Page 52 of A Dream of Stars and Curses

‘Mischief.’

‘Not this again.’

‘What in all the hells is that?’

Since I’m convinced all over again that I’m cursed, I thought I’d have another rummage through my dreamscape, see if Mischief has noticed anything since the last time we talked about it.

I wasn’t expecting a bloody massive black wall moving towards... me? The centre, if my dreamscape even has one? It’s like a gigantic rain cloud of vibrant black, if that’s a thing. There’s no thunder or lightning, but that might be because I love a good thunderstorm—it wouldn’t intimidate me, it just feels like the usual sound effects should be there. Whatever it is, I’m not getting good vibes from that thing. It looks incredibly at odds with the night sky I kept from last time—I have a big, shiny moon and bright stars everywhere on one side, and an ominous-as-fuck death cloud on the other. I’m being unfair, though. This might not be a death cloud at all. It could be an ominous-as-fuck cuddle cloud. Seems unlikely, but it’s not like it introduced itself.

Mischief brushes around my legs. I get the sense that it’s more to comfort her than to be cute. ‘You mean, you don’t know?’

I frown at the cloud. ‘I’ve never seen that thing before in my life.’

We stand by my usual purple-leafed tree. I came here to do some shadow work, feel my dreamscape from my shadow forest to sense any sign of corruption at all—which, if I’m honest, I wasn’t sure would work; it’s not like I’ve done this before—but the corruption was here first and ready to greet me. The cloud doesn’t do anything except move closer to me; at least, that’s what I think it’s doing. If it moves, it’s so slow that I don’t actually see it rolling closer. It’s more like the sense of approaching doom and the dream-certainty that it’s coming for me. I don’t know what will happen when it reaches me and I don’t want to know.

Still, at least I’m not considering throwing myself into a body of water this time. What’s the worst a cloud can do? I can’t swim, so I had every right to be afraid that I’d drown, but I’ve always imagined clouds to feel like cotton candy. Not that this one looks like it’ll be all soft and snuggly. It’ll probably freeze me to death if it doesn’t find a way to stab me first.

This is the second time now that something I can’t explain or control has happened in my dreamscape since I stepped into the void lake. I don’t like it.

‘There isn’t another Dreamcatcher in here, is there?’

Mischief paces around my legs, her tail lowered and slightly puffy. ‘I don’t think so.’ She pauses. Her whiskers and ears twitch. Despite the approaching cloud, I can’t help smiling—this cat is incredibly cute. And anyway, this is a dream and I refuse to forget it. I can always just wake up. The Dreamcatcher made that impossible for a hot moment there, but if that’s not what’s happening—

‘No,’ Mischief finally says. ‘It’s just us.’

I breathe a sigh of relief. The Dreamcatcher could have killed me. I’m still recovering from the last nightmares he threw at me. As a being that works directly from my deepest fears, he was extremely good at it. I don’t fancy that again. I may eat my words in a day or two, but I’d much rather take on a cloud.

I pick up Mischief, and she cuddles into my neck. ‘Shall we investigate?’

She squints at me. ‘Go to that thing? Are you sure?’

I don’t know what’ll happen if I touch it or it starts to roil around me. Maybe nothing. Maybe it’ll suffocate me. But what’s the worst thing that can happen? I mean, really? I’ll just wake myself up if necessary. And something tells me I’ll find some answers there.

‘If this thing can tell me who cursed me or why, I need to know.’

I doubt it’ll whisper a name at me, but any hint would be helpful. Between me, my sister, Lady, Kate, and Leverett, surely we can figure this out? If I miss anything, Mischief will point me in the right direction. That’s what dream guides do.

‘Alright,’ she purrs. ‘Shall we fly?’

I’m already in the air before she finishes her question. ‘Let’s approach carefully, though, alright?’

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