Page 34 of Dreamer (The Dream World Chronicles)

The summons bounced against my hand impatiently, tickling me like the pulse of hummingbird wings. I weighed it, as if my upcoming doom could be measured. For a bubble it was surprisingly solid.

Stardust wiggled impatiently beside me. “Open it already, or I’ll do it myself.”

“There’s no opening.” I searched every part of its smooth surface, but there was nowhere to pry it open. Perhaps I would have to pop it.

“Stroke your fingers around the outside,” Angel instructed.

I ran my fingertips along the outside and the bubble melted into long ribbons, which rose out and twisted into cursive scrawl:

The Council is waiting. Come to the Council Chamber at the conclusion of the hour when sunset fades into night.

The message hovered for a few moments before popping, leaving my insides churning in a meteor shower of nerves. The Council reigning over this fantastic world wanted to seeme, and certainly it wasn’t for tea and crumpets. Would they punish me for coming uninvited to their magical land?

“Will they kick me out?” I tried unsuccessfully to suppress the quiver in my voice.

Iris laid a gentle hand on my arm. “Surely not. The Council is very just, and the Dream World is home to all magical beings; certainly your place of birth won’t change that.” She frowned up at the sky. The moon had risen, and carved on its surface was an intricate dial, much like a sundial. “The end of night’s first hour is only a few minutes away. You’d better go; the Council doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Stardust nudged me and I shakily slid onto her. “It’ll be alright,” she assured me. “I didn’t drag you here just for a few hours of sightseeing.” And we took off into the star-shrouded sky to greet the Council.

Chapter 10

“Remember, Eden: don’t tell themanythingabout your ability to see dreams,” Stardust hissed for the umpteenth time as we neared the looming tower where the Council awaited me. “With your background on Earth, we’re already going to have a difficult enough time convincing them to let you stay; if they learn about your unique magic, they may connect you to the suspicious magical bursts that have been occurring.”

My heart pounded in an unrelenting tempo, and with the tightening knots in my stomach I truly thought I’d be ill. I had only just gotten to the Dream World; I certainly wasn’t ready to leave.

“If you don’t arouse their suspicions, there’s a chance they’ll let you remain.” But Stardust’s voice wavered, revealing her own doubts, which only escalated my own worry.

“Perhaps I should confess my abilities so that they can help me understand myself. Surely I’m not the only magical being who can see others’ dreams…”

“As far as I know, youare,” Stardust said. “If you really want to stay, you can’t tell them.”

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 leastpretendedto.

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 resonatingthud, 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.”

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