Element [The Darkling]

Chapter Twenty-Two

Peace.

I felt... a semblance of peace.

The small village seemed to have no troubles as the people in it went about their daily lives.

They were preparing for another cold coming in.

That peace was disrupted when I heard the sound of wings flapping through the air. So many crows flew overhead, cawing, flying as if their lives depended on it.

Something was wrong.

"Run!" I turned to see people were running for their lives.

"It's coming!" A woman screamed.

"Oh no," I breathed, watching as the Fold in the distance was becoming less and less distant.

I raised my hands protectively in front of my face as darkness swallowed me. Trying to summon fire did nothing.

I noticed something ahead. Fire burned on the ground. There was a figure on their hands and knees.

"Astrid." A choked voice filtered through the air, making my blood run cold. I knew that voice. The figure rose to his feet. "Astrid," Kirigan said again. I stared at him in fear and shock.

I let out a small gasp when suddenly, he was right there. Inches away from me, staring down at me. "Astrid." He said again, his dark eyes boring deep into mine, his presence sinking its hooks deeper into my soul.

I gasped awake, breathing heavily as I tried to gather my surroundings.

I felt wood underneath my hands. The ground was moving slightly, and the sea air filled my lungs with every desperate intake of breath. I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes, letting out a sigh of relief and calming down.

I was on the ship to Ketterdam. We were fine. Everything was fine.

I opened my eyes and saw Alina and Mal standing a few feet away, leaning against the railing and staring out at sea. Their shoulders were pressed together as they whispered to each other.

"You okay?" I started slightly at the sound of a voice right next to me, my head snapping to the side. Jesper stood above me, staring down at me with concern.

"Saints, Jesper," I breathed, calming down again. "Don't do that." I scolded. He shrugged.

"Apologies. Bad dream?" He asked.

"Bad dream." I nodded. He sat down on a box next to me, and I was quiet for a moment. "Jes?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I think you meant 'gorgeous'." Jesper corrected with a proud grin, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" I asked the handsome Zemeni gunslinger. He shook his head with an enthusiastic grin.

"What do you need, oh scary one?" He asked, leaning forward.