If you need anything, send word

Chapter 5: Nightmares

Dark clouds of black mist swirled round and round. A thud and then a scream. His scream he realized, as red filled his vision. No, no, no he was too late... Sorscha! He took off running towards the scream. On the floor in front of him was her bloodied head, her mouth moved "I was never meant to love you." No, he reached out towards her. Suddenly he was falling laughter filled his ears. He landed hard on the ground in a pool of blood. He pulled himself up lifeless bodies were falling from the sky. Faces he knew. Their lifeless eyes stared at him and he heard their screams. "No make it stop" the laughter grew louder. Dorian turned and ran again, his lungs were burning. Hands were reaching for him grabbing at his arms trying to pull him back. There was light ahead and he ran towards it, just a bit farther. He sprinted into a room flooded with light that blinded his eyes. He couldn't see. He tripped and fell. There was something warm on his hands and face he looked up into the face of his friend, Chaol. Blood was pouring out from a cut across his neck. Horrified, Dorian braced his arms against the cut trying to stop the bleeding. Then darkness. A piercing scream sounded through the darkness, and that is when he saw it. Black as onyx with golden eyes crouched over a figure in the corner. The creature stood turning to face him. Aelin was lying on the ground a pool of blood around her. NO. Dorian looked at Chaol's blood on his hands, at the creature, at Aelin. NO. Ice shot forward from him as he roared.

**************************************************************************

Aelin's eyes shot open, something had slammed into her back. She sprang up pulling a dagger from her boot, but quickly tossed it to the ground when she realized where she was. Dorian. He was thrashing beside her mumbling words she couldn't make out. Aelin reached over and grabbed his shoulders shaking him. "Dorian? Wake up!" Aelin pleaded. His breaths were coming out raggedly as if he were gasping for air. His shirt was soaked through with sweat and his eyes were squeezed shut. Aelin reached out touching his face trying to smooth out the wrinkles in his brow, but he continued to thrash beside her. His arms flailing violently, pulling at her hands as he screamed. Aelin could feel the temperature plummeting in the room. Swearing Aelin swung her legs over his body straddling him using all of her strength to try and shake him awake. "Dorian!" She screamed his name over and over. Then suddenly a sound erupted from him, a sound of utter brokenness. Dorian shot up straight into her arms. Aelin barely had time to shield them from the ice that flooded the room.

She sat there on top of him holding him tightly as he sobbed into her chest. His whole body was shaking. His hands gathered in her hair as he said her name over and over under his breath. This was much worse than Aelin had thought. Ress hadn't exaggerated. She had nightmares, but nothing like this. Dorian had to learn to control his magic. She squeezed him tighter as tears ran down her face. How could she have left him to face this alone for so long!

When Dorian's breathing and heart rate had returned to normal Aelin reached up and grabbed his hand. "It's okay. It's okay. I'm here now. It was just a dream, whatever happened wasn't real". Dorian started shaking his head in disagreement "I'm a monster" he whispered as he looked up, his sapphire eyes meeting her turquoise ones.

Aelin met his stare. "No, you're not a monster Dorian. It wasn't you. The Valg, Erawan. They are the monsters, not you. I..." Aelin gulped as her voice wavered. How did she make him understand?

"You were there."

Aelin raised an eyebrow at him."What happened?"

Pain flooded into his eyes as he opened and closed his mouth not sure where to start. Aelin placed her hand on the side of his face wiping away stray tears. "Hey, you don't have to tell me, okay? But I'm here Dorian, I'm not leaving."

Dorian nodded, his hand resting on top of hers. How he wanted to believe her. Squeezing her hand he mumbled something about wanting to take a bath. He looked at her waiting, and Aelin realized that she was still straddling him. Color flooded her cheeks as she unwrapped her legs from around his waist and stood up. Dorian didn't let go of her hand and gave it a tug so that she would look at him. "You came back."

Aelin smiled at him. She felt a pull from her magic, but she ignored it. Dropping his hand she playfully pinched her nose "Go and bathe, you smell absolutely horrid!" A hint of a smile played on his lips as he stood and walked into the bathing room. Aelin called down the stairs for a maid and a huge breakfast. And for the first time since walking into the tower she smiled. He was going to be okay, she would rescue him from the darkness the same way that he rescued her.