‘Are you okay?’ I asked him. I know Dawn said not to link with their hive mind because the breeders were linked with them, but I couldn’t resist this one time.
He looked around our world, dumbfounded, and then back at the opening. ‘Coco is okay.’
Coco. I grinned. They were naming themselves. Human names.
He wasn’t dying; he wasn’t shriveling or any of that. He was… fine.
This changed everything, and gave me an idea so frightening that I tucked it away the second I thought about it.
‘Coco is on Earth… but Kit can help Coco go back into Dream War. Back to Skyhome. Kit needs to go to Skyhome,’ I told him.
He nodded. ‘Dawn is on Skyhome with others. Galadrias all going to Skyhome. Breeders trying to kill all Galadrias.’
My stomach churned. ‘Kit won’t let that happen.’
We had a freaking helicopter, and food and water. We could conceivably stay in the Dream War for the next few days and rest up. If I needed to protect the Galadrias while I was there, then so be it.
The only good news right now was that breeders couldn’t fly.
‘Coco likes Earth.’ The Galadria looked around at the shitty Podunk town we were in with wonderment in his eyes. Even a random farm town with nothing much in it was a diamond compared to the Dream Wars. The moonlight cast a glow onto the tops of the trees. It was breathtaking, and I’d never, ever, take my planet for granted.
‘Earth is nice,’ I told him. ‘But no green stuff here for you.’
Coco nodded. ‘I will take you to Skyhome. Dawn is anxious to see you.’
Dawn. My heart pinched at the thought of my friend.
Coco flew back into the opening and Jack pulled us in after him.
It took all of my concentration to make sure the opening was wide enough to bring the entire chopper in. The second we were through, I let it collapse.
“This is wild!” Jack shouted over the whirring blades. It was wild. We were following a Galadria through the Dream War in a helicopter full of humans!
Leaning forward on Damien’s lap, I looked down below. There was a skirmish on the surface. Some sentries and humans were in a shootout.
Guilt pulled at me. Should we try to help them?
“It’s okay to save yourself sometimes,” Damien whispered in my ear. “The second we land they would make a run for the helicopter and start a riot. We can’t.”
I nodded because he was right. As long as the Dream Wars raged on, we would have to sit back and continue to watch these injustices happen.
Unless I could change it like Jeremy, Master Aki, and Dawn thought I could.
We rode in silence as Coco led us higher and higher to Skyhome. My mind was racing with all kinds of ideas on how we could change things and turn the tides in humanity’s favor. When we finally crested the dark clouds, and the beautiful green floating island came into view, I felt a little better about things. The entire island was covered in glowing Galadrias. Their color really looking breathtaking all packed in together like that.
‘So many,’ I commented to Coco.
Coco nodded as he lowered himself over the small landing strip. ‘Council has made decision to call in as many Galadrias as possible for safety. We only go out in pairs and only with one fire breather in pair.’
Oh God, it was that bad for them?
‘Why weren’t you in a pair?’
‘I was. She was… taken by a giant.’ He let that linger and we landed as the creatures moved out of the way to make room for our chopper.
‘Kit is inside metal bird?’ Dawn’s voice came through to my mind and I searched the crowd for her.
I chuckled. ‘Yes. Kit is inside metal bird.’
“Is this really happening?” Jack asked, breathless.
I nodded. “You don’t need to fear them. They are my friends, and they don’t eat humans. They’re like elephants on Earth. Wise elephants.”
“That breathe fire,” Jeremy added from the back seat.
I froze. Jeremy just talked in the Dream War. That didn’t happen often. It meant he felt safe, and it was a relief to know that.
Opening the door, I jumped out and waved to the crowd before breaking into a run when I saw Dawn. Her pink feathery fur was unmistakable.
“Dawn!” I shouted out loud, emotion welling in my chest. I hadn’t expected to feel so overcome, but I was on the verge of tears for some reason.
I crashed into her, putting my arms around her neck and laughing. ‘I’m so glad you’re okay,’ I told her.
She nuzzled my side. ‘Dawn is glad Kit is okay too. Breeder connected with Galadria and used hive mind, but Dawn killed breeder so Galadria mind is now safe.’
Pulling back, I looked at my friend more closely now. She had fine scratch marks near her eyes and some of the feathers on her side had been ripped out.
‘Are you okay?’
Dawn nodded. ‘Spent time in birthing pool. Dawn is fine.’
‘My friends and I are so tired. Can we sleep here?’ I was having a hard time concentrating, I was so exhausted.
Dawn nodded. ‘Kit and friends always welcome at Skyhome. Not much room right now but will make space.’
‘We will sleep under a bush, we don’t care,’ I told her as she led me away from the helicopter and through the throngs of Galadrias, who were moving to make a path for us.
‘Coco went to Earth. Didn’t die,’ Dawn mused. I peered over my shoulder to see my team following us.
Hive mind. She knew everything Coco knew. ‘Yes. That was scary.’
Dawn stopped and peered back at me, her big huge eyes somehow growing wider. ‘Kit can end the Dream Wars and Galadrias can live on Earth.’
It had been the first thing that had popped into my head when I’d seen Coco come through and not shrivel up and die. That I could somehow… expose all of the ghouls to our atmosphere and kill
