than I do now.
Dream sex could be cool.
I’m contemplating the possibilities when Whitley pulls back. Grinning up at me, she rakes her fingernails over my scalp. “Do you want to hang out here, or would you rather go somewhere else?”
“Where did you have in mind?” I picture a bed in the clouds with wispy white curtains hanging from the canopy. There’d be bright sunlight to illuminate every inch of Whitley’s body.
“Anywhere. You tell me what you want most in the world, and I’ll make it happen.”
As great as the bed-in-the-clouds thing sounds, her offer triggers a different thought.
What do I want most? To see my father. To thank him for all he’s done for me. He might not be able to hear it, but it would still mean a lot to me to say the words to his face.
I get hit with an epiphany. “Whitley, would you be willing to try something new?”
“Sure.” Her trust in me is absolute.
“Dream walk with me.”
Her eyes go wide. “Like, you want to take me into someone else’s head? Is that even possible?”
“That’s basically what the coven did to you when they combined our powers. They did things I never considered before. What if their attempt on your life was actually a lesson on how to tap into our abilities together?”
Slowly, she nods. “We can try.”
“I carry one of my father’s amulets in my pocket so I can visit him anytime I want.” Taking out the talisman, I show her the round piece with stars etched into the silver. “The Dream Realm emblem.”
Grinning, Whitley laces our fingers, keeping the jewelry trapped between our palms. “Let’s go, then.”
I tip up her chin and kiss her mouth. “Close your eyes.”
As our world goes dark, the tether between us stays strong, and any apprehension I had about not being able to bring Whitley with me disappears.
We’re connected.
We can dream travel together.
Awake or asleep, I’ll never have to be alone again for as long as I live.
Astonished beyond belief, I smile when we solidify in my father’s current reality. He’s lounging on a large blue blanket with my mother. Side by side, they’re on top of a grassy hill, gazing up at the stars. A platter of grapes sits between them, and my father plucks one up before bringing it to my mother’s mouth.
Even during sleep, my father doesn’t like to be away from his mate, and I completely understand how he feels.
“We did it,” Whitley whispers, as if she’s afraid speaking too loudly will somehow disrupt our dream state.
“Look.” I nod toward a big lodge in the distance. Warm light shines from the windows, and several cars are in a parking lot out front. “It’s the dark sky park.”
Whitley swivels from left to right as she takes in our surroundings. “You’ve been here before?”
“Only in my father’s head.”
She sighs sadly. “I wish I could’ve gone there. Just once.”
“You’re here now. My father’s a pro Dream Weaver. I have no doubt this is its exact likeness.”
Pacing a few steps away, Whitley turns in a circle as she admires the sky she’s familiar with. Earth, her old home. Although there are less stars here than in the Dream Realm and only one moon, they shine brightly.
“Now for phase two of my idea.” Coming up behind her, I engulf her in my arms. “I want you to control his dream.”
“Huh?” Swaying to the side, she gives me a baffled look. “You think I can do that?”
“Possibly, and this might be our only chance to try.” I think about the ship full of our sleeping friends and the serras fish I unintentionally knocked out. Soon, this burst of strength will dissipate. “My power is up now, but it won’t stay that way for long.”
Considering it, Whitley nibbles her lip. “What should I do?”
“Something simple.” I motion to a tall pine tree in my father’s line of vision. “Make that tree change colors. See if he notices.”
“Okay.” Whitley’s hand finds mine, and her fingers grip me as she focuses.
First, a silver glow ignites at the top of the tree, then a glittering light spreads through the branches, sparkling as it leaks to the bottom. It’s so bright, no one could possibly miss it.
She didn’t just make a subtle sign—she created a beacon in the night.
Rubbing his eyes, my father squints against the light as he sits up. Alarmed, he gets to his feet while grabbing the hilt of his sword. My mother’s image diminishes until he’s alone and on guard. Spinning, he