Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 155

Chapter 155: Beautiful Dreamer
Trace blinked and stared. When he’d gone into the camp, everyone had been awake. Who was asleep now? Was it Ewan?

No, the baby’s dream world was as small as he was; the orb, when it appeared, was tiny enough to fit into Trace’s hands. The globe before him didn’t fit that description whatsoever.

This was a fully grown, well-developed dream. And… shockingly, far below him.

He started towards it, hesitating when he reached the edge. Who was this? The direction of the dream made it clear that the person was either sleeping in a deep gorge or a cave. There was the familiar shimmer of magic on the surface of the dream.

Placing his hand on the edge, he felt for the contents.

Depression. Panic. Fear.

Trace’s eyes widened. Could it be? Without further consideration, he pressed into the dream world.

The world was shrouded in dark, inky mist. Trace felt the urge to cough, which was ridiculous since he didn’t even need to breathe. He summoned a light breeze to clear his way to the dreamer as the howling of wolves echoed from all directions.

Trace shuddered at the ominous flavor of the dream. He would need to influence the dream soon or be affected by it.

It wasn’t hard to find the dreamer; there was only one person here. She huddled in a corner, clawing with her hands at a rocky wall. When her fingernails began to give way, she picked up a sharp rock and continued at the task, whispering all the while. His heartbeat quickened, and he knelt.

“Emily?” He asked softly. She paused in her digging and whirled her face towards him.

Large, brown eyes were nearly hidden under her long, dark hair. She looked almost exactly as she had in Sanders’ vision, only more gaunt and with sagging shoulders.

“Who are you?” She blinked slowly at him, slinking away towards the wall.

“I’m a friend of your brother’s,” Trace tried to smile in a comforting way. “I’m looking for you, to try to rescue you.”

“Sanders?” Emily tilted her head, “looking for me? But he must have forgotten me long ago. He hasn’t come.”

“He’s forbidden to come. It’s complicated.” Trace shook his head. “You understand, this is a dream? I’m a Dreamwalker. I haven’t found you in the real world yet; I need your help for that.”

“What do you mean?” Emily glanced about herself. “A dream? This is…”

The dream destabilized. Trace gritted his teeth and tried to keep it intact. A stalactite broke loose from the roof of the cave and shattered against the floor, sending shards in all directions.

Reflexively, he jumped between the flying shrapnel and Emily. His back was pelted with the sharp fragments of rock, tearing at his body. He would have simply dismissed it, but the dream was already in danger of breaking.

He flinched.

“Please,” He whispered. “It’s all right. This is a dream, you’re in control here.”

“I control nothing,” Emily’s voice was small as her large eyes stared at him, “I’m merely a prisoner.”

“Can you… is this a recreation of the cave you are in now? Could you show me the entrance, where it is?” Trace asked hopefully, but her gaze unfocused.

“Who are you?” She asked for the second time.

“Trace. My name is Trace.” He held completely still as the earthquake slowly subsided.

“This is a dream?” She blinked.

“Yes, it’s a dream, but is this a recreation of where you are?” Trace tried to focus her attention.

“I don’t know where I am,” She frowned. “They blindfolded me to bring me. I do know they made me duck at the entrance, when the sunlight began to disappear around me.”

“That’s something,” Trace encouraged, though his heart sank. He was hoping for a large cave entrance that would be easier to find. He’d located so many small dead-end caves the past few days…

“I’m not helpful,” Emily looked straight at him. “If I had anything helpful to say I would have told my brother long ago.”

“He said you hear water sometimes. The river?” Trace asked.

Emily stared at him a long while, and he held her eye contact. Something told him she was trying to decide whether to trust him, or whether to believe he was real at all.

“I’m not sure,” she replied. “Perhaps I dreamed it.”

Trace suppressed a wave of frustration. Dreams were often confusing to others, he reminded himself. Perhaps he’d become spoiled with Anaisa’s firm grasp of the concept.

“Please, anything at all. Any information. How many guards? How often do they change who’s guarding you? How far did you walk into the cave before reaching the room you are in?”

“There are two men I see regularly,” Her brow furrowed, “and a third that comes rarely. He is the worst. One opens the room.”

She paused, and Trace tried to wait patiently. He hoped the dream would last long enough for him to get his point across, and to get all the information he could that would be helpful in finding and rescuing her.

“Does Sanders… does he know? Does he still care? Does he hear me?” Emily asked after a moment.

“He hears you.” Trace smiled. “He wants to save you.”

“I knew he was still alive. I can feel people I speak to, but I didn’t know… if he tried to shut me out. It’s been so long.” Emily’s eyes misted over and she turned away. “You cannot rescue me. You don’t even know where I am, you said. If you’re relying on my help to get to me, you are already doomed to fail.”

“Doomed? You think this is doomed?” Trace wanted to shake the woman. “You’re willing to give up so easily, after everything your brother has done to get me this far? Doesn’t my presence here ignite some hope for success?”

“A dream. You said, this is merely a dream.” Emily smiled sadly. “Reality is where I exist, and where I am held against my will. Should I let a dream give me hope, when there is none?”