Page 50 of Storm of Summer (Wild Haven 3)

ZARA

“Tell me again what you’re going to do?” Ruby asks for the tenth time.

We’re at Ezra’s house for another movie night. Tonight’s movie was something to do with a school dance, I think. Honestly, it was kind of horrible to watch, so I ended up talking with Rhys for most of it. Much to Ezra’s dismay. I wouldn’t be surprised if his throat was sore from shushing us so much.

“I’m going to try to dream walk,” I explain again and fluff the couch pillow before laying down with my hands resting on my stomach.

Rhys gave me the idea the other night when he asked to practice his magic. When I lived in Fairy, I never would have tried to test what my magic could do. I would have been killed, or at the very least, severely beaten if the Duke, or any of the High Fae found out. Plus, there was no point. Now I have a reason.

“Why? Because Colton, I-gargle-with-douche-every-morning, Zima said some shit to Rhys?”

I sit back up and take one of Ruby’s hands in mine. Her nervous energy is apparent to me, even if no one else can see it. “You don’t have anything to be worried about.”

“What if you get stuck inside his mind, or like, lost in a dreamworld? What if you get trapped inside your own head?”

Ruby didn’t do anything crazy to her violet hair tonight. I love her quirky style; it fits her personality so well, but tonight she looks almost innocent with it down and straight. Her outfit is still wild, though. She’s wearing a pair of wide leg striped pants and a tiny sparkling bandeau top that might actually be part of a swimsuit. It’s a warm night, so she’s both under and overdressed.

I want to reassure her that none of those things will happen, but I don't know for sure.

“I don’t think that will happen, Ruby.” I squeeze her fingers when she looks like she’s going to interrupt. “But I need to at least try. And you’ll be right here with me to make sure Ezra doesn’t try to look under my shirt.”

“Hey!” Ezra cries out from the kitchen. “Why did my good name just get dragged through the mud? I would never do that to you, little Cube.”

Ruby chuckles, which is all I really wanted anyway. Ezra must realize my intent because he’s laughing as he shakes his head, murmuring about how our whole family is out to get him.

“Rhys will be here as well, plus I’m sure no one else will leave while I’m attempting this. If something happens, Lena can research and figure out what to do next.” I’ve learned a lot about this group of friends in our time together and I’m not just saying things to comfort Ruby, I believe them as well. I’m part of their group now, and that means they’ll look after me. It’s new territory for me, but not something Ruby is unfamiliar with.

Ruby sighs heavily and then flops down in one of Ezra’s chairs, the one that’s closest to where my head will be.

“Also, no dicks on my face, please.”

Ruby glares at me. She doesn’t know for sure, but she suspects that it was me and Rhys that wrote penis on her forehead the night of the slumber party at Miri’s. It wasn’t. Davis got to Ruby before we had the chance. I would have never guessed he had a secret humorous side. I chuckle just thinking about it, and Ruby’s glare turns into a scowl.

Rhys moves into the spot Ruby vacated a moment ago. He gets down on one knee so he’s level with me.

“We will, you know.”

“You’re going to draw a penis on my face?” I joke, settling back down into my spot on the couch and turning my head to look at him. Heat creeps up my chest until it heats my cheeks when I find him peering down at me. My thoughts automatically go to what happened in the closet the other night, and my heart starts fluttering in my chest.

Rhys shakes his head, amusement glittering in his gaze. “We’ll look out for you, look after you. You’re part of us now and we won’t let anything happen to you. That includes dick drawings.”

My voice is slightly thicker than normal when I murmur a thank you.

“Okay, everyone, be quiet now. Let Zara relax and try to get into the right frame of mind,” Lena orders and surprisingly they listen.

I close my eyes and hear them settling into spots around the room. Maybe it should be disconcerting to know that there are a half-dozen people watching me while I’m trying to do this, but it's not. I’ve spent most of my life surrounded by people who either ignored my very presence, or others who were cramped into the same space as me. I grew up with little to no privacy.

I expect Rhys to get up and find another seat in the room. But I feel him shift until he’s sitting against the couch, close enough for me to reach out and touch him if I want. Or maybe he wants to be close enough to touch me if need be. The Fae can share power with one another if they can let down their barriers. We’re only partially Fae, but we should still have that same capability. I don’t know if Rhys understands, but either way, his closeness is a comfort.

I breathe in and out, letting my body settle as I find the rhythm of my chest rising and falling. There's a tempo to it that’s calming, and I sink into it. It’s similar to what I do when trying to reach the astral plane. I don’t want to go there though, so I quickly shove thoughts of that place out of my mind. Instead, I focus on the sharp chin and smug gaze of Colton Zima. Summoning his image in my mind is a means to an end. That’s what we think I need to do in order to connect with him and walk in his dreams.

It’s past midnight. I waited until now to give this a try, hoping he’ll be asleep. Unless I break into his house to check, I won’t know until I try to dream walk. Try being the key part of this experiment. I’ve never done this before. It’s all theoretical.

Blocking out the small sounds around me, I keep focusing on my breathing. It’s only natural to fall into a meditative state. I know I’m still in my body because I can feel my limbs, but they’re heavy. As though someone has laid weighted blankets atop them. I resist the urge to move, just to make sure I still can, knowing that will break me out of this in-between state.

I hold on to the image of Colton’s self-satisfied face while I call upon the magic that lives deep in the center of me. It’s a warm ball of energy that sparks and simmers, waiting to be used. I don’t often attempt to connect to my magic like this. In the past, I had to avoid it, but now, I sense it, like an untapped well ready for me to dip into it.

It’s not a physical place, and yet, it’s as though I can cup my hands and gather up the glowing energy. And when I do, heat spreads through my limbs with a glorious burn. I don’t mean to blink my eyes open, but they do it on their own. Only, I’m no longer laying on Ezra’s couch. Instead, I’m standing in an empty, gray landscape.

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