Chapter 8

Me-la-ni

What had I expected when Se-le-ni stepped into the middle of that room with Bo-lo-to, her sword raised? Looking back on it now, as I stood on the plain of what had once been the Dream, I wasn’t sure any longer. I always knew what I felt for her. She felt the same for me, too, of course; I knew that. But the fact that that became the moment those feelings turned into action surprised me. We had journeyed for centuries together, trying to forget what had once happened, and somehow, made our best of it. I had thought we would be able to uphold it this time, too, but somehow, something had changed.

“Is that clear?,” Ka-ma-la ended her talk.

I blinked. I was weaker than I’d thought, and my thoughts strayed further than I expected. She turned to me, and I smiled weakly.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

At any other time, she would have scolded me for not listening. She was like a mother to us all, gentle, but she knew when a sharp tongue was due. Now, though, she understood what all the travel had done to me and how this place drained me even further.

“We will call on the others, find out what they know. Only then will we discover the damage that has been done by Bo-lo-to and the others.”

I nodded.

“How will we know they have not already turned on us?”

“We won’t, but we have to do our best. I still remember places that will allow no lies.”

My eyes must have gone wide because she nodded in confirmation.

“We have no other choice.”

I hadn’t realised I’d dropped my mouth open, and I closed it again. I glanced at Joshua. As a warrior, he would not be happy with this decision, but I knew he wouldn’t challenge Ka-ma-la. I didn’t dare to look at Se-le-ni this time for fear that my actions would betray me even further.

“Are we ready?”

“We will go now?,” Se-le-ni exclaimed, surprised.

Ka-ma-la nodded at me.

“She will not make it much longer.”

I thought I felt Se-le-ni’s hand brush against mine, but I wasn’t sure because, at that moment, everything went black.