Page 72 of Nightmare's Dance

“Be careful, luv.” He kissed my forehead and stepped away.

“Spark, if you so much as break a nail, I’m taking it out on Knight, so be careful.” Robby wrapped me in a hug before giving Geraint a quicker one.

“Knight, take care of her,” Nic ordered before turning away.

Geraint laced his fingers through mine. I put my free hand on the mirror. I held more of the shadow essence than I’d ever managed before and it only used a small amount to repair the connections so The Lady could open the way for us.

The cool liquid feel of sinking into the mirror flowed over my hand and up my arm, and then we were stepping into the mirror in a much calmer transition than I’d yet experienced. The archway The Lady had opened for us looked to be a lane of flowering trees with pink blooms and branches that touched overhead, making a tunnel. It stretched into the distance ahead of us and I could almost imagine I smelled the blossoms. Much more cheerful than the stone arches Bloody Mary created. I wondered if each mirror dweller had a distinct style of arch.

I supposed I’d never know.

We stepped out of the cabin mirror. I inhaled a breath of home, dusty, a hint of mold, and the fragrant scent of the forest. My eyes feasted on the multitude of colors present even in the falling-down log cabin. The humidity brought sweat to my brow, and I sneezed. It felt so good to be home.

I turned. “Thank you, Lady.”

“Princess,” she replied. “If you mean to remain in the conscious realm, so be it. But we need someone to take your place. Dream is being consumed, and I do not know if it will survive without our mortal royalty. It is long past time for the Dream princesses to find their match, and the Nightmare princes need theirs to become whole again.”

I nodded. What did you say when someone told you the very survival of a realm depended on you?

She faded out before I could come up with something better. I knew I was supposed to break the arch behind me, but The Lady had left it, and I couldn’t bring myself to sever the connection.

Geraint said nothing about my omission, just took my hand and tugged gently. “Let’s get home, Ember. We’ve got a lot to figure out, and I’m sure your parents want to know you’re safe.”

“They want to know you’re safe, too, Geraint. They love you as if you were their own.”

“Did anyone happen to mention to them I wasn’t from around here?” A hint of mischief twinkled in his eyes.

“Yeah, they know. I don’t think they cared.”

“They’ve always been so accepting. I’m glad they practically adopted me.”

“Yeah, but not actually, otherwise you and I would be even more awkward of a couple.”

He burst out laughing. “True, Spark. Very true.”

Ember

Memories

“Honey, come down here!”

“Just a second, Mom!” I shouted from the top of the silks. I was almost done setting up the drop.

I glanced down at my instructor, and she nodded that I had it right, so I let myself fall backward, spinning down, stopping my spiral with my legs, then flipping back upright to end in a pose.

“Point your toes!” Clara reminded me.

“Thank you,” I said for the reminder and pointed my toes.

“Don’t forget to stretch out, Ember,” Clara said as I scampered over to see what Mom wanted.

“I won’t!”

A boy about my age stood next to Mom. He had blond hair, stormy gray eyes, and a hesitant smile on his face.

“Hi!” I said when I ran up to him.

“Hello.” He waived hesitantly.

---