A GASP ESCAPED her. Pain scorched through her veins like a wildfire, pulling at the skin that covered her chest feverishly. She managed to lift her head for a moment. The familiar tapestry-lined walls of the main hall greeted her.
Caelan seemed to walk faster, the world around her blurring slightly. She squeezed her eyes shut and then forced them to reopen when she heard a wooden door rattle in its frame.
The room was unfamiliar. Dark walls stretched high above her head, almost concealed within the shadows that lingered within the room. Ravenna found herself being gently lowered down onto a soft mattress. She was positioned so that still sat propped up, with her back resting against the dark headboard positioned behind her. A small bedside table appeared beside her, complete with a bowl filled with glowing liquid and a sponge. Her gaze flickered up and met Caelan's. He instantly sensed the questions that had begun to build at the tip of her tongue.
"This used to be my bedroom," he explained. His expression was distant — only a tiny sliver of emotion was present within his dark irises.
Ravenna's gaze traveled around the room again, soaking in as many details as she could. Bookshelves lined the tall walls, overflowing with aged leather books and rolled scrolls. "This was your bedroom?" she repeated. Her confusion was evident within her tone.
A flash of amusement glimmered within his eyes. "I used to live here, quite a few years ago."
Her confusion strengthened. Her eyebrows furrowed together, a small crease forming on her forehead in between them. "Did you live here with Tylat?"
Caelan nodded. "Tylat taught me everything that I know," he explained. There was a hint of sadness in his voice. "He found me when I was a mere child and raised me. He is also the one who gifted me with the ancient spellbook that I lent to you."
"That is strange," she remarked. She grimaced as he pressed the sponge lightly against her skin. "Vyses did not seem to remember him. Or this castle."
"He would not have," Caelan said. "Vyses never visited Tylat, nor heard of him by name. Tylat was a very private person and very rarely made his existence known to outsiders."
"I used to be very dependent upon him," Caelan remarked. His voice was soft — a gentle lull that stirred the butterflies within Ravenna's chest. He lightly pressed the sponge against her chest. The glowing liquid soaked the red, gnarled skin there. He dabbed at it, gently cleaning her wounds. "Whenever I ran into trouble, I would run back for his assistance. There was only once that he was unable to help."
A memory sparked within Ravenna's mind — words that the fake Tylat had spoken, mere minutes before he was silenced by her magic. A little girl that had been brought before him, cursed with dark and ancient magic.
"You brought that little ghost girl here to see him," Ravenna guessed. "Didn't you?"
Caelan met her gaze. Something powerful swam within his dark eyes. Regret? "I gave Vyses the same ancient spell-book that I gave to you," he started to explain carefully, lowering his gaze to her wounded chest. "It was how I learned about my own magic, as Tylat had given it to me when I was a child. He was a very hands-off mentor and I had intended to follow in his footsteps. Therefore, I did not think anything of it. I allowed Vyses to do as he pleased with my assortment of spells and materials. I was convinced that he would simply turn out the same as I."
He lowered the sponge, returning it to the bowl of liquid that sat atop the bedside table. "I was incorrect, however, in my assumptions. I did not realize that he had a corrupted heart until after I found him with Ellie."
She grimaced at the name. It had been a while since she'd heard the name of the little girl — the girl that Vyses had killed. She watched Caelan carefully. This was the first time that he had actually opened up to her about Ellie. It gifted her the rare opportunity to see the story full-circle, from all sides.
His eyes seemed lost, focused on something invisible in the far distance. His expression remained ever stoic. "I had never seen a spell like it before. It took her ordinary human body and tainted it with darkness — a darkness that I had never seen before in person. It twisted her soul and turned her into a vicious, blood-thirsty creature."
"It also gifted her with magic," he said. His expression was cautious. He seemed to be watching her reaction.
Ravenna's eyebrows furrowed together. Another memory graced her mind's eye — a memory that she had no recollection of ever encountering.
Vyses, standing in the doorway of her bedroom at the tavern. The world swirled, tainted with the heavy amounts of alcohol she'd guzzled down. Vyses, with his flashing crimson colored eyes and his canine teeth — sharp and extended like fangs.
Crimson colored eyes and teeth that reminded her an awful lot of the demon that had attacked her home.
Realization shattered through her. She met his gaze, her expression mixed with horror. "It was the same spell that he used on me," she murmured under her breath incredulously. "Isn't it? The one that gave me the ability to control ice?"
~
hey sweet friends!
I apologize for being offline for a bit and not posting new chapters for the last few weeks!! To be completely transparent, my stomach issues/overall health got worse and I've been honestly kind of just attempting to recover and struggling to catch up. I feel like I am now behind on everything. I promise that I am working hard to get back into the groove with regular updates again!
I sincerely appreciate your continued patience and support! Genuinely, you all mean the absolute world to me!!! Thank you so much for your comments and votes and honestly just for interacting with me/with this story!! I love seeing all of your reactions and your comments through each of the chapters. You always brighten my day and I hope that this book does the same (at least excluding the sad-ish chapters) for you as well!! ❤
ash ❤