Dreamer (The Dream World Chronicles Book 1)

by Camille Peters

  I’d never wanted anything as much as I wanted to remain in the Dream World. Already this fantastic place felt more like home than Earth ever had, despite spending my entire life there. If I couldn’t belong here, I wouldn’t belong anywhere.

  Though we arrived all too soon, we were forced to wait for quite some time before the Council would see us, a wait which only escalated my nerves before I was finally admitted.

  The Council chamber was a circular room made entirely of glass, located in the highest turret of the Dream World. Through the windowed walls, the infinite expanse of cloudless blue sky surrounded us on all sides, as if we stood on an island in the middle of a vast ocean. Despite it being night, sunlight tumbled in from the domed ceiling above, bathing the room in swirls of golden light and warmth, a contrast to the cold fear seeping over me.

  The distinguished Dream Council’s scrutinizing gazes followed me as we flew into the chamber. They encircled the room on elevated rainbow seats, all positioned behind a silver-haired man perched above the rest. He sat like a king on a throne, his plain white robes and lack of any specific style a distinct style in and of itself. Despite his silver hair, there was something eternally youthful about his face.

  A woman cloaked in black and clutching a silver staff stood with a young man tucked behind a column away from the Council, the only part of the chamber cast in shadow. My stomach lurched in recognition as he stepped into the light. Darius, the same one who’d given me the nightmare and had both interrogated and tried to protect me on Earth…or had at least pretended to.

  For a moment we stared at one another. He did nothing to mask his wide-eyed shock at seeing me, an emotion that was slowly eclipsed by horror. He glanced between me, the Dream Council, and the black-shrouded woman standing beside him. I could almost see his mind working frantically, but whether it was for a plan to help me or hurt me I didn’t know.

  The answer became clear almost immediately when his emerald eyes—the same that had watched me from the forest two days ago—narrowed. A distrustful scowl twisted his expression as he leaned towards the woman beside him to whisper something into her ear. Whatever he said caused her own suspicion to deepen.

  My heart sank. Stardust had been right: this Nightmare was most certainly my enemy. Resentment that he’d so easily tricked me burned in my veins. If only I could confront him, but our audience made such a wish impossible.

  The silver-haired man—whose seat had floated down while my attention had been diverted—stood and clicked his gold staff three times. The waiting Council’s murmurs immediately dissipated, replaced by an almost palpable anticipation as dozens of pairs of eyes focused on me. My stomach churned.

  “Stranger, our magic detected your entrance into our World. You’ve been summoned by the Dream Council so we may discover your identity, as well as your purpose in coming uninvited to our world. I’m Head Dreamer Galaxy.”

  He gestured for me to take my place at the center podium, constructed out of gold clouds matching the intricate marble floors. My footsteps echoed in the solemn stillness as I approached, while Stardust glided silently beside me.

  “We will speak with you alone; your cloud will wait for you outside.” Galaxy motioned for Stardust to depart. I itched to grab her as she shrugged apologetically and floated from the chamber.

  The moment the door closed behind her with a resonating thud, Galaxy’s penetrating stare fixed upon me. I shifted under his attention and tried to smooth out the wrinkles in my rumpled dress. Galaxy’s grey gaze softened. “There’s no need to be nervous; you’re not in trouble, only under suspicion.”

  “But I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “You’re a stranger to our world; we need no other reason to be suspicious.” Galaxy motioned to the woman in black and Darius. “May I introduce Head Nightmare Ember and her son, Nightmare Darius.”

  Darius was related to the Nightmare Council Stardust had so adamantly warned me about? I glared at him, and though his hardened expression didn’t waver, his eyes widened slightly, almost imploringly, as if pleading for me to trust him. But I knew my trust was the last thing I should ever give him. I immediately looked away.

  “I’ve been informed that you’re the individual Nightmare Darius noticed during his investigation of the unusual magical burst that occurred several days ago on Earth.”

  The Head Dreamer’s words caused me to ball my hands into fists. Despite his claims that his investigations on Earth had only been a ruse, he hadn’t wasted time turning over the evidence he’d found.

  “The Investigations Team has concluded you aren’t connected to that mysterious occurrence,” Galaxy continued. “They suspect another for whom we’ve been searching for quite some time. However, based on additional findings from Nightmare Darius, both the Dream and Nightmare Council are now suspicious of your sudden appearance in our world and feel obligated to investigate you further.”

  I returned to glaring at Darius. How much did he know? Had he turned all the information he’d gathered about me, as well as whatever remnants from my dream catching he might have discovered, directly over to the Council? Had he learned of my ability to see dreams? He didn’t flinch under my accusatory stare, but instead glared right back, any earlier sign of reassurance completely absent.

  “Let us begin,” Galaxy said, and I reluctantly yanked my gaze away from the Nightmare creep. “Because you’re from Earth my first assumption is you’re Mortal, yet not only do you possess the appearance of one from our world, but it’s apparent you can see magical beings. Who exactly are you? Who are your parents?”

  I hesitated, unsure how much I should share about my background; surely telling the Council about my mother, whose reasons for being on Earth were still a mystery, might jeopardize my chances of remaining.

  My voice shook as I spoke. “My name is Eden. I was born and raised on Earth. I’m an orphan and never knew my parents. Upon discovering there’s a world where beings who possess magic reside, I’ve come to take my place where I belong.”

  The chamber broke out in surprised murmurs. Darius smirked with the same sickly triumph he’d shown while watching me squirm during his nightmare. I shivered and hastily looked away again.

  Galaxy’s eyebrows rose. “The Council has a record of every Dreamer in existence. All who possess magic are born in this world and only go to Earth to weave. Other than dreams, magic doesn’t exist amongst Mortals.”

  I lifted my chin, trying to appear brave despite the nerves knotting my stomach. “But my presence here alone confirms I have magic, as only magical beings can enter the Dream World. I must be a Dreamer, and as such should be allowed to live here.”

  More murmurs, louder this time, erupted. Galaxy’s frown didn’t even twitch as he leaned forward on his curved staff. “That is not your decision to make.”

  My attempts at confidence faltered and my heart sank. A single word from this powerful being was enough to forever shatter the hopes that had guided me to find where I truly belonged. Despite having grown up separated from this magical world, in just the short time I’d been here, this already felt like my true home. I couldn’t bear to leave.

  “Please, as a Dreamer I deserve to be given the opportunity to stay. Will you deny one of your own kind residency?”

  “You have no proof—”

  I tugged the dream locket I’d taken from Mother out from beneath my collar and held it up. The room erupted in gasps.

  “It’s her, the one who vanished all those years ago.”

  “Of course. She comes from Earth. It all fits.”

  “She’s returned to finish what she started.”

  The accusations pressed around me like bees in a swarming beehive, increasing my panic. Galaxy stroked the amber sun glistening from the end of his staff, surveying me with renewed interest.

  “It appears you have a connection to our world after all. There is one possible explanation for who you could be. Indeed, from the moment I detected your presence among us, I wondered.”
He leaned closer, his gaze never severing from mine. “Twenty years ago a Weaver was banished to Earth, where she disappeared. For years the Council has been trying to locate her, but somehow her powers have kept her hidden. As someone who claims to be a Dreamer from Earth, you may very well be this Weaver in disguise.”

  My pulse escalated. Who were they talking about? It couldn’t be…Mother, could it? “I know nothing about the Dreamer you’re searching for, only that I’m not her.” But my voice shook. If it truly was Mother, what did that mean for me?

  “As if she’d admit to that.” Nightmare Darius finally stepped forward, his manner hardened with suspicion and his eyes merciless. “Despite her denials, it’s obvious she’s the one we’ve been searching for—her circumstance alone convicts her.” He opened his mouth, undoubtedly to continue attacking me with his accusations, but I slammed my hands on the podium.

  “How can I be this mysterious Weaver if I didn’t even know the Dream World existed until yesterday? If I were the Weaver you’re seeking, it’d be foolish for me to return.”

  But Mother had known about the Dream World; it was only more evidence she was the one the Council was searching for. The thought caused my pulse to escalate.

  “She’s obviously lying,” Darius said. “I discovered her near a large burst of unexplained magical activity on Earth, magic so strong it could only belong to the one we’ve been searching for, whose powers have undoubtedly allowed her to remain undetected from the Council all of these years.”

  “You seem to have spent a lot of time investigating Dreamer Eden,” Galaxy said. “Would you care to share your findings with the Council?”

  Darius offered a slight bow. “It would be my pleasure to aid the Council.” He turned back to me with a suspicious frown. “As the Council knows, I was sent to investigate a strange burst of magic two nights ago, a magic that occurred near where I spotted her. In all the time I’ve watched her, I’ve not only witnessed frequent unexplained magical activity around her, but several interactions between her and the Mortals on Earth, meaning they can see her. The only explanation for something so impossible is the dark magic the suspended Weaver was known for.”

  Galaxy frowned. “In all the time the Weaver we suspended performed her Weavings, we never received any report that she was seen by any of her Mortals.”

  Darius’s eyes widened. “Really? Hmm.”

  His forehead furrowed as he struggled to form another argument. I held my breath as I anxiously waited. Despite the incriminating information he’d provided, he’d at least failed to mention the bottled dream he’d stolen or my ability to enter dreams, which meant for now, at least, those secrets were safe.

  I tensed when Darius’s eyes brightened with another idea. “I obtained a sample of her powers. All we need do is compare them to the records on file to prove she’s indeed the Weaver we’ve been searching for.”

  He withdrew a vial from his pocket, which he handed to Galaxy, who compared it with a file another member of the Council handed to him. “The magic samples are different,” he concluded.

  Darius’s brows furrowed. “They are?”

  Despite his obvious perplexity, I frowned at him. What was he doing? He almost seemed to be purposely asking questions whose answers would prove my innocence. Nightmare Ember scowled at him in disapproval and he lowered his eyes in apparent remorse.

  Nightmare Ember stepped forward. “Regardless of whether or not she’s the Weaver we’ve been searching for, you can’t deny that the suspicions my son has raised are valid. Anyone born outside the Dream World and possessing such unknown powers gives us every reason to exercise caution.”

  Galaxy studied me for several moments, as if searching for traces of dishonesty. “Perhaps, perhaps not. Only time will tell, and until we have proof, it would be unjust to condemn her if she’s innocent.” He faced me. “If we allow you to stay, you must become a Weaver and earn your magic through Weavings. We will test your magical skill—if your magic is sufficient, you may live here under probation until you earn our trust; if your skills are inadequate, you will return to Earth.”

  “But I can’t return there.” Horror clenched my gut at the thought, causing me to sway; I clutched the podium for support. “Please. The villagers witnessed my magic. If I return—”

  “It’s impossible for Mortals to see magic other than dreams, so I will heed none of your pleas to remain here if you fail,” Galaxy said. “Either you will prove your abilities are strong enough or you won’t; it’s that simple. Now let us begin.”

  He stood and strolled soundlessly towards me; my nerves multiplied with each step he took. He was testing me now? What sort of test would this be? My powers were underdeveloped. If I was tested on something beyond my abilities, my chances of remaining were nonexistent.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m only self trained, and I haven’t yet learned how to create dreams.”

  If Galaxy was surprised by my knowledge of dream weaving, he didn’t show it. “Not to worry; you won’t be tested at that level. The test is a simple one for those who possess magic.”

  He paused in the center of the chamber and motioned for me to join him. My footsteps echoed in the suffocating silence, the heated gazes from the surrounding Council following my every step. I paused in front of Galaxy.

  “Before we start, hand me your dream dust locket—you’re not allowed to rely on an external source of power; this test is on your innate abilities alone.” He held out his hand and I reluctantly dropped my necklace in a coil on his palm. As his fingers enclosed it, I feared I’d never see it again. “Here is your test: summon your magic.”

  I stared. That was it? I wasn’t expected to quote spells, demonstrate fancy techniques, or elaborate on chapters from famous magic books? It seemed far too simple. Perhaps this was nothing more than a trick, and my real test was whether or not I could discern it.

  But Galaxy’s eyes were kind, bearing no hint of malicious intent. I took a deep breath and summoned my magic.

  Nothing happened. After years of practice, it was as if the route to my powers had suddenly become blocked, leaving me no way to access them. I tried again. Still nothing. Panic swelled in my breast. Did my magic only manifest itself on Earth? After a minute had slipped away, Galaxy eyed me expectantly. “Well? Are you going to demonstrate your powers or not?”

  “This is a waste of time,” Darius said. “I take back my earlier claim—it’s obvious she possesses little or no power whatsoever. I doubt she can do anything.” The Head Nightmare Ember nodded her assent, her eyes narrowed darkly at me.

  His goading immediately cleared my mental block and I summoned a small amount of magic in my palm. I struggled to push it into the air, but instead it flickered like a dying flame before completely extinguishing.

  “Pathetic,” Darius said. “I knew she didn’t belong here.”

  But even as he spoke, he subtly arranged his hand in the position I held mine before adjusting it slightly. He prodded me with his eyes then lowered his gaze to his hand. I nearly snorted. If he thought I’d fall for his trick under the guise he was supposedly helping me, then he didn’t know me at all, for I was no fool.

  My hands tightened into fists. I’d prove to that Nightmare creep I belonged here…without his supposed help. I focused on Darius and spread my hand out like a fan. A swirl of purple magic rose like sparkly smoke from my palm and spread towards the domed ceiling in a whoosh. Several people gasped and Darius’s eyes widened with delicious surprise. His response fueled my power, allowing me to press it further; it danced in glittery twirls around each of the columns before vanishing.

  The silence that followed was different than the one that had preceded my showcase—this one tingled with surprise and interest. I expected a smile to crack Galaxy’s stony expression, but his mouth remained set in its firm line.

  “Impressive. Although quite rough, your ability is obviously practiced. You claim to be self taught?”

  “Magic is frowne
d upon on Earth,” I said. “No reliable magic books exist, nor are there any other possessors of magic to tutor me. My powers were learned through trial and error.”

  A thin smile finally cracked Galaxy’s hardened expression. “Only a true Dreamer could do so.”

  Head Nightmare Ember stepped forward. “This is ridiculous. Such a demonstration was far too easy. She needs a more difficult test.”

  Darius nodded, but he seemed to be focusing intently on the Head Dreamer, his brow furrowed in concentration, only tearing his gaze away at his mother’s suspicious look. Galaxy hesitated before he shook his head.

  “It would be unfair to presume she’s capable of performing anything more. We don’t expect young Dreamers to perform magic beyond what they’ve been trained in, so how can we require the same from Miss Eden? For the time being we’ll keep an eye on her.”

  Head Nightmare Ember snorted. “You’ll merely keep an eye on her? The Nightmare Council would never allow someone so suspicious such an opportunity without further investigation. I urge you to exercise caution—surely she’s the Dreamer we’ve been searching for, feigning weaker powers in order to avoid detection. There’s no way a Dreamer not trained at the Academy could possess such rehearsed power.”

  “I appreciate your concern, Nightmare Ember, but with all due respect, Miss Eden was found in the Dream Realm, and is therefore under the Dream Council’s judgment. We will investigate the matter thoroughly, but for now, we won’t condemn her simply for being suspicious.”

  Head Nightmare Ember pursed her lips, the look in her eyes mutinous.

  Galaxy turned back to me. “Miss Eden, because you’ve successfully proven you possess magic, the time has come for me to ask: are you a Dreamer or a Nightmare?”

  That question again, the one I didn’t confidently know the answer to. Despite knowing which I wanted to give, I hesitated. “Do I have a choice?”

  “No, you’re born one or the other. Which are you?”

  I knew which one I wanted to be, the same one Darius had seemed so certain I was. “Dreamer, of course.” A strange, unsettled feeling washed over me as I said it. Darius gave a subtle nod, while Head Nightmare Ember’s frown deepened.