by E. J. Mellow
“Yeah, I think so.” She tested the movement of her limbs, and with her ease of flexibility, he relaxed.
“Man,” she breathed. “That was crazy.”
Dev agreed, taking in the small patches of singed grass surrounding them. “What happened back there?”
“I’m not really sure.” Molly gently rubbed at her chest. “As soon as you put the barrier up, all I wanted was to be joined with it. It was weird, like an intense craving. I felt a little out of control.” Her eyes became unfocused again, as if she was recalling a recent memory. “But then when I got closer to the wall, something in me snapped. I let go of whatever I was holding on to, and that’s when I felt the Navitas enter me.”
“I saw that.” Dev nodded. “I thought it was hurting you. Then it was like time jumped, and suddenly the Metus burst apart, and we all got blown back.”
“Yeah…I…I can’t really explain what I did or why it happened. It didn’t hurt though. Well, not in a bad way. It just felt…strange, like I was a bystander in my own body and the energy knew more of what to do than I did.”
Dev studied her a moment. “Well, hopefully we’ll get some answers once you’ve started your sessions with Elena.”
“Yeah, that would be nice.” She rubbed her chest again, the weight in her eyes flooding Dev once more with the reality of what happened tonight, what could have happened.
“I’m really glad you’re okay,” he said softly, placing a hand on her leg. “I didn’t think the Metus were a threat once we were behind the Navitas. I would have never…if I knew they could…”
“I know.” She covered his hand with hers. “But it all worked out in the end, didn’t it?” She gave him a small grin. “Just don’t do it again.”
He let out a relieving laugh. “Never.”
For a moment they shared a companionable silence, each smiling at the other, lost in their own private thoughts before Molly seemed to catch herself, and she removed her hand from his.
“You said they haven’t turned into those liquid blobs before?” she asked with a clearing of her throat.
Dev leaned on an elbow in the grass. “That definitely isn’t their normal style. The last time they got like this was before the war. When their numbers grow, it makes them stronger and sometimes gives them new abilities.”
Her eyes went wide. “So every time there’s a war with them, you’re not completely certain of what you’re going up against?”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” he reassured her. “Their ability mutations tend to not be too drastically different from their normal behavior. And once we know their new skill, we can adapt accordingly. If we want to gain anything positive from what just happened, at least we now know one of their new abilities. We’ll figure out a better way to attack them in that form.”
She snorted. “That’s the ultimate glass half-full perspective I’ve ever heard.”
“One of us needs to stay positive.” Dev gave her a coy grin.
“And here I thought that role was exclusively Rae’s.”
“No, I like to think his is more of the court jester but without the juggling skills.”
She rocked back with a laugh, and the unreserved sound caused Dev’s heart to beat faster. He wanted to always make her laugh like that.
Abruptly she bolted upright. “The piece of paper!”
“What?” Dev asked, watching her fumble with her pockets. “What is it?”
“I never checked to see where I was supposed to meet Rae tomorrow,” she said, unfolding a balled-up note in her pants. She squinted as she read whatever was on it and then drew in a shocked breath. She remained still for a moment more before muttering a curse and then breaking into a fit of laughter.
Dev smiled at her odd behavior and inched closer, removing the slip from her fingers. He frowned as he glanced over the paper, none of it making any sense. “What’s the Village Portal Bookstore?”
To his chagrin, this question only elicited more laughter, and as he watched her roll on the ground, he knew he wouldn’t get any sort of answer anytime soon.
— 16 —
THE BUILDING WAS unremarkable and small as Dev stood in front, taking in its facade. Nothing unique marked its glass doors. Its lobby—from what could be seen from the sidewalk—was dimly lit and empty save for a potted plant in the corner and a lone elevator bay. It was void of anything that could hint at what was said to lay several stories below ground level or would give away the importance it protected. The only reason Dev noticed it now was because of the summons he received that included the location coordinates.
Holding his Arcus strap, Dev tapped his finger against his chest and glanced around the thinly veiled tree-lined park. The area was still relatively busy even though it was offset from the main plaza of City Hall Square. Civilians hurried by, talking among themselves, and none seemed to look his way or hold any real interest in the building he stood in front of, as if both were shrouded from view. Turning back, he peered at the outpost that, until this moment, he never remembered seeing. And he must have walked this path a million times.
He shook his head. Not only did the Vigil keep this place a secret for centuries, but they were hiding it in plain sight, right under the Nocturnas’ noses. It would’ve been comical if he and his people weren’t the butt of the joke. Breathing in deep, he pushed aside his annoyance and entered the lobby.
Calling the elevator, he stood back and waited, for this was as far as his instructions took him. Eventually there was a soft ding, and the doors opened to a brightly lit car and one behemoth of a man. By the stars—Dev’s gaze traveled up—and I thought Rae was tall. The guard was immaculately dressed in the standard Vigil white uniform, the color offsetting his dark skin, and the glinting gold buttons matched his caramel eyes. Even with the Vigil’s spotless appearance, the crookedness of his nose gave away the real threat he possessed, for this was someone who, without a doubt, had held his own in a tussle or six.
“Your name?” the giant asked, his deep voice reverberating in the small space.
“Dev.”
The man frowned. “I was not briefed on meeting a Dev, only a Devlin.”
“Yes…” Dev eyed him questioningly. “That’s me. Dev, short for Devlin.”
The large Vigil seemed skeptical. “One moment,” he said and turned to whisper his current situation into the radio around his wrist. He nodded at whatever was translated back into his earpiece. “You have been cleared to pass.”
“You don’t say?” Dev raised a facetious brow, but his sarcasm was lost on his new audience. With a sigh he stepped into the awaiting elevator, and as the doors closed, he studied his new companion more closely, taking in the light speckle of gray in his hair and the impressively blank stare that was fixed forward. “So, what do they call you around here?” he asked.
Golden eyes briefly met his. “Alec.”
“Defender of men.” Dev gave an impressed nod. “They certainly got that one right, considering…”
Alec looked at him, bemused. “Considering what?”
“Your size.”
The Vigil straightened at that and faced forward once more. “I’m as big as I need to be.”
“Well then,” Dev muttered, “you must be pretty needy.”
The rest of the ride was uneventful, and Dev was glad to leave the unstimulating compartment, especially after his ears popped more than once on the way down—an indication of the Center’s depth. Stretching his jaw to rid the sensation, he followed Alec through an endless maze of hallways. Dev was trained to retrace any step taken, and though he still could now, it was only because of a great amount of effort on his part. This place was massive, a labyrinth, and he wondered if Alec had any special devices loaded into his sensory that enabled him to traverse it with such confidence. Turning down a hall lined with at least twenty doors, Dev’s gaze skimmed over the ones that were marked with a glowing lightning bolt—the symbol for Terra and its life source, the Navitas. He was about to ask his
guide what was behind them, when the hairs on his neck prickled, and he glanced up.
At the end of the corridor, wrapped all in white and shining brighter than any of her semi-circling guard dogs, stood Elena. She watched them approach with an amused tilt to her lips, which only grew as their eyes met. But Dev was unable to return the pleased expression, still angry at the elder, and all the Vigil for that matter, for keeping such a secret from their brethren. Elena seemed content in explaining away her neglectful behavior of not intervening with Molly sooner by blaming it on her curiosity. She wanted to see why, after all these centuries, a Dreamer would show herself to a Nocturna rather than the Vigil. Her interest seemed more clinical than caring, like they were mere lab rats in a growing hypothesis she was testing, and none of it sat well with Dev.
Elena greeted him in her airy voice. “I trust you found the Containment Center easily.”
Dev’s lips thinned. “It was hard to miss.”
Her eyes danced with silent amusement. “Good,” she said and inclined her head for him to walk beside her. Alec filed in with the rest of her men, who trailed behind. “As you can see, I kept my word to show you the Dreamer Containment Center, where Molly will be spending most of her time.”
He studied her from the side. “The beginning of more transparency, I hope.”
She gave him a small smile but otherwise remained silent as she led them forward. “We keep this facility updated with all the latest technologies and security, as well as house our most advanced Navitas engineers,” she explained as they walked by a glass partition showcasing an extensive lab. At least twenty rows of chrome tables were patterned throughout the space, while sleek silver machines and hovering containers floated to and from their programed destinations, mostly where Vigil in white coats diligently worked, undisturbed by the audience peering in. Some quickly tapped away at tablets while others stood manipulating various projected images that spun around the room, moving what looked like molecules to fit with other strands. The scene played out like organized chaos.
“And why are they involved in Molly’s training?” he asked.
“We are constantly looking for new ways to advance our skills with the Navitas. The Dreamers are the perfect subject to help test our findings since they have such a fluid connection with the energy,” Elena explained. “We’ve created quite a lot of new equipment since the last one was here. It will be interesting to see which are the most effective.”
He frowned. “Will any of it hurt her?”
Elena’s blue eyes met his while a beat of silence filled the air. “Molly’s safety is our highest priority here,” she finally said and pushed them forward. “Come, there’s more to show you.”
Glancing back into the lab, Dev roamed over the assorted devices as he hesitantly followed, a chill going through him. For as they turned a corner, his view now cut off from the research facility, he realized that Elena hadn’t really answered his question.
The tour continued down a few more wings, Dev’s mind overflowing with the amount of new information the elder revealed to him. He wondered if this was a diversion tactic, a way for him to lose sight of the concerns he was trying to keep track of. But as they stepped through the combat section and he was given a glimpse into the various training areas and weapon depots—all state of the art—he felt himself relax ever so slightly.
Running a hand over a smooth three-barrel power gun that sat nestled in a row of a dozen more, he knew Molly would at least be protected in one of the most advanced facilities he’d ever come across. He also felt himself growing excited at the prospect of training with her. How strong would she become after the right guidance? How quickly would she surpass him in skill?
“There is much more to see,” Elena said as they made their way down a new corridor and came to stop beside a closed door, “but for today, this will be all.”
Dev glanced to the glowing lightning bolt that pulsed from its surface. “What’s this?”
“This”—Elena gestured to one of her guards—“is where Molly will awaken.”
Flashing his wrist to a side panel, the Vigil unlocked the door, and it slid open. A large barren room was revealed beyond. The only things taking up its space were a white table in the center, a sleek monitor attached to one end, and a deactivated portal in the corner.
“Tonight?” Dev asked, unable to tear his attention away from the table in the middle, its size just big enough for a person. His heart picked up pace.
“Yes,” Elena confirmed. “Tonight,”
“I will be here,” he said. It was not a question.
Elena cocked her head to the side, her eyes seeming to probe for something specific, something that made the edge of her mouth curl up when she found it. “Yes,” she finally said, “so you will.”
Extending her hand, she gestured for him to enter first, and as Dev stepped over the threshold, he swept the room again before settling back on the table, his body humming with excitement. This was where she would come to him, where it would all start. The future, after so long, finally felt like something he could move toward, something he wanted. That empty space in his chest was beginning to shift. For the first time, he craved to feel whole again. And he knew the one person who could complete him was just a sleep away. Soon the woman who constantly filled his thoughts would fill his vision, at last waking to a world she knew was real, to a man who was.
Keep reading for a glimpse of
The Divide
Book II in The Dreamland Series
Chapter 1
THE WORLD IS DARK, as it always is, and the sky seems to spin on an axis as millions of shooting stars dance across its abyss. With hands gripped tight, I attempt to race them forward. My eyes tear as cool night air slaps across my face and filters through my hair, sending it flapping out behind me—a flag in the wind. My feet sway left and then right as they dangle above a city of sleepless souls, my body barreling ahead at the whim of a predetermined path set by a zipline. With my heart pounding in my ears and my stomach tightening where my throat should be, I prepare for the rapidly approaching landing. It looms in the distance, getting larger as I shrink, the buildings around me reclaiming their majestic height and returning me to my human one. The glowing bulls-eye in the center of the square platform pulses blue, a beacon telling me to come home, and all too quickly I’m touching down, ending my flight. Retracting my Arcus from the line, my legs wobble for a second, reacquainting themselves with something solid beneath them before they are moving forward again, continuing to follow the man who’s been leading the way. He hardly spares me a glance as he nods to the zipline’s attendant and descends the stairs to the street. Tucking my Arcus back into baton shape, I drop it into the quiver strapped to my back and hurry to catch up.
Hitting the street, we follow the soft blue glow emanating from evenly patterned lampposts, my footsteps quiet against the pavement. This, of course, is from no grace of mine—the boots I wear are constructed to muffle sounds.
Gazing from building to building, I take in the strange mixture of old and new in which this section of the city is styled. As if the architects suddenly stopped in their construction, skipped a century of design, and began building again in mostly modern material. Brick facades rest next to smooth white walls, Victorian light fixtures are positioned evenly down concrete sidewalks, and wrought iron fences are placed in front of all-glass buildings. What should probably appear like a hodgepodge of forms surprisingly blends together rather well.
I step to the side as a man on a bicycle passes by, and in the process I almost collide with another on a skateboard, the streets holding their usual constant hum. Straightening my black T-shirt and pants, I resist looking up to what I know will be more civilians careening above on lines, where I just was.
I still can’t believe I’m here.
After falling asleep in an alien white room, in the back of a closet, in a spiritual bookstore in New York City (yes, this is all true), I awoke only moments ago in another
brightly sterile room.
It’s the first time I’m here knowing Terra is indeed real. That everything around me exists in another dimension, not a figment of my imagination or the creation of a dream.
Fiddling with the pockets on my pants, I glance up to another form that greeted me upon my arrival, a man who still walks a few steps ahead. His confident, graceful strides glide silently over our path, and the quiver on his back hardly moves against his broad shoulders as it blends in with the rest of his black attire. As much as I’m enjoying the view from behind, it’s the color I know rests in his gaze that I find myself craving. My guide is one of Terra’s inhabitants, a Nocturna, and one of the first people I met here. He’s part of a race I’ve learned are the watchers of the Dreamers, the caretakers of our sleeping minds, and so far a person who takes up a large portion of my thoughts, both good and bad.
We haven’t spoken since before traveling the ziplines, and I would ask how much longer until our destination, but I’m enjoying the silence. Using this time to reacquaint myself with the city. Something tells me he knew I would need this.
Eventually we turn down a small street and make our way through the entrance of a more modern apartment building, where we quickly ascend a few flights in an elevator. My skin buzzes with each second I stand alone beside him, and I keep myself from being dramatic by thanking God as the doors finally open, granting me a sense of escape.
After a few more steps down a dark hallway, he leads us to an apartment at the end. Pausing, he grasps the door handle and turns to face me, finally giving me what I was hungering for all those minutes ago. With my heart ricocheting in my chest, I look into his unnatural blue eyes and dangerously handsome face, seeing the smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “Welcome home, Molly,” Dev says as he pushes open the door.
