“Enough, Nightmare Darius,” Galaxy said. “As you can see, my dream is yielding no dream dust; it’s clear she cannot see it. For now the matter is closed.”
Darius snapped his mouth shut in submission. Nightmare Ember stepped forward, looking ready to launch into another tirade, but just then the Council door burst open and a grey-shrouded member of the Investigations Team hurried into the chamber.
“Forgive this interruption, Head Dreamer Galaxy, but we’ve finally finished assembling all the clues concerning the possible sighting.” He and Galaxy exchanged a long, knowing look. Galaxy nodded.
“Thank you, Investigator Cedar.” He glanced at Darius, who stood calmly, and Head Nightmare Ember, whose stance was rigid, her fists clenched. “As you can see, the Council has more pressing issues to address at this time. Head Nightmare Ember and Nightmare Darius, you are excused. Thank you for your input.”
Galaxy bowed and the two Nightmares stomped from the room, Ember with her chin held high. Before exiting the chamber Darius paused for a lingering look back at me, followed by a small smile and a wink. I stared, perplexed. What had that meant? Was he mocking me? Undoubtedly. But before I could try and fully decipher what it meant, he was gone, and with a wave of Head Dreamer Galaxy’s hand, I too was excused.
Chapter 11
I blinked in surprise when I found Stardust, Angel, and Iris waiting in the gilded marble lobby outside the Council chamber, perched on the edge of a cloud settee, with identical anxious expressions. Iris sprang to her feet the moment she caught sight of me.
“What did they say? Are you allowed to stay?”
I hardly knew. My mind whirled with the events from the recent meeting. “Only if I prove I belong.” A task that was not only utterly daunting, but which had been given based on a lie. Yet despite the hopelessness of my situation, I couldn’t regret my actions. This was my home. I needed to stay.
Angel’s and Iris’s eyes widened. “They’re giving you a chance to prove yourself? Through what means?”
“A test, one which I only have three weeks to prepare for.”
A length of time that wasn’t nearly long enough to gain the skills other magical beings had spent years acquiring. No matter how much I felt part of this wondrous world, my stay would surely be fleeting; and once I was forced to leave, I wouldn’t belong anywhere.
Iris wrung her hands. “That’s not enough time at all. Why would the Council give you so little time?”
Angel emerged from her blank shock to warily eye the closed chamber doors before leaning closer and lowering her voice. “Since when has the Council ever been fair? Weavers study magic since infancy. How can you be expected to learn years of education in so little time? It seems impossible.”
My apprehension only grew. Despite my inherent magical abilities, I knew nothing about weaving.
Iris pursed her lips thoughtfully. “While the task is daunting, it’s still an amazing opportunity, one I’ve never heard of any Dreamer receiving, but I suppose the situation is unprecedented. There’s no reason to kick you out when you’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Considering she does have magic, I suppose it makes sense they’ll allow her to stay at least until the next Academy term starts,” Angel said. “Though the gesture is undoubtedly a formality; I’m sure the Council doesn’t actually expect her to have the abilities to skip actual training.”
Iris gave her a warning look, one that was unnecessary, for Angel had only voiced my very fears. Had the Council set me up to fail? What would happen if I did? While the Council promised I’d be able to attend the Academy, if I ended up failing there as well…
If I couldn’t remain in the Dream World, where would I go? I certainly couldn’t return to Earth. Desperation pressed against my chest. No matter what it took, I simply had to stay.
“Will you help me?” I pleaded.
“Of course we will,” Iris said.
Angel nodded enthusiastically. “Not only will it be an adventure, I can use the opportunity to pick your brain about Alice’s dreams so I can more frequently beat Blaze.”
“Count me in,” Stardust chimed in. “I didn’t drag my new owner to the Dream World just for a holiday.”
My heart lifted, dissipating some of my unease. Unlike my time on Earth, I now had friends and my own cloud. I needn’t face this new challenge alone.
Iris looped her arm through mine and led me down the gold-encrusted corridor towards the window exit. “Perhaps the task won’t be as daunting as we anticipate. The first several years of magical education teach Weavers how to access and control their magic—which you already know how to do—and a large portion focuses on a Weaver’s chosen side profession—such as Cultivating or Nature Artistry—which you don’t currently need. So all we really need to cover is weaving, which you already have a basic understanding of if you have any knowledge of Mortal needlework, not to mention you’re approaching your studies with an advantage considering you’ve heard Mortals discussing their dreams for years.”
For the first time since my summons from the Council, I felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps I wouldn’t fail after all.
The only remaining concern was where I would be staying, but Angel and Iris proved invaluable once more by offering me the spare room in their flat, which had been empty since their friend had recently had her Pair Ceremony and moved in with her Pair. Though I didn’t quite know what a Pair was, based on Angel’s description of her relationship with her own Pair, Caspian, I took it as being the equivalent of what mortals would call a soulmate, with the Pair Ceremony being akin to Mortal marriage.
We hopped onto our clouds and flew from
