Halfway (Wizards and Faeries) by Stephanie Void

he shot back, evidently understanding my thoughts. I see I am at my father’s house, but I have never seen you before. You will tell me who you are.
         He invited me to stay here. Annoyance laced my tone. I’m searching for my brother in the Wizardly Order. Von Chi invited me to stay here.
         I felt him turn to my mind, trying to press through the mental barriers holding my thoughts. I tried to pull my hand from his grasp, but he held tightly for one so weak.
         Get out of my head! And release my arm!
         He ignored me, delving roughly into my mind, searching. As I struggled, he looked through my past, skimming through memories of Temet’s face that I held so dear.
         Stop! Those are private!
         He kept going.
         Anger boiled inside me. I lashed back, plunging into his mind in return. He hesitated in surprise at my assault.
         Let’s see. Your name is Ormas, son of the duke. Three of your ribs are broken, something you’ve been trying to ignore for days, but it finally overcame you. Your mother is dead. You have suspicions about the nature of your mother’s relationship with—
         Don’t you dare! he hissed back at me.
         Should have asked permission before you went into my mind. Don’t like it so much, do you? You can’t handle me! I taunted.
         I can handle you, puny child!
         I gritted my teeth. Don’t call me that! I withdrew my mind’s touch, probing only on the surface, feeling his rough breathing and broken ribs. He was in pain. I concentrated, mending his ribs, my Magic welding the broken bones and torn muscles together again.
         His eyes widened. You healed me!
         A door opened somewhere in the silence and I heard footsteps. Yanking my hand from Ormas’ startled grasp, I turned and ran back to my room.
    Ormas was pleasing on the eyes, even dripping with rain and injured. Especially with that inky-black hair. I wondered what it would look like dry. And that impressive jaw line… I chuckled to myself as I lay in the dark.
    I shook my head. He was the duke’s son, probably engaged to some foreign noblewoman. I was not fit for him, and I had a mission, anyway. I had to find Temet.
    I had to find Temet.
    I had to find Temet.
    My, but Ormas had very nice shoulders!
    I really had to find Temet.

Chapter 14
    Cemagna

    Cold.
    On my face, so cold.
    I was trying to sleep! I tried to turn over.
    And felt something trickling down my face. Sleepily, I reached for it and felt wetness.
    I opened my eyes to find that it was still dark outside. Did the sun ever rise here? I looked down at my hand and found it was dark with blood.
    I blinked. Blinking hurt. What was wrong with me?
    Throwing off the bedclothes, I sat up, reaching to light a candle. When it was lit, I carried it over to the mirror and stared at my face.
    My forehead was bleeding from a pinprick, a tiny rivulet of blood running down towards my cheek. I noticed a darkness in my hair. There was an identical pinprick on the right side of my head. I turned to the other side. There was a pinprick at the left side, too. I ran a hand through my hair and pressed on the pinpricks, trying to stop the bleeding. What was happening to me?
    My knees shaking, I reached for a handkerchief and dabbed at the blood on my head.
    But I couldn’t go back to sleep again. I needed air, but it was still raining outside, and I was already shivering. Was it from cold or fear?
    I grabbed my shawl, wrapped it around myself, and opened my bedroom door. It was dark in the corridor beyond. Gulping big breaths to calm down, I walked down the corridor, passing door after identical door. Was it darker in here than last time?  
          “Didn’t your mother tell you it’s rude to poke about in people’s houses?” The voice, male, shot out from the dimness like the crack of a whip.
         “Who’s there?” I spun around, but could see no one. It was too dark.   “And no, she didn’t,” I