wood and was the only colour against the white stone.
Through Elsewhere you can touch other people’s minds, speak to them in their dreams and draw them into Elsewhere as well, though it’s safer for them than it is for you. This door would lead into Luna’s dreamscape. Whether to enter or not would be up to her.
The sound of chatter and voices washed over me as the door swung open, shockingly loud after the silence. Inside was a ballroom filled with people, mingling and talking. The room was lit by chandeliers, but it seemed dark after the blinding light of the courtyard outside. I had to shield my eyes, squinting, as I waited for my vision to adjust. The people inside wore evening dress and feathered masks that hid their eyes. All were in couples, one man to one woman, dancing, embracing, walking, their arms interlinked, leaning together to talk.
A moment later I saw Luna. In that whole vast room, filled with couples, she was the only one walking alone. She wore no mask, only a simple white dress, and no matter where she went, the couples around her pulled away without seeming to see her. All around her was a wide empty space and, as Luna walked slowly through the crowd, the space moved with her. ‘Luna,’ I called, then again more loudly, ‘Luna!’
Luna looked up, and all of a sudden the figures froze, falling silent. The only sound was Luna’s feet on the wooden floor. She blinked. ‘Alex?’
‘It’s me. Come here.’
Luna obeyed, wending her way through the statues. As she did the men and women seemed to fade and an instant later she was walking across an empty floor. Luna didn’t seem to notice. Her wavy hair was down instead of up in bunches, and as she stepped out into the courtyard and shielded her eyes, I saw she was barefoot. It gave her a lost, vulnerable look. ‘I thought this was a dream.’
‘This is Elsewhere,’ I said. The arcade had vanished, as had the door. We were alone in a vast, open arena. The birds had stayed, perched here and there amidst the flagstones. There was a bench of white stone nearby and I sat on it. Luna followed, looking around wonderingly.
‘If it’s a dream, I’m glad,’ Luna said as she sat. She stared out across the dazzling stone, squinting. ‘But this doesn’t feel like a dream any more.’ She held up a hand and stared at it, then touched it to the bench and looked at me. ‘Is it real?’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘No. I’m real, you’re real. You’ll remember everything when you wake up.’
‘What about …?’ Luna made a movement towards herself.
It took me a moment to figure out what she was saying. I shook my head. ‘No. You don’t have to worry about hurting me, not here.’
‘Really?’
I nodded, and Luna sighed. She scooted across on the bench and leant against me with a contented noise. ‘Luna?’ I said in surprise.
‘Don’t go,’ Luna complained, closing her fingers drowsily on my coat. ‘Dreams are the only place I can do this.’ She let out a breath. ‘I had a horrible day.’
I hesitated, then put an arm around Luna and leant back. What the hell, it was just a dream. ‘What happened?’
‘They came after me,’ Luna said. ‘Deleo and Khazad.’
‘When?’
‘This morning. They nearly caught me. Then I saw Deleo get a phone call and they vanished.’
‘Was it about noon?’
Luna nodded, and I understood. That phone call had been Cinder telling them I’d left the museum. ‘You ran away?’
‘My phone said you’d called. I tried to call back and I couldn’t get through.’ Her hand tightened on my coat. ‘I didn’t know what had happened.’
I sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to be worried.’
‘It’s okay,’ Luna said, her voice drowsy. ‘As long as you’re all right.’
‘What about that other man?’ I asked. ‘Talisid.’
‘Oh, him. He was trying to get in touch.’
‘Did you talk to him?’
Luna shook her head, her face still hidden against my coat. ‘I didn’t know if I could trust him.’
I smiled. ‘Good girl.’
‘I’m not a good girl,’ Luna said. From the sound of her voice I could tell she was smiling, and I smiled too.
We sat in silence for a little while. ‘Alex?’ Luna said eventually.
‘Hm?’
‘Do you ever wish you were little again? That you didn’t have to grow up?’
I thought of my years as a teenager, all the things I’d done wrong leading up to my fateful decision to sign up with Richard. ‘No,’ I said. ‘Never.’
‘I do,’ Luna said. ‘It wasn’t so bad when I was young. I could be with people. It was only later …’ Luna fell silent, leaning against me. I could feel her weight, see the wave in her hair. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet. ‘I nearly let them catch me.’
‘What?’
‘Deleo. Khazad.’
