black cloud monster I came across in the dream jungle. It would certainly be a match for this place.
Taking a deep breath, I edge forward. Tendrils of black smoke uncurl from the mist and stretch out towards me. I swallow hard and lift my hand, letting a tendril curl round my index finger. It snakes itself across my skin with little more than a faint tickle. When it starts to wrap round my wrist, however, I shake it off and pull back. I should be making myself wake up by now. But then, maybe I should enter the Badlands and see what’s going on. I feel distinctly underprepared for such a venture, however.
I’m startled out of my reverie by the distant ringing of a bell. Flummoxed, I spin round then I realise it’s my own phone ringing, back in the real world. The sound makes up my mind and I force myself to disapparate. I wake up on my sofa with a crick in my neck and my back in agony.
I push myself up, my limbs stiff and awkward, and pick up the receiver. ‘Hello?’ I say cautiously.
‘It’s me.’
I roll my eyes. ‘Of course, Dante,’ I say. ‘Because if anyone is going to sneak up and surprise me, it’s going to be you.’
‘I’m telephoning, not playing hide and seek.’ He pauses. ‘Were you asleep?’
I wet my lips with the tip of my tongue. ‘Yes.’
‘In the Dreamlands?’ I don’t answer. ‘I don’t suppose telling you that you shouldn’t go there is going to make much of a difference.’ His tone is surprisingly mild.
‘No.’ I’m emphatic. ‘It’s not. Has anyone found Ashley?’
His voice tightens. ‘No. I fell asleep for a while on the plane and tried tracking her but I couldn’t sleep for long enough to get more than the vaguest impression of her.’
‘Maybe she’s just being more sensible than me and keeping well away,’ I suggest.
‘Maybe,’ he agrees, although we both know that neither of us believe it.
A steel hand grips my heart and squeezes. Everything is going to shit. Silence stretches out between us.
‘I’m sorry,’ Dante says suddenly. ‘I had no right to get so angry earlier about the dream.’
I tilt my head from side to side, attempting to work out the pain in my neck but it doesn’t help. Dante’s abrupt apology surprises me and I soften. ‘I didn’t go looking for Adam,’ I say quietly. ‘He came to my house. And,’ I add unnecessarily, ‘it was after the panic attack. Not before. I wasn’t trying to end up inside his head.’
‘I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,’ he admits gruffly. ‘I was … jealous.’
I almost drop the phone. An unexpected frisson of happiness zips through me, despite the dire situation.
‘Jealous?’ I squeak.
‘You’re my dreamweaver.’ He says it matter-of-factly. I should be irritated but, for whatever reason, I’m not. ‘What were you and Bron doing anyway?’
‘He was showing me the rumour mill. I think he was trying to make me feel better about everyone gossiping about me.’
‘You can’t blame them. Things started getting really freaky once you showed up.’
‘They wander around a dream town and can see inside people’s heads when they sleep. How is that not already freaky?’
‘I take your point,’ he answers drily. There’s a brief pause. ‘So there’s nothing going on between you and Adam?’
‘No.’
‘And Bron?’
‘He’s a friend.’
‘Good.’
I take a deep breath. ‘Are you jealous of Bron too?’
‘Not if he’s just a friend.’
‘He is.’
Dante’s voice drops. ‘Am I just a friend?’
It feels like there’s a lot riding on my answer. I search for the right words. ‘I like you,’ I say finally, feeling like I’m back in high school and admitting I have a crush. ‘You’re the only person who knows who I really am in both the Dreamlands and the real world.’
‘So I know you better than anyone else?’ he asks with a note of satisfaction.
‘You do,’ I answer simply. It’s the truth. ‘You’re bloody annoying sometimes, though. Where
Taking a deep breath, I edge forward. Tendrils of black smoke uncurl from the mist and stretch out towards me. I swallow hard and lift my hand, letting a tendril curl round my index finger. It snakes itself across my skin with little more than a faint tickle. When it starts to wrap round my wrist, however, I shake it off and pull back. I should be making myself wake up by now. But then, maybe I should enter the Badlands and see what’s going on. I feel distinctly underprepared for such a venture, however.
I’m startled out of my reverie by the distant ringing of a bell. Flummoxed, I spin round then I realise it’s my own phone ringing, back in the real world. The sound makes up my mind and I force myself to disapparate. I wake up on my sofa with a crick in my neck and my back in agony.
I push myself up, my limbs stiff and awkward, and pick up the receiver. ‘Hello?’ I say cautiously.
‘It’s me.’
I roll my eyes. ‘Of course, Dante,’ I say. ‘Because if anyone is going to sneak up and surprise me, it’s going to be you.’
‘I’m telephoning, not playing hide and seek.’ He pauses. ‘Were you asleep?’
I wet my lips with the tip of my tongue. ‘Yes.’
‘In the Dreamlands?’ I don’t answer. ‘I don’t suppose telling you that you shouldn’t go there is going to make much of a difference.’ His tone is surprisingly mild.
‘No.’ I’m emphatic. ‘It’s not. Has anyone found Ashley?’
His voice tightens. ‘No. I fell asleep for a while on the plane and tried tracking her but I couldn’t sleep for long enough to get more than the vaguest impression of her.’
‘Maybe she’s just being more sensible than me and keeping well away,’ I suggest.
‘Maybe,’ he agrees, although we both know that neither of us believe it.
A steel hand grips my heart and squeezes. Everything is going to shit. Silence stretches out between us.
‘I’m sorry,’ Dante says suddenly. ‘I had no right to get so angry earlier about the dream.’
I tilt my head from side to side, attempting to work out the pain in my neck but it doesn’t help. Dante’s abrupt apology surprises me and I soften. ‘I didn’t go looking for Adam,’ I say quietly. ‘He came to my house. And,’ I add unnecessarily, ‘it was after the panic attack. Not before. I wasn’t trying to end up inside his head.’
‘I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,’ he admits gruffly. ‘I was … jealous.’
I almost drop the phone. An unexpected frisson of happiness zips through me, despite the dire situation.
‘Jealous?’ I squeak.
‘You’re my dreamweaver.’ He says it matter-of-factly. I should be irritated but, for whatever reason, I’m not. ‘What were you and Bron doing anyway?’
‘He was showing me the rumour mill. I think he was trying to make me feel better about everyone gossiping about me.’
‘You can’t blame them. Things started getting really freaky once you showed up.’
‘They wander around a dream town and can see inside people’s heads when they sleep. How is that not already freaky?’
‘I take your point,’ he answers drily. There’s a brief pause. ‘So there’s nothing going on between you and Adam?’
‘No.’
‘And Bron?’
‘He’s a friend.’
‘Good.’
I take a deep breath. ‘Are you jealous of Bron too?’
‘Not if he’s just a friend.’
‘He is.’
Dante’s voice drops. ‘Am I just a friend?’
It feels like there’s a lot riding on my answer. I search for the right words. ‘I like you,’ I say finally, feeling like I’m back in high school and admitting I have a crush. ‘You’re the only person who knows who I really am in both the Dreamlands and the real world.’
‘So I know you better than anyone else?’ he asks with a note of satisfaction.
‘You do,’ I answer simply. It’s the truth. ‘You’re bloody annoying sometimes, though. Where
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