The palace entire comes away when he tears the shadows apart; the bloodied throne crumbling to nothing beneath her, leaving Petrana in her rich violet gown sprawled in the lush grass of the fields of Cedoux, a place never visited in life by the toddling little girl who runs through it now, laughing and running through it on confidently wobbling feet.
Sorrow dogs at Petrana's heels too close and even now a shadow remains in Veda's labored breathing and the sickly sheen of sweat on her smiling face, a little mimic of her mama.
"It isn't real," Petrana says, looking up at Atticus, calm. No one has ever visited her dreams - the demons at their edge are new and strange to her, the somniari entirely alien. Her sleeping mind, absorbed in night-grieving, does not question his presence.
All of this is wrong. Him, too.
"Come to me, Veda," she says, holding her arms out. The little girl stumbles into them and falls terribly, terribly still.
She rocks her, absently. A voice behind them says, "You must let her be, Petra," very softly. She ignores him. It's her dream. He can fuck off.
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The palace entire comes away when he tears the shadows apart; the bloodied throne crumbling to nothing beneath her, leaving Petrana in her rich violet gown sprawled in the lush grass of the fields of Cedoux, a place never visited in life by the toddling little girl who runs through it now, laughing and running through it on confidently wobbling feet.
Sorrow dogs at Petrana's heels too close and even now a shadow remains in Veda's labored breathing and the sickly sheen of sweat on her smiling face, a little mimic of her mama.
"It isn't real," Petrana says, looking up at Atticus, calm. No one has ever visited her dreams - the demons at their edge are new and strange to her, the somniari entirely alien. Her sleeping mind, absorbed in night-grieving, does not question his presence.
All of this is wrong. Him, too.
"Come to me, Veda," she says, holding her arms out. The little girl stumbles into them and falls terribly, terribly still.
She rocks her, absently. A voice behind them says, "You must let her be, Petra," very softly. She ignores him. It's her dream. He can fuck off.