness and repeated the spell Clymene had taught me. As before, a barely perceptible thread appeared. Strong yet delicate, like spider’s silk, it held fast as I secured it between my fingers and tugged. My surroundings blurred, and my stomach churned as I hurled through the distance separating me from Ziara, flipped head over heels, and then landed in a crouch.
When my eyes sprang open, I was no longer in my room.
Nor did I recognize the scenery.
This was only my third visit to the thief’s mind, but it was a stark contrast to the first two. In those, I had found myself in a mountain range not far from the sea, a peaceful paradise that had no place in the mind of such a duplicitous creature. The beauty and sounds of it had been so distracting that I had ripped it all away, plunging her into a vast nothingness that was easier to manipulate.
The void I stood in now resembled the one I had created, but this was not my doing. More troubling was the fact that Ziara was nowhere to be seen.
Apprehension slid beneath the scales hiding under my flesh as I lingered in my human form to tug on the link connecting us once again. Crossing a shorter distance this time, I landed next to a bed where a worn quilt covered the curves of a female sleeping on her side with her back facing me.
Something was amiss.
Ziara’s normally vibrant crimson hair was far duller than it had been in her previous dreams, and she was deathly still.
Is she… dead?
My chest tightened at the possibility for a split second before reason kicked in. There was no need for panic. The prospect of her death only bothered me because she had information I needed. Losing her ahead of schedule would be inconvenient and irksome, yet not the end of the world.
Despite my logical reasoning, lead filled my stomach as I rounded the bed and crept closer to investigate. Kneeling so my face was even with hers, I verified she was breathing before noting the exhaustion circling her eyes. That was new. As was the waxen, pale appearance of her skin.
Even leeched of her usual vitality, she was quite fetching; her features a fascinating mix of delicate and strong. Unable to tear my gaze away, I memorized every detail of the mysterious creature who had turned my world upside down.
Asleep.
In her dream?
How was that even possible?
Dark magic puffed out of her lips, and I stumbled back. Was she evil? Had something evil attacked her?
Keeping my distance, I called out her name. “Ziara.”
No response.
I inched forward and poked her in the shoulder, feeling the warmth of her body heat through the thin quilt. Yet she still did not stir. Concerned, I shoved her. However, I underestimated my strength, and she toppled over onto her back atop the mattress, releasing a groan.
She looked so harmless in her sleep, the deceitful little wretch. She did not deserve to sleep. Not while my treasure’s absence tormented me.
When her eyelids remained closed, I leaned close enough for her to feel the chill of my breath on her cheek and crooned, “Wake up, little thief.”
Her entire body stiffened, and her heart leaped into a gallop. Green eyes flew open as she scrabbled to clutch the blanket to her chest. She simultaneously lurched upright and scooted backward in clear alarm. The edge must have come faster than she anticipated because she tumbled off the bed, feet-over-head, tangled in the blanket. Her body struck the floor with a muffled thump.
“Shit!”
An impressive collection of curses followed as Ziara fought the quilt for several seconds before emerging victorious. She struggled to rise, nearly tripping before finding her feet.
This is the female who bested me?
Is she inebriated?
There had to be some sort of explanation for the way she swayed, threatening to tip over. Her movements had always been graceful, but now she was so feeble and uncoordinated that she could barely stand.
I shook myself, focusing. The ‘why’ of her condition did not matter. Ziara was here now, and something had weakened her.
