The Fae King's Dream (Between Dawn and Dusk #2) - Jamie Schlosser Page 0,49
us a choice?”
“Yeah.” Trickery, indeed.
Thankfully, we didn’t run into any other issues on our way to Port Serras. Riding on the trail through the mountains was bumpy but scenic. Combined with the beautiful sky, I always had something interesting to look at. The trees and plants here are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. So colorful and fragrant.
When we finally came out on the other side of the mountains in the Night Realm, I could see the lights from the small lakeside city just a mile away.
I wish we could’ve ventured into town, but we stuck to deserted backroads on our way to the citadel. I understand why we’re avoiding big crowds. The few passersby who did see me had no chill whatsoever. When people realize I’m with Damon, they’re overjoyed. Worshiping, even.
Arriving at the fort was puzzling and exciting all at once. Soldiers kneeled. For me. Swore their undying loyalty and called me Queen Whitley.
I always wanted to be a princess. It was my favorite make-believe game when I was a kid.
And here I am, destined to rule the Dream Realm with Damon. That is, as long as we live to see next week.
For the first time since my recent premonition, I’m allowing myself to hope. I still think it’s a strong likelihood that it’ll come true, but there has to be a solution. What would be the point in having a gift if I can’t even use it for positive gain?
“Let’s make one more promise.” I grab Damon’s hand.
He squeezes back. “Anything.”
“I don’t want to accept the future my dream showed us. From now on, we won’t talk about dying. I want to live. With you. Promise me we’ll do our best to figure out how to make that happen.”
Grinning, Damon lets out a happy sigh. “You really are a force to be reckoned with. Easiest promise I’ve ever made. Do me a favor?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t control your dreams. Just let them come as they are, and you might see something else important. Something we can use.”
“I can do that. Lucid dreaming—or, dream weaving, as you like to call it—was a way for me to hide from my gift. The fortune teller shop?” I smile softly. “That was my ideal reality. I created a world where I could use my talents to help other people.”
“Your power will help us. The key is in your head, I just know it.”
A bell rings in the distance, and I glance at the three-story fortress. “What’s that?”
“Dinnertime.”
The mention of food makes my stomach growl. On the way here, we snacked on cheese, bread, and fruit. There’s no such thing as junk food in Valora, unless you count pastries and pudding, but even those are made from scratch with unprocessed ingredients. I could really go for a Twinkie right about now.
As Damon extends a gentlemanly hand to help me up, I think about my family and our annual trips to the state fair. It was only an hour drive, but my parents used to stock up on chips, candy bars, and soda for the ride. Road trip food, they’d called it. Add on some cotton candy, greasy corn dogs, and stomach-dropping roller coasters, and my head was always buried in my barf bag by the end of the day. It was worth it, though.
“Whatcha thinking about?” Damon asks, and the gentle tone of his voice tells me he already knows it has something to do with my family. I love how he’s so in tune with me.
Holding back tears, I lean into him as we walk toward the building, and I tell him about my parents. Dad was a gym rat, but the only time my mom would be caught running was if she were being chased by a swarm of hornets. Mom was a social butterfly, needing the occasional girls’ night, while my dad liked to play chess by himself.
“I never got to say goodbye,” I say sadly. “I’m going to miss their funeral.”
Damon’s silent for a few seconds. “In the Earth realm, how many days after death does a funeral happen?”
I shrug. “Three or four, I guess.”
“We’ll go.” He nods once.
“We will? How?”
“You’ll have to wait years, but when that time comes, we’ll use a portal to attend the ceremony. We’ll have to stand inside the window so no one sees you, but you’ll be able to witness their burial.”
“Thank you.” As we stop outside a back entrance that leads to a cafeteria, I give Damon a hug. There’s nothing sexual about this embrace,