The Dream Weaver

Prologue

"Ow!" Tears pricked my eyes, and I crumpled to the forest floor. My ankle screamed in agony. A swollen purple bruise marred the joint. I dug my fingernails into the dirt and crawled down the path to some fallen branches in the underbrush. Grabbing the thickest stick for a crutch, I staggered up on my good leg.

Squinting in the direction I just fled, I noticed the fire surged brighter and higher than it burned before. A fierce cloud of angry ash and smoke filled the air. My pursuer's frustration was beginning to show. I grabbed a firm hold of the branch and kept moving toward freedom.

I laughed and shook my head. "Now I know I'm crazy. Thinking I can follow my heart and get away with it." I said scolding myself. If they caught me—the torture would be unspeakable.

My foot tapped the side of a rock, and I winced holding back a whimper of pain. I didn't want to scream and let them know how close they were. The vision that woke me from my sleep and started my flight into the night gave one clear message—he was coming, run! That warning kept looping in my head as I pushed on.

Wren, someone called to me in my thoughts. His warm and tender voice, made me smile. Right now, I wished his arms were wrapped around me making me feel safe. We'll find a way—promise. Have faith, beautiful. Now, stay focused and keep moving. The power of his words strengthened me but broke me at the same time. Every step forward also took me farther away from him.

I drew in a deep breath then let out a long sigh, placed my crutch under my arm and hobbled ahead. The stick's bark bit into my arm and scraped against my ribs. I stopped. Another tree had fallen across the path. When I climbed over the log, I tore at the moss growing on the trunk. I placed the handful of soft green lichen over my stick and started down the trail with a small sense of relief.

"Wren!" my pursuers hollered getting closer. "You know you won't get away that easily. Wren? I know you can hear me."

When I looked ahead to see how much farther I had to go, a whirling gust of wind shook the trees around me. The leaves rustled and fell from the branches twisting in the breeze. "She found me," I whispered. A blue shimmering dreamlike mist gathered and dissipated as she solidified into form. Wasting no time, she turned and faced me, her golden locks catching the breeze.

"Darling, look at you." She reached out and plucked a leaf from my hair and rubbed something off my cheek with her thumb.

The lavender gown she wore was out of place with our forest surroundings and looked like she'd been sitting for an artist's portrait. Its bodice held her tight, while its skirts stirred about with the night's breeze. Her eyes glowed an unnatural aquamarine color that mesmerized me every time I looked into them. When she looked down at my foot, breaking the spell, I noticed the three round incandescent stones on her necklace were lit up cutting the darkness of the night.

"Come, we don't have much time." She reached out her hand.

"You're here..." I wiped my dirty hand across my brow. My chest felt heavy with the sight of her standing in front of me. "You can't be here if anything happened to you." I swallowed hard. "Oh god, if they find you helping me—"

Her eyes were glossy and bright. "You're my daughter. No matter what the costs, I'd come."

I took a deep breath and put on a brave face. It was an almost impossible task to conceal anything from my mother. She'd always find out in the end. I felt guilty not telling her my secret and before now— My heart sank, and I wanted to cry. "The problem is I've twisted my ankle," I commented and held up my makeshift crutch.

"I'm not sure that's where the problem lies. Is it?" She smiled, but before I could answer, she picked up my hand. "If I'd known— I could have better prepared you," her voice cracked.