by E. J. Krause
"That was different in one key way, though," Dad said. "Derian had physically taken you that time, and this time was clearly a dream."
"Lee and I have had shared dreams before," Mom said. "They mean something, but not always what we think at the time. Sometimes they're warnings that can be changed. Maybe that's all this is."
Everyone was silent for a minute. Though his parents still looked as pale as the proverbial ghost, not much worry emanated from Ben. She doubted he could say the same thing about her. He looked at her, and her head exploded in agony.
"You said it yourself; there's no need to worry because we would never hurt them."
"Coulda said that out loud."
"No, I needed to make sure you heard it. I mean really heard it."
The pain dissipated, but she groaned and clenched her eyes shut. The headache of communicating silently with Ben was horrible when she expected it, but so much worse when he took her by surprise. He was already back to polishing off his breakfast, while she wasn't sure she wanted another bite, which wasn't very dragonly of her.
She forced her eyes open and looked around the table. Trent and Heidi still looked stuck in shock, her and Ben's headaches probably not helping much. Ben chowed down on his breakfast, seemingly without a care in the world, now gulping down his hot-sauce drenched hash browns and eggs as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. Dad ate slower, but with the same gusto, a neutral expression plastered on his face. Only Mom, who always seemed to know what was going on even when Andi herself didn't, wore a smirk while she picked at her cinnamon roll.
Andi sighed, which brought out a chuckle from Ben. This, in turn, got Mom giggling, which led to laughter from Dad. Ben's parents looked at each other, not sure what to think, but at least it pulled them out of their shock. They both tucked back into their breakfast. Andi looked back over at Ben and her parents, who were close to getting themselves back under control. She rolled her eyes, which brought back Ben's giggles, and realized her breakfast looked appetizing again.
Once everyone's laughter had played out, Ben looked to her parents. "Oh, we forgot to tell you, Rico says you two should be ready for your task soon. Like ours, it has something to do with dreams, and will help in the big quest all four of us have to go on."
"Did he say anything else?" Mom asked.
"No. When I tried to get more info from him, he said he didn't know any more yet."
"And he seemed to be afraid of Ben when he said it," Andi added.
"Interesting," Dad said. "I've never known him to show any fear."
"He was pretty much afraid of me that whole time when we came back. I think it had to do with disintegrating the captain's soul. I wonder if that's the only way he can be hurt or killed?"
"I don't know the answer to that," Dad said, "but it's a possibility."
Mom stood up and started clearing the table. "Okay, I think we've had enough doom and gloom for a Christmas morning. How about a happier topic?"
"Yes," Heidi said, instantly perking up. She reached under the table and pulled out a small festive gift bag, which she placed between Andi and Ben. "For both of you."
"What is it?" Andi asked. "I thought we did the presents yesterday." She looked at Ben, but his emotions spelled out that he was as mystified as her. The way the adults grinned meant this would either be a great gift or a super uncomfortable one.
"Open it, Alexandria," Dad said.
"Isn't it Ben's, too?"
Trent chuckled. "It is, but it's mostly yours."
Heidi elbowed him in the ribs and told him to knock it off.
She glanced at Ben again, and when he shrugged, she reached for the bag. She pulled out a gift card to The Jewelry Emporium. Her jaw dropped open when she saw it was for $5000, and she wasn't quite sure what to think. The confusion encompassing Ben skyrocketed.
"For engagement rings," someone said, but her head was swimming and she wasn't sure who said it; she didn't even know if it was one of the moms or dads. Both moms squealed in delight and came around the table to engulf them in hugs, while the dads sat smiling.
"Thank you," Ben managed to squeeze out, and when she tried to say the same, tears came pouring out. Instead of halting the festivities, the adults reveled in her tears. Ben reached out and caressed her hand, but since he would feel her extreme happiness, there was no need for him to comfort her.
"Since you two are still in high school, you might want to wear them on your right hands," Heidi said.
"Or get necklaces or bracelets instead," Trent added.
"Why are you guys adding me in this?" Ben asked. "Aren't engagement rings for girls?"
"Oh no," she said, her voice back under control. "You're getting one, too. You're going to look extra hot with something shiny on."
The adults, even Dad, laughed.
"Go put that with the rest of your stuff," Mom said. "We'll figure out later when we're going jewelry shopping."
"But why so much?" Andi asked as they stood. Not that she was complaining, but still. Mom and Dad rarely threw their money around like this.
"You're a dragon," Mom said. "You'll want one with extra sparkles, and those cost a bit more." Ben's parents chuckled at that, and Dad shrugged and nodded.
She smiled and was finally able to say, "Thank you."
As they headed for the stairs, she was glad Ben's confusion was gone and was replaced by happiness. She wondered what she felt like to him. She was so ecstatic she thought her head might blow off. She also hoped no one expected them back too soon because she was so making out with him when they got to her room.
*****
Andi and Ben sat on a comfortable wooden bench in Grammy's Koi Garden, a patch of green grass and colorful flowers surrounding a small fish pond, his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. It was a tiny space on the side of the house, and it was so peaceful. She'd visited Grammy and Pops a few times since she'd been bound to Ben, and though she enjoyed spending time with his extended family, this was her favorite part. When they had a house of their own, she wanted a garden and fish pond. It was more of an extravagance than Mom or Dad ever had, but it'd be worth it, even if they could only stay at each house for a few years at a time.
Ben planted a light kiss on the top of her head. "So is my family crazy enough for you?"
"Which part of the family?" she asked as she nudged him.
She'd spent more time observing than interacting with anyone, first at Grandma and Grandpa Phillips, and again here at Grammy and Pops Millers' house. Family to her had always been Mom and Dad. She'd never even known her grandparents, as they'd died hundreds of years before she was born. This much family left her feeling overwhelmed.
"Take your pick. My cousin Louise at Grandma and Grandpa's, or Aunt Beth and Grammy feuding here while making dinner."
"Wait, who was Louise? The only cousin I remember is Magenta."
"Yeah, same cousin. She changed it a year or two ago, but she'll always be Louise to me."
"I don't remember her from any of the other gatherings, or are all of those tattoos and piercings new since the summer?"
"You've never met her. I haven't seen her in a couple of years. We used to be big buddies, but then she got into the wrong crowd in high school. That's how the family describes it. Drugs and booze and all that. She graduated high school last June, and I guess now she's getting clean and deciding to rejoin the family."
"I didn't talk to her, but she seemed nice enough. Sounds like she's getting tattoos and piercings whenever she feels the need for a hit or drink."
"Whatever works, I guess. At least lunch was tasty. Aunt Alexa went overboard this year. I think she was trying hard to impress your parents."
"It worked. Those turkey and cranberry sauce Paninis made both Mom and Dad happy. And me, too. I've never had a Panini for Christmas."
"Yeah, but now I don't know how I'm going to eat much dinner. Unlike some people." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. She almost playfully shoved him away, but instead moved her hea
d so their lips touched for a moment.
"Can you believe we get engagement rings?" she said. "I didn't think we would. I thought we'd have to go straight to wedding bands."
She could tell he was happy that she was, but something bothered him. She leaned into him and hugged his arm until he was ready to talk. It didn't take long.
"I don't think guys are supposed to get engagement rings."
She reached her face up and gently kissed his mouth, taking some time to nibble his bottom lip like he enjoyed. They didn't keep it up for long in case someone came out there. Mom, Dad, and his parents were used to it, but any other adult wouldn't be so understanding. Especially Grammy or Pops.
"You realize guys aren't supposed to live thousands of years, either, right? Or make a habit out of killing evil necromancers." She ran the tip of her tongue along the side of his neck, eliciting a shiver.
"Cheater," he moaned, bringing out a giggle from her.
"Anyway," she said, "I read somewhere that a lot of girls are making their guys wear engagement rings now. Besides, remember what your dad said; you can get a necklace or a bracelet, too."
He shook his head. "I'm not a jewelry kind of guy. A simple ring will be good enough."
She buried her head into his chest so no one could hear her squeal her triumph. She knew she'd win in the end, but hadn't anticipated it being this easy.
"But my mom might be right about wearing them on our right hand. To keep from drawing attention at school."
She kissed him. That was a minor point. The fact that they got rings at all was more important than the finger they wore them on. She reached up to caress his cheek but stopped. He felt it, too. A presence in the garden. No, not one presence, but multiple beings.
They jumped to their feet and looked around. Those shadowy creatures she had seen at the mall were here, but there were a lot more of them. They blended into each other, so she couldn't get a good count. There had to be dozens. Some tried to push into the house, while the others jostled at the entrance to the koi garden to get at her and Ben.
"They're shadows," Andi said. "Can they hurt us? They never came near me like this at the mall."
He nodded and concentrated. "They're evil and dangerous. I don't know how they can hurt us, but they can."
"Can you zap them away?"
"I don't think so. They're not undead."
The shadow creatures moved as one big mass, and then broke apart to surround them. The others had already blended through the wall and entered the house. Could they do anything to anyone inside? After all, at the mall, they'd moved right through people without anyone knowing anything was wrong. So Ben's family was hopefully safe, and Mom and Dad should be able to take care of themselves. That left her and Ben.
"I could fly us out of here," she said, hoping her nerves didn't sound in her voice, which was stupid since he'd feel them anyway.
"No need. I got something. Come here. I need your energy to do this." He hugged her tight, and said, "Concentrate on wanting them gone. Think big and we'll zap the ones in the house, too."
She obeyed, thinking, "Be gone, shadow creatures, be gone," over and over. A warm glow formed inside of her and grew outward. When it had engulfed her fully, it exploded out. She opened her eyes and couldn't see any sign of them.
"Got 'em," Ben said. "Even the ones inside."
She bit her bottom lip.
"What?"
"Nothing," she said. "I don't like that we can do that. It's not a Dragon Guard power."
He wrapped his arms around her. "It's not the first time we've done it. Remember the bugs?"
"Yeah, but…"
He kissed her. Hard. Everything else in the world except him went away. She was a bit annoyed that he could end arguments like that, but since she could do the same to him, she couldn't complain.
When he pulled away, he stroked her cheek with his fingertips. "Besides, isn't it kind of cool that we can do things other dragons and guards can't?"
That won her over. "I don't care where you wear yours, but I'm going to wear my ring on my left hand where it's supposed to go. And it's going to be sparkly."
"You dragons do love your bling."
"Bling-bling, baby." She moved to kiss him again when Mom and Dad came around the corner. Both were trying to look nonchalant, but she could read the worry in their faces.
"What happened?" Mom asked. "We could have sworn we saw some Shadow Spies, and then they disappeared."
"A ton of them showed up, but Ben zapped them away."
"Andi helped. I couldn't have done it without her power boost. They weren't undead."
"What do you mean you zapped them away?" Dad said. "The Shadow Spies of the Nightmare Syndicate are extremely hard to dispose of. Other than bracing your will against their attacks, there is no other way to get rid of them."
"The whats of the what?" Andi said.
"Someone forgot to check her brain Google again," Mom said.
"Alexandria," Dad said, exasperated, "your internal encyclopedia may be your greatest weapon. How would you have known how to fight them off?"
"I have Ben," she said, wincing at how whiny she it sounded.
"If he had been inside when they struck, where would that have left you?"
"Your father has gotten us out of some sticky situations," Mom added.
She sighed. They were right, of course, but it didn't mean she wanted to hear it. Ben obviously sensed this because she felt a mischievous streak coming from him.
"At least she can't be a know-it-all if she forgets to look things up."
"Enjoy it now," Mom said.
Andi groaned. "Seriously, you two can't hang out anymore. You're too…Dragon Guardy together."
Dad grunted in agreement, which brought out giggles, and then full-out laughter from Ben and Mom. She and Dad looked at each other and sighed before heading into the house to see if there were any appetizers left. The two hyenas would follow soon enough.
Chapter 8
Ben grabbed Andi's hand and gravitated towards the video game store. Not that he played much anymore, but habit brought him there every mall trip. It being two days after Christmas meant the mall was packed, but he didn't care. Andi's excitement at heading over to the jewelry store after lunch meant he hardly noticed anyone else. Even after over a year of being her Dragon Guard, he still marveled at how her good moods could inject him with such pleasure.
"This mall needs a bookstore," Andi said. Ben grunted his agreement as he drooled over the poster advertising High Fantasy Warfare, the newest first-person shooter. This one took place in a fantasy world filled with fairies, elves, orcs, and other fantastic creatures. Maybe he could get Andi into this one. He'd read online that one of the unlockable characters was a dragon.
"Dragons are the only ones that are real, at least in this world," she whispered in his ear. "Don't even think about trying to get me to play."
"Too late," he said, grinning at her. "Already thought about it."
She rolled her eyes and started to wander to the nearby shoe store, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. Their lips met, and the crowd of shoppers he'd already been ignoring vanished completely. At least until someone said, "Get a room." Ben's face heated up, and it went even hotter when Andi shot back, "Thanks, we will." Many of the surrounding patrons chuckled at that, and despite his embarrassment, Ben had to join them when the triumph streamed off of Andi.
They continued their wander, not bothering to go inside many of the stores, which were mostly picked over and busy to boot. He wanted to hit the shop where Andi bought his notebook and pen so he could price the refills, while Andi planned to browse a few of the sales at the clothing stores to see if there were any looked-over gems left. Other than that, they planned to stroll around until it was time to meet their moms at the food court for lunch.
As they rode the escalator up to the second level, suspicion flashed off of her. His first thought was, "What did I do?" but it wasn't him. She cast furtive
looks behind them. As usual, he didn't have to voice his question for her to answer.
"Someone's following us. Don't look. We should head outside, see if we can get him alone."
Ben nodded, and they wandered through one of the big department stores towards the parking structure. He tried to discretely see their pursuer, but couldn't pick him out. Andi had, though, and that was good enough for him. Besides, now the evil pulsed somewhere behind them.
They exited onto a bridge that led to the second story of the parking structure and crossed so no one could see them from the store. It looked like every spot was taken, so there were no people wandering around. Good. They didn't need onlookers if this turned into a fight.
The door opened, and a short, stubby man dressed in an ill-fitting gray suit stumbled out and across the bridge. Evil bled out of every pore, and Ben couldn't believe that feeling hadn't overwhelmed him inside the mall. He realized that the big crowd had masked it, the potential evil that resided in large groups acting as a shield for the true evildoer.
Once the man rounded the corner, he found himself face-to-face with Andi and Ben. He made no move to either run or fight, and instead sneered.
"Who are you?" Andi asked.
"I'm part of the Nightmare Syndicate. We hold the Demon of Dreams, and will soon discover the ritual which will eradicate the good dreams from all the inhabitants of the multiverse. Horror shall reign supreme in every slumber, feeding my masters with enough power for them to rule everything."
Ben's anger grew at the bravado of this strange man and his Nightmare Syndicate, but before he could lash out either physically or verbally, Andi put a hand on his chest.
"So why follow us?"
"We know you two will be sent into the Realm of Nightmares to attempt to rescue the Demon of Dreams. I'm here to offer some friendly advice: refuse to enter or be destroyed."
That did it. Ben grabbed the guy by the collar. "We're not afraid of you or your little group. When we get in there, we won't just save the demon, but we'll make sure every single one of you is dead."
