Half Magic | Book 2

Fifty Three: Whole

Warm. Dark. Comfort.

Love.

My conscious stirred. I vaguely knew I was asleep, yet at the same time I was aware of myself. I was floating, as I'd become accustomed to doing lately instead of dreaming. Each time I found myself in this familiar space it became easier to remember who I was and what was happening around me. 

I took a breath. A deep breath, of warmth and slight smoke. It was more vivid now than ever. I knew in my heart I had to seek out this thing. And this thing, it was awake today.

'Find me.'

The low rumble of dark and power that I had heard a handful of times now beckoned me. Sleepy, I stretched my form as much as I could in this shapeless existence. I tried to pinpoint where the dark thing was, but it was nowhere. Everywhere. I didn't have a direction to face, so I just closed my eyes and spoke. 

"Are you the Night Ender?" I asked softly, knowing somehow that it would be able to hear me.

But I was only met with silence. The warmth that was ever moving around me even seemed to pause, as I floated in the dark abyss. It alarmed me, I hadn't realized I was always surrounded by movement until now.

"We're trying to find you," I told the black presence. "But it's hard when we don't know what we're looking for."

Still silent. It was unnerving, and I felt a sense of urgency rise in me. An anxious panic.

"Are you in a cave?" I asked.

At that, the movement started again, but it was a swirl of fret. A stirring of remembrance. For the first time, it was the black presence that was distressed.

Maybe the mention of the cave had bothered it. If this was really the Night Ender, and it was really in a cave, then maybe we could find it after all.

"Are... are you chained?" I tried prodding again. "Is that why you can't come to us?"

Screeching. A distant sound that if it were next to me would be deafening. It was more than the scream of pain or anger.

It was a lament. And it broke my heart to hear it.

The distress of this thing that I hadn't known but somehow had for months now. It was confused, enraged, and sad all at the same time. 

And as it flicked through a myriad of different emotions, the blackness around me became unstable. I was tossed, turned, and swirled around. Up, down, sideways, I had no idea which way I was turned, and then suddenly I was tossed out of the blackness entirely.

I woke, gasping. 

And next to me, Schula woke the same way. My eyes sharpened in the dark, and I looked over to her face. In a heartbeat I could see she was distressed. Sweating, panting, and clutching at her chest with wild eyes.

"We have to go," she said, throwing the covers off of her.

"Yes," I agreed and stood quickly.

But what we had forgotten, was that we slept on the floor of Nassir's room, and we had disturbed his sleep in our panic. As Schula and I scrambled to our feet, Nassir woke and sat up.

"Schula, what... Little bird, are you two okay?" He stood as he felt out distress.

"We have to go," Schula said, opening his door. 

"We'll be back, but we have to see something." I rushed to the door after her. 

"It's distressed," Schula whined.

I made a whimpering sound from my throat and reached out to grab Schula's hand. I wanted to be with her now more than ever, a strong pull between us.