by E. J. Mellow
My lips twitch at the memory before quickly remembering where I am and everything that happened to get here—waking up safe after the transfer; the relief mixing in with the sadness now that Rae was human, and me…something else; Hector prepping me to walk through the portal; and the unimaginable pressure as I passed through, like I was some cartoon being stuffed down a bottle’s neck only to pop out the other side unharmed. Whatever happened between Earth’s dimension and Terra’s was not a memory that could be retained. It merely fell away like water through a mesh bag.
Returning my attention to the room, I study the person who now stands in front of me, taking in her immaculate chin-cropped blonde hair and intense blue eyes—Elena. She looks every bit the same and as put together as the last time I saw her, and I watch as her mouth moves, saying things like how happy she is that I returned safely, that the Dreamer is now home. But I can’t concentrate on any of it, and it’s not because of my discombobulating new abilities.
With my stomach in knots and my heart a hummingbird’s wing, I look past her, searching for someone else, someone I need more than abiding by manners and sharing pleasantries, more than even realizing I’m finally back in Terra. I search for the one person I risked my life to see again, and just as my chest grows heavy, only finding strangers among the crowd, there’s a commotion to my right, and I turn, the Vigil guards parting, letting a tall man walk through. My breath catches as the black-clothed form now takes up my everything, dissolving the room, the people, the noise to nonexistent as I become lost in his aqua gaze that drinks me in. His angular features, which a second ago were tight and hard, soften as he stands before me, and his muscles strain against his T-shirt, as if he’s trying to control something wild from escaping. I forgot how large he is, how consuming, his presence eclipsing that of anyone he stands near, and I’m desperate to be absorbed.
“Dev,” I whisper, and watch as something in his features flash, his eyes roaming my body like a lick of heat before they connect with mine again. I sway forward, an invisible finger curling, inviting me to come closer, but before I can will myself to move, he’s the one taking a step toward me, slowly, carefully. Blood swooshes between my ears, and my breathing grows ragged, hungry, desperate as he stops mere inches away. My heightened senses take in the fluttering pulse against his skin right below his jawline, the same jawline that’s covered in day-old scruff and yearning for my fingers to run across it.
“You’re here,” he says, the sound of his deep voice soaking into me like melted butter. How could I have lived so many months without hearing it?
“I’m here,” I return, and then I’m being pulled into his arms, pressed against his hard chest, and finally, thankfully, his soft lips come crashing down onto mine.
The world is on fire—flashes of lightning in my veins, behind my eyes, and from the faded hum that’s reaching my ears, I have a feeling they are physically manifesting throughout the room as well. But I can’t bring myself to feel embarrassed or even care, because I’m home. That’s the only way I can describe what it’s like to be surrounded by this man again, to be kissing him, tasting him, breathing in his scent of night and spice. Dev’s hands are in my hair and pushing against my back. My arms wrap around his neck, and I have a selfish desire to imagine ourselves somewhere else, somewhere alone, but before I can turn my wish into a reality, Dev is slowly moving away, leaning his forehead against mine.
“Please tell me this is real,” he says.
My grip tightens on his arms. “It’s very real.”
“Molly,” he moans and kisses me again, chastely.
It’s not enough.
I clamber to get closer, and Dev chuckles as he brings me into a hug. I’ve never felt so panicked and at ease all at once, like my mind doesn’t fully believe what’s happening, but my body is very aware of it.
As I tilt my head into the crook of his arm, I see two familiar forms walk into the circle. “Tim! Aveline!” I immediately reach out, bringing all of us into a group hug. I hear Tim laugh, while Aveline grunts her annoyance.
After a moment more, the four of us step back, Dev and I still connected with my hand in his, neither of us ready to let go of the other, not after everything.
“Tim, you look great.” I glance at the smooth skin of his arms, no longer blackened and deformed. His whole body seems stronger, in fact, renewed.
“Thanks to you.”
“No.” I shake my head. “Your doctors did more than I could—”
“Molly.” Tim places a hand on my shoulder. “It’s time you learned to take a compliment.”
I fight a grin while simultaneously trying to hold back tears. Is this really happening? Am I really back? Turning to Aveline, I watch as she backs up a step.
“Oh no,” she says. “I can tell you’re about to get real emotional on me, and let’s skip that, okay? I’m happy you’re back, but more so because this guy”—she gestures to Dev—“can finally stop acting crazy.”
Dev gives Aveline a steely glare.
“What does she mean?”
“Nothing,” he says, bringing me under his arm. “Ignore her.”
I open my mouth to press the issue, but before I can, a high-pitched whine followed by a bright flash of a light bursts from the portal behind us, and Hector steps out.
“Ah, good. You didn’t disintegrate,” he says as his green gaze finds mine, and Dev stiffens beside me. I forgot these two don’t get along, and I wonder how Dev took the news about Hector now being my Vigil guard in Terra.
“Nope,” I say. “Made it in one piece. You were right about holding your breath. I don’t feel nauseous at all.”
“Good.” He smooths back his white hair that doesn’t need fixing. “After a couple more times through, you won’t need to.”
“Thank you, Hector.” Elena steps forward. “For guiding Molly through the process. From her presence here, can we assume Rae is doing well?”
“Yes.” He nods. “The transfer was successful on both ends. Each just needs a little time to get used to their new skin.”
“Wonderful.” Elena smiles. “Well, there will be plenty of time for that later, but unfortunately, not at this moment. There is much to fill you in on, Molly.” She turns to me. “We’ll need to save the official reunion for after. There’s a packed room of Council members awaiting our arrival.”
“There is?” My eyes dance between her and Dev’s.
“Yes,” she says, a slight glint of a smile. “And I think it’s time for an introduction.”
— 17 —
There’s a feeling I get when I’m receiving other Dreamers’ memories. Even though I’m in their body, looking out through their eyes and taking in everything they do, I still have a sense of detachment. Their skin doesn’t quite stick to mine, and I float, a spectator in their worlds.
That’s how it’s like for me now as I sit in the Council meeting, listening to the members’ collective outrage grow more deafening. Scrunching my face, I resist the urge to plug my ears from the overwhelming sound. This certainly isn’t helping me acclimate to my new Vigil senses.
Elena sits beside me, casually looking out at the sea of bodies, having just finished sharing everything I am and the history that comes with me. As the evidence in front of us shows, the Council didn’t take it well. The room has been in an uproar for a good twenty minutes, no one willing to go past stage two of the grieving process—anger.
I know I should be worried, nervous, feel something, anything about how I’m being received, but for some reason I can’t. I’m still wrapping my brain around the fact that I’m indeed here, in Terra, sitting next to the man I never thought I’d see again. Nothing seems as big of a problem now that I’m back beside him, our fingers threaded together under the table we sit behind.
Catching my gaze, his hand squeezes mine, and it takes all my effort to turn away from his angular profile, the slip of his grin. Seriously, is it possible he got even hotter since I’ve been gone? Shaking my head, I atte
mpt to finally concentrate on what’s going on. Sitting at the front of a large circular room on a slightly raised platform, I share a table with the elders, a few Vigil from the DCC, Alex—the Nocturna’s head of Security—and Dev. Tim, Aveline, and Hector are filed away among the three-tiered stadium seating that wraps in a semicircle in front of us. Every chair is filled for this meeting, each body a representative from the various government sections of Terra, and though they started off sitting, mostly now stand, faces pinched with anger or confusion as they look in our direction—my direction. Well, all accept the Vigil members. They sit calmly among the irate crowd.
A giant ball of Navitas rests high in the domed ceiling, the only light source in the room, and I can’t help tugging on the energy every so often, not having been able to tap into my power for so long, and it feels glorious, a gulp of water in a parched mouth. Now wearing the Dreamer vest, the same one I wore during the fight against the Metus and that helped me save Tim, my connection with the Navitas is even more fluid.
Before walking into the meeting, Elena insisted that I put it on, announcing the safety mandate for it to be part of my public uniform from now on.
Elena raises her hand beside me, requesting silence, and a hush slowly falls over the crowd. “We understand this comes as a shock,” she says, her voice booming with authority even in its softness, “but it’s news you all must see as a gift. We have a Dreamer amongst us. She sits right here, our salvation to this war, and unlike any that have come before her, she is not with us through a dream, but a living, breathing embodiment of the race we live to protect. She is here to help, as you will soon see and as some of you have already heard.” She pauses, making sure she has the full attention of the room. Not even a cough breaks the silence. “The girl who could fly?” She goes on. “Who could hold Navitas in her hands? They were not rumors. That was a Dreamer, this Dreamer.” She gestures to me. “And that was just the beginning of what she’s capable of.”
A wave of gasps and astonished chatter fills the space, a multitude of eyes glancing my way, and I swallow, trying not to be unnerved by being on the receiving end of so much negative attention.
“But I still don’t understand,” says a blond man in black robes, speaking above the noise. He sits in, what Dev explained, is the education section. “Why were these Dreamers kept a secret from the Council? If they’ve been our key to winning all the wars in the past, why hide them from us?”
Council members murmur their agreement.
“As Elena mentioned previously, it was for the Dreamers’ protection,” answers another Vigil elder, surprising me. I’ve never heard this one speak before. Actually, I’ve never heard any but Elena speak. Even during the one time I had an exclusive audience with the elders, Elena had led the meeting, acting as the group’s ambassador. Curious, I study the man, taking in his weathered face full of folds and wrinkles, which seems out of place when the rest show no real signs of aging. But this man, now that I’m paying attention, stands out among his pack. With his short-cropped white hair and papery skin, he is much deserving of the title elder. Still, despite the appearance of age, he exudes a strength, a hidden fire that warns that looks can be very much deceiving. His posture is straight against his high-backed chair, his frame thin but sturdy, and he seems almost bored as he uses his thumb to spin a thick silver band that adorns his pinky finger.
“Protection?” The Nocturna who asked the question sputters. “From what?”
“Don’t be naïve, Victor,” the elder says in a tired tone. “Greed is not an emotion Terra lacks. Nor, evidently, is stupidity. There are always those who selfishly seek more than they have, who hate what they don’t understand. Until Molly, the Dreamers have come exclusively to the Vigil for centuries, our world giving us a sign on how to proceed, and we’ve dutifully abided by it.”
“But you said this one came to Dev, a Nocturna,” chimed in another Council member.
“Yes,” Elena says. “Which has put us on our current course. The Dreamers will no longer be a secret—this war’s magnitude calls for a new way forward. We have decided that along with the Council, we will tell the citizens of Terra. All will know the key to ending our wars, and it is up to us to show our support for the Dreamer and to reassure our people of her good intentions. A power such as Molly’s will undoubtedly create a backlash from certain groups. We all know there are those who are dedicated in their beliefs that the Navitas we collect from humans is meant to be regulated and shared, not contained for a sole person to control.”
“Yes,” says a smaller, rounder woman from the crowd. “Because we’ve all learned from watching humans what can happen when one person has ultimate control.” Her narrowed gaze lands on me. “How do we know this human isn’t susceptible to the same temptation?”
“We don’t,” Elena says, which causes a quiet stir from the group. “But I can tell you what makes her different from those of whom you speak of. Molly never sought greatness or power, never thirsted for it like they did. She was thrust into this role unwillingly, just like her predecessors. She has been forced to learn all that she is and her capabilities to lead. She comes from humility, a pure heart, and I, along with a few others in this room, have seen how far she will go to save another.”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat, not used to hearing such praise, and glance to Tim. He sits in the middle of one of the tiered sections and, catching my gaze, flashes a supportive grin.
“The road before us isn’t easy,” Elena goes on. “But none worth taking ever is. We have achieved many things in our great nation and overcome even darker ones. The addition of the Dreamer among us is a positive one, and your elders are convinced this marks a great new path for Terra. But we need all of your cooperation to ensure this. The Council is the backbone of our society. To be split on this subject would be detrimental. That is why”—Elena tilts her chin up, her posture becoming even more authoritative—“we will be requiring a binding oath where every member must pledge their loyalty to the cause.” The room erupts again, but Elena continues over them, undeterred. “If there are any who feel, after given the proper time to process, that they cannot willingly agree to their consent and support, we will be revoking their access to any future Council meetings that pertain to the Dreamer, for Molly’s safety is our topmost priority.”
This elicits another rush of comments and questions, one barely answered before another is flung forward, and I want to slouch lower in my seat, to hide under the table. But even I know with so many watching eyes, I can’t give them any more reason to doubt what Elena has said about me. So I take in a deep breath and remain still.
But to be forced to take an oath of support? For a person they hadn’t known existed a mere hour ago… By the stars, couldn’t the elders have come up with something a little less…shackling? Talk about too much too soon.
Sweeping a gaze over the raucous mass, I grow nauseous with my overwhelming nerves. How will I do this? Fulfilling my duty in secret was enough to choke me into panic, but now, shoved into the spotlight and forced to be…this person, this savior, while this world watches, well, I hope the elders are prepared to hand out a lot of refunds to the show.
As if sensing my unease, Dev tightens his grip and leans in. “You’re doing great.”
I scoff. “Considering I’ve done nothing but sit here, I would hope so.”
Dev muffles a laugh as he sits back, his thumb stroking my palm, which normally calms me but currently makes me more anxious and a little frustrated. Being so close to him, after so many months, without—per Elena’s words—“a proper reunion” is tortuous.
As the Council talks over one another, none of the elders doing much about it, Elena presses her hand to my wrist, causing the familiar jump of my power in my gut.
“Molly,” she says softly. “I was wondering if you could calm them.”
“Me?” I arch my brows.
She nods. “Yes. I think a demonstration might set some things straight and hurry this along.
”
“Um…” I think I might be sick.
“Make something that would ease you.” She tugs at my energy again, sending a comforting heat across my skin. “Create a place that can take away your doubts and fears.”
I bite my lip and stare out at the crowd. “My doubts and fears?”
“Yes,” she murmurs. “Where do you find peace?”
Glancing to the ceiling, to the source that has been reaching out to me since I entered the room, I search for the answer to Elena’s question, and like a gentle gust of wind it comes to me. Taking a deep breath and glancing to Dev to find his reassuring nod, I stand.
Almost immediately the room silences, and before I lose my nerve, I block out everything, everyone, and concentrate on the one thing that has always calmed me in my moments of panic. With my belly warming, I awaken the Navitas inside me, connecting it with the swirling blue-white mass above, and instantly I feel whole, perfect, and euphoric, finally able to work with my magic. On a sigh I push out my desires, imagining the ceiling crumbling away, disintegrating into particles of dust that sparkle and shine as they fall to the floor. With a prick of cold to my head, each section recedes to reveal Terra’s sky, the spinning black mass of endless shooting stars now rolling out to blanket us, the roof of the Council’s chambers now gone.
I hear gasps, a cry of surprise, but I don’t let it knock my concentration. I keep pushing forward, willing the stars—the Dreamers—closer, imagining the bright orbs to shrink and spin around the room, illuminating the space in a dazzle of warm fairy light. I pull out feelings of love and safety from the thick tendrils that wrap the sleeping souls, cocooning them in a warm hug of peaceful sleep and, for the first time, let the audience experience what it is to slumber. I cover everyone in the illusion, lulling their minds into calm, that sweet moment right before you slip into unconscious and travel to the other side, where magic is real and memories come out to play. I have it go on and on, my own heart humming with pleasure as the stars graze along my skin, my soul soaring as it’s finally connected with the source that has been trapped inside me on Earth. I feel happy, bright, and expansive—the color yellow, and only after an endless moment of weaving these sensations, these realities into the citizens, do I slowly bring it to end.
