Again Galaxy hesitated, as if reconsidering letting me stay so easily. He hastily blinked. “Very well. You’re obviously enough of a Dreamer in appearance and ability that, for the time being, you’re allowed to stay.”
A surge of joy filled me as he handed back my dream locket, which I clasped around my neck.
“You will need to be tutored to increase your powers before you will be permitted to receive a weaving assignment. I recommend sending you to the Academy to commence your training.”
“I’ve already been trained.” My desperation to remain but avoid the Academy compelled me to lie. The thought of attending a place where there was greater chance for not only my unique powers but my quirks, such as my need for sleep, to be exposed made me sick to my stomach.
Galaxy frowned suspiciously. “But you just told this Council you hadn’t received any formal training.”
Drat, so I had. My mind scrambled. “Well, actually, I found some books…at this bookstore in the village…that were hidden away…one was about dream weaving. I’ve read it many times.”
Galaxy lifted a skeptical brow. “Oh really? Then why don’t you demonstrate your skills for the Council?”
Panic swelled. “Though the book was comprehensive, I’ve never had an opportunity to practice my skills. Having lived on Earth, I didn’t have access to the magical plants used to construct dreams. I would need some practice first.”
Galaxy considered this. Everyone in the chamber watched him as they awaited his response; Darius in particular stared at him rather intently.
“The next Academy term doesn’t start for another month, so you can use that time to practice,” he said. “In three weeks you’ll show me what you can do and I’ll decide whether you can skip official training; occasionally Weavers have shown enough natural aptitude that they’re able to forgo a portion or all of the Academy. If your skills prove inadequate, you’ll enroll at the Academy…assuming you haven’t done anything in the meantime that causes me to doubt granting you the opportunity to remain in our world.”
Warm relief rushed over me. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “I expect you to take your studies seriously. Magic is an ancient art and each occupation is a sacred responsibility. Only if you prove you have the necessary skill required will you be given a weaving position. Weaving assignments are a requirement of all magical beings who’ve graduated from the Academy if they wish to remain in our world.” He paused, inviting questions.
“I understand.” Was this real? Would I really be allowed to stay here after all?
“This is the first time in our history that a Dreamer has not been born in our world, and we will keep an eye on you while we investigate the matter further.”
Darius leaned over and whispered something to Head Nightmare Ember, who spoke again. “You are a fool, Galaxy. I advise you to send this creature back to Earth where she belongs. Such meager powers for one her age are useless; she must be at least one hundred.”
“Power is power, Ember; even the tiniest seed can grow into a mighty oak, no matter how late it is planted.”
She smirked. “The Council’s judgment has proven unreliable in the past, as evidenced by the Weaver who somehow disappeared shortly after her suspension. But fine, train her if you will; give her a weaving position, it matters not to me. It would be in a Nightmare’s best interest to be partnered with a Dream Weaver so inexperienced.” She rose gracefully. “Come Darius, we have matters to attend to.”
But Darius didn’t move. “With all due respect, Head Dreamer Galaxy, I urge you to investigate Dreamer Eden thoroughly; she’s a Dreamer unlike any I’ve ever met. A few nights ago I succeeded in giving her a nightmare. Despite her measly display of power, it’s clear she possesses unnatural magic; it’s impossible for Weavers to receive dreams of any kind.”
The Council erupted in mutters of suspicion again and my previously elated heart sank. Why did he have to bring that up? Would it be enough to change the Council’s mind?
Galaxy sighed wearily, as if putting up with a child’s tantrum. He pulled out a needle and thread from inside his white robes, and with a twirl of silver magic he summoned two flowers from a bag floating beside his empty seat. In rapid movements he wove the images together and released the dream directly above me. I expected it to appear as a floating orb like the dreams I’d discovered in the village, but it disappeared, almost as if it hadn’t been woven at all.
“Hmm, as I suspected, she cannot receive the dream, as is completely normal amongst our kind.” Galaxy put his needle and thread away. “Satisfied, Nightmare Darius?”
Darius’s mouth hung open. He attempted to say something, but all that came out was a strangled sound of disbelief.
“You may not agree with my decision to give Dreamer Eden a chance, but it is beneath you to make up something so ridiculous as her seeing one of your nightmares. That’s impossible.”
Darius finally found his voice. “But—before, she—I was sure she’d seen—” But despite his clear astonishment, his eyes glistened with a look of undeniable wonder and hope, as if he was secretly pleased by whatever Galaxy’s failed demonstration had proven.
“Enough, Nightmare Darius,” Galaxy said. “As you can see, my dream is yielding no dream dust; it’s clear she cannot see it. For now the matter is closed.”
Darius snapped his mouth shut in submission. Nightmare Ember stepped forward, looking ready to launch into another tirade, but just then the Council door burst open and a grey-shrouded member of the Investigations Team hurried into the chamber.
“Forgive this interruption, Head Dreamer Galaxy, but we’ve finally finished assembling all the clues concerning the possible sighting.” He and Galaxy exchanged a long, knowing look. Galaxy nodded.
“Thank you, Investigator Cedar.” He glanced at Darius, who stood calmly, and Head Nightmare Ember, whose stance was rigid, her fists clenched. “As you can see, the Council has more pressing issues to address at this time. Head Nightmare Ember and Nightmare Darius, you are excused. Thank you for your input.”
Galaxy bowed and the two Nightmares stomped from the room, Ember with her chin held high. Before exiting the chamber Darius paused for a lingering look back at me, followed by a small smile and a wink. I stared, perplexed. What had that meant? Was he mocking me? Undoubtedly. But before I could try and fully decipher what it meant, he was gone, and with a wave of Head Dreamer Galaxy’s hand, I too was excused.
Chapter 11
I blinked in surprise when I found Stardust, Angel, and Iris waiting in the gilded marble lobby outside the Council chamber, perched on the edge of a cloud settee, with identical anxious expressions. Iris sprang to her feet the moment she caught sight of me.
“What did they say? Are you allowed to stay?”
I hardly knew. My mind whirled with the events from the recent meeting. “Only if I prove I belong.” A task that was not only utterly daunting, but which had been given based on a lie. Yet despite the hopelessness of my situation, I couldn’t regret my actions. This was my home. I needed to stay.
Angel’s and Iris’s eyes widened. “They’re giving you a chance to prove yourself? Through what means?”
“A test, one which I only have three weeks to prepare for.”
A length of time that wasn’t nearly long enough to gain the skills other magical beings had spent years acquiring. No matter how much I felt part of this wondrous world, my stay would surely be fleeting; and once I was forced to leave, I wouldn’t belong anywhere.
Iris wrung her hands. “That’s not enough time at all. Why would the Council give you so little time?”
Angel emerged from her blank shock to warily eye the closed chamber doors before leaning closer and lowering her voice. “Since when has the Council ever been fair? Weavers study magic since infancy. How can you be expected to learn years of education in so little time? It seems impossible.”
My apprehension only grew. Despite my inherent magical abilities, I knew nothing about weavi
ng.
Iris pursed her lips thoughtfully. “While the task is daunting, it’s still an amazing opportunity, one I’ve never heard of any Dreamer receiving, but I suppose the situation is unprecedented. There’s no reason to kick you out when you’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Considering she does have magic, I suppose it makes sense they’ll allow her to stay at least until the next Academy term starts,” Angel said. “Though the gesture is undoubtedly a formality; I’m sure the Council doesn’t actually expect her to have the abilities to skip actual training.”
Iris gave her a warning look, one that was unnecessary, for Angel had only voiced my very fears. Had the Council set me up to fail? What would happen if I did? While the Council promised I’d be able to attend the Academy, if I ended up failing there as well…
If I couldn’t remain in the Dream World, where would I go? I certainly couldn’t return to Earth. Desperation pressed against my chest. No matter what it took, I simply had to stay.
“Will you help me?” I pleaded.
“Of course we will,” Iris said.
Angel nodded enthusiastically. “Not only will it be an adventure, I can use the opportunity to pick your brain about Alice’s dreams so I can more frequently beat Blaze.”
“Count me in,” Stardust chimed in. “I didn’t drag my new owner to the Dream World just for a holiday.”
My heart lifted, dissipating some of my unease. Unlike my time on Earth, I now had friends and my own cloud. I needn’t face this new challenge alone.
Iris looped her arm through mine and led me down the gold-encrusted corridor towards the window exit. “Perhaps the task won’t be as daunting as we anticipate. The first several years of magical education teach Weavers how to access and control their magic—which you already know how to do—and a large portion focuses on a Weaver’s chosen side profession—such as Cultivating or Nature Artistry—which you don’t currently need. So all we really need to cover is weaving, which you already have a basic understanding of if you have any knowledge of Mortal needlework, not to mention you’re approaching your studies with an advantage considering you’ve heard Mortals discussing their dreams for years.”
For the first time since my summons from the Council, I felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps I wouldn’t fail after all.
The only remaining concern was where I would be staying, but Angel and Iris proved invaluable once more by offering me the spare room in their flat, which had been empty since their friend had recently had her Pair Ceremony and moved in with her Pair. Though I didn’t quite know what a Pair was, based on Angel’s description of her relationship with her own Pair, Caspian, I took it as being the equivalent of what mortals would call a soulmate, with the Pair Ceremony being akin to Mortal marriage.
We hopped onto our clouds and flew from the Council tower. The night was jarring after the bright sunlight from the chamber, but beneath the starlight I could admire the surroundings we soared past. Clusters of cottages with thatched roofs made from fresh blossoms and lush gardens of spectacular flora dotted the landscape, as did rows of various shops.
We flew to a tall lighthouse structure that jutted from the center of a rose-tinted lake, its surface so smooth it reflected the velvety sky above. Rather than standing tall and erect, the tower twisted, its top swallowed up by the starlit sky. Hundreds of crystal windows draped with petal curtains stacked on top of one another, their cursive addresses glistening above them.
We hovered outside window number 717. Angel took a key from her shoulder bag and, to my surprise, unlocked it as if it were a door. We entered a charming parlor featuring walls comprised of nature murals and a floor of cream carpet bathed in artistic moonlit patterns. Plump cloud sofas and armchairs sat arranged around an ornate gold coffee table, upon which rested a vase of fresh jeweled flowers emitting a fruity fragrance. A harp played by an invisible musician trilled softly in the corner.
I stared around in wonder as Angel and Iris led Stardust and me from the parlor into the corridor, where a potted magnolia tree’s pink-laced branches stretched along the wall and twisted around the door frames like ivy. They paused at the furthest door and opened it, gesturing for me to enter. “Summer’s old room.”
My hair tangled in one of the branches framing the doorway as I stepped inside. The room’s style fit the name of its previous occupant. I felt I’d stepped into a garden. Ivy crawled up the walls and wisteria hung from the ceiling, an effect that was truly enchanting. A giant sunflower formed a tidy desk, its leaves twisting into a seat, and other flowers laced together to form bookshelves and other furniture. The carpet was a lush grassy green, and the walls featured a mural of an enchanting garden straight out of a fairy tale—heart-shaped blossoms in soft hues of lilac and peach, which I stared at breathlessly for several minutes.
“Summer was a Cultivator like me, so our rooms match,” Iris said. “Though she moved out several years ago, we’ve never gotten around to redecorating it. You’re free to redecorate it in your own style.”
I shook my head. It was perfect the way it was.
We all settled in the cozy daisy armchairs to discuss the plans for my training, but Angel and Iris quickly grew distracted as they discussed the Weavings they’d done while I was with the Council.
“How did yours go?” Iris asked Angel.
She slammed her hands against her armrests. “Awful. I slaved away recreating a dream that creamed Blaze a few nights ago, but tonight he managed to beat it with a nightmare he claims was about a forest coming alive and wreaking havoc on the village and my Mortal’s family. How could such a ridiculous nightmare trump a dream about true love?”
“Mortals don’t like recurring dreams; they make them nervous,” Iris said. “That’s one of the first lessons taught in basic weaving.”
“But this was a love dream,” Angel said, as if that fact alone excused any reason for its failure. “Alice and Mason need to get together; they’re perfect for one another.”
“We’re not to interfere with the affairs of Mortals,” Iris said sharply. “Even though we’re both only on our first Mortal, you should know better than that.”
Angel slouched in her seat. “I’m not influencing Alice, I’m merely encouraging emotions she already feels. I even selected my details from white carnations and red chrysanthemums, flowers that symbolize romance, to increase the likelihood of Alice experiencing the emotion of love within her dream. It took me forever to find them all, but even after all that effort I still lost to one of the Universe’s laziest Weavers.”
“Flower symbolism techniques merely strengthen a Weaving, but a well-crafted dream doesn’t guarantee a win if your opponent’s is stronger,” Iris said. “Blaze is obviously aware of your Mortal’s fears and played off them. The fear of loss can be just as powerful as love.”
“His Pair must have given him the idea; Blaze isn’t creative enough to come up with that on his own.” Angel sank further in her chair, muttering something under her breath, the only discernible phrase being “…probably cheated.”
Iris worried her lip. “Did you lose any dust today?”
At the mention of the recent theft, Stardust immediately perked up and morphed into her notebook, poised to take notes.
Angel shook her head. “It only happens when I beat Blaze. I suppose he’s not motivated to steal when he manages to pull off one of his rare wins.”
“There’s no proof Blaze is the one who stole your dream dust—”
Angel punched the pillow she rested against. “Well, some Nightmare did. Only dark magic can steal dust from a dream locket, and he’s the only Nightmare I have the misfortune to interact with. Who else could it possibly be?”
Iris didn’t seem inclined to answer her. “I lost, too, though I shouldn’t complain as tonight wasn’t my best effort—I spent more time Cultivating than planning my dream, and then I rushed my Weaving so I could wait for Eden to emerge from the Council. Besides, I’ve won several nights in a row. Shade put so much effort into
her nightmare and was so pleased she won.”
Angel rolled her eyes. “You’re the only Dream Weaver I know who would feel even a sliver of sympathy for your Nightmare partner.”
Iris shrugged. “It seems right to behave civilly towards our Weaving partners. After all, we’re partnered with them for a Mortal’s entire life. You could at least make an effort with Blaze.”
“I’ll never get along with him—not now, not ever. Our partnership is merely one of endurance.”
Iris sighed and shook her head.
Their dizzying conversation washed over me in waves, making me more overwhelmed and panicked than ever. Iris noticed my widening eyes and patted my arm. “It’s not as difficult as it sounds; we’ll help you learn all you need to know in order to receive your own Mortal.”
She and Angel shifted their discussion into a study plan, but not even several minutes into it I began to grow drowsy. I tried to follow the conversation, but the rush of words quickly blurred together until everything became incoherent in my foggy mind. My eyes drooped shut.
“Are you alright, Eden?”
I startled and my eyes shot open to see my friends’ concerned gazes monitoring me.
“I’m just a bit tired…” I slouched in my seat. Even with the minimal amount of sleep I needed compared to other Mortals, it had been several days since I’d last slept and it was finally taking its toll.
“Tired?” Iris’s brow puckered. “Are you low on magic?”
I stifled a yawn. “I actually need sleep like a Mortal, though not nearly as much.” I braced myself for their reactions to this anomaly, but they only looked fascinated.
“Perhaps it’s because you’re a magical being from Earth. I wonder in which other ways your background has affected you.” Angel rose. “But that is a discussion for another time. For now, I have the perfect solution.”
Dreamer (The Dream World Chronicles Book 1) Page 13
