Chapter Twenty-One

  I startled awake in a cold sweat, the sound of the book clattering to the floor echoed through my bedchamber. I clutched the fabric over my chest, panting hard. My other hand gripped the armrest until my knuckles were white. Is one full-night’s rest too much to ask for? I pleaded with my own mind. I exhaled long and slow, controlling the stream of breath in an attempt to steady it. Pushing up from the chair, I ran my hands through my hair, tugging on the short strands. I began to pace in circles, anxiety building like a coil in my chest.

  I need some air. I barely held still long enough to channel my magic, and it surged through my body almost painfully as my features morphed into Wren’s. I busied myself with notching my belt and jamming my feet into my boots. I strapped my dagger to my thigh, grabbed my coat from the edge of the bed, and headed for the door in the span of a few minutes. Barely prepared for the late-night walk, but unwilling to waste anymore time, I treaded silently down the stairs and to the back door.

  The cold air hit my face and took my breath away, shocking my body into an eerie calm. The moon was lower in the sky now, it was probably a few hours until dawn. A few specks of snow flurried in on the breeze, sending chills down my body through my coat. Even still, I inhaled deeply, letting the freezing air burn my lungs.

  Where will you go? August inquired. Not pressing, or chastising, just as a friend. I glanced around the barren streets. “I don’t know yet.” I admitted out loud, my voice low. “I just needed to be out in the open.” August seemed to accept this, and he stayed quiet but present in the corner of my mind.

  Mind made up, I started toward the edge of town on a brisk walk. The closer I got to the forest, the quicker my pace became. The coil that had been winding in my chest burst free in the form of an overwhelming amount of energy and adrenaline boiling under my skin. By the time I reached the trees, I was in a full-blown, non-human sprint.

  My pulse thrummed in my ears and my breath came out in small puffs in the air as I bolted through the thick evergreens. I didn’t care that I was getting pummeled by low hanging branches, or swerving and jumping around logs and rocks. It felt like I could run for a hundred years before I would grow tired. I ran, and I ran. I ran until I couldn’t think, couldn’t feel. There was no V, no Finn and Sahara, no Gia. No nightmares, or missions. There was nothing except me, the land under my feet, and the Goddess in the sky. I had no idea how long I’d been running before August finally called out.

  You need to slow down, he suggested firmly. I ignored him and focused on my breathing as I ran.

  Rune, you’ve made your point. Stop, now. August pressed again, and I growled in frustration. I didn’t notice as the trees all around thinned out and the ground below me became dry and coarse.

  STOP! Austin barked with enough command to send me to a screeching halt, and I almost tumbled head over heels.

  At my feet, where the dust was settling, a yawning gorge spanned miles in both directions. A river roared at the bottom, white foam crashing over large rocks menacingly. Pebbles tumbled over the edge where I was standing into the ravine below. I panted heavily and dropped onto my ass right there in the dirt. I rested my arms on my knees and hung my head. “Shit,” I spoke breathlessly, “Thanks, August.”

  Do you feel satisfied? he asked, and I made a face while I wiped the sweat from my brow. “I guess, I don’t know. I don’t want to think about it.” I was referring to the nightmares I was running from, but could never escape. Do you want to train? August suggested. “Train how?” I replied with mild curiosity. Remember when I told you you’d need to hone your magic? You’ve been neglecting it, Rune. At this rate, you’re liable to end up unable to control it. I hadn’t even considered that as an option, and the thought made me nervous. He had told me before that I had a powerful Gift, and I chose not to do anything about it.

  August must’ve sensed my willingness, because his presence filled the majority of my brain. Sit properly, he instructed, and I obeyed, crossing my legs and resting my hands on my knees. I hadn’t meditated since I was a child with my father, yet I settled into it like coming home from a long journey. And brace yourself. August warned, and the world around me dulled as I plummeted into darkness.

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  My senses returned to me one by one, the rushing of the water was replaced by soft breathing. I slowly opened my eyes to see that I was planted in the center of an arena, still sitting cross-legged on the ground. I was no longer Wren, and my fae senses were in full swing. The arena was massive, maybe even the size of a small village. I cautiously stood and turned around slowly, taking in all the marble columns, grand arches, and smooth stone floors. Balls of white fire seemed to hang suspended from the columns, although I couldn’t see anything keeping them in place. There was no ceiling, and the stars seemed to dance above me with amusement. I was back in the Celestial Planes. I heard the wings before I felt the wind, and August landed with a heavy thump behind me.

  “Welcome back.” August said with a smile. His massive white wings settled into a resting state tucked neatly behind his back. Wait… his wings are white? Sure enough, we had physical bodies on this Plane. I could make out August’s features now, and noted that he was a darker-skinned man with large, cream-white wings that were twice as long as my arms. He was dressed more like a warrior now, wearing metal plates and boots.“It’s been a long while since you’ve been here. Do you remember how to navigate this place?”

  I thought back to the Plane I was on in my dreams, where I first met August, and how different it was from this place. It did feel strikingly similar to the place my father and I would visit during our meditation sessions together, though. I nodded, finding my voice. “Yes, I think so.”

  “Good!” August said cheerfully. “Let’s not waste any time then.” In an instant, he brandished a sword that seemed to radiate its own light. There was no sound, no metallic smell or reflection to it. It seemed like he’d forged it purely from his mind. I yelped and hopped backwards, my hands instantly going up in defense.

  “Hey, hey, woah! What is this?” I exclaimed as he started towards me, spinning his sword lazily. I kept moving backwards to keep my distance from him. His deviant smile never left his face.

  “You said you wanted to learn, so learn.” He raised the tip of his weapon to my eye level. “Fight back.”

  I patted my thigh, but my dagger was gone. “I’m unarmed!” I protested as he swung at my head. I crouched, dodging easily, and sidestepped away from him.

  “Fix that, then!” He retorted, aiming a downward swipe for my shoulder. I narrowly slid to the right, and stared at him, speechless. What in the nine Hells is going on? I thought to myself as he came at me again. He laughed, leaving me very little room for error. “You know I can hear your thoughts, boy.”

  Damn, I growled at myself as I tried to clear my thoughts and focus on my attacker. He wasn’t slow, by any means, but he was slow enough that I could keep dodging his swings all day. We both knew that wouldn’t solve anything. “Concentrate!” He barked as I rolled underneath his blade. “You can already conjure illusions, can’t you?”

  “Yeah, but those aren’t real!” My protests fell on deaf ears as my back hit one of the pillars that lined the outskirts of the arena. “They’re just tricks I made out of smoke!” August was stalking toward me, sword arm outstretched, and I desperately tried to think of something, anything, that would get me out of this with my head still attached. Make it real, make it real, make it real… I chanted in my mind while I crouched down, magic pulsing in my blood with my fight or flight kicking in. I squeezed my eyes shut and raised my arm to block the anticipated blow. Goddess, be with me. I silently prayed for a quick death, and August was laughing while he brought his sword down in a diagonal strike for my head.

  It never landed, though. Instead, a burst of light scattered in all directions with a sound similar to a thunderclap. I cautiously opened my eyes to see August’s blade resting against my arm. Where it should’ve cut clean through, there was now a black metal bracer cloaked in swirling blue smoke. August merely opened his hand as if to drop his weapon and his sword disappeared, leaving me to admire my conjuration.

  I straightened my posture and held my arms out in front of me, turning them over back and forth. Both of my arms now had the smoke-screened black steel bracers, and upon further inspection, I learned that the bracers were hiding blades. My eyes went wide with awe as I felt them, rubbing my wrists and flexing my arms. “Sleeveswords,” August noted as I examined them, “Unconventional, but suits you well enough. Well done.”

  “You could’ve killed me!” I panted, sweat dripping from my hair. I was equal parts thrilled and angry, and August knew it.

  “Necessary risks, boy.” He said with a slight shrug. “We’re out of time for now. Keep practicing physical conjuring, you’ll find you can do more than just self defence.” His wings shot out from behind him and stretched on either side, feathers falling to the ground. I was enthralled.

  “Wait, can I give myself wings?” I inquired, remembering the comment he’d made all those months ago. He threw his head back and laughed deeply, patting me on the shoulder.

  “Soon, if you make time for training,” he assured me. Then he took two steps back, and launched into the sky with two wingbeats. I gave a breathy laugh in disbelief as I watched him fade into black, then closed my eyes and sent my consciousness back to my body in the Material Plane.