ZYGRADON by Michelle L. Levigne Read Free Book Online Page A

his thoughts and
stare. Then he sucked in a loud breath when he realized what she meant.
    "I did something. I brought you?"
    "You contacted me unknowing." Le'esha shared a crooked little smile with
Theana. "You were loud enough to interrupt a boring discussion of household matters."
That earned a snort of laughter from Theana. "What were you doing?"
    "I had a...." Mrillis sighed and looked around the dormitory. A few more boys
had awakened. It took all his courage to tell the truth. "I had a bad dream."
    "A good dream, if you think about the results," Aelix said. She got to her feet
and gestured for Mrillis to stand.
    Le'esha held out her hand, and Mrillis put his hand into her grip. She half-closed
her eyes and cupped his chin with her free hand. He shivered, feeling warmth, delicate as
gossamer, brush up against something deep inside his head. This totally new sensation
made him feel dizzy, nauseous, then exhilarated, so he thought he could leap straight
through the ceiling, all the layers of the Stronghold, out into the night sky.
    "Yes," the Queen of Snows said. She nodded and slowly opened her eyes. "Yes,
something momentous has happened." Her crooked smile widened. "However, discussing
what has happened can wait until morning. To bed. All of you," she added as she got to
her feet. Her stern glance around the room hushed the mutters and groans. Blankets
rustled and cot frames creaked and boys burrowed under their covers again.
    "Did I have a Seeing?" Mrillis whispered, and let Le'esha guide him back into his
cot. He lay down and she pulled the blanket up to his chin.
    "We will decide that tomorrow," she said, just as quietly, and brushed a kiss
across his forehead.
    Darkness crept over him, heavy and sweet and warm, and he knew she had
used magic to make him sleep. Mrillis closed his eyes and surrendered, grateful. He didn't
want to hear the other boys grumble or tease, and he didn't want to answer questions.
He just hoped he wouldn't dream again before morning.
    * * * *
    To Mrillis' surprise and disappointment, Le'esha didn't question him about his
dream when she called him into her office the next day. Instead, she gave him warmed
wine and honey, gritty with powdered herbs. When he drank it, she told him to
remember, but not think about the dream. He frowned, struggling to understand for so
long, she laughed.
    "Trying to understand your dream could well change it in your memory," she
explained. She touched his chin with her index finger and tipped his head back. "Do you
feel sleepy yet?"
    "A little. Will you look at my dreams while I'm asleep?"
    "You won't sleep, my lad." She smiled and brushed his hair off his forehead.
"Close your eyes and think about your dream...and think about me being there, watching
over your shoulder."
    That was easier than he anticipated. Whether that came from the potion, which
made him feel as if he floated a handspan above the chair, or through Le'esha's power,
Mrillis didn't know. Until the potion wore off, he didn't care, either. The sensation of
Le'esha being there at his side helped hold back the sharper, colder edge of his terror. Yet
he still cried out in shock again when he saw her face and the red-haired boy. It was a
relief to open his eyes and see her standing in front of him and feel her warm hands
cupping his head.
    Le'esha's eyes were white with a Seeing. Long after Mrillis opened his eyes, she
stood as still as stone. Then she blinked, lowered her hands, and stepped back. She
sighed, and the white mist of the Seeing left her eyes with her exhaled breath.
    "What, Lady?" he asked, his voice hushed.
    "Why do you dream of someone trying to capture you?"
    Mrillis sat back and stared into her pale green eyes. How could he know the
reasons for his dreams?
    Le'esha stepped back and perched on the edge of her worktable. "I will phrase it
another way, my inquisitive, deep-thinking lad." She paused and waited until she had his
unblinking attention. "Who put the idea in your head that