The Art of Blood and Power (Book 2 in The Gifted Trilogy)

26- Wildest Dreams

The smell of salt filled my senses as the wind blew my hair wildly around my face. I looked up to find myself looking at an old manor that had not been tended to for a long time. It was falling apart in the outer sections, some of its grey stone fondation left crumbling in the overgrown weeds that surrounded the house. I stood on the divided line, where the weeds and occasional blade of grass gave way to sand so smooth and white I couldn't fight the urge to run my toes through it.

From behind me, I could hear the melody of a song I'd never heard before. I turned around to see that, in front of the manor, rested the expansive sea, ranging in colors from dark blue to grey. Standing at the edge of the shore close enough for the waves to wash over her feet, stood a woman dressed in a black dress. The strips of fabric were light enough that the wind swept them behind her, making her appear to be made almost entirely of shadows.

I stumbled towards her but she didn't seem to notice me as she continued her slow and sad melody. As I moved closer to her, I could finally make out the words she was singing. In a voice both soothing and low, she sang:

You are my starlight

You are my fire

All that I cherish

All my desire

My dearest treasure

Your soul is bright

For you I'd suffer

For you I'd fight

I somehow knew in that moment who the woman in front of me was. "Mom?" I called out, but my voice sounded like a small and broken child.

The woman did not turn at my voice but instead extended the arm at her side, offering for me to take it. I stepped closer, straining to see her face beyond the dark ringlets of her hair that whipped around her. Her hand was cold and pale in my hand, but somehow holding it made me feel better.

"I've waited for you, my darling" she spoke, but her gaze remained trained on the ocean in front of her. Seeing her face, I could make out her sharp jawline and cheekbone, each sharp feature of her face making her slate-gray eyes even more striking.

"I didn't know you were waiting for me" I spoke, an uncertainty in my words.

"Of course I was" she smiled slightly at this. "Didn't you hear my song?"

I looked around us again. "Where are we?" I asked.

"Home" she said with the assurance of someone who knew exactly what was going to happen next. "And now that you're here, everything is exactly as it should be."

I shook my head. "There's a war going on. Nox-"

"For a species that only has one life, humans have an unfathomable tendency to throw theirs away on titles and feuds" she spoke with a sense of neutrality in her voice, as if she knew there was no way to stop mankind from destroying itself, and she had accepted her powerlessness in that regards.

I shook my head slowly, a tear falling down my cheek. "I wish I had known you," I whispered. "I feel so lost right now, I need my mother."

"I'm always with you, my darling," she spoke, releasing my hand so that she could wave her palm over mine, forming a miniature hurricane of shadows in my palm. "Always."