1 | The Terrible Dreamer

Chapter 18

VEAR

The night is cool and calm. Compared to the city we arrived in, this town is quant and well-kept. The streets are clean, the air is crisp, and even with the noise of the night life, it's far more tolerable. Did the dreamwalker plan this, knowing our Nisha traits? Or is it a simple coincidence that is playing into my favor?

With how many trees cover this area, shadows are plentiful. It's easy for two Faceless to hide nearby, in case the dreamwalker has a trick up her sleeve.

Multiple car doors slam in the parking lot behind me. Shadows cover my body, keeping me from sight beneath one of their luscious green trees. I step out after the Earthlings walk by, blending in with their large group. None are the wiser.

The building is U-shaped, built from aging bricks, orange in the daylight, a rustic brown at night. It reeks of growing mold and vines are crawling all over parts of the exterior walls. Beke would say it has an aura of otherworldly charm, then destroy it to quench his boredom.

Music beats, mellow and low, can be heard outside the doors. A single voice mixes fast hard lyrics, pounding into the flesh with their anger and soul. When the set of doors open, the music is louder and a crowd of bodies huddle in groups around the hall; immediately I'm regretting this rendezvous.

Two men stand near the door, handing out glowing necklaces with a green alien head as a pendant. They lay them over the girl's heads, handing them out to the other men. I stuff my hands into my jacket, grasping the bone knife's smooth handle. One of the men notices me, his eyes wandering up and down my attire, it makes me pause for a moment. Hesitate. I do look the part, mingling in with these Earthlings, but there's always a chance I missed an important detail.

He gives me a nod and goes back to handing out the glowing necklaces. Maybe instinct has him backing away, or he knows deep down I'd never wear something so cheap.

Instinct has me surveying the area. There's a group of people huddling near a table filled with red paper cups until one bounces a ball and takes a shot. Off the far wall, there's a kitchen with more red cups and cans passing between hands, a variety of alcohol beverages that smell like piss from here. There's still no sign of the dreamwalker, so I venture in further, towards the heavy speakers where the shadows greet the light.

I lean against the wall. Very few people are dancing, most mingling and chattering, drinking from their paper cups and laughing. The atmosphere is mundane; it's the type of environment I can appreciate. Relaxed and casual, one where I can sit on my throne and drink to my hearts content without worrying about the next assassination attempt.

Urlish's attempts at trying to kill me were more often than not. I kept most of them from the other rulers, mostly for her lack of imagination. However, there were few times she used those who were not hers to govern. Whether she threatened their life or held a loved one hostage, if I told the other rulers, I feared there would calamity, a greater threat than just my sole life.

It's been so long since we've thrown a celebration. Urlish death is cause for that, and once I get this butterfly back, we could celebrate under the moon, out in the open, like our ancestors used to before we were forced underground.

My finger absently twirls the earring dangling from my right ear. The jewels press like daggers against my thumb. I look at the clock on the wall in the kitchen. Time is different on all planets, information that I rarely need, but I don't need help deciphering this one. It's a digital interface, showing 8:10pm. She's late.

My jaw ticks as I look towards the door. A group of girls are idling by, seeming to get closer as they chatter. One girl looks in my general direction, her smile flirty, openly eyeing my body in a suggestive manner. She's well-dressed with a tempting short shirt. I didn't hide myself on purpose, hoping my presence would terrify the dreamwalker into submission without me having to do much effort. But she's not even here. I've been stood up.