Chapter 97: The Awakening
AYLA
I actually did it!
I stared at the child in disbelief. He was breathing perfectly now, asleep, but breathing.
The light. I had seen it flow from me. Morgana was right and all I had to do was just to feel it.
"My lady." Master Magnus stepped forward, grinning. "You have done it again."
Around me, the healing chamber had filled with people. The child’s mother, her eyes swollen from weeping and a man I assumed was his father stood around the boy.
"It was nothing." I said, rising to my feet.
"Nothing?" The mother rushed forward and seized my hands. "You saved my son."
She pressed her forehead to my knuckles. "Thank you. Thank you, my lady."
I did not know what to do with her gratitude, or any of their praises, really.
"Please," I managed. "Rise. I only did what anyone would do."
"You did what only you could do," Master Magnus said quietly. There was awe in his voice. "The boy would be dead without you, my queen."
But I was not their queen. Surely, they could see that.
The mother released my hands and her husband came to help her, murmuring thanks of his own. The healers dispersed back to their duties but Magnus lingered a moment longer, his eyes searching my face.
"You need to rest." He said.
"I will." I smiled at him. "I just need a moment."
He nodded and excused himself.
I turned to the sleeping child, brushing the stray hair that had fallen across his face.
"Well done."
I spun around to see Caelan leaning by the door, watching me with an expression I could not read. How long had he been standing there?
"Caelan, I did not see you come in."
"You were occupied." He pushed off the door and walked toward me.
He stopped right in front of me and took me in. "You look well."
"Yes." I met his eyes. "I feel much better."
"Good. I was wondering if you would like to walk with me today..to our special place."
"No." I blurted out immediately.
The light in Caelan’s eyes disappeared.
"I mean, I would love to but I cannot. I still have a bit of a headache and I should really be resting."
"Of course." Caelan’s smile returned, but it was smaller now. "You must rest. The healing takes much from you."
"Thank you for understanding."
He stepped closer. His hand rose and I flinched just barely but he noticed and his jaw tightened. He pressed a kiss to my cheek instead.
"I will bring you some broth later," he said. "To help calm yourself."
And then he was gone.
I exhaled in relief and began my walk back to my chambers. It was easy to locate once I was able to get over the fact that this was a very strange palace.
I walked into my room and crossed to the mirror.
I did not need to summon Morgana this time around, she was already waiting.
"I did it!" I announced.
I watched her smile. "I knew you could."
"So what now?" I asked.
"I need to find out what happened." She clasped her hands. "How I died. Who was responsible but somehow I cannot access that memory or anything related to it from the future. No matter how hard I try."
"What do you need me to do?"
"An archives room. You have one in your pack?"
I let out a short laugh. "Yes. Funny how you should mention that because I have been trying to get into it for a while now and I have not been lucky."
"I believe there is something there that can tell us more about what happened. Records. Correspondence. Something that survived the centuries if you can get in."
I thought about it.
"Yeah," I said slowly. "If I do not die first. I have been unconscious for a while now. Do you know what is happening in my time?"
"You know I cannot say. The balance and all."
I sighed. Of course. The balance.
"Well." I pushed away from the door. "If I am going to be stuck here for as long as I am going to be, then I might as well explore the place."
I gave Morgana one last look before I slipped out the door.
The castle was different from the one I knew. I found a door at the end of the corridor that looked like it was put there for a reason.
It opened up when I pushed it and I went in.
The air grew damp and my footsteps echoed in the tight space. I happened upon tunnels. Three of them stretched in different direction and from them I could hear voices.
I could not pinpoint what tunnel they were coming from.
I pressed myself against the wall and crept forward. The voices grew clearer as I approached.
"We cannot do anything to her now. We are not sure we have the means and something is wrong with her." A man’s voice came through.
"But..." It was a woman’s voice this time.
"Patience, Drusilla." The man again. "We will get all that we want."
Drusilla...Willow. Still scheming in this timeline as usual.
I took one step forward before the pain hit me straight in the center of my chest almost like I was being pulled.
I doubled over, my palm flying to my mouth to stop myself from screaming.
What is this? What is happening to me?
I turned and staggered back the way I had come, my vision blurring and my legs threatening to buckle with every step.
I had to find the door.
But my eyes would not focus. The pain in my chest felt like it was trying to physically claw itself way out of me.
I finally found the door and shoved it open, stumbling back into the corridor. I made it three more steps before my knees gave out and the darkness took me.
...
When my eyes opened again, I was staring into blue eyes that were painfully familiar.
Cassian’s.
I was back.