Chapter 26

The Dream Walker

Ihave been walking the dreams of the creatures from the castle for hours. I've summoned them back and told them to come to this hidden coven. If they don't, I will seek them out one by one and tear them to pieces. I will ensure they never know another day's rest.

Still, I don't know if they will obey. They abandoned us. Their loyalty is not to be trusted or expected.

When I finally feel Pixie enter the dream world, I waste no time and go to find her. I'm terrified of what I will see, but if she's dreaming, that means she's alive. And I can help her through anything she has suffered. And I will return the pain tenfold to any who have hurt her.

I find her running through a decaying forest. She screams as monsters chase her. Monsters with scales and horns. Monsters made of bark and blood.

She crashes into my chest, and I hold her tight, pulling her from that nightmare to the shore of a crystal blue lake with a waterfall in the distance. She falls to her knees, her face sinking into my chest as she clings to me. And I keep her held close, letting her cry.

‘It's okay, Pixie,' I tell her. ‘I've got you.'

‘Shaw…' she sobs, her entire body shaking with desperate sobs. ‘I'm lost. I can't find my way out of the forests.'

‘You're out of the forests now. Look up and see. You're with me.'

She lifts her head and carefully checks. I feel her body relax before she looks up at me, tears spilling down her dirty cheeks. I wipe them away and kiss her lips.

‘Are you okay?' she asks before I get to ask her the exact same thing.

‘Fine. Do you know where you are?' I ask. ‘Are you hurt?'

She's been awake for at least a day, and I have been waiting to feel her fall asleep. A million things have played out in my head as I've gathered our allies and searched for any clue as to where she may be.

‘I don't know where I am,' she replies. ‘I'm locked in a cell with a dampener on my wrist.'

‘Have they hurt you?' I repeat. She altogether avoided my question.

She blinks, releasing a tear, but shakes her head.

‘What happened? The dam broke, and the water covered the coven.' She shakes her head again, shaking loose more tears. ‘And then I was in a cell. Are the others… are they okay?'

She doesn't know. She doesn't remember.

Not that the coven perished. Not that earth magic is gone.

Not that Dorian is dead.

I decide to keep it that way. To give her hope and a reason to stay strong.

So I smile as best I can.

‘We're coming to get you. Just hold on and fight with everything you have until we get there, okay?' She nods and cries a little more. ‘Is there anything you can tell me about where you are? Anything you saw as you travelled? Any sounds or smells.'

‘No,' she whispers. ‘Just that it's dark where I am. And cold. It smells of blood and mould.'

‘We're going to find you, Pixie. I promise. Please don't do any spells they try to make you do. Okay? And don't antagonise anyone. You keep quiet. Give them no reason to hurt you.' I take a breath and ask her, ‘Is Cole there with you?'

She shakes her head and looks deep into my eyes.

‘Are you lying to me, Pixie?'

Her lip trembles.

‘Has he hurt you?' I ask through gritted teeth.

‘No. But he's said some things, Shaw. Terrible things I don't want to believe.'

‘Anything he says is only meant to hurt you. Don't listen. Trust me. We're coming for you.'

‘All three of you?'

He's told her. There's no doubt in my mind. But I will not add to whatever suffering she is enduring.

‘We love you.'

My breath stalls when I hear those words coming from her.

‘Tell the others I love them, too, okay? And when this is done, I want to go to a distant land with no one else anywhere near us and sleep for a month. Can we do that?'

‘Absolutely. We're coming to get you. I swear it.'

She gives me a sad little smile and nods.

‘Can you say it?' she asks.

‘I love you, Pixie.'

‘Thank you.'

She's pulled from the dream and is yanked from my arms. The world I built for her fades, and I'm back in the bedroom where Dorian's body lies on the bed behind me.

There's an ache in the back of my throat and I feel dizzy with dread.

I know, deep down, she was lying to me about what's happening to her.

Times up.

I'm going to find her, even if I have to tear this whole shitty world down bit by bit.