His reasoning was sound, but I hesitated, realizing this was the first time I was consciously leaving my cubs behind with someone outside of my clan. I knew Zirene trusted them, which helped ease my anxiety. My excitement trying something new—which sounded amazing—overrode my doubts. I hoped the cubs behaved while we were in the dreamdome.
“I trust you. It is just my motherly instincts kicking in.”
All the Aldawi males laughed loudly. I watched them in shock, along with the rest of the room.
“You are funny, Selena. An Aldawi female with new cubs would be highly aggressive and wouldn’t even allow any of us near them or their cubs. You have been tame—even with your outburst earlier,” Zirene chuckled. “Not that voicing your feelings to us was uncalled for. Even other females in other species wouldn’t allow this many males around them at this vulnerable time with newborn offspring. You are making everything easier on us by being as relaxed and understanding as you are.”
“That is because I haven’t had the chance to sit down and process everything,” I shrugged.
“Let’s see this dreamdome of yours.”
Chapter Nine Selena
“Lie back, close your eyes, and relax. Send your mental threads to me, and you will fall into a relaxing sleep as I guide you through the dreamscape,” Zirene explained calmly.
I followed his instructions and laid back in the massive chair—which seemed as if it would eat me alive—and closed my eyes. I willed myself to relax. I knew what to expect and trusted Zirene with the procedure. It was surprising to hear that Zirene would accept all the mental threads from everyone but me, at the same time. Xylo explained that other species had other forms of telepathic abilities, and many of them were more powerful than the Circuli. For Zirene to accept the mental threads from both princes and Xylo—who were among the most powerful members of the Destiny—along with Odelm and the three healers, he had to have a very powerful mind, especially if he was going to take all of us into the dreamscape world together.
Suddenly, my consciousness slipped into a blackened space before it turned into the dreamscape world I had known for the last nine years.
It was a tropical paradise filled with a kaleidoscope of colored plant life, which thrived under the bright yellow sun in the clear blue sky. The sounds of lilac-colored waves crashing onto the white-sanded shore brought peace to me as I leaned against the stone railing of the villa’s porch overlooking the island.
I didn’t have to wait long for the others to appear as, one by one, their presence filtered in moments before they arrived. First Xylo and Odelm, followed by V’dim and Z’fir. As they inspected their bodies and each other, Chyox, Usthu, and Ayces appeared. Their reactions were filled with shock as they spun around with their vines and tentacles out in a defensive position—as if they were about to be attacked. Lastly, I felt Zirene’s powerful presence shift next to me before he appeared. Instead of the clear black flame-like body, he looked as he did moments ago.
As if he knew I was staring at him, he looked down at me and smiled. “Like what you see?”
I rolled my eyes. “Just glad you aren’t hiding from me any longer.”
He growled and flicked his tail against the back of my knees, tickling me before addressing the crowd.
“Welcome to the Dreamdome. This is what I built for Selena to enjoy for the last nine years.”
“It is the same,” Z’fir said, drawing out the words.
“Unbelievable,” Chyox murmured, lowering his tentacles.
“Is this what you experience every night?” Odelm asked, looking directly at me.
I nodded. “Whenever Zirene and I were together, it was here in this dreamscape world. It’s harder for me to grasp it when I am alone. Sometimes I can, but it depends on how tired I am and how long I sleep.”
“This next part will feel different. The laws of physics don’t exist in the dreamscape world. We try to put our real-life expectations on how things work, but in here, everything depends on how the one in charge of the dreamscape sees it. This is the most updated mapping of Selena’s moon, Destima. We’ll travel around it and test out builds until we settle on the right one before moving on. Don’t panic. Anything that happens in here doesn’t affect you in real life.”
Suddenly, we were flying, overlooking three medium-size islands. A chorus of gasps and shouts filled my ears from the males surrounding me. It was an amazing experience. He’d never used this ability with me when we were together in the last nine years.
“He warned you.”
“Just because he warned us, doesn’t mean it isn’t surprising,” Xylo exclaimed.
Laughter escaping, I shook my head at their expressions. It wasn’t a hard concept. You just had to use your imagination and trust Zirene to guide you through the dreamscape world. I figured Odelm would understand because he was an artist, but it seemed he was bewildered too.
“These three islands are the only habitable land on this moon. The rest of the moon is either ocean or active volcanoes on tiny uninhabitable islands throughout the surface. The slightly curved island with the mountain ridge is where the gem mines and the military academy are located. We have a defense shield that prevents others from entering or exiting without permission, along with blocking any device from looking in. The largest island with the atoll surrounding it is where the civilians live. The porch we appeared on rests on top of the second-highest point of the island. That is where Selena’s property is located. Just above it on the highest point of the island, Agent Kaede and his Fab Five crew’s base resides. They supervise
