The Bane

Chapter Seven

I woke up several times that night, due to a few very strange dreams. I only remember one of them.

It was cold. So very cold. I shivered, rubbing my arms for warmth. 

It was also dark. I could barely see anything. I squinted, searching my surroundings. For some reason I was scared. A howl pierced the air, sending shivers down my back.

“They’re here,” a deep voice whispered next to me. “Kyra. Run. Now!”

“No!” I exclaimed, though I wasn’t sure why. Who was this man next to me? “I won’t leave you!”

A deep, rumbling chuckle reached my ears. This definitely didn’t belong to the man next to me, and I felt my heart skip a beat. But not in joy. In pure terror.

“Foolish children,” a deep rumbling voice said. “I will kill the both of you. And when I do, I will win and the world shall be mine!”

I screamed.

It was a pretty short dream, but when I woke up I found my clothes drenched with cold sweat. I shivered. I don’t know what scared me so much about the dream. I had had worse. Maybe it was how real it had seemed.

I was relieved to find that it was morning. No more trying to sleep. 

I climbed down to the branch that Athan, Alena, and Cole were in. Alena was already awake, but Cole and Athan were still sound asleep. Athan let out a loud snore and I couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“He’s been keeping me up all night with those snores!” Alena exclaimed. I laughed and carefully walked to where she was sitting. I plopped down next to her, dangling my feet off the branch.

“Did you get any sleep?” She asked.

I shrugged. “Well, kind of. I kept on having crazy dreams.”

“Really? What about?”

I told her all about my dream. “It was just so life like. I’ve never had a dream like that.”

“That’s weird,” she said. “Maybe it’s some sort of omen of things to come.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “I don’t believe in that kind of stuff.”

“What? Prophecy? Kyra, you’re part of a prophecy. How can you not believe in it?”

“Well how could I? You forget. In the prophecy I’m in, I’m supposed to kill your brother and free some really bad person.”

She was silent for a moment. “Maybe someone interpreted in wrong?”

“No,” I shook my head. “That kind of thing doesn’t exist.”

“Well why can’t it? Magic does. You do know what magic is, right?”

I nodded. I did believe in magic, mostly because my mother had told me it was real. Her grandfather had had magic, but at been killed for it. Apparently magic wasn’t something accepted in the kingdom.

“Have you ever met anyone with magic?” I asked her.

She looked surprised. “No! Of course not. Fraternizing with magical people is punishable by death.”

“Why are they so shunned?”

“Because they’re powerful. I don’t think it’s right, but King Daeren hates people with magic. I think it’s because he’s afraid of them. That they’ll overthrow him.”

“Is he a good king?”

Alena shook her head hastily. “No. I mean, he’s better than most rulers but he’s corrupt. Although, I might be biased. Athan always has to go to the court because of the king.”