Read Online The Disappearance of Ember Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina - Free Book Online
Authors: Ambelin Kwaymullina
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back my fist to punch my way out. Only I couldn’t move. An invisible force was holding my body still. Someone was trying to stop me.
A strange, winged being was standing to my left. An enemy. He had to be; no one else would get in my way. Except his power was no match for mine. I threw off the pressure that was keeping me in place, and lunged. He leaped back. And something flung itself between us.
I staggered as two big paws thumped against my middle. A dog? The hound barked. “Woof. Woof. WOOF!”
On that third bark, it all changed.
I wasn’t in a cocoon any more. I was in a cave. Connor was standing in front of me, his back against the wall. And Nicky was trying to jump up and lick my face.
Reaction set in, and I started to tremble. I pushed Nicky away gently, and bent over, resting my hands on my knees as I waited for the aftermath of Sleepwalking to pass. The shakiness and nausea would subside soon; feeling horribly emotional would last a little longer. When I could speak, I hissed at Connor, “You let me fall asleep?”
“You were tired. Ashala–”
“
Did I hurt you?
”
“No.”
I didn’t believe him. I knew he’d lie to me about this. And while the details of the nightmare were fading, I remembered wanting to attack a winged being, which had to be Connor. I straightened, looking him over. He seemed to be all right, but there wasn’t enough light in here to be certain.
I staggered into the next cavern, knowing he’d follow, and grabbed a solar lamp. Then I held it up, peering at him in the glow.
Still
not bright enough. I scowled. Connor took the lamp away, reaching for my hand. “Come with me.”
He led me along the passages, Nicky bounding ahead of us, until we reached one of the caverns that opened onto the forest. Connor put the lamp on the ground and strode over to stand where the daylight streamed in. “I’m fine. See?”
I circled around him, checking for bruises and studying the way he was holding himself. He really was fine. I heaved a long, shuddering sigh of relief. And yelled, “What were you thinking? I could’ve killed you!”
“You didn’t.”
“You should have woken me up. Or run! Or, or, just got out of the way. Why did you even try to stop me? I was Sleepwalking, nothing would’ve hurt me.”
“No, but I think you were about to smash through a wall. You could have brought the entire cave down.”
Oh. I’d been in danger of destroying something that was part of the forest I’d sworn to protect. Not to mention probably killing Connor and Nicky, if they couldn’t get out in time. And they hadn’t been the only ones in the cave. “Where’s Georgie? And Daniel? I didn’t do anything to them, did I?”
He shook his head. “They went to breakfast before you started Sleepwalking. You’ve been asleep all night, Ashala.”
That was
morning
light coming in from outside. I’d slept for hours. Anything could have happened, and almost had. Pictures of rocks tumbling on top of my beloved tuarts, and of Connor and Nicky crushed, spun through my head. Guilt rose up to overwhelm me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to the caves, to the trees, to Nicky, to Connor. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry …”
Connor swept me into his arms, and I clung to him and sobbed. Eventually, my tears ran out, but I didn’t let go. I couldn’t. Whatever had remained of my determination to keep him at a distance had been smashed by that awful nightmare, by the memory of being in pain and utterly alone. He stroked my hair, and I pressed closer to him.
Then he ruined it all by saying, “Ashala. You have to deal with why your ability isn’t working.”
I staggered back. I couldn’t face this now, surely he knew that! “I don’t
know
why–”
“Yes, you do.”
“No,” I snapped, glaring at him. “I really don’t.”
He sighed. “Let’s try it this way. Why didn’t you have any bad dreams when you were with the wolves?”
“Who says I didn’t?”
He raised an eyebrow,
A strange, winged being was standing to my left. An enemy. He had to be; no one else would get in my way. Except his power was no match for mine. I threw off the pressure that was keeping me in place, and lunged. He leaped back. And something flung itself between us.
I staggered as two big paws thumped against my middle. A dog? The hound barked. “Woof. Woof. WOOF!”
On that third bark, it all changed.
I wasn’t in a cocoon any more. I was in a cave. Connor was standing in front of me, his back against the wall. And Nicky was trying to jump up and lick my face.
Reaction set in, and I started to tremble. I pushed Nicky away gently, and bent over, resting my hands on my knees as I waited for the aftermath of Sleepwalking to pass. The shakiness and nausea would subside soon; feeling horribly emotional would last a little longer. When I could speak, I hissed at Connor, “You let me fall asleep?”
“You were tired. Ashala–”
“
Did I hurt you?
”
“No.”
I didn’t believe him. I knew he’d lie to me about this. And while the details of the nightmare were fading, I remembered wanting to attack a winged being, which had to be Connor. I straightened, looking him over. He seemed to be all right, but there wasn’t enough light in here to be certain.
I staggered into the next cavern, knowing he’d follow, and grabbed a solar lamp. Then I held it up, peering at him in the glow.
Still
not bright enough. I scowled. Connor took the lamp away, reaching for my hand. “Come with me.”
He led me along the passages, Nicky bounding ahead of us, until we reached one of the caverns that opened onto the forest. Connor put the lamp on the ground and strode over to stand where the daylight streamed in. “I’m fine. See?”
I circled around him, checking for bruises and studying the way he was holding himself. He really was fine. I heaved a long, shuddering sigh of relief. And yelled, “What were you thinking? I could’ve killed you!”
“You didn’t.”
“You should have woken me up. Or run! Or, or, just got out of the way. Why did you even try to stop me? I was Sleepwalking, nothing would’ve hurt me.”
“No, but I think you were about to smash through a wall. You could have brought the entire cave down.”
Oh. I’d been in danger of destroying something that was part of the forest I’d sworn to protect. Not to mention probably killing Connor and Nicky, if they couldn’t get out in time. And they hadn’t been the only ones in the cave. “Where’s Georgie? And Daniel? I didn’t do anything to them, did I?”
He shook his head. “They went to breakfast before you started Sleepwalking. You’ve been asleep all night, Ashala.”
That was
morning
light coming in from outside. I’d slept for hours. Anything could have happened, and almost had. Pictures of rocks tumbling on top of my beloved tuarts, and of Connor and Nicky crushed, spun through my head. Guilt rose up to overwhelm me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to the caves, to the trees, to Nicky, to Connor. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry …”
Connor swept me into his arms, and I clung to him and sobbed. Eventually, my tears ran out, but I didn’t let go. I couldn’t. Whatever had remained of my determination to keep him at a distance had been smashed by that awful nightmare, by the memory of being in pain and utterly alone. He stroked my hair, and I pressed closer to him.
Then he ruined it all by saying, “Ashala. You have to deal with why your ability isn’t working.”
I staggered back. I couldn’t face this now, surely he knew that! “I don’t
know
why–”
“Yes, you do.”
“No,” I snapped, glaring at him. “I really don’t.”
He sighed. “Let’s try it this way. Why didn’t you have any bad dreams when you were with the wolves?”
“Who says I didn’t?”
He raised an eyebrow,
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