did you go? I waited for you in the forest and you never showed up.’
He sighs. ‘I’m sorry. I disapparated out. Once I’d had a chance to calm down, I thought better of it. When I went back in and realised you were in the Dreamlands, then saw the Department…’
I nod. ‘Yeah. All hell broke loose. You used to work for the Mayor, Dante. What is the Department really?’
He sighs. ‘The Mayor set the Department up years ago. He tried to keep it under his thumb for a while but for some people a taste of power only encourages them to want more.’
‘There was a coup against him?’
‘Not exactly. He agreed to share information and to work with the Department when necessary on the understanding that it left our zone alone.’
‘But it’s in charge everywhere else?’ I ask with a shudder, thinking of the barely restrained violence from the man who confronted me.
‘Yes.’
‘What does it want?’
His voice is quiet. ‘More power. And with the Mayor’s death, all bets are off. When the Department didn’t show up immediately, I thought it might leave us in peace. No such luck.’ I hear him exhale. ‘Zoe, it’s going to know by now that there’s a dreamweaver and if they have Ashley, it won’t take them long to figure out it’s not her. You can’t go wandering around the Dreamlands. Not any more. I know you might want to play the hero and give yourself up to ensure her safety but Dean Salib risked his life to keep your identity secret for a reason. Whether you like it or not, you’re too important to risk.’
‘But I can’t do anything! All I can do is the same as you and walk through people’s dreams.’
‘That’s not true. You can change things.’
I try to convey my desperation. ‘I could. A few times.’ I shake my head. ‘But something’s wrong now. I can feel it.’ I explain to him about everything I’ve experienced, including Lilith’s comment about the Badlands.
‘Shit,’ he mutters, although he doesn’t sound particularly surprised.
‘I remember Bron saying something ages ago,’ I say, sitting down heavily, forgetting to take care with my back and wincing in pain. ‘That the Badlands began to encroach into the town and there was a lot of trouble.’
Dante laughs without humour. ‘That was long before Bron’s time.’
‘Do you remember it?’ I prod.
‘No. I don’t think even the oldest Travellers were around when all that occurred.’
I push my hair out of my eyes. ‘I tried to speak to Esme about it but she was really upset. The Department destroyed the daberhashery and she wasn’t in the mood to listen.’
‘She’s lost a lot recently,’ he points out.
I bite my lip. Yeah, she has. ‘The Department is one thing,’ I say. ‘But affecting the dreams of people all over the country…’
‘You don’t have any proof of that.’
I shake my head. I can feel it in my bones. ‘Trust me. Something’s not right. Could the Department be doing it?’
His answer is a long time coming. ‘I don’t think so. The Badlands is a law unto itself. What humans do is probably of no more consequence than a fly is to us.’
‘Well,’ I say, ‘maybe we can be the fly in the ointment that does more damage than expected. Have you fallen asleep yet and seen what things are like in the zone there?’ I’m assuming that his call means he’s already landed in the States.
‘No.’ He curses. ‘Damn jetlag is causing havoc. Besides, it’s morning here.’
‘Take your time. I have the unhappy feeling that the Department isn’t going anywhere any time soon.’
He grunts in agreement. ‘You need to avoid the meeting tonight. Now I’m in a different country, I can’t apparate in that zone any longer. And you should stay away too.’
‘I can’t.’ I tell him about the man who accosted me.
He sucks in an angry breath. ‘Goddamnit, Zoe. I can’t afford for you to get hurt.’
I? Or did he mean we? I swallow. ‘I told you. Whatever grip I had on
He sighs. ‘I’m sorry. I disapparated out. Once I’d had a chance to calm down, I thought better of it. When I went back in and realised you were in the Dreamlands, then saw the Department…’
I nod. ‘Yeah. All hell broke loose. You used to work for the Mayor, Dante. What is the Department really?’
He sighs. ‘The Mayor set the Department up years ago. He tried to keep it under his thumb for a while but for some people a taste of power only encourages them to want more.’
‘There was a coup against him?’
‘Not exactly. He agreed to share information and to work with the Department when necessary on the understanding that it left our zone alone.’
‘But it’s in charge everywhere else?’ I ask with a shudder, thinking of the barely restrained violence from the man who confronted me.
‘Yes.’
‘What does it want?’
His voice is quiet. ‘More power. And with the Mayor’s death, all bets are off. When the Department didn’t show up immediately, I thought it might leave us in peace. No such luck.’ I hear him exhale. ‘Zoe, it’s going to know by now that there’s a dreamweaver and if they have Ashley, it won’t take them long to figure out it’s not her. You can’t go wandering around the Dreamlands. Not any more. I know you might want to play the hero and give yourself up to ensure her safety but Dean Salib risked his life to keep your identity secret for a reason. Whether you like it or not, you’re too important to risk.’
‘But I can’t do anything! All I can do is the same as you and walk through people’s dreams.’
‘That’s not true. You can change things.’
I try to convey my desperation. ‘I could. A few times.’ I shake my head. ‘But something’s wrong now. I can feel it.’ I explain to him about everything I’ve experienced, including Lilith’s comment about the Badlands.
‘Shit,’ he mutters, although he doesn’t sound particularly surprised.
‘I remember Bron saying something ages ago,’ I say, sitting down heavily, forgetting to take care with my back and wincing in pain. ‘That the Badlands began to encroach into the town and there was a lot of trouble.’
Dante laughs without humour. ‘That was long before Bron’s time.’
‘Do you remember it?’ I prod.
‘No. I don’t think even the oldest Travellers were around when all that occurred.’
I push my hair out of my eyes. ‘I tried to speak to Esme about it but she was really upset. The Department destroyed the daberhashery and she wasn’t in the mood to listen.’
‘She’s lost a lot recently,’ he points out.
I bite my lip. Yeah, she has. ‘The Department is one thing,’ I say. ‘But affecting the dreams of people all over the country…’
‘You don’t have any proof of that.’
I shake my head. I can feel it in my bones. ‘Trust me. Something’s not right. Could the Department be doing it?’
His answer is a long time coming. ‘I don’t think so. The Badlands is a law unto itself. What humans do is probably of no more consequence than a fly is to us.’
‘Well,’ I say, ‘maybe we can be the fly in the ointment that does more damage than expected. Have you fallen asleep yet and seen what things are like in the zone there?’ I’m assuming that his call means he’s already landed in the States.
‘No.’ He curses. ‘Damn jetlag is causing havoc. Besides, it’s morning here.’
‘Take your time. I have the unhappy feeling that the Department isn’t going anywhere any time soon.’
He grunts in agreement. ‘You need to avoid the meeting tonight. Now I’m in a different country, I can’t apparate in that zone any longer. And you should stay away too.’
‘I can’t.’ I tell him about the man who accosted me.
He sucks in an angry breath. ‘Goddamnit, Zoe. I can’t afford for you to get hurt.’
I? Or did he mean we? I swallow. ‘I told you. Whatever grip I had on
Similar Books
