Chapter 45

Scarlett Night was heavy, tight against the windows. It didn’t come gently when sleep finally claimed me. I found myself standing in the council hall. The domed ceilings were overarching, engulfed in darkness. It was hot air, loaded with speech--muffled, garbled, hollow voices, half-uttering something that I could not quite understand. Each time I made myself concentrate they melted, and all that remained was the uncomfortable that they referred to me. What the hell? A nightmare? I tried to wake up when I saw such a familiar face appeared in front of me. His gaze on me was locked. Alexander. He stood apart, but the space between us felt like a fault line. “Alexander? What are you doing?” I opened my mouth to say those words to him, however, I couldn’t even hear my voice. I tried to move myself, but I found out that I couldn’t do so. It felt like my feet might as well have been rooted to the marble floor. Fuck. I want to wake up. This isn’t even funny anymore. I want to move my body or