1 | The Terrible Dreamer

Chapter 6

AIYA

I can't believe we're doing this. I only agreed to be Wish's guide in order to watch over her. She's an adrenaline junky. Ever since I've known Wish Capri, she always pushes past her limits. As children she loved to dreamwalk in Akane, but it got to a point where a few days a week, turned into every day and hours of play. I can't leave Wish alone to fend for herself in Akane. Someone needs to be watching over her, if only in her mind.

After we're finished eating at Esquina, we drive back to the Andreatte Estate. Rocks fly from beneath my Mercedes-Benz as we transition from paved road to country dust and miles upon miles of farmland. Mother loves being out here in the middle of nowhere. Least likely for someone to attack us. The chances are slim to none when you live in Eastern Kansas.

We ride together in silence until the farmland changes into a forest. I turn off the gravel road and onto our private drive. Iron gates block the path with tall cinder blocks on either side. The barrier is so potent I can smell its crispy tang before I even roll down the window. The monitor scans my face. A green check mark dings on the screen and the gates open for us to come inside. Goosebumps tickle across my skin like a faint whisper of magic, scanning our entire body until it decides if we're friend or foe.

When the gates close behind us, it feels like the rest of the world disappears. The road is long and winding, silent and smooth beneath the car tires. A dark forest separates the Andreatte Estate from the rest of the world. It's enchanting and ancient, like a Grimm fairytale, with torches lighting the path. We used to play in these woods a lot as children, with floating rocks, flowers that speak, and cats that fly from limb to limb-remnants that Wish brought back from Akane. I imagine they're still out there. Nothing ever escapes this place.

The Main House appears up ahead, or I guess I should say my house, but it doesn't feel like home at all. Instead of turning left towards Kenna, I veer right to Wish's home. When we get there, it takes about ten minutes for her jump out and gather her overnight bag. We decided it's best to tell her mom she's staying overnight with me at the Main House, so if anything happens-which I pray to god it doesn't-then at least we have an escape plan.

She comes back dressed to the nine's in Tek gear, wearing a loose tank top and leggings. The only expensive item on her is the black Nike's, which I bought her for Christmas last year. Wish doesn't care about having an image. She wears what she wants. I'm so envious. While I love wearing designer clothes, sometimes I just want to curl up on the couch and wear some old shirt I found at a thrift store for 99 cents. As it stands, every year Mother buys me new clothes, so we're ahead of the seasons fashion scene.

Wish hops into the car. I reverse and take off down the road towards Kenna's. "Ready?"

She rummages through her overnight bag. "Yeah, I think so. I got everything I needed. Do you think Kenna has distilled water? I should've asked her to bring some."

"She should. Aunty Zara uses a CPAP for her insomnia, so she always has extra distilled water lying around," I say, glancing at Wish. "Are you sure about this?"

"I was wondering when you were going to ask." She smiles. "I'll be fine, Aiya. It should be a quick in and out mission. If I run into trouble, you'll be there to guide me back. I trust you."

I take a deep breath and let it all out. I really don't like this. "Okay."

We pass the Main House and drive down a side road to Kenna's home. More torches light the path as we approach a golden archway; talismans are burned all over the pillars, some old, some new. The house is awake and alive after we pass the second barrier. Modern to a touch, opaque glass windows cover the high-tech architecture like a puzzle piece of teak wood and concrete. Like my mother, Aunty Zara also has expensive tastes.