Read Online Dreamscape: Saving Alex by Kirstin Pulioff - Free Book Online

When he met my eyes again, his smile sent a shiver
down my spine. “Paymentsss are negotiable.”
    I turned and ran into the crowd, knocking over a
display of Lindle souvenirs and banners.
    “Watch it!” a woman grumbled as she hastily
grabbed her items.
    “Sorry,” I said, stumbling forward, anxious to get
out of their sight. It seemed every move only made me stand out more. Pipes’
words came back to mind. This place wasn’t safe. I shuddered and ran my hands
down my arms. I hadn’t thought about any non-game dangers.
    My heart jumped when I caught a glimpse of neon
fabric mixed in with the crowd. How had I let him get so far ahead? Ignoring
the jeers and stares, I hurried forward, only briefly glancing at the carts and
dancing girls.
    This city seemed to accept the darker exploits
with ease. I bit my inner lip and continued trailing my new friend. I couldn’t
see any more flashes of the bright costume he wore. My heart sank. In this
crowd, how could I hope to find a single person?
    Through the noise of the crowd, I heard a single
bird chirp. Then another joined in, followed by a soft whisper.
    “Where’d you go my lady?”
    “Pipes,” I cried, grabbing his forearms. “I’m so
glad it’s you. Some of these people…” I didn’t finish the thought.
    He looked down at me with concern. “Are you all
right, my lady?”
    “Yes,” I answered sheepishly, suddenly remembering
who he thought I was. Straightening my back, I pulled my hands away and forced
a smile. “Yes, I was just surprised by the size of the market. I wasn’t
expecting all of that.”
    “Of course. It takes a moment to absorb everything
here.”
    I nodded. He had no idea.
    “We’re almost there. The stage is just around the
corner. Hopefully Deakon’s not made a mess of all our stuff. He does that
sometimes, you know.” Pipes winked at me.
    “I can’t wait to see it all,” I said, reaching for
his hand. I didn’t want to lose him in the crowd again.
    The far edge of the square was quiet. Wooden
benches lined the wall, curving around small pockets of trees and flowers.
Pipes pulled me forward before I could comment on anything.
    “Wow,” I whispered, turning the corner and seeing
the stage.
    Pipes beamed and ran ahead. “Let me present to you
our humble arena.” He bowed and covered his chest with one hand.
    Wooden planks and iron benches lined a semi-circle
around a lopsided stage. Rotten beams leaned against the distressed posts. When
I looked up, a tangled maze of beams and pipes held the structure in place. A
crumpled sheet of velvet crowned the top. The older man struggled across the
theater with an armload of banners and poles.
    “This is… big,” I said, searching for the right
word. “It’s no wonder the vendors were upset when you left.” I rushed ahead and
grabbed a handful of metal pipes from Deakon.
    “This is nothing, my lady. You should’ve seen it
before we left. Signs, ribbons, torches, we had it all. Now, this is all that
remains.” Deakon sighed, dropping his armful of banners by the scaffolding near
the front of the stage.
    “All that remains?” I asked.
    “I’ve already cleaned up a bunch.” He grunted and
nodded towards a corner overflowing with shredded debris. “I’d say they weren’t
too happy with us.”
    “Then tonight we must put on an even better show,”
Pipes said. He grabbed the edge of a banner by Deakon’s feet and stretched it
between his arms. “We’ll have this stage back in shape in no time.”
    I admired Pipes’ enthusiasm. “Let me help,” I
said, reaching for the other end of the banner.
    “No, no, no,” Pipes argued, shaking his head.
“You’ve already done too much to help us. You must be on your way. You’ve seen
the market. Get your goods and go. Before anything happens.”
    “No, I insist. I’m not going anywhere until I help
you set up for tonight. After all, you were delayed because of me.” I grabbed
another banner from the stage floor and held it out,