"The devil is haunting me"
Brennan Sorrengail x Riorson f!reader (Star!)
Words: 1.7K
Blurb: A strange nightmare keeps our beloved duchess awake and terrified of the future. ☆ SPOILERS FOR THE EMPYREAN SERIES. Violence & death. nightmares, a 'creepier' scene.
Masterlist ☆ Star's story ☆ Standalones ☆
“Nightmares of violence rarely visit the innocent mind without purpose. They are the echoes of a soul that has seen too much, fragments of fear the waking mind dares not face. In time, such dreams can blur the veil between sleep and day, birthing a quiet paranoia—an instinct once meant to protect, now turned against its keeper.”
The Dreamkeeper’s Lexicon, Vol. II. A Book Founded in The Great Libraries of Viscount Tecarus.
Wind swiped my braid aside and stray hair out of my face. The Venin, the one my dad showed pictures about in books, stood before me. With enough distance between us but still enough to be a threat.
“Too bad you are not immortal yet,” the creature drawled, amusement laced in it's voice. Goosebumps appeared all over my skin at its words.
What does he mean ‘immortal’?
“When I finally drain you, well, you'll just die,” his back turned to me as it looks over to where it's wyvern flies high in the sky, clashing over and over with Dileas in a fight of fire and talons.
My heart cracks open. It starts bleeding from the inside as I feel defeat crawl in. My dagger clashes on the stone floor.
The urge to rip my own heart out to get it over with overwhelms me. Murder by my own hand wouldn't be so bad. Life and magic would wither with me. The Venin wouldn't be able to take anything anymore.
A hold on my wrist pulls me back to the present. It's not Venin, at least not the one that wants to kill me.
My eyes glaze over and my heart nearly stops on its own.
The figure walks around me until it's Infront of me.
The purple robes give away that I was right all along.
He did pull from the source.
A carved dagger slips from the inside of his robe. I'd heard from the dagger, of course I had, but to see it up close. What object could break my spell.
I lift my gaze to his pale face. The face I looked at and loved so much from the age of four. His eyes are red, not the dark brown color I was used to. Veins trickle from his eyes to his temple and cheeks.
“Nao-,” he cuts me off with his finger. Pressing it to my lips.
“It will only hurt for a second,” his hand goes to my cheek as the dagger presses to my heart. In return my heart beats louder and louder. “I promise,” he whisper and he presses his lips, colder than I remember, to my temple. I feel the coldness of my tear slip down as he pulls his lips away.
My eyes focus on his, my whole focus is on him. Not on my dragon, not at the Venin who's waiting for my dragon to die before he would take care of me. No. My eyes stay on my childhood best friend.
His eyes, though cold, are filled with reassurance.
“Traitor!” Is the last thing I hear as the dagger, carved with vague symbols I can't make out, slides through my skin and into my heart.
The last thing I see is the sympathy of my friends face. Of the one I'll love despite his flaws.
Even if he's the one to pierce my heart.
It wouldn't be the first time.
My eyes shoot open. Immediately falling towards the black, hooded figure in the corner of Brennan's room. I sit up, my hand sliding under his pillow for the dagger I know is there, but once I sit up the figure is gone.
A searing pain shoots through me.
Panic claws at my throat, scratching it open, as I look around the room.
There is nothing. Just Brennan sleeping next to me. The curtains sway from the light wind that rushes through the room.
I don't remember it being open when I fell asleep but Brennan was awake long after me.
Out of instinct I look over to his chair. Relief coarse through me. My bow and arrows still lay there. I count the arrows from afar. Still Twenty.
The pain intensifies by my elbow. My eyes dart down to look. The weird rune shapes scar bleeds stripes of bleed.
“Fuck,” I curse as I open the night stand drawer I know holds a bandage or two. I take the piece of cloth and dip it into my water glass before making an attempt to wipe the blood away. The rune doens't look cut open. It's just bleeding.
I give up on wiping it away and instead start the wrap my elbow with my low expertise.
The wrap is snug but not too tight by the time I'm done. The blood doens't seep through it.
My heartbeat had calmed down. I turn around to where Brennan lies asleep. Unaware of the chaos inside of me.
I lie down and move to lay snuggly against him. He doens't stir but his arm does move from behind his head to over my shoulders.
The town is bright as I follow Xaden and Liam through it.
Brennan made a stop to help someone rebuild. Well, he was gonna mend it.
Small market stalls have been set up for those who's store hasn't been repaired yet and it reminds me a lot of the summers before the rebellion.
Every shop would have an outside market stall. It was cozy and inviting. At night every stall would light these fairy lights as shop owners with fresh baked food would give them away to the poor before they could go bad.
An older shop owner starts having a conversation with Xaden. His replies to the owners are polite, like he was raised to be. Just like dad.
I stretch my spine out to feel the slight relief the corset Brennan quickly tied this morning took away.
“You okay?” Liam asks with concern on his eyes. “Yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well. Another nightmare,” I mumble that last part.
“Nightmare?” He asks quieter so not everyone heard that their future duchess is beaten down by a nightmare. I nod curt. “Yeah, for some reason it still claws at me,” I admit.
By morning I had taken the bandage off when Brennan had gone to freshen himself up. The bleeding had stopped and so I had removed the bandage but a tingling sensation stayed despite by best efforts to ignore it.
“What was it about?” He asks with a soft but casual voice.
My dead best friend turning to the one thing my father loathed.
“Don't remember,” I lie. My hands fold Infront of me. “That's what makes it weirder.”
If he was onto my lie he didn't show.
Brennan walks up to us, his hands slightly dusted from the stone dust.
I open my mouth to say thank you but he just kisses my temple.
I small blush tries to creep up on my face, even now after months it makes me feel fuzzy.
My face drops in a glare as I see Liam's bright grin at the affection that was displayed. I narrow my eyes that make me look just like dad when he was threatening. I don't even have to open my mouth before his eyes dart to, what I would love to call, my future husband.
“Do you think we have any chance in the riders quadrant?” He questions Brennan. Well, if you're gonna ask someone he would be the best.
Brennan moves his hand to his jaw, rubbing it in thought. “If you train well, you'll definitely make it far,” that's reassuring.
I roll my eyes at his vague answer.
“I can't prepare you for everything but if you're a strong fighter — and you will be by the time you leave, we will make sure of that,” he gestures between himself and me. “You'll get far by just being a good fighter.”
Xaden eyes the three of us as he rejoins us. His conversation with the elder clearly, and gladly, over.
“And, hopefully, by the end of the month Garrick and Bodhi, along with a few other children, should be back here and then you have competition to train with,” his tone is confident. “Better to train with each other, and make each other better in the process, than to work with an instructor who already knows everything.”
Brennan and Liam walk side by side Infront of Xaden and I. Their conversation swirling around some basics of the Collage that Brennan knows too well.
Xaden holds his arm out for me to take. My arm hooks around his elbow. “And you will rule all of this with the grace you used to have when you still trained in ballet,” Xaden's speaks confident as we trail behind the two other men.
“I promise you, you will come back to the city you grew up in,” I keep my posture straight and elegant as we walk. “Of that,” he sighs, “I have no doubt.”
By the end of our walk I've collected some supplies. Some out of necessity, some of things that reminded me of old memories.
Night falls slowly as we arrive back at the palace. I let go of Xaden's arm, which I hadn't let go off through the whole walk, and walk over to a stone ledge and sit down.
“Do you want company or space?” Xaden asks without crowding my space. “I'm good here,” I wave him off politely.
He walks off, taking Brennan with him.
Stars light up the sky in small, flickering lights. My father used to tell me each star represented a fallen person. One that left this earth long ago. Those decided to light up the sky and lead the way for those who are lost.
Naolin told me stars represented fallen angels. Ones heaven decided to let go because they committed sin. He told me that's why he gave me the nickname. Because of the fallen angel part.
I hear the meow before I see the cat. Aethan’s cat. He paddles up to me. He gives me another, quieter meow for attention.
My fingers scratch the soft fur of the small cat. It starts purring like a small dragon. It's tiny body relaxes when I pick him up and place him in my lap.
We both look out to the stars. The only sound being the purring the cat provides.
Maybe, just maybe, the stars will lead my way too.
Taglist: @honethatty12 @smashee0789 @awkardnerd @randomperson1234sblog @bangtanxberm @hyperactive-bookworm-0 @littowl @thebreadisthetruevillian @bwormie @freakishfandomfiend @pookalicious-hq @lagrandeourse @that-girl-reading @nikfigueiredo
