became thicker, heavier, until she had a hard time even breathing it in. Heavy and warm, like maple syrup. She took a step and it was like the air had formed a physical presence, clinging to her. It wrapped around her body like an embrace, caressing her body in a way she had never noticed before.
Like a floating feather, she drifted into the bathroom, walking past the partial mirror over the sink. Lee pushed open the door to the walk-in closet, keeping her lashes lowered until she was standing mere inches before the mirror.
When she lifted them, a slight sense of disappointment seemed to fill her, and she felt the tension drain out of her like water.
Nothing but her reflection.
Kalen felt it like an electric shock through skin. Her touch. He knew her touch, her presence like he knew the sight of his own hands. All she had to do was be in his world mere moments and he felt it.
But it was daylight.
Lee hadn’t stepped foot into his world while the sun shone in years, decades. Cutting his eyes back to the Elder, he tried to follow along as they prayed over the graves of the most recently fallen. It was like the Elder was speaking in some ancient, foreign language though. None of the words made sense. Kalen couldn’t concentrate. Couldn’t focus.
He felt something touch the Veil. It rippled. As attuned as he was to the Veil’s energies, that light touch hit his system with the force of a jolt from a plasma charge.
Something was brewing in the air. Looking around him, he knew he wasn’t the only one who felt it now. Some of his men and women looked like somebody had jabbed them with a hot piece of iron. Startled, jumpy and worried. Understandable—changes in the air usually came just before a gatestorm—like nature was giving them a warning.
Kalen wasn’t worried, though. There was no room in his mind for worry, not when it felt like his entire system was singing. This—whatever it was—wasn’t a gatestorm. His mind raced, blood rushing through his veins like he had just run the gauntlet. A muscle ticked in his jaw. His gut was tied in knots and his heart pounded with anticipation.
Once the final prayers were said, Kalen knelt over Akira’s grave and whispered, “I’m sorry, mycera.” Little sister. He could remember holding her hand when she was a child, and wiping away her tears the day their fathers had died. The men had died together and it had forged a bond between them—until now, Kalen had thought it was unbreakable. “Wherever you are, you’re happier now. God-speed.”
Before anybody could stop him, he slid through the crowds, eyes narrowed, following that little pulse in his gut. The tension in the air mounted. It had him wound so tight, he felt like he was going to splinter into little bits and pieces if it didn’t break soon.
And then it did.
Kalen hit the ground as the earth rocked under him. Distantly, he heard the comm unit at his belt sound off. He ignored it as he climbed to his feet. All was silent. The pressure in the air was gone.
Kalen felt her. Damn it, he actually felt her. By the time he had reached the clearing outside the encampment, his entire body was tense as a bowstring.
Slowing to a halt, he stood there, his eyes scanning the distorted terrain.
With a disheartened sigh, Lee let her hand fall away from the mirror. “I’m insane. I’ve lost my mind.”
Turning away, Lee tipped her head back, staring up at the ceiling. Under the halter top of her pajamas, a cool wind chilled her skin, bringing with it the scents of things long forgotten. Smoke, soot, something noxious and cloying . . . but below that, something wild, the forest, the air, the earth.
The earth pitched and rolled beneath her feet. Literally. It threw Lee forward, and she threw out her hands to catch herself before her face got up close and personal with the bathroom floor.
Throughout the house, Lee heard crashing. As if in slow motion, she looked up and watched as a framed faerie print went crashing
Like a floating feather, she drifted into the bathroom, walking past the partial mirror over the sink. Lee pushed open the door to the walk-in closet, keeping her lashes lowered until she was standing mere inches before the mirror.
When she lifted them, a slight sense of disappointment seemed to fill her, and she felt the tension drain out of her like water.
Nothing but her reflection.
Kalen felt it like an electric shock through skin. Her touch. He knew her touch, her presence like he knew the sight of his own hands. All she had to do was be in his world mere moments and he felt it.
But it was daylight.
Lee hadn’t stepped foot into his world while the sun shone in years, decades. Cutting his eyes back to the Elder, he tried to follow along as they prayed over the graves of the most recently fallen. It was like the Elder was speaking in some ancient, foreign language though. None of the words made sense. Kalen couldn’t concentrate. Couldn’t focus.
He felt something touch the Veil. It rippled. As attuned as he was to the Veil’s energies, that light touch hit his system with the force of a jolt from a plasma charge.
Something was brewing in the air. Looking around him, he knew he wasn’t the only one who felt it now. Some of his men and women looked like somebody had jabbed them with a hot piece of iron. Startled, jumpy and worried. Understandable—changes in the air usually came just before a gatestorm—like nature was giving them a warning.
Kalen wasn’t worried, though. There was no room in his mind for worry, not when it felt like his entire system was singing. This—whatever it was—wasn’t a gatestorm. His mind raced, blood rushing through his veins like he had just run the gauntlet. A muscle ticked in his jaw. His gut was tied in knots and his heart pounded with anticipation.
Once the final prayers were said, Kalen knelt over Akira’s grave and whispered, “I’m sorry, mycera.” Little sister. He could remember holding her hand when she was a child, and wiping away her tears the day their fathers had died. The men had died together and it had forged a bond between them—until now, Kalen had thought it was unbreakable. “Wherever you are, you’re happier now. God-speed.”
Before anybody could stop him, he slid through the crowds, eyes narrowed, following that little pulse in his gut. The tension in the air mounted. It had him wound so tight, he felt like he was going to splinter into little bits and pieces if it didn’t break soon.
And then it did.
Kalen hit the ground as the earth rocked under him. Distantly, he heard the comm unit at his belt sound off. He ignored it as he climbed to his feet. All was silent. The pressure in the air was gone.
Kalen felt her. Damn it, he actually felt her. By the time he had reached the clearing outside the encampment, his entire body was tense as a bowstring.
Slowing to a halt, he stood there, his eyes scanning the distorted terrain.
With a disheartened sigh, Lee let her hand fall away from the mirror. “I’m insane. I’ve lost my mind.”
Turning away, Lee tipped her head back, staring up at the ceiling. Under the halter top of her pajamas, a cool wind chilled her skin, bringing with it the scents of things long forgotten. Smoke, soot, something noxious and cloying . . . but below that, something wild, the forest, the air, the earth.
The earth pitched and rolled beneath her feet. Literally. It threw Lee forward, and she threw out her hands to catch herself before her face got up close and personal with the bathroom floor.
Throughout the house, Lee heard crashing. As if in slow motion, she looked up and watched as a framed faerie print went crashing
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