“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Aric pushed her hair away from her face and wrinkled his nose. “Then there was the infamous Disney princess phase. Sami wanted to visit all the castles. We took her, even playing parts from various movies.”
His voice broke. “I danced with her when she was Belle because that was her favorite one. She loved the music and the idea of talking teacups and candlesticks.”
Zoe moved closer to him. “We’re going to get her back.”
He choked back a sob and nodded. “Of course we are. She’s just as stubborn as her mother. She’ll burn the world down before succumbing.”
I wanted to give them a moment to bolster each other but we didn’t have the time. “Yeah, I’m sorry for what you’re going through and I agree we’re going to get her back. The thing is, I don’t believe you’re the one controlling this particular environment.”
Zoe snapped her head in my direction. “Meaning what?”
“Meaning I’m controlling it,” a female voice announced from behind me, and I cringed. I didn’t have to turn to know who was joining the party. It seemed the thing to do, though, so when I swiveled, it was with an open glare. “Hello, Scout,” the woman who was apparently haunting my dreams on a regular basis announced. “I’m so happy you could join me.”
“Who is this?” Zoe demanded, strategically placing herself in front of Aric in a protective move. Aric was having none of it.
“Knock that off.” He lightly nudged his wife to the side so he could stand with her. “Who are you?”
The woman looked him up and down. “It doesn’t matter who I am,” she replied. “All that matters is I know who you are and, more importantly, that I know of your child.”
Zoe rolled her eyes in dramatic fashion. “More importantly?”
“Your reputation is quite impressive, mage. Even from across planes, your presence reverberates.”
“Planes?” Zoe cut her eyes to me. “Is this the woman you were talking about?”
I nodded, grim. “She won’t stay out of my head. I think she enjoys torturing me.”
“Torture is such a strong word,” the woman countered.
“What word would you use?”
“I didn’t say it was the wrong word.” Her tone was light and airy as she chuckled. “I can see you’re not amused by the turn of events, mage. You need to relax, take a breath.”
I moved forward before Zoe could start blasting magic and drew the woman’s eyes to me. “Their child is missing. It would be best if you didn’t poke them right now.”
She sighed. “Why do you think I’m here? I warned you the other night to keep an eye on the child.”
“Um, no. You most certainly didn’t warn me to keep an eye on Sami.”
Exasperation rolled over her smooth features. “I did so.”
“You did not.”
“I did so.”
“You did not.”
“Of course I did.” She threw up her hands. “Why do you think I asked so many questions about the child?”
“Because you’re a busybody.”
“Right. That sounds plausible. I went through the trouble to contact you from another plane because I’m a busybody.”
Zoe muscled past me, her hand extended. She moved to wrap her fingers around the woman’s throat, perhaps to shake information out from her, or maybe even to behead her for all I knew— but she never made contact. Instead, her hand went through the mysterious woman as if she were nothing more than a ghost.
“What the ...?” Zoe stared at her empty hand and then swiveled quickly to find my dream visitor watching her with an amused expression. “What are you?”
“Someone who doesn’t want to be trifled with.” She wagged her finger at the furious mage. “If you want your daughter back, you will stop acting out and start listening.”
Zoe opened her mouth to argue what I was certain was a righteous diatribe on her lips, but Aric cut her off by slapping his hand over her mouth.
“Tell us where Sami is,” he insisted grimly. “If you’re here to help us rather than playing games, then you’ll tell us where she is.”
“Who says I’m here to help?” She looked curious. “I don’t believe I ever used those words.”
I wanted to strangle her. My fingers actually ached to do the same thing Zoe attempted. I sucked in a steadying breath. “If you have nothing to offer, why did you hijack their dream walk? Why interfere?”
“Because your friends were in danger of losing themselves if they continued on their intended path.” Her eyes flashed with annoyance. “You’re not the only one who can plane jump, mage. Scout isn’t the only one who can assist you. There is another.”
That’s when the unsettling truth smacked me across the face. “Emma.”
The woman held Zoe’s furious gaze for a moment longer and then turned to me. “She’s aware how powerful the mage is. She knows about the dream walking.”
“How?” Aric asked. “We haven’t exactly broadcast that little tidbit.”
“No, but those who can walk between planes can identify others who have the ability. Your wife has that ability thanks to the book.”
Aric worked his jaw, clearly conflicted.
“I can’t understand how the two of you are still alive,” she lamented. “Seriously. You’re the most feared creature in your world, mage, and yet you don’t understand hardly anything you can do. It’s a real shame.”
“Yes, I’m crying in my fake dreamscape.” Zoe’s face flushed. “If I understand what you’re saying, you stopped Emma from hijacking our dream. Why?”
“Because if the dream can lead you to the child, it can lead her to the child, too. Right now, your Sami is safe. Oh, she’s angry and pouting, and there might be some creative curses flying around, but no one can touch her where she is. If you’d found her in the dream, Emma would’ve known where she was, too. As it is now, Emma has no ties to the child, so she can’t find her.”
“Well, great.” Zoe pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead and expended a decent amount of pressure. “What am I supposed to
