He laid a peck on my ear, sending warm tingling down my spine.
Before I had realized what was happening, Marren’s words became distant and slurred together, blending into one another. In place of his words, a vision appeared before me, of a massive celebration between two people. Both smiling like there was no end to their happiness. The woman’s back remained facing me, except every now and then, I would glimpse the side of her face, her cheeks puffed and reddened from the love that filled her and the heat from the fire that burned high into the sky. The man reminded me of Marren with a few changes. He remained in continuous human form, somewhat thinner, and his hair was shorter, barely touching the edges of his covered shoulders. He wore a vest lined with fur and laced up the front, over a thin, white, long-sleeved tunic. The woman wore similar clothing with a leather skirt instead of pants. A dance surrounded them as they swayed together around the fire until the thumping beats of the drums ceased, and they were finally together, joined not only in body, but by spirit.
The vision shifted again, to a woman whose belly swelled with life. She lived alone, distant from her mate. She didn’t seem bothered at all. Instead, she was comforted in the thought of the small life growing within her, evidenced by the way she held her belly. Her mate always stayed nearby, careful to not get too close and hurt her or the baby.
The vision dissolved, revealing the image of three. The same couple and a child. A girl, around five, with intense black eyes, appearing as though they caught more than what was on the surface, absorbing everything seen and unseen. Her hair was parted into two braids on either side of her head with a band of colorful beads on each. She turned her head toward me, nearly stilling my heart. She didn’t seem bothered by my appearance, instead she was happy. A gentle smile stretched her lips that struck me deep within my core.
Darkness shadowed the vision, growing thicker and heavier around the child. At first I thought clouds moved in, but I discovered it was ink that blotted out the sun and swallowed the heat and caused my heart to jump and race. A thick ball of fear formed in my stomach, holding me frozen and unable to move.
What could all this mean? I tried to ask out loud, but nothing came out. My words, echoed thoughts, muted at my lips.
I struggled to move but couldn’t, still frozen in place. The darkness increased and grew until my eyes were filled with it, drowning out all sources and hints of light and making it extremely difficult to breathe. My heart pounded so hard, little stabs of pain shot through my chest with each beat.
With the last of the image gone, I was stuck inside the sea of black. Frantic, unable to move, I waited for the heaviness of the dark to lift. The vision forgotten, replaced by a greater fear weighing on my mind…
Did I really escape the crypt? Or did I just dream I did, remaining stuck inside the hopeless realm of my demise, struggling to keep my clutches on life? Would I really be able to wake from this, if it was a dream? Had Jiren made it so he would win? What about Marren and the immortal races?
Relena…
I sucked in a deep breath, my heart jolting forward at the slightest whisper of my name. A whisper coming from Marren, somewhere in the distance. I tried to ignore the desperation that tinged his voice.
Relena…wake up.
A massive wave of air blew around me, bathing me in a cold layer of sweat. The dust and stone filled air, the softness of the bed, and my clothes caked to me came to me next. I opened my eyes and found Marren’s face. His lips were pressed firmly together with worry within his eyes, and I knew he experienced everything I had.
I moved, wrapping my arms around him tightly, and sobbed into his shoulders.
Chapter 15
Expecting
There was more to what was going on than Marren told me. After I calmed down from my dream, he left to find me something to eat. He didn’t want me leaving the room without him and even went as far as stationing a few guards outside my door to prevent anyone but him from coming in. I wanted to visit with Danst, but Marren had forbidden it. I had to hold back my anger and accept he had his reasons. But to keep me locked up like a prisoner, there had to be a damn good excuse.