Chapter 241 The nightmare

Chapter 241: Chapter 241 The nightmare

Talia’s POV

I finally let my eyes close, and the darkness swallowed me whole.

I had been fighting sleep for so long, but my body would not listen anymore. My eyelids were heavy, and my muscles were weak. I let out a long breath, and I felt myself sinking into the darkness.

Kaelen’s voice was the last thing I heard before I drifted off. "Rest, Talia. I will watch over you."

I wanted to tell him thank you, but the words would not come, because I was already gone.

I was so tired. My body ached, and my mind was heavy, and I felt myself drifting, and falling into a deep and restless sleep.

Then I saw her.

I could see my mother and she was in a cage. It was made of silver, and the bars were cold and unyielding. She was pressed against them, with her hands reaching through the gaps. Her face was pale, and her eyes were wide with fear.

"Talia," she called. "Talia..."

I tried to run to her, but my legs would not move. I was stuck in place, and I was watching her suffer.

"Mother!" I screamed.

She reached for me, with her fingers stretching through the bars. I reached for her too, but the silver burned my hands. I pulled back, and I saw the blisters forming on my skin.

"Talia!" she screamed. "Talia, please!"

I tried to move, and I tried to reach her, but I could not.

Her voice echoed in my ears, and I could still see her face. i could see the fear in her eyes, and the desperation in her voice.

I tried to move again, but I was frozen. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. I was trapped, and I was watching her suffer, and I could not do anything to save her.

"Mother!" I cried out. But she could not hear me. She kept calling my name, over and over, and her voice was growing weaker with each cry.

"TALIA!" A different voice called.

I woke up screaming.

My body was shaking, and my face was wet with tears. I could not breathe, and I could not think. All I could see was her face, her hands, and her eyes.

"Talia!" Kaelen’s voice cut through the darkness. "Talia, wake up!"

I gasped, and I felt his hands on my shoulders. He was shaking me gently, trying to pull me out of the nightmare.

"Talia, look at me," he said. "Look at me."

I blinked, and I saw his face. His gray eyes were soft, and filled with worry, and his voice was steady.

"Kaelen?" I whispered.

"I am here," he said. "I am right here, baby."

I threw my arms around him, and I buried my face in his chest. I was still crying, and my body was still shaking.

"It was so real," I said. "I saw her. She was in a cage and the place felt very cold. She was reaching for me, and I could not reach her."

He held me tighter. "It was just a dream, Talia."

"It did not feel like a dream," I said. "It felt real."

Piper appeared beside us. "Talia, what happened?"

I looked at her, and I could see the fear in her eyes. "I dreamed about my mother. She was in a silver cage, and she was screaming my name."

Piper reached out and took my hand. "It was just a nightmare, Talia. You are safe."

I shook my head. "It did not feel like a nightmare, it felt like a vision."

Piper’s eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

I looked at her, and I felt the cold settle into my bones. "I think she was reaching out to me. I think my mother was trying to tell me something."

Kaelen’s jaw tightened. "What do you think she was trying to tell you?"

I shook my head again. "I do not know. But I think she is running out of time."

Kaelen pulled back and looked at me. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head. "I do not know."

He reached up and wiped the tears from my cheeks. "We are going to find her," he said. "I promise."

"What if we are too late?" I asked. "What if she is already gone?"

"She is not gone," he said. "She is waiting for you."

"How do you know?" I asked.

He looked at me, and his gray eyes were steady. "Because I believe in you."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that my mother was still alive, still fighting, and still waiting for me. But the nightmare was still fresh in my mind, and I could not shake the image of her in that cage.

Jax walked over, his face etched with concern. "Luna, are you okay? I heard screaming."

I nodded, but my voice was unsteady. "I had a nightmare. That is all."

Jax looked at Kaelen. "Is she okay?"

Kaelen nodded. "She will be."

I wiped my eyes, and I took a breath. "I am fine," I said. "I just need a moment."

The silence stretched between us, heavy and expectant. I could feel their eyes on me, waiting for me to fall apart, even though I knew that they did not mean it in a bad way. But I still would not give them that satisfaction.

I looked at the cave entrance, at the light filtering through the trees, and I thought about my mother. She was out there somewhere, waiting for me. She had been waiting for fifteen years.

So I would not make her wait any longer.

Piper squeezed my hand. "Take all the time you need."

I looked at the group, and I felt the weight of their concern. They were all watching me, and maybe, waiting for me to break, so that they could catch me, and console me.

But I would not break. I could not, because if I did, I knew that I would be breaking their spirit.

I looked at Kaelen, and I felt the love in his eyes. "I am going to find her," I said. "I am not going to let a nightmare stop me."

He nodded. "I know, Talia." He rubbed my hair. “And we are right beside you.”

I gripped my pendant, and I felt the warmth of it against my skin. I knew with a certainty, that I was getting closer to my mother. I could feel it.

Somewhere out there, my mother was waiting, and I was coming for her.

Nothing could stop me from getting to her.