The Drowned Gods, #2
Stranger Skies
by Pascale Lacelle
Contents
Chapter 7: Emory
Overview
Plagued by guilt, Emory dreams of the dead accusing her until Kai intrudes through the sleepscape and warns her awake, hinting at a darker umbra presence. Sleepless, Emory finds Bryony unsuccessfully scrying and confessing fears she is a hellwraith. Bryony’s lore about demons and a black moon deepens stakes as distrust of Emory persists.
Summary
Emory dreams in the Belly of the Beast, surrounded by ghosts of Travers, Lia, Jordyn, Lizaveta, and especially Keiran, along with living accusers Penelope and Baz. Overwhelmed by blame and self-loathing, Emory submits as Keiran’s icy grip tightens, feeding a suicidal thought.
Kai suddenly appears within the sleepscape and cuts through the nightmare, commanding Emory to wake as a colossal, ancient umbra presence stirs among lesser umbrae. His intervention breaks the vision, and Emory jolts awake, shaken by the encounter and the ominous entity she sensed.
Unable to sleep, Emory wanders to Bryony’s lilac room and observes her attempting to scry with bones over an amethyst bowl. Bryony admits the method fails and confesses fear that her aberrant ascension means she is a hellwraith—her essence contested by a demon that might reclaim her if she opens herself in the astral.
Bryony shares a childhood tale of twin witches who, on a black moon, cast invading demons back and restored the woods, while noting some believe trickster demons enabled the breach. Bryony reveals her mother suspects Emory’s presence and Spiral mark as demonic. Emory clarifies the Spiral relates to her world’s Tides and promises they seek only to return home, silently vowing not to let Bryony become another casualty of her failures.
Who Appears
- EmoryHaunted by accusing dead in a nightmare; senses a vast umbra; later comforts and questions Bryony about scrying and hellwraith fears.
- BryonyAttempts scrying with bones on amethyst; fears she is a hellwraith after aberrant ascension; shares demon lore and distrusts Emory.
- KaiManifests in Emory’s sleepscape, shattering her nightmare and urging her to wake as a darker umbra gathers.
- KeiranEmory’s most haunting ghost; silently chokes her in the nightmare, embodying her guilt over his death.
- Penelope WestAppears in Emory’s dream accusing her of manipulation and betrayal, reinforcing Emory’s guilt.
- TraversWater-logged ghost in Emory’s nightmare, blaming her for his fate.
- LiaBurned, tongueless apparition in Emory’s dream, silently condemning her.
- JordynUmbral-eyed specter reaching for Emory in the nightmare, accusing her.
- LizavetaNeck-wounded ghost who claims she warned Emory, heightening Emory’s shame.
- BazAppears in Emory’s nightmare, saying everything she touches crumbles, deepening her remorse.