“I had a feeling I’d be running into you up here eventually.”
I jumped at the voice, Black Water flying all over me at the almighty jerk caused from hearing Ryland’s voice so close without warning.
“Ry!” I yelled, halfway between anger, frustration, and amusement. I was glad he wasn’t up to killing me yet, and hated that it was my first reaction. I hadn’t felt that need in a while.
Standing quickly, water dripping over me, I looked to the casual intruder, his eyes wide as he rushed toward me in a panic.
“Jos! Wow! I’m sorry!” I saw what he was doing no more than a second before he did, the words, the desperate plea for him to stop coming a second too late.
“Stop!” I snapped as he reached out to help, as his hand made contact with the Black Water that covered me, as he yelled out in pain.
The contact with his skin against the water pulled me into prophecy, the connection with his heart taking me right into his life, right into what he wanted to know.
The ember burn of my eyes grew darker as images of his life flashed before me: his childhood, his moments with me, the abuse he suffered in the dungeons of Imdalind. I saw it all. My heart seized at the pain and loss and confusion that dwelled in his heart, at the desperate need for something to be okay, for something in his life to be beautiful.
I watched his memories, his past, as he put a smile on his face, as he continued to fight through the pain of life, through the uncertainty of the hell we were marching into. My own heart seized right alongside his, my own pain and troubles increasing, the depth of my understanding scaring me.
The depth of my own need for that silver lining.
As his desire swelled inside me, the sight changed, the images becoming fogged as they moved into an unknown future. There was an image of him ageing, wisdom lining his face as hundreds of years moved by him, as the world around him changed, and the life around him changed with it. He was still the same boy, save for the lines that covered his face, evidence of a million smiles and a happy life. His eyes were filled with joy, and in his arms was a beautiful, little boy with dark, curly hair.
Ryland smiled at the child, throwing him into the air as his laugh rippled through my head. The sound was loud and beautiful as it swelled through me before the sight faded, reality shifting back into focus, and the boy who was desperately blowing at the burns on his fingers swam into view.
Shaking my head, I let the dizziness drift away, my magic swelling with whispers and promises as, one by one, the prophecies of his life left.
“What the heck, Jos?” Ryland yelled, his eyes dangerously dark. “Do you burn people now?”
“No,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “But Black Water does, and you should know better. And blowing on them won’t help, by the way.”
It was probably good I couldn’t be mad at him after what I had seen, after the emotional connection I had shared with him. Instead of the verbal assault he probably would have gotten, I just rolled my eyes again, wrapping my hand around his fingers, letting my magic soothe him, taking away the Black Water that had moved into him.
“And I should know this why? I mean, my experience with Black Water is so extensive.” I could tell he was trying to control the anger in him yet obviously failing.
I laughed, something that didn’t really sit well, unfortunately.
“Don’t worry, Ry. Mine isn’t much better.” Releasing his hand from mine, I looked at his now healed fingers, my own brand of awe moving through me. Nothing was there, just perfectly healed skin. I didn’t think that was possible with Black Water burns. I might have to try that on Ilyan’s chest or even his palm. I knew he would be grateful not to deal with the endless pain those gave him. “Feel better?”
He nodded at my question, one eyebrow disappearing into his curls quizzically.
I sighed, his look and question obvious.
“Yes, I saw something, and yes, everything will be okay for you. I’m not telling you any more than that.”
“And?”
“And you’re happy. I’m not telling you any more than that,” I repeated through the clench of my jaw. He obviously thought more highly of his skill to get stuff out of me than I did.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, the hint of a smile beginning to form. “You really aren’t going to tell me more than that?”
I glared at him, my lips pursed angrily as he laughed. He was obviously trying to put on the charm, something that I would have melted under a little more than a year ago. Not so much anymore. I was too stubborn, and he knew it.
“No, I’m not telling you any more than that.” I half expected him to laugh, but instead, the smug smile of his game slipped off his face, disappointment taking over.
“That’s no fair, Jos.”