I continue up and give my hand to hers. She wraps her second hand over the top, her worn and almost translucent skin covering mine.
My body braces. But nothing comes. No flashes. No voices. No images.
But I feel… A wave of dizziness washes over me, and I have to focus to stay standing. My breathing grows heavy, like I’m back on the obstacle course and my lungs are failing.
“I don’t… feel so good,” my voice is breathy.
And then I blink, focusing my eyes, trying to adjust before I pass out. Darkness seeps in from around my vision, drifting in like rolling clouds. Just as I feel my body give in—succumb—it all stops. It vanishes, and the air around me clears.
The Maker releases my hand and nods, turning and taking her seat once again.
“Don’t forgo this time, Ever. For all will change after your Transference. Aslendrix knows this is coming, and now we do too.”
“I’m sorry. What’s coming? I don’t understand.”
“Ever.” I turn to see Ten, who, despite the command from the Maker, seems to have made his way up here after all. “Come on.”
“This is not your journey, Aten Ciro,” she repeats, this time with far more force behind her voice, a depth and darknessrising from within her that’s haunting and terrifying to my ears. Ancient and dark, and a clear warning. It’s terrifying how she can do that, such a frail, old woman, and it cements my view of her as a witch. A slice of fear burrows inside my chest at her words.
Ten stares at herlike he’s having an internal fight, and I wonder if she’s doing the speaking-in-his-head thing.
What is she saying? Is it worse?
As my body begins to shake, the tremor travels down my arm to my hands, and I can’t shake the feeling that the shadowy darkness hasn’t quite left me. “I’d like to go.” I have to stop myself from grabbing his hand and walking out of the hall with him.
fifteen
. . .
Ever
Ten walks me back to my temporary apartment.
“What did she say to you?” I ask, hoping he’ll sharethisexperience with me, as I was in the room with him. Plus, it might give me something else to think about while I work at shaking the eerie feeling still clinging to me.
He said there was nothing to be scared of. We certainly have a differing opinion of what’s scary. She’s made me feel even more unsettled now.
“It was a warning. Pretty cryptic, really.” His voice lilts up, making light of the encounter.
“It stopped you in your tracks,” I push.
“She has that effect on people.”
“And what do you think she meant by, ‘Don’t forgo this time, Ever’ and the whole we know it’s coming?”
This time, he doesn’t answer and just replies with silence.
“Ten, you’re freaking me out.”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” He stops, pausing. “But it feels…”
“Ominous. Terrifying. Scary?” I offer some options for him to choose from.
“Maybe not that bad. I was going to say strange.”
We continue through the halls of the residence until we arrive at my door, ladened with more questions.
At least I know the Transference will happen, although I have no idea what the Claiming moon is. And I pray I’ll be able to see Lyle before then.
