The Dragon Scales, #2
Emberclaw
by L. R. Lam
Contents
16. Arcady: Wake Up
Overview
Arcady’s erotic dream of Everen shifts into a shared, lucid encounter in a storm-lit dreamscape. Everen insists he is alive in Vere Celene, and both sense a faint golden hum linking them. Panicking at the implication and her vulnerability, Arcady forces herself awake. In waking, scorched evidence and the lingering hum confirm their bond still exists.
Summary
Arcady begins in a vivid, sensual dream with Everen, set in her dormitory. The intimacy feels intoxicating, blurred by alcohol, and she surrenders to desire, assuming it is only a fantasy to escape a wretched day.
Everen halts, sensing the moment is not merely a dream. He claims he is alive and asleep in Vere Celene, not dead. Arcady rejects this, convinced the bond broke. As they look around, an endless storm rages outside, and Arcady detects a faint golden hum in her mind—an echo of connection.
Realizing this encounter might be truly shared, Arcady is mortified that her private longings may have been witnessed. When Everen asks if she still hates him for what he did, panic overtakes her. She orders herself to wake up, breaking the moment.
Arcady snaps awake in her dorm room before dawn. The scarf that bound her wrist is singed, smoke lingers, and outside the courtyard is quiet. Probing her mind, she confirms a thin golden stitch remains, proving that, despite feeling broken, their bond endures in some form.
Who Appears
- ArcadyUniversity student; dreams of Everen, realizes the encounter is real, panics, wakes, and confirms a faint golden remnant of their bond.
- EverenAppears in Arcady’s dream, insists he is alive in Vere Celene, and helps reveal their lingering golden connection.