The Dreamcatcher: A Dreamland Series Novella (The Dreamland Series)

by E. J. Mellow

  Resting back on the wall, he landed a steady gaze on Molly. If she wanted an answer, he’d give her the only one he felt certain of in the moment. “After meeting today with the Council, I’ve come to realize this is too dangerous for you, and there’s too much at stake. Especially after I saw you up against one of them.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What’s too dangerous? The Metus? Are you talking about what happened earlier?” She took a step forward. “I was caught off guard, Dev! If I had known what that thing was, I could have taken it down. But once again, because someone keeps me in the dark, I’m left to my own devices when it comes to this place. And while we’re on the topic, why does it really matter? You guys keep telling me it’s all just a dream, right? So then what’s the big secret?” She paused and raised her eyebrows. But he didn’t react, because he couldn’t, and he wanted to punch the wall behind him in frustration. By some miracle he remained still, his attention locked with hers as the tension between them mounted.

  “You know what I am beginning to think?” she continued as it became clear he wouldn’t respond. “I’m beginning to think this is way more than that. This place is too real, too organized and functional. I looked up the words Terra Somniorum, and guess what? It means just what you said, but the funny thing is, I don’t know Latin, Dev, so how could I imagine a place with that name?” His breathing quickened, a mixture of dread and relief filling him as her findings crept her closer to the truth. “You guys have names for what you are, and a city that you say is fueled by Dreamers. Each person here seems to have an occupation and a purpose. You and Aveline go on your so-called rounds to protect this place, from what I’ve gathered. You tell me some things that you deem innocent enough to let me in on but stay close-mouthed about others. If this weren’t more than a stupid twenty-four-year-old’s dream, I don’t think everyone would be so secretive. And you want to know what makes me believe more than ever that this place is more than you’re letting on?” Her body came to stand precariously close to his, the intoxicating scent of her skin imploring him to lean forward. “It’s the fact that I don’t dream, Dev. That’s right,” she said, seeing his eyes flash. “I’ve never remembered a dream my whole life, and then suddenly, bam!” She slapped her hands together. “I get hit by lightning, and I’m here every night? And I know what excuse you’re going to give,” she said, stopping him when he opened his mouth. “I’ve been telling myself the same excuse up until yesterday. You’re going to say that the lightning caused me to finally remember my dreams, that it messed up my brain. Well, I have news for you. I just had my follow-up with the hospital, and everything checked out. There’s nothing wrong with me!”

  Her pupils were so dilated with frazzled emotions that they were impossible to discern from her midnight irises, and her chest rose and fell in rapid unison with his—a fan trying to cool burning embers. In her ramble, a lock of hair had fallen across part of her face, and Dev’s hand twitched to push it away, his body aching to close the gap between them. Instead, in a shocking moment of contained strength, he found himself leaning away, and the brief space gave him the clarity needed to steer the conversation back on task. There was obviously no resolution to their anger toward each other. All he could do now was carry out the request from Elena.

  “Prior to coming here, I was informed that some of my peers want to speak with you. They are called the Vigil. I’m to bring you to them.”

  She blinked, her mouth gaping in wordless astonishment. “Are you serious right now? Are you really going to ignore everything I just said!?” She took staggering steps back as her head shook in disbelief. Pacing to the other side of the cell, she placed a hand on the wall, deep breaths pumping into her lungs in a clear attempt to rein in her outrage. After a moment more, she finally lifted her head, her voice stiff as she asked, “Who are the Vigil, and what do they want to talk about?”

  “I honestly don’t know what they want,” he said, not an ounce pleased by this. “And I’m sure they’ll tell you who they are once I bring you to them.”

  “Well, I’m not going anywhere until you answer my questions. I’ve had enough of this, Dev! Are you going to do that? Are you going to answer me?”

  Why did she have to be so stubborn? Couldn’t she see that he couldn’t? He was bound, given instructions, rules he had to follow, for his duty was the last shred of a clear path he had to hold on to. He knew his next words might break her, more than the ones he uttered out on the field, but she was forcing him into a corner. “No,” he said. “I’m not. At least not yet.”

  Her stare shifted from fury to utter disappointment, and her eyes brimmed with tears. “I hate you,” she whispered.

  It was like the world shredded around him and he was left standing in flames, the pain all consuming. He couldn’t take it any longer. With hasty steps forward, he reached for her. “Molly,” he said, but she swatted him away.

  “Don’t touch me!” she screamed, and he retreated a step, shocked by her viciousness. His heart raced in panic as he watched her pull at her shirt, as if the material were choking her, and her eyes swept around the cell in havoc.

  “What are you doing?” Dev moved closer but kept himself from touching her in the fear of upsetting her further. Something had definitely snapped. She seemed rabid, cagey, and frantic. “I need you to calm down,” he said softly. “We need to talk to the Vigil.”

  “Screw you!” she hissed while recoiling away further. Her attention continued to bounce around the space, as if searching for a way out. Abruptly she stilled, becoming fixated on the single white door in front of her, and a look of relief flooded her features. Dev glanced from the exit back to Molly, a realization prickling along his skin.

  You know I can get out of this cell easily.

  Her earlier words came back to him just as the sweet scent of Navitas filled the air. No! Before he could grab hold of her, she ran forward, and in an instant the space where the door once was emptied, and she ran through it, her form swallowed up by the appearance of the darkened field on the other side.

  In all of Terra…she made a portal! With a flash of dread, he realized he was still standing on the prison cell’s side. Cursing and calling her name, he quickly attempted to gain the ground he gave up, but just as she turned to face him, the night she stood in abruptly became covered in white, and Dev smacked into something solid. With a groan, he pressed his forehead against the tiny window that was inlayed in the cell’s door, now firmly back in place and no longer giving way to the northern field on the outskirts of Terra. He stared into the stark hall on the other side, his ragged breaths fogging the glass.

  She was gone.

  With a bursting growl, he punched the thick barrier in front of him and then kept punching until a wet slickness turned the white surface red. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he took a step back and stared at the broken skin on his knuckles. The blood trickled a path across his pale hand, and he watched as one, two, three crimson droplets hit the tiled floor.

  His world turned upside down, his control nonexistent. The years he diligently worked to create and maintain it were quickly being swept away by the tenuous pull of following his duty over his desire. What he always believed to be true, a guiding force, now felt like a farce, a cage, and looking back at the cell door, he realized with a cold detached fury that he was not a creature created to sit idly behind bars.

  — 12 —

  HE MOVED WITH purpose through the thick mass, his muscles only slightly relaxing as he slid into a darkened corner of Vex, allowing his gaze to roam undisturbed over Terra’s most notorious underground club. The music was loud and greedy, a beat to distract, and the blinking lights above cut through the hazy cloud of smoke in front of him, highlighting the multicolored neon bands twisting around the black-clad patrons—the contents of the bands was often mixed with the drug Nectus, sending euphoria pumping through each wearer’s veins. As the sea of bodies wriggled and slid against one another in unconfined ecstasy, Dev watched with bitter indiff
erence. Even when a particularly luscious short-skirted Nocturna attempted to gain his attention, he merely turned away, unaffected and slightly disgusted. Tonight he did not share in the carefree whims of his brethren, nor did the siren’s beat succeed in luring away his worries.

  It had been a full day and a half Earth cycle since she had last come, and Dev felt unhinged with worry. He had planned to tell her everything the next time he saw her, rules be damned, and had waited anxiously by the tree for her arrival. But as the hours passed ruthlessly slow awaiting her return, and the time when the sun rose in her world came and went—Molly still not showing—well, the Metus he found after that couldn’t have manifested a worse nightmare than his wrath.

  What was keeping her? What had happened when she left him standing alone in that room? His body was a tense ball of worry and dread, and he took in a steadying breath. Letting loose his temper here would lead to nothing constructive. So instead he tried to calm his mind by rhythmically twirling the object he always kept with him, tucked away safe in his pocket, and settled back against the padded alcove’s bench, impatiently scanning the crowd.

  Leave it to him to always be late, Dev thought moodily right before a large shape stepped in front, blocking his view. Dev sat up in relief as the blond form ducked into the seat across from him, the man’s already dark complexion deepening under the neon lights, and his long legs taking up the rest of the space in the small alcove.

  “I think you could have picked a noisier place to meet,” Rae yelled over the music.

  Dev leaned in, palming the object he held. “Have you seen her? Is she okay?”

  Rae nodded and glanced to the sea of tranced individuals. “From what Becca told me, she is. She stayed with her last night.”

  Dev frowned. “Then why didn’t she show up yester—” He abruptly stopped as his thoughts tumbled with a sudden fear. “Do you think—is her connection gone?”

  Rae chewed his bottom lip, a hesitancy in his eyes.

  “What? Tell me,” Dev demanded.

  “Her connection isn’t—I mean, I don’t believe her connection’s gone. I think she didn’t fall asleep.”

  Though not a good thing, it was better than the former. “That sounds like something she’d do,” he said with bitter amusement. Leave it to his midnight to figure out how to keep herself from coming here. Dev edged forward on his seat. “You have to find a way to see her. This has gone on too long, Rae. She needs to know about this place.”

  The music twisted into a new thick beat as his friend regarded him. “Yes,” he finally said. “She needs to know.”

  Dev wasn’t sure if he should be thankful or skeptical of his companion’s quick agreement. Though Rae had been more than okay to comply with Dev’s request to watch over Molly in New York, there was no Vigil or Terra rule being broken that would have kept him from doing so. But this, well, it was going against the highest order of law for his kind. “So you’ll help me?”

  Rae nodded. “But I have to talk with Elena first.”

  Dev held in a scoff—he knew it was too easy. “She’ll never agree to it.” He shook his head. “It’s because of the elders that Molly has resorted to what she has.”

  “You don’t know what Elena will say. Is she even aware that Molly didn’t come here last night?”

  “It’s Elena. She’s aware of everything.”

  “True,” Rae said with a humorless half smile, “which is exactly why I need to meet with her. Terra knows, she probably already has her men waiting for me up on the streets.”

  Dev sat back, knowing Rae was right. Colló, how he knew he was right. This whole situation was maddening. He prayed to every fallen Nocturna that Elena would finally consent to Molly knowing, because if her taking sleeping pills and then evading sleep weren’t drastic enough actions to change the elder’s mind, he didn’t know what would be. Molly was a Dreamer, for Terra’s sake. Where was their concern for her well-being?

  “I have one question though,” Rae said, bringing Dev’s attention back to him. “Even if I am allowed to tell Molly about this place, what can I possibly say that will have her believing me that it’s real?”

  For the first time that day, a smile touched Dev’s lips as he held his friend’s gaze. “You won’t need to say anything,” he said. “You’ll just need to give her this.” And then he lifted his palm, revealing a perfectly round shell.

  — 13 —

  HIS EYES KEPT going to her, a magnet unable to detach itself from her never-ending pull. A frown marred her features, and her lips clamped in annoyance as she seemed determined to keep her attention on the hall ahead and not look his way. He hid a smirk. Running into Aurora couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. Seeing Molly’s sting of jealousy, though somewhat dangerous given the fiasco with the ceiling almost falling on them, pleased Dev greatly. He knew it wasn’t a mature response, but at the moment he could give two Metus droppings about maturity. Even if Molly didn’t want to admit it to herself, watching her glare down Aurora, in Dev’s mind, only solidified her feelings for him. And he couldn’t have asked for a better sensation after suffering her absence for two days. She was beside him again, close, and he was determined to keep it that way.

  Turning down another white corridor that was attached to a side wing of City Hall, they were greeted by two Vigil guards. Their blond forms stood stoic and still outside the room he was ordered to bring the Dreamer to.

  “Molly Spero, requested to be seen by Elena,” Dev announced. The Vigil gazed at his companion with interest before nodding their approval. Stepping aside, one opened the door, and Dev extended a hand for Molly to enter first. She eyed him dubiously before walking through, and he tucked in a grin. She wasn’t aware of it yet, but he was determined to charm the pants off her. Literally, he thought as he lingered over the back of her figure.

  Tim and Aveline were already there, Tim sitting at one end of the table that filled the room, and Dev’s partner standing protectively by Tim’s side. Aveline’s face puckered as she regarded Molly, and Dev resisted an eye roll. He didn’t entirely understand why she disliked Molly so much, but she would need to get over it, for the last thing he needed was a rift between the two women he cared for.

  At the head of the table was Elena, who stood gracefully upon their entrance. “Molly,” she said, reaching for the Dreamer’s hands, “so happy you could join us. I’m Elena.” Behind the elder, a Vigil guard tensed as Elena drew closer, and Dev cocked a brow. Despite her gentle appearance, he was pretty certain she could take them all down with a mere sneeze if she so desired, so for the soldier to show signs of nervousness was interesting indeed. What did he know about Molly that they didn’t?

  The meeting room’s door abruptly swung open, and in strode Rae, instantly making the decent-sized space feel miniature. Finding Molly standing next to Dev, he grinned. “I see you took the hint,” he said and brought her in for a half hug.

  “Yeah,” Molly said, eyeing Rae ruefully. “Thanks for sticking around to explain all that.”

  He laughed. “I wish I took a picture of your face when I told you this was real. Well, that, and I wish I could have shown you how horrible you looked—”

  “Thank you, Rae,” Elena interjected with a polite smile. “I think Molly would like us to get started. Our time with her is ticking, as we all know.”

  “Of course.” He shot Molly a wink, which elicited a smile before stepping back.

  The familiarity they shared was strange for Dev, and he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it.

  “Shall we all sit?” Elena asked, gesturing to the seats, and Dev made sure to pull one out for Molly. She hesitated, still obviously skeptical of his chivalry, before lowering into the chair.

  “I’m sure you all are wondering why I have called you together,” Elena began once they were settled. “First, I would like to say that none of you are in any sort of trouble.” At that, a soft exhale came from Tim, and Dev exchanged a relieved glance with him and Aveline. “Molly, I�
��m not sure how much you have learned since you’ve been here, or how much you’ve come to understand about your capabilities, but I would like you to please inform me of everything you know before we get into the details of why you are here.”

  She instantly glanced to Dev, seemingly torn with how much would be too much to share and what exactly would get him in trouble. Dev wasn’t entirely certain himself, so he merely nodded for her to do as Elena wished, and hoped for the best.

  Biting her lip, she turned to the elder and began to recount all that she knew—what Dev had told her about Terra, the things she learned she could control with her mind, what she knew about the Vigil, the Nocturna and their duties, and finally, about the Metus and her recent run-in with them. When Molly finished, Dev’s eyes went back to Elena, a tense energy filling the air as he waited for her verdict.

  To Dev’s surprise—and apparently everyone’s—the elder smiled. “I have called you all here because each of you now plays a part in what is about to happen. Normally, Nocturna are not involved, but because of the way Molly entered Terra, each of you deserves to know what’s going on.” Elena paused, letting her words sink in. “There is no easy or correct way to say this, and frankly, I’ve never had to explain this before in front of such a large group, so please refrain from any comments until I am done.” She looked to Dev and the others before returning her attention to Molly. “We’ve been waiting for you, Molly. You’re the Dreamer that has been sent to help us fight the war against the Metus.”

  The words hung in the air, Dev unable to give them a home, for they certainly couldn’t be true. He must have heard her wrong. Elena’s version of a terrible joke. Dev sat paralyzed, unblinking, his mind hollowing out as only one thing expanded endlessly to fill it. One thing that tore a gaping hole in the foundation of everything he believed to be true. And it wasn’t the elder proclaiming Molly being sent to fight the Metus. No, that he already believed. It was the first thing. The first thing that had his mind scattering, confused, unable to make sense of anything as he silently repeated it over and over and over.