Dark Prince & the Doe

Chapter 68: Acts of Avoidance

Chapter 68: Acts of Avoidance

Calden

Water roared, rushing and thrumming. It drowned out everything. Every thought, every feeling, every secret fear. Sense of self and time. The river: undeniable, undefiable, uncrossable, and unfightable. It wears away stone. It douses every fire. It takes life. It gives life. It separates and binds the Immortal and Mortal.

Why hadn't they realized it? Everything made sense now. It was all for this.

He had to tell someone. He had to.

Calden jerked upright so fast his dark room spun. He groaned, grabbing his head between his hands as pain shattered through his skull. A circle of gem-bright lights flashed behind his eyes. As soon as the pain came upon him, it passed and left him blinking stupidly. What a crazy dream! He'd made a realization about the...the...what had he realized again? It had seemed so important at the time.

Oh well, it was just a dream. He threw his legs out of bed and frowned. He'd worn his pants to bed? And his shirt and his socks? His socks were moist. "Ugh," Calden grunted. After peeling off the wet socks, he flexed his pale wrinkled feet. Gross, so gross. How could he have crawled into bed like that?

Wait, how did he get into bed? Calden pulled his shirt over his head and water rushed loudly in his ears. Grabbing his earlobe, he worked his jaw back and forth. Why couldn't he remember? Even being exhausted wouldn't account for this. He wasn't that tired. The last thing he recalled was dropping Cezanne off in her bedroom.

Hadn't Prusen visited him last night too? They were late for something. Calden snorted, that must have been part of the dream too. Everyone had been wearing green cloaks and there had been a big, glowing orb in a room of mirrors. Prusen had made him touch the orb and then...he couldn't remember. The dream was fading fast.

Calden rubbed at his temples. Why did it feel so real, so...important? He chuckled. This was ridiculous, Prusen wouldn't be caught dead in velvet, much less a whole emerald green cloak of it. It was just a weird, stress-induced nightmare. He already had enough on his plate, instead of wasting time worrying, he should take a nice long bath. He needed it, he smelled like he'd rolled through a patch of slime mold.

Unfortunately, Gale and Nocturn were loitering in the hall and judging by their matching evil grins, they were up to no good. Calden slunk to the other side of the hallway, trying not to catch their attention. Gale noticed him almost immediately. "Perfect timing!" he shouted. "We were just coming to get you too." Gale grabbed him, dragging him to Kiren's door. "You and Kiren have been shirking morning practice all week."

Calden groaned. "Tomorrow. I'm not feeling well."

"That's what you said yesterday and the day before yesterday," Nocturn said, as he jammed a hooked tool into the lock on Kiren's door, picking it.

"Aw," Gale said, clapping Calden's shoulder. "Love sick, are you? Up all night, mooning after the princessa? You know what'll make you feel better?"

"Taking a quiet bath?"

"Beating the snot out of Kiren," Nocturn said, the lock clicking. He shoved the pick back in his pocket and yanked open the door. "Always makes me feel better."

"We're coming in Kiren!" Gale shouted. "Make yourself decent!"

Kiren was smugly nestled atop a couch, wearing nothing but a red robe. His long, bare legs were stretched out to the short tea table, feet propped on a velvet pillow with gold tassels. An old book rested in his lap, and he held a large mug of hagar mushroom tea in one hand. He arched a single black eyebrow at them, and grinned.