Crowning Keys (The Markings Book 2) by Catherine Downen

Author:Catherine Downen [Downen, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-01-12T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

I’m dreaming. I don’t know how I know this, but it’s clear to me that the world around me is not real. I think it’s because I’ve been here before.

It’s the night of the Welcome Ceremony.

I wander around the edges of the room, looking in on the crowd. The night seems to be glitchy or not quite steady. It jumps in fast-forward around me until the moment I see Zavy lightly kiss Alexander’s cheek.

It freezes here, forcing me to remember this moment. Then, the scene changes. The floor beneath my feet disappears and I fall through a dark void until I crash onto a dusty, dirt floor. I pull myself to my feet and I’m in the arena out on the training grounds. Fear begins to overcome me, and then I see Zavy take her place in front of me. At my feet there’s a glittering light. I look down and see my heavy sword from the journey to Libertas. Somehow I know our gifts won’t work in this dream arena so I pick up my sword and face Zavy.

She holds her own slick, metal sword, trading in her usual bow and arrows. She wants to make this attack close and personal. She charges me and as she approaches, my brain quickly processes what I want to do. Should I try to reason with her? Do I fight as hard as I can? Zavy doesn’t leave me much of a choice. She swings her long, slender blade at my neck and I’m forced to raise my sword to deflect the blow. She’s quick to swing a counter-attack, and my only choice is to keep deflecting her moves, but for some reason, she’s stronger than I am.

Her next strike is so powerful it knocks me to the ground and my sword flies from my grasp. I roll on my back, trying to get up, but Zavy’s foot stomps on my chest, pinning me to the ground. I try and fill my crushed lungs with air. Zavy positions the sword’s tip against my throat. And then, she smiles.

I feel the blood drain from my face and I’m sure it’s ghostly white. Zavy moves to shove the sword through my neck and as it breaks the skin, I rocket awake.

I take in deep breaths of the night air and a sweat chills on my skin. When my eyes adjust to the darkness, I’m startled to see shadowed palm leaves hanging over me with white stars gleaming behind them. I’m outside. I stumble to my feet and turn around frantically. I’m in a thick patch of woods. My arms and legs are covered with streaks of mud and there’s dirt pushed deep beneath my nails.

Light peers through the trees. A row of yellow glowing windows lies a few feet away. I squint and realize it’s the row of homes my traveling group is staying in. My blood turns cold when I realize I’ve woken up in Zavy’s backyard.

“Finally, you’re awake.”

I snap my head toward the sound of her voice.

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