The Drowned Gods, #2
Stranger Skies
by Pascale Lacelle
Contents
Chapter 33: Kai
Overview
Kai stumbles into Clover’s nightmare, witnessing a vision of Cordie’s death and silver-threaded bonds linking Clover, Thames, and Emory. When ravenous umbrae attack, Kai drags them into waking and compels them to sleep, revealing formidable power. Afterward, Thames defends Clover’s trustworthiness, while Kai remains guarded for Baz’s sake.
Summary
Kai relives a recurring sleepscape—printing press, Dovermere, star-swirled darkness—before being pulled into a different nightmare. He recognizes Thames watching and Cornelius Clover cradling a body that resolves into Clover’s sister, Cordie. Kai understands he is inside Clover’s worst fear.
Thames comforts Clover, absorbing darkness, when Emory appears and faint silver threads flicker between Clover, Thames, and Emory. The scene destabilizes: Cordie’s body becomes faceless corpses that decay; Clover’s skin ashenly peels; and ravenous umbrae manifest. Emory blinks out; Thames absorbs what he can and urges Clover to wake, but the umbrae multiply.
Fearing what a Tidecaller’s imagined collapse could unleash, Kai rushes the umbrae and deliberately draws their attention. He then hauls them with him into waking. In his dark room, the umbrae persist, forcing Kai to command “Sleep,” pouring magic into the word until the creatures dissolve. Thames bursts in, stunned by what he witnessed.
They compare experiences: Thames has never seen umbrae so vicious, while Kai suspects they’re drawn to power and to the new bond he glimpsed among Clover, Thames, and Emory. Thames denies seeing Emory, but admits he often drifts into Clover’s nightmares and trusts Clover with his life, insisting Baz is safe with him for the deadly games.
Kai weighs Thames’s faith against his own scars from Farran’s betrayal. He notes Clover’s risk-taking as an Eclipse-born Tidecaller aiding others despite personal danger, yet he resolves to remain cautious—especially where Baz is concerned.
Who Appears
- KaiSleepscaper who enters Clover’s nightmare, pulls umbrae into waking, and compels them to sleep; wary but protective of Baz.
- ThamesFear Eater in Clover’s nightmare; comforts him, absorbs darkness, later vouches for Clover’s reliability.
- Cornelius CloverTidecaller grieving Cordie in his nightmare; linked by silver threads to Thames and Emory; target of umbrae attention.
- EmoryAppears briefly in the nightmare as part of a silver-thread bond with Clover and Thames before blinking out.
- UmbraeRavenous nightmare entities drawn to power; swarm Clover’s nightmare until Kai drags them waking and subdues them.
- CordieClover’s sister, seen dead in his nightmare; symbolizes his deepest fear of losing her.