31. Corbin

“Corbin, I need every book you’ve got on dreams and dreamwalkers.” Maeve instructed as she paced back and forth across the library. As soon as she’d shown me the passage in the book, I’d grasped what she was getting at and called the others into the library. Thankfully, Flynn was wearing pants.

Maeve started passing out the volumes she’d already found. Everyone lined up to help (except for Jane, who had to go check in with the police about Connor’s case). Funny, no one was ever this enthusiastic about research when I needed a hand. “Right, I’m looking for a spell to manipulate a dream, or… and I can’t believe I’m saying this… to use dreams to astral-project.”

“Whoa, Maeve. Getting your freak on.” Flynn grinned.

“No, Flynn, I’m trying to save an innocent life.” Maeve was not in a joking mood. “Even if we can’t figure out what the fae are trying to do with Connor or the other baby they took, we can at least try and get them back?—”

I barely heard any of the conversation, so mesmerized was I by Maeve stomping across the library like she owned it, which I guess technically she did. Her skin glowed with the faintest trade of white light. And my attraction to her grew and swelled with every breath she drew in between her bow-shaped lips. I glanced across at Arthur and he nodded. He felt it, too. The hum in the air, the sizzle of untapped potential magic waiting to be channelled.

Maeve didn’t realize it, but she was already gathering her power. I couldn’t believe that only hours earlier, I’d had her over that very desk she leaned across right now, our bodies entwined together, her power feeding from mine?—

Maeve waved her hand in front of my face. “Earth to Corbin? The books… I need them.”

“Um…right.” I pulled her over to a shelf on magical lore. “Hold out your hands. This could get heavy.”

“Ooh,” Maeve breathed out as I dumped a heavy volume of dream magic into her arms. “Luckily I’ve been doing those workouts with Arthur or that would”ve sent me through the floor.”

You’ve been doing more than working out with Arthur, I noted, but didn’t say it aloud, not with Jane in the room. Maeve’s power had grown far too much for her to have just been with me – she’d shagged someone else. I assumed it was Arthur, because of that kiss they shared…

But Aragorn wasn’t giving anything away – his hands in his pockets, his forehead furrowed in thought as he peered over Maeve’s shoulder, his beard tickling her collarbone…

Stop being an idiot and get back to work.I opened the book in front of me, flipping through the pages of spells. Maeve didn’t choose you. She should be with whoever she wants, and you have no right to get all possessive just because she slept with you first. And if she had to shag someone else, then one of your best friends makes a bloody good choice, considering the advantages it’s going to have when performing spells?—

No matter what I told myself, that growling, gnawing feeling in my gut wouldn’t let up. I glared at Arthur again as he turned the page for Maeve. Bastard.

Focus.I flipped open my book, turning my body away from the desk so I didn’t have to look at Arthur and Maeve. Now I faced Rowan and I noticed his gaze was fixed on Maeve, too.

Poor Rowan, he wanted her so badly. This was going to undo him, and I couldn’t bear to see it. He’d only just put himself together again, and he was held in place by broken dreams.

I scanned the pages, searching for any spells about dreams or astral-projection. Unfortunately, none of the ancestors of the Briarwood coven had a degree in Library Science, so they hadn’t thought to index or catalogue their spells. I’d made a start on it, but it probably wouldn’t be finished in my lifetime. We had to search through every page on every book, and the chances of finding what we needed were?—

Hang on a sec.

The image in my book showed coven members asleep, draped naked over logs and rocks in the middle of a forest. Above their heads, they danced with a horned demon in a dream. My eyes darted across the spell, translating the mingled English/Latin text. My heart leapt in my chest. “I’ve found something, but it’s not easy.”

“Of course it isn’t.” Flynn rolled his eyes. Everyone crowded around the sofa. Maeve draped herself over the arm, her leg brushing mine and sending all sorts of distracting thoughts through my head.

“So this is a dream projection spell,” I explained, moving my finger across the loopy writing. “According to this, one dreamwalker can pull other witches into a dream of their choosing. If the dreamwalker has the ability, they can use that dream to move to different places on earth.”

“Sounds dangerous,” Arthur said.

“Oh yeah, it’s a real bastard,” I jabbed the page. “The dreamwalker needs enough power to sustain the dream for all the other witches. And, the witches within the dream must return to their bodies in the waking world before they wake up or they’ll be stuck in the dream forever. Plus, it doesn’t say anything about using dreams to cross the multiverse.”

Maeve wrinkled her forehead. “I don’t understand, so are we in a dream or in the real world? We have to be in the real world to affect it, surely?”

“Not according to this,” I said. “Have you got one of your physics books handy? Maybe it’s a quantum thing.”

Maeve shook her head. “We are way past the point where quantum theory will help.”

I glanced at her in surprise. For Maeve to say that about science… she really was starting to believe. Maeve stared at the spell with a determined glint in her eyes. “For this to work, you’d all have to be asleep at the same time.”

“I can’t fall asleep if Arthur’s in the room,” Flynn complained. “He snores like a drunk otter.”

“I do not!” Arthur shot back.

“I can mix a sleeping draught,” Rowan whispered.

“Can you make it taste like a glass of whiskey?” Flynn grabbed the book from my hands and started reading out the words he recognized. “The rest of this spell seems pretty easy, as long as Maeve can get her witch on for long enough.”

A frown crossed Maeve’s face. “We know I can pull people into a dream, but I don’t want anyone else to do this. I want to get Connor back, but you can’t all risk your lives to do it, too.”

“Don’t talk such bollocks,” Flynn said, shoving the book back into my arms. “This is the first piece of serious magic our complete coven will perform. I want to see what we can do.”

“I’m in,” Arthur said.

“And me,” added Rowan.

I glanced around the room. A surge of pride coursed through me to see the determined faces staring back at me.

Our coven.

It took me seven years for find them all and bring them here to Briarwood. When it came down to it, every one of them had no problem risking their lives to do the right thing and I loved them for it.

I stood up and threw my arms around Flynn and Maeve, bringing them together into a group hug. Maeve wrapped her arm around Rowan and drew him in, and Arthur’s thick arms nearly encircled us all. My grin stretched ear to ear as I yelled, “lets kick some fae ass.”