Somnia Online by K.T. Hanna (reading strategies book txt) 📕

was swimming toward the bloodmage without any direction from Murmur, and she let him do what he wanted, knowing he was quite attached to Sinister too.

Several seconds later, the octopus that dragged Sinister prematurely into this dungeon area recoiled as part of a tentacle was severed. This time greenish blood flooded the area, mixing with Sinister’s red robes, lending a macabre Christmas feeling to the whole event.

Sinister caught Murmur’s gaze and held it as she swam defiantly back to the enchanter, and Murmur couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped her, with maybe a touch of embarrassment. She should have known Sin wouldn’t need rescuing, but the need to make sure she was okay demanded Murmur try.

Putting one arm around Sinister’s waist, she allowed Snowy to pull them to the surface. Once there, they staggered out onto the strange white sand. The cold, once again, hit her in the face, but this time because she was wet. Marginally resembling a drowned rat.

She brushed herself off and stood to face the raid. Rashlyn hurried forward to check on Sin, flashing a glare at Murmur as she did so.

Not many of the raiders made eye contact with Murmur, and most of them stood with their arms crossed and scowls on their faces. Murmur cocked her head to one side as she emptied the water from that ear. They were behaving oddly, and from her thought sensing net, she could tell the irritation was directed at her. That wasn’t a problem, of course; she could just make them all feel better so they didn’t have to worry and could move on to get through this dungeon too. The quicker the better.

As she gathered her thoughts in order to funnel them through her net, Veranol and Devlish stepped out of the line up and walked to stand straight in front of her. “No, Mur.”

Veranol’s voice held an edge to it, like he was talking to a student or a medical intern or something. He didn’t seem like he was in a good mood. From the tension that ran through his shoulders, to the icy glare in his eyes. “We need to talk.”

His words came out crisper than celery. Murmur balked for a moment, reaching down to touch Snowy’s neck fur and scratch him just under his ears. He grounded her, as did the feel of the earth through the sand. She had a distinct premonition she was going to need grounding in the coming conversation.

Devlish nodded, his lacerta face serious, even if it was harder to read his expression. For the life of her, Murmur couldn’t figure out what she’d done, but annoyance began at the base of her spine working its way up to her mind. What the hell was their problem? They had a world to save, a virus to fix, which all meant she couldn’t mollycoddle them.

Jinna and Merlin tagged along, Havoc bringing up the rear as they moved over just on the inside of the castle skeleton that still remained, sunk into the sand. Murmur tried to push down the anger that roiled up inside her, attempted to make sure she’d at least listen to her friends. But she was angry at them, upset even. The judgement on their faces regardless of when or why, it rubbed her the wrong way. After everything she’d done, she believed she deserved better than that.

“What have I done now? Did I regen mana too fast? Was I too focused on getting to Sin?” She pushed the words out, trying to play down the irritation threatening to choke her.

“All of the above, damn it, Mur.” Veranol flung his hands in the air obviously having difficulty containing his own temper. “You did it again.”

“Did what?” She tried to remember anything she’d really fucked up but couldn’t.

“You seriously don’t know?” Devlish actually sounded sad, and Veranol, it seemed, was lost for words.

But before she could answer, Havoc motioned with both hands, slamming a shield around her. The dark gold light it gave off made her head swim with nausea. Its diameter was barely enough to encase her and completely claustrophobic. She couldn’t feel past it, like it blocked off her path to her thought sensing net and projection, or perhaps just to where it could reach confining her influenceable area to only inside this prison. So the only reach she had was directly around herself.

Murmur pushed down on the panic, the sudden feeling of not being able to extend her mind. On that freezing cold beach, with the wet sand beneath her, inside a tiny magical cupboard, she felt truly alone. Not even Snowy could reach her in there. Limitations like these didn’t even exist for her abilities in the real world anymore. “What the fuck, Havoc?” She barely got the words out as the panic began to make her hyperventilate.

“Take it easy. You’re fine.” He snapped at her, his brows furrowed in a way that showed his exhaustion and somehow so angry he couldn’t think. “Breathe slowly and listen. I can’t hold this shield for long, but I hope it’s long enough to get through to you. Do you feel that?

“This is a daily recast. I’m giving up a huge defensive spell to try and make you see what it is you’re doing. Because the words we’ve tried, the reasoning we’ve attempted, they just don’t seem to be working.” Havoc’s voice was soft now, like he was just so tired.

“Fine.” Murmur had calmed somewhat once she realized this was temporary, and she crossed her arms waiting to listen, barely resisting the urge to tap her foot with impatience.

“You have to stop, Mur.” It was Merlin’s turn, as however Havoc maintained the barrier apparently needed a lot of concentration. “You have to stop inflicting your own feelings, your own goals, and your own purpose on everyone else. Overriding someone’s inclinations or wishes…it’s fucking evil.”

Mur took a step back, or she tried to, but the barrier stopped her. “I don’t do that…” Even as she said