The unicorn’s lips tickled my palm as I fed it miniature sugarplums from a nearby bush. “I wish Earth was home to such creatures. They're amazing.”
“All beings with magic reside in the Dream World,” Iris said. “Unicorns live in the Rosewood Forest, so usually the only ones who see them are the Gatherers who collect herbs for Brewers to create new senses for the Mortal World. Unicorn hair is a powerful weaving thread, but it’s extremely expensive; only Weavers with multiple mortals who win most of their Weavings can afford it.”
It wouldn’t surprise me if Darius could afford such thread, considering how many Weavings he had the frustrating habit of winning. But rather than this thought annoying me as it once might have, it only caused me to smile.
I turned my attention away from the unicorns to subtly search the surrounding throng for him, but he remained nowhere to be seen. How would I ever find him? We should have arranged for a time and place to meet.
I continuously scanned the crowds as we left the unicorn exhibit, making it difficult to follow my friends’ conversation. My attention abruptly returned at Angel’s sharp gasp.
“Oh no, it’s Blaze.” She yanked me and Iris behind a balloon cart. Coldness seeped through me at the mere mention of his name. Crouching low, Angel craned her neck and peeked through the bundle of balloons. “I was hoping I wouldn’t see him. It’s bad enough being forced to interact every night.”
I peered around the cart. A muscular Nightmare clad in an outfit patterned with lightning bolts stood with his back to us. I didn’t need to see his face to recognize him as the Nightmare from the library, which meant Trinity lurked nearby.
“Rather than hiding, shouldn’t you talk to him civilly?” Iris asked. “After all, the festival was created as an opportunity for Dreamers and Nightmares to build—”
“Be quiet, he’ll hear us,” Angel hissed.
Iris pursed her lips in disapproval but made no further comment.
After a minute of huddling we all began shifting restlessly. “This is boring,” Stardust whined. “I want to do something fun.”
Angel glared at her before stealing another glance. “Oh good, the coast is clear.”
“Think again, Dreamer.” Blaze walked behind the balloon cart and smirked at seeing us squashed together. “I saw you before you ducked out of sight, but it was too entertaining imagining you attempting to hide from me to spoil your fun. Good morning, Dreamer.” But the way he said it didn’t sound like a good morning at all.
“Blaze.” Angel’s attention was fixated determinedly on her pink fingernails.
“Are you still sour over my victory yesterday? You can’t win them all.” His voice lowered. “Although I suppose you do win most.”
“Humph.” Angel snapped her folded arms against herself, but her scowl thawed slightly. “I want to win all of them.”
Blaze pulled out a glowing lightning bolt and a carving knife and proceeded to sculpt it into its jagged shape. “I would think you’d be more accepting of your defeats, considering you’re always preaching about the importance of maintaining the balance. Our Weavings don’t seem balanced to me. We should tip the scales more to my favor.”
“If you want that, then you’ll just have to become a better Weaver.”
“Not to worry, I’m working on that.”
Angel’s eyes narrowed. “How? By plotting to steal another batch of my dream dust?”
He visibly stiffened. “Don’t start that again. I’m no thief. You’ve undoubtedly lost your magic by your own incompetence.”
Angel lurched forward but Iris tugged her back. “Don’t, we must behave harmoniously.”
“Harmony is overrated.” Angel tried to shake herself from Iris’s hold, but she held firm until Angel gave up with a sigh and a string of muttered threats about how she planned to crush every nightmare of Blaze’s from now until the end of eternity.
Blaze smirked, triumph flashing in his eyes, before finally glancing towards me. “Why, it’s Dreamer Eden. I haven’t seen you since our little rendezvous at the Dream Library.” His smile grew more sinister. “Trinity took a particular interest in you after she discovered some rather interesting things in your heart.”
I could still feel her slithering stare, sharp and invading, just like her sudden inquiry: Are you really a Dreamer? My heart pounded at the memory. “I don’t recall her mentioning she'd seen anything unusual.”
He studied me with a rather unnerving leer. “You seem to be keeping secrets even from yourself. Perhaps you should have her look again.”
On cue, Trinity appeared beside him and beamed when she saw me, such a contrast to Blaze’s cool hostility.
“It’d wonderful to see you again, Eden.” She looped her arm through mine as if we were the best of friends, a gesture which caused Angel’s eyes to narrow suspiciously. I tried to tug away, but Trinity’s hold was firm. “It’s been too long since we’ve had a chance to visit; I’ve been anxious to see how you’re doing.” Her grin broadened as her gaze rested on my locket. “I’m pleased you’re doing better than when we last met.”
My cheeks warmed. “A little.”
“How wonderful. You wouldn’t mind if we had a little chat, would you?” Her grip tightened. “In private?”
Before I could respond, she tugged me away from my friends, Blaze trailing behind. Angel and Iris looked like they were about to follow, whereas Stardust was suddenly nowhere to be seen. Trinity pulled me down a side street and we were lost in the swarming crowd.
She stopped in a secluded area beneath a bridge, where no exhibits were set up for yards. “This will be the perfect place.”
I rubbed my throbbing arm after she finally released me. “What do you want?”
“To talk. We didn’t have much of an opportunity when we met before, but now is the perfect time.” She smiled again, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Why would you want to talk with me? You’re a Nightmare.”
“Isn’t one of the festival’s purposes to build friendships between our two worlds? What better way to do so than by engaging in a friendly conversation…about you.”
I didn’t like the urgency in her tone, nor the strange hunger filling her eyes. “What about me?”
Trinity’s gaze lingered on my still considerably empty locket. “Although you’ve managed to win a few Weavings, with your abilities you should be crushing your Nightmare partner every night. He sure seems particularly interested in you, although he can’t quite figure you out…but we know better, don’t we?”
My heart hammered, both at her words and the intimidating way Blaze hovered nearby, watching me. I didn’t like where this conversation was going. I glanced around, but the pockets of Dreamers and Nightmares wandering past paid us no attention.
“There’s no reason to be afraid, Eden,” Trinity laid a gentle hand on my arm; I recoiled at her prickling touch. “We want to help you. It’d be a shame to waste your amazing abilities.”
My unease grew, causing my stomach twist in anxious knots. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think you do.” She looked around, checking that none of the surrounding Dreamers and Nightmares were within earshot before leaning closer and lowering her voice. “I’m talking about your unique ability to see dreams.”
I stumbled back. For a moment I couldn’t speak. “What do you mean? I can’t—it’s impossible—”
“Oh Eden, you know you can’t lie to me,” Trinity said with almost sickening sweetness. “I read it in your heart the day we met, and I can sense your fear at having your secret discovered now.”
Goosebumps prickled my arms. “You have no proof.”
“Don’t I? Would my knowing you recently saw Darius’s infamous spider nightmare suffice?”
For a moment her words startled my mind into silence. She couldn’t mean…since she could only read feelings, not minds, the only way she could know about my abilities was if Darius had told her…but surely he wouldn’t. But
even as I adamantly tried to deny it, the truth seeped over me, sharp and poisonous. Despite my wanting anything more than to trust him, in the end Darius had betrayed me—a betrayal deeper and more painful after everything I’d confided in him.
I gritted my teeth. That. Conniving. Spiderweb. Creep.
“There’s no need to get upset.” Trinity patted my clenched fists, and this time I didn’t flinch away.
“We want to help you,” Blaze said. “There’s never been another gift like yours.”
“That’s right. We hate seeing you waste your potential. With your incredible abilities, you should have considerably more dream dust than this.” She lightly tapped my locket with her orange fingernail. While this morning I’d been pleased with my increased amount, it now seemed pathetically small under these Nightmares’ scrutinizing gazes. “First, you must better understand dreams. What do you know about them?”
“They’re created by Weavers and are comprised of sensory details woven together with magic, which creates a story that unfolds for the Mortal while they sleep.” My voice was a monotone, all emotion drained out of me at the news about what Darius had done. Her revelation only confirmed what I’d longed not to be true—my friends were right to warn me to stay away from Darius.
Trinity sighed. “Such limited knowledge. Of course it’s not your fault, Eden dear. After all, you weren’t raised in the Dream World, nor did you attend the Academy. Considering you’re the only one who can see dreams, you of anyone should know that they’re so much more. Without your ability, we’d all believe dreams vanished immediately after they’re viewed. But thanks to you, we know they exist afterwards, and not only that…”
“They can be entered,” I said.
Trinity’s eyes glistened. “Exactly. This reveals an unbelievable and previously unknown truth: dreams aren’t stories, they’re worlds.”
I gaped at her. “Worlds?”
“It’s impossible for anyone to enter a mere story, but if dreams are separate worlds, not only can they be entered, they can be explored.” Her eyes glistened even as her fingers dug into my arm. “You have access to places no one else does. That’s a power you could use to win every Weaving you ever perform, and the key to remaining in our world forever.”
For a moment, hope warmed me at her incredible suggestion…until it was crushed when a warning niggled me for my attention: despite my wanting to believe her, Nightmares weren’t to be trusted—Darius had singlehandedly destroyed any hope of that.
But I wanted to believe her. My time in the Dream World had taught me that Weaving wasn’t the glorious profession I’d previously envisioned; it was grueling and merciless. I was tired of being a magical pauper forced to ration my magic, the constant drought of ideas, my sore fingers after hours of weaving a week, and the painstakingly long hours it took to plan and construct a dream, only for it to be crushed by another of Darius’s nightmares.
I leaned closer, eager for the secret that would ensure my place here. “How would I do that?”
Blaze smirked, which should have been a warning to me, but Trinity’s smile was less triumphant, as if she truly had my best interests at heart; my unease slipped away.
“I don’t have an answer to that. You’re the dream explorer; you tell me.”
I nibbled my lip, considering. “I’m not sure it’s possible to explore a dream; whenever I enter a dream, it unfolds just like a story, my own agency eclipsed by the Mortal’s. It’s impossible to break away.”
“Just because you’ve never done it doesn’t mean it’s impossible,” Trinity said. “You have more magic than you realize. Dreams are unique places created entirely from the Weaver’s imagination. As such, they undoubtedly contain fascinating locations with unusual objects that would yield unspeakable powers should you be able to capture them.”
Although it almost seemed too good to be true, the possibilities tantalized my thoughts. And yet everything else I’d tried with my captured dreams had failed. Why would this be any different?
Trinity’s elated expression darkened as she read my unwelcome doubt. “I’ve searched your heart. I know how much you yearn for a place in this world, but you want more than to prove yourself—you want to be someone.”
It was as if my heart was laid before her as she explored every bit of its contents like a book she perused. If she was right about my desires, could she also be right about the extent of my power? Did the key I’d been searching for ever since arriving in the Dream World exist within dreams?
I yearned to linger and further explore this fantastic idea, but our time had come to a close. “Eden!”
Angel, Iris, and our clouds had finally found us. Stardust immediately morphed into ropes and wrapped herself securely around me. “I was so worried; I was certain they’d done something awful to you.” She tugged me away from the Nightmares, who made no motion to retain me.
“It was simply a friendly conversation,” Trinity said. “Nothing to be alarmed over. We’ll see you later, Eden.” With that, she and Blaze disappeared into the crowd.
Chapter 26
“What in flying comets was that all about?” Angel asked as she dragged me away from the Nightmares, her grip so tight I was sure it'd leave a bruise. I followed numbly, still stunned by what Darius had done. “You can’t believe anything they told you; Nightmares can’t be trusted, particularly Blaze. Did he try to get you to tell him my weaving strategies so he can beat me more?”
Why did Angel immediately assume that any Nightmare who talked to me was only using me? “He didn’t even ask about you,” I said curtly.
“Then what did you talk about?”
I fidgeted beneath her piercing stare. “They wanted to see how I was doing and offer me additional weaving advice.”
Angel gaped at me. “But they’re Nightmares. Why would they care whether or not you win Weavings?”
My voice wavered as I spun my lie. “Trinity harbors a grudge against Darius.” My heart lurched just to mention his name. “Apparently he got them in trouble with the Nightmare Council, and now they want him to lose in order to weaken his power.”
Iris’s brow puckered thoughtfully. “It’s unusual, but their motive seems solid.”
Angel frowned, clearly unconvinced. “Despite their claims, they obviously have a more sinister motive. I don’t care how much they hate Eden’s partner—no Nightmare offers to assist a Dreamer to beat one of their own kind unless they want something in exchange.” Angel’s glare sharpened. “Did they ask for anything?”
“No.” But I bit my lip. Had I been too quick to accept Trinity’s theories? Was her interest only because she wanted to use my abilities for herself?
Both Angel and Iris seemed like they wanted to say more—Angel’s expression in particular suggested an upcoming rant—but thankfully I was spared any further interrogation when she spotted someone in the crowd. She lit up. “Caspian.”
I’d never better appreciated the perfect timing of her Pair than now. He approached on his foamy blue cloud. Angel’s grumpiness vanished in an instant as she rushed over to embrace him.
Caspian leapt gracefully off his cloud. “Hi, Sugarplum.” His arms looped around Angel’s waist to nestle her against him. He sobered when he noticed the lingering anger in her pink eyes. “You’re a bit tense. Are you alright?”
“Just an unpleasant encounter with Blaze.”
Caspian’s entire manner was immediately protective. “What did he do?”
She sighed and snuggled closer. “I just hate being around him.”
“I know.” He stroked Angel’s magenta hair. “I have just the place to take you in order to cheer you up.”
Angel tilted her head so her gaze met his. Although they exchanged no words, an entire symphony of conversation seemed to pass between them.
As I watched the couple, a group of Dreamers shuffled by, munching on candy apples. As the alluring sweet caramel scent washed over me, for a split second I imagined myself enfolded in Darius’s arms, h
im cradling me close the same way Caspian held Angel…before the image slipped away.
He’s a Nightmare, I reminded myself over and over again, but the reminder did little to dispel my longings or my hurt.
Angel stroked Caspian’s cheek and managed to sever their connection long enough to turn towards us. “Do you mind if I go with him?”
Iris’s starry-eyed gaze only brightened. “Not at all. It’s my turn to manage the cultivating display anyway. You don’t mind being alone, do you, Eden?”
“No,” I lied.
“Don’t forget I’m still here,” Stardust said sourly. Great, now I was stuck dealing with a sulky cloud. She turned the force of her bad mood on me the moment we were alone. “Finally. I didn’t think I could remain silent a moment longer.”
I was still scowling after Iris and Angel and was in no mood for Stardust’s usual cryptic manner. “What are you talking about?”
“The Nightmares you talked with, obviously,” she said. “Did you honestly think I would let you go off with them by yourself? Please. I’m more loyal than that.”
“But I didn’t see—”
"Need I remind you I'm a morpher and can shrink to any size I want?” she said. “I only pretended like I didn’t know what was going on in order to protect your secret, an act which was agonizing considering I have my detective reputation to uphold.”
Her revelation only deepened my bad mood. I pressed my hands to my hips. “If you were there, why didn’t you intervene?”
“Don’t you know anything about being undercover? If I’d interjected, I wouldn’t have been able to discover what those Nightmares were up to. And speaking of which…” Stardust’s suspicious gaze scanned the surrounding crowd, searching for eavesdroppers. “How did those Nightmares learn about your ability to see dreams? I don’t believe for a moment Trinity read it in your heart. Her powers seem limited to reading emotions, not minds.”
I gritted my teeth. “Darius.”
Dreamer (The Dream World Chronicles Book 1) Page 29
