“You set me up.” Even though I’d suspected it from the beginning, heat flashed through my body as all my resentment—which had been festering since learning of Darius’s betrayal—returned and boiled over.
He flinched as if I’d slapped him. “No, I—”
“Stop playing games, I know exactly what you’re up to. The only reason you wanted to watch the flying colors together was so you could uncover more of my secrets. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’ve never seen any dream except for the one you wove for me.”
“Eden, I swear, I wasn’t trying to—”
“Stop. No more lies.”
His jaw tightened and he jerked to his feet. At first we had a silent, glaring stare down before all at once his expression cleared. “Eden…”
“Go away!” I turned my back to him, my wall securely built back up. The only sounds between us were my heavy breaths and my heart pounding in my ears.
“I’m sorry,” Darius whispered.
I waited for a moment, and when he didn’t say anything more I spun around, but he was already gone, swallowed by the audience.
Chapter 28
I watched, unseeing, as a lime, carnation, and pansy-colored aurora display lit up the sky, their colors swaying like ocean waves, their beauty eclipsed by the tornado of emotions raging within me.
Stardust floated over. “Finally, he’s gone. You two were getting pretty cozy. So much for your promised silent treatment.” She caught a glimpse of my face, which I only then realized was streaked with tears, and her annoyance immediately softened. “What happened?”
I frantically tried to wipe away the evidence of the pain Darius had inflicted. “You were right: it was all a setup to get more information from me.” Even though it came as no surprise, it still stung, especially after I’d tentatively extended my trust to him again.
“I did warn you,” Stardust said. “Nightmares are nothing but darkness and would do anything to lure you into their web.”
I’d received that warning countless times since arriving in the Dream World, but I’d been certain Darius was different. I could still feel the shadow of his touch, see the fervor in his gaze…the memories caused the warmth he often made me feel to surge through me, one that felt different than the hot fury simmering inside of me.
“Please, I don’t want to talk about him.”
Stardust searched my expression and I wondered if she could detect the true reason for my heartache at Darius’s betrayal—that what existed between us was something more than a weaving partnership, making each time he violated my trust all the more painful. I braced myself for an interrogation, but thankfully she merely curled up beside me.
“At least he left before the show ended so we could watch the rest of it together.” She snuggled closer and I absently petted her, each stroke helping soothe some of my pain.
The flying colors’ dance was beginning to slow, their artistic patterns becoming fewer and further between as the show neared its conclusion. But instead of the colors fading into the night they suddenly shifted, transforming from vibrant, cheerful hues to dark shades. The patterns separated to twist into large, looming letters, appearing one by one across the sky, before arranging themselves into a message, scrawled in eerie script: The Balance is Tipping. Dreamers Beware.
A tense, foreboding silence filled the air as the glowing threat glistened ominously. Then all at once the spell was broken; gasps echoed throughout the meadow as the audience pointed up to the sky.
“Comets.” Stardust wasted no time ogling; she promptly morphed into her notebook and frantically copied the message down. “Words never appear during the flying colors show. Only dark magic could manipulate something this powerful.”
The threat hung in the sky for a few more seconds before it melted away, leaving nothing but inky night, but the apprehension it had created lingered, prickling my skin.
Although the show was over, no one made any effort to leave. Ashen-faced Dreamers huddled together, whispering anxiously and casting suspicious glances at nearby Nightmares, many of whom were gloating.
A trio of smirking Nightmares wandered past. “Who do you think put the message in the flying colors?”
“Whoever did is brilliant. The Dreamers need to know what’s coming.”
Stardust frowned after them as they disappeared into the crowd. “This is undoubtedly a Nightmare’s doing, and what better place to make a statement than the Dream Festival?”
“But Iris said the festival is meant to create peace and friendship.”
Stardust rolled her eyes. “Iris’s head is in the clouds. Everyone knows the festival is merely a formality; nothing can erase an eternity of contention. Now let’s search for clues.” She morphed into a magnifying glass and darted off. I hurried to catch up, weaving around pockets of solemn Dreamers, who flinched at my passing.
I clutched a stitch growing in my side. “Where are we going?” I panted.
“The scene of the crime, of course,” Stardust said. “Which is undoubtedly the cauldron the flying colors were poured into. I’ll have this case solved before midnight.”
The pewter cauldron in question, the size of a small mound, stood tucked behind a thicket of blossoming blue trees, a ladder resting against its side. No one appeared to be in sight.
Stardust smirked. “I knew we’d beat the Investigations Team. Such incompetence. My quick response time would be an asset if they’d only let me join.”
She promptly began examining every inch of the surrounding area, morphing back and forth between her notebook and magnifying glass forms.
“Aha, magic prints on the ladder, no doubt traces of the criminal’s dream dust as they climbed up to add the spell that created their threat.” She scribbled the information in her notebook. “If we can figure out whose it is, we’ll have our culprit. Oh look, glitter.”
Glitter…my heart pounded as I glanced at my own sparkle-coated hand. “We shouldn’t be here.”
Stardust carefully brushed the glitter sample clinging to the side of the ladder. “We can’t leave until I gather more clues.”
“But we’re going to get—do you hear something?”
Murmurs sounded in the distance, followed by the patter of footsteps, drifting closer. I hastily ducked behind a clump of golden firs and yanked Stardust down with me. We crouched together and waited with bated breath. The voices grew louder, and soon through the slit between the branches I saw two figures enter the clearing.
“They must be the criminals,” Stardust whispered, a bit too loudly. “They always return to the scene of the crime. We’ll catch them redhanded.”
“Be quiet, they’ll hear you.”
Stardust morphed into ropes in preparation to apprehend the intruders and squinted through the glowing leaves. “Comets, it’s the Council.”
“What?” I carefully pulled a branch aside. Head Dreamer Galaxy and Head Nightmare Ember stood in the clearing, both their faces red with agitation.
Galaxy gestured frantically towards the sky. “Now do you believe the balance is tipping?”
“Ridiculous,” Ember said. “The balance is maintained by the strongest forces of magic that govern our entire Universe. It can’t possibly shift.”
“I’m telling you, a Nightmare is—”
“What makes you think a Nightmare is behind it?” Ember asked icily.
“Nightmare flowers are appearing in the Cultivating Fields, Dreamers are winning fewer and fewer Weavings, aspects of the Nightmare Realm are drifting into the Dream Realm, dream dust is being stolen nearly every night, and now this. Can there be any doubt?”
Ember pursed her lips. “The Nightmare Realm is just as concerned with the balance as the Dream Realm. What motive would anyone have to disrupt it?”
Galaxy’s face darkened, but before he could say anything more, a figure that had previously been camouflaged with its surroundings appeared seemingly out of nowhere and tapped Galaxy on the shoulder. Relief swarmed the Head
Dreamer’s expression.
“Ah, Head Investigator Cedar. Have you discovered any leads?”
More figures stirred in the moonlit clearing I’d previously thought abandoned, so perfectly concealed they were no more than outlines. We hadn’t been alone after all…which meant they’d seen Stardust and me poking around in a place we shouldn’t have been.
My heart pounded in trepidation. “We should get out of here.” But before we could move, Investigator Cedar leaned down to whisper something in Galaxy’s ear and pointed directly to our hiding spot. My stomach lurched as Ember’s head whisked in our direction.
“Uh-oh,” Stardust murmured. In a few strides Ember reached the trees and pushed aside the branches masking us from view. Her eyes glistened like a cat who’d just cornered a mouse. I silently cursed being saddled with a cloud harboring an investigation addiction.
“Well, well, well, what are you doing lurking around the scene of the crime, Dreamer Eden?”
“I— I—” My mouth had gone dry and it felt like my throat had sealed shut. Ember smirked, as if my silence was a confession.
“We’re investigating,” Stardust said hotly. “The prime time to do so is always when the clues are still fresh. As a professional, I don’t waste any time dawdling.”
Galaxy and Ember frowned at her before turning their accusatory glare back to me. “Then why were you hiding?”
“I’m sure there’s a logical explanation for Dreamer Eden’s behavior,” Galaxy said, but doubt lingered in his eyes. “This was discovered beside the cauldron where the flying colors were brewed. Does this by chance belong to you?” He held out a glitter star clip, identical to the ones woven through my ringlets.
My hand fluttered to my hair. “I’m not sure,” I stammered.
“Or this magic sample, provided by the Investigations Team.” Ember flashed a corked bottle containing lilac dream dust. Even from a distance, it looked similar to mine. “We have yet to perform any tests to be sure, but it looks uncannily like yours.”
My heart leapt to my throat as I frantically shook my head. “I didn’t—there has to be some mistake. I wouldn’t—”
“Silence,” Ember hissed, and I promptly snapped my mouth shut. “You’re obviously lying. Let’s proceed to the Council chamber and continue this interrogation in private. Come, Dreamer Eden.”
With a heavy heart I obediently followed her to the Council Chamber, feeling with each step that my time in the Dream World had come to a close.
How could this be happening? Thousands had attended the flying colors. Why had the Council chosen me to interrogate? I knew I shouldn't worry—I was innocent, after all. Surely I’d be out of here in time for my Weaving. But my self-assurances did little to loosen the knots tangling my stomach.
Shivers raked over me as I stood in the center of the Council Chamber, waiting for the trial to begin. The Investigations Team—all clothed in identical grey outfits that allowed them to easily blend into the shadows—lined the circular room, eying me with piercing stares that sent shivers up and down my spine. I couldn’t fathom why Stardust aspired to join such a group; their dark solemnity was a stark contrast to her colorful vibrancy.
Head Investigator Cedar approached Galaxy, who was now perched on his floating seat, and bowed. “With your permission, I’ll present the case against Dreamer Eden.”
Pity filled Galaxy’s glance towards me. “Proceed, but keep in mind this is merely a preliminary hearing to examine the evidence you’ve obtained.”
Investigator Cedar laid out the evidence piece by piece: the spell in question had been performed in an unconventional style befitting someone who had never received formal training at the Academy; one Dreamer had witnessed me in a secluded area engaged in a lengthy secretive exchange with two Nightmares; I’d been discovered at the scene of the crime, along with a magic sample they believed to be mine; and they’d found a hair clip that perfectly matched the ones in my hair, which they were convinced I’d dropped during the very act. Each condemning word only increased the icy fear pressing against my chest until I could scarcely breathe.
“Clips like that one were being sold at the festival,” Stardust interrupted, seeming quite eager to prove her reasoning skills in front of the Head Investigator himself. “It could have easily been purchased by any number of suspects; there’s no definitive proof it belongs to Eden.”
Head Investigator Cedar’s responding smile seemed amused, but Stardust’s argument only deepened Dreamer Galaxy’s frown. “That point aside, if what Investigator Cedar claims is true, these accusations are quite serious. I had such high hopes for you, Dreamer Eden, so I sincerely hope these accusations are unfounded.”
Before I could speak, Stardust once again leapt to my defense. “It’s not Eden’s fault. We were only at the scene of the crime because I needed to gather clues for my own investigation.”
“If her discovery at the scene was our only reason for suspicion, we certainly wouldn’t have a case against her,” Cedar said. “However, as we’ve already demonstrated, there’s simply too much other damning evidence to ignore.”
“All of which seems purely circumstantial,” Stardust said dryly.
Head Nightmare Ember, who’d been observing the proceedings from her elevated perch, stood. “If you want stronger evidence, little cloud, that can definitely be arranged.” She turned to me. “I assume you have no objections to being searched?”
I numbly pulled my bag off my shoulder and handed it to Cedar, who sifted through it. I wasn’t worried; he wouldn’t find anything—I’d removed all my bottled dreams, Mother’s flower I’d taken from the burnt remains of our home, and my nightmare flower in order to make room for festival souvenirs—so I was stunned when Cedar pulled out an empty vial and held it up.
I sucked in a sharp breath. No…
Cedar carefully studied the vial, turning it over and over in his hand. “This appears to contain traces of the metamorphose potion believed to have been poured into the flying colors cauldron. Of course additional tests are required in order to be sure, but the color and smell are similar.”
Ember barely masked her smirk. “As I suspected.”
I gaped at the vial. “That’s not mine. I don’t have the remotest idea how to brew potions. I didn’t even know potions existed in the Dream World until tonight.”
Despite my claims, Cedar’s suspicion only deepened. “If it isn’t yours, then how did it end up in your possession?”
“I don’t know.” Dread pooled my stomach and the room spun. Everything was spiraling out of control with no way for me to stop it.
“Alchemy and potions are classes offered only to advanced students at the Academy, where Eden’s never attended,” Stardust said. “As such, she lacks the required knowledge and skill to create a potion on such an elite level.”
Galaxy frowned at the vial. “Perhaps such magic is a bit too advanced for her.”
“I expected the Head Dreamer to be more impartial,” Ember said. “Unfortunately, we have no knowledge of Dreamer Eden’s magical education prior to arriving in the Dream World. For all we know, she’s feigning how limited her powers actually are in order to avoid suspicion. What matters is that the potion we strongly suspect responsible for the crime conducted during the flying colors was discovered on our prime suspect. I see no more room for doubt about her involvement. Do you have any further defense, Dreamer Eden?”
Before I could respond, the chamber doors flung open, and Darius strode in with hurried apologies for his tardiness. He froze when he saw me.
Ember’s smile was conniving. “Ah, perfect timing. I’ve asked my son to join us. In addition to his investigations of the recent nightmare disruptions in the Dream Realm, he’s recently been offered an apprenticeship on the Council. As Dreamer Eden’s weaving partner, he’s taken particular interest in investigating her.”
I clenched my fists at her words. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized I’d still been holding on to hope that Darius’s
involvement with me hadn’t been solely to get information. I glared at him. He said nothing as he moved to stand with his mother, but his eyes never left mine, furrowed and suspicious. He’d undoubtedly use this opportunity to inform the Council about all of his suspicions and grievances against me—that I’d only won a few Weavings on my own merits, that I was Half-Mortal, and, if my suspicions were correct, that he’d recently discovered I could see dreams. I would be suspended for sure.
He listened with a pensive expression as Cedar restated the case against me. While his attention was focused on Cedar, he frequently cast glances towards me, his eyes searching, as if he could determine my guilt through perusal alone.
He sighed when Cedar concluded. “You said the metamorphose potion was found inside her bag? That fact alone proves it wasn’t her.”
Ember’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?” she hissed. “Of course it was her.”
“If she really used the potion, why would she keep the evidence that would incriminate her? The logical course would be to dispose of it immediately. The fact that she didn’t suggests she didn’t realize the vial was there, which means it and the other pieces of evidence were likely planted.”
Silence. Stardust gaped at him, looking both awed at his conclusion and annoyed he’d stolen her lines, while the members of the Investigations Team listened to his argument with thoughtful expressions. Meanwhile my stubborn heart lifted. Was Darius actually defending me?
Ember glared at Darius. “As one who is still only a mere apprentice, you’re treading on very thin ice.”
“I’m merely offering another perspective,” Darius said smoothly, unfazed by his mother’s tight, rather dangerous smile. “Look at the facts: Eden’s powers are weak, her knowledge about our world limited, and she has no motive, not to mention she’s a Dreamer, not a Nightmare.”
“We know nothing about her,” Ember said. “Both where she came from and the extent of her powers remain a mystery. For all we know, she could be a Nightmare, or worse, the one we suspended all those years ago. If you recall, none of these unusual illegal occurrences started until after her arrival.”
Dreamer (The Dream World Chronicles Book 1) Page 32
