"You sure you don't need any help?" Oracle asked as I nodded. I jumped off the motorcycle. "A lot of the spell can't be done by a human, you know-"
"I know." Oracle smiled again and I wasn't sure what he was angling for. "You seemed to have it figured out." Oracle put on the helmet I wore. "I do hope to see you again, Matty."
"You don't need to be so dramatic."
Oracle shrugged. "Messing with dreams doesn't end up well."
Says the guy who thought stealing things from faeries was a great idea. He really had no freaking idea or he was just refusing the admit it.
"Thanks."
Oracle looked like he wanted to say more, but maybe he knew better. It looked like he wanted to say something that might stop me. It was the sort of thing that Drake probably would've done if he were awake.
"Just be safe. You're more important than you think you are."
It sounded like something Erasmus would say. At the time he said it, I was a little kid with a need to be loved so it sounded sweet. Now, as an adult, it made me wonder what did Oracle want from me. And if he had similar motives to Erasmus.
I nodded and went into my apartment building. The moment I was alone in the lobby of my building, my body started to shake. I needed food, sleep, and some water, but I didn't have time. I dragged my feet up the stairs until I reached my floor. I went down the long hall
The lock clicked as I opened the door to my apartment.
"ABOUT TIME!" I jumped as Keeva got up in my face before I could even close the door. Aine must have grabbed her. "I thought I was going to have to go to Faerie and drag you back myself!"
"Keeva, hush," Ruth said to her as she got the elf to sit down on my sofa.
"Good, I wasn't sure if Orisin would be able to do this spell by himself," I said as Orisin looked at me. My apartment was stuffed with more people than it ever has in my time being there. Antonio sat on my sofa, crossed legged, pinching is chin as he stared down at me. Keeva and Ruth sat next to him with Ruth trying to calm down Keeva as she ranted and raved about how stupid I had been. Orisin sat on the counter in the kitchen, frowning and digging his fingers under the counter with Aine sitting on his head.
"You aren't looking very good." Antonio said with a slight tilt of his head.
"I don't feel very good," I said.
Antonio and Keeva looked at one another. My legs shook.
"Keeva, can you do this?" I held up the spell book for her and the orange rose.
"Not now," Orisin said. He jumped off of the counter, walking over to me as he held open his hand. "You need to heal."
"We don't-"
"It's this," Antonio said, "or we make you stay in your room for a week." I could tell by his voice that he would lock me in there.
Orisin let his palm heat up and a flame bloomed in his hand. The flame danced for a second before twisting and turning before turning into what looked like an apple. Made of fire, but still an apple. I grabbed it after Orisin nodded and ate it as quickly as possible.
"I can't believe you went there without any backup." Antonio said. His voice dark and deep. The only reason he wasn't ripping me a new one was because he didn't want anyone to know much about his connection to the group.
"Ari helped me." I said.
That got him to shut up. Ruth perked at this and turned to shot him a look. Antonio avoided eye contact, but he only did a stony I-don't-care-what-you-think face that vampires liked to make.
I turned to Keeva as I felt the warmth of the apple heal.
Keeva's cheeks turned red and then purple before sucking in a deep breath. I bit hard down on my tongue to keep the anxiety in.
"What spell?" She asked. "And how did a goddamn old human-"
"Keeva, how long has Drake been battling the DreamWalker?" Antonio asked. Ruth rubbed her arms. Keeva nodded. I held out the spell and she snatched it. She read it over. She looked at me and then at the spell before looking back at me again. She sighed. She looked at the spell again.
"He wouldn't want you to do this. He wouldn't want you to risk your life like this," Keeva said.
"He shouldn't have been a dumb ass then," I said. "If you're not going to help me-"
"I never said I wouldn't."
Keeva got up and walked to the kitchen. She pulled her hair up as she pulled out a mixing bowl as Orisin scooted. She threw in a few things in the bowl from the bag. She looked down at the bowl and I expected smoke to rise out of it like something out of the Harry Potter movies.
"Antonio, can you get Drake and lay him down on the sofa?" She asked as the vampire nodded. She smiled at Orisin. "A bit of your fire." Orisin let a small flame dance into the bowl. Antonio came out with Drake and Ruth as they put him on the sofa. Keeva poured the mixture into a wine glass.
"Pulchra Rosa. Somnium. Rosis,vinum, Rosis." She went over to Drake and pressed a white blade to the palm of his hand, holding the glass of wine underneath it before a drop or two of blood fell into the mixture.
"Hic est sanguis emus." She whispered before standing up and going over to my coffee table. "Vigilabo super direction mea."
She put a clear liquid into the mix and diluted the wine and blood.
"One more flame," she said to Orisin. Orisin lifted the orange rose and lit it on fire before dropping it into the wine glass. The ash floated to the bottom of the glass. Orisin watched and his fists clenched before looking at me, frowning. His eyes grew glassy. Don't cry. I didn't want to see him cry. I didn't want to know why he wanted to cry. Keeva gave me a look.
"That wasn't so bad." I said.
I glanced at the glass before Keeva said, "It's not the making of the spell that is difficult. It's rather simple compared to other spells, but it's the journey that is difficult." Well she didn't know that I had to make a deal with a queen with a questionable mental state to get said rose.
"What do I have to do?" I asked.
"Find Drake, the real Drake, in his dreams. Wake him up and possibly fight night walkers." Keeva said with a frown.
"The real Drake?" I asked. Keeva frowned and then rubbed the back of her neck. She sucked in her lips as Antonio rolled his eyes.
"Spit it out." Antonio said.
"This is complicated!" Keeva said. "I didn't even think about using this spell because it's complicated and kind of stupid."
She knew about this spell? SHE KNEW?! And-
"So it's perfect for Matty," Aine said with a tight smile.
"Why is it stupid?" I asked, biting back on the anger, but my fists shook.
Keeva started pacing.
"For some, and Drake is definitely one of these men, dream about the past. Memories. He was...different in the past compared to now," Keeva said as her hands went flying around her.
"How so?" I asked.
"When I met him, he went after anything with a vagina to be honest." She said with a tight smile. "Because some people don't handle broken hearts well." At this, I realized she knew about Drake's wife. Did she know about everything?
"He was known for hating humans too. That might be important." Antonio said. This didn't really surprise me. Remembering how Drake was when we first met, he didn't like me. "Don't forget he killed at a drop of a hat."
Ah. Okay.
Keeva nodded and I could see her brain working.
"There's so much that could go wrong with this spell." Keeva said. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet as she looked at me. "He wouldn't want to risk you, you know?" Keeva said, grabbing my hand suddenly. "He really-"
Orisin coughed suddenly. Keeva looked at him and then shook her head.
"He cares about you."
"We don't have anything else," I said.
She nodded and handed me the glass. "Now, drink this and after you drink this you have to have direct contact with Drake." I went over and grabbed Drake's hand.
"I don't think that will cover it," Antonio said with a smirk.
Oh no.
"You okay?" Ruth asked. She looked at Keeva. "Isn't there a less...personal way to do this?"
"Sure," Antonio said. "I'm sure if she drops her pants-"
"ANTONIO!" Ruth said, smacking him on the shoulder.
"What? It's less personal."
I wondered what Antonio thought of as personal at this point.
I looked at Keeva.
"Well, no, I mean, there is Antonio's way," Keeva said. "Or a light kiss on the mouth."
"You sure there isn't a less touchy feely way?" I asked.
"We don't have anything else," Keeva said, mimicking my voice by making her voice slightly higher. I sighed and tried to relax.
"Will you watch out for me?"
"Of course," Orisin said and smiled.
I drank the bitterness and swallowed as the feeling of someone snipping brain steam came over me. I turned to look at Drake before leaning down and pressing my lips to his.
He felt warm. He tasted like lavender and dirt.
My stomach dropped as I opened my eyes to heard shattering.
There was nothing. Just blackness. Ink. Dark. Night? If it's night where are the stars-
Glass shattered and I landed on the ground with the breath being knocked out of me. My tail bone burned as I blinked back the tears before swallowing and getting on my hands and knees. My hands stung and I looked down, plucking out bits of glasses from my hands. The glass clinked on the ground. It sounded loud.
This is a dream, right?
I looked around. I sat in a circular room. The rough stone walls looked a little cracked and worn down. Five doors circled around me. One of them looked like a mirror, one was bright red and looked like something I had found back home, another was a large heavy wooden door with a lion's open mouth as a door knob, the one next to the lion door wasn't really a door, but just blackness. The last one opened to reveal a forest.
"I found a beautiful boy at the start
Oh he held such a lovely little heart
but I took it apart
and ate it."
The voice sounded like it came from the forest. I wiped my bloody hands on my jeans before I walked over to the door. The smell of dirt and clean water made me release the breath I was holding for a moment.
"Drake?" I called out and walked over to the door. I stepped into the door. My foot sank into the ground with the plush grass. "Drake?" Maybe I fell into a Disney movie. Birds chirped and the wind rustled the green leafs as sunlight streamed through the branches.
"I couldn't help it, my dear.
You see, the madness, is queer
my darling."
A creepy Dinsey movie. Or a Disney theme creepy pasta story. The high voice grew louder as I heard the soft twinkle of water rushing through a stream.
"There is no such madness in you, my dear."
Drake! I broke out into a run, but stopped and as I heard Keeva's voice warning me, you need to find the real Drake! I stepped behind a tree and tried to gather my thoughts. The real Drake. What was that exactly? I took a deep breath.
Drake laughed.
I peeked around the tree to see Drake sitting on a large boulder as a woman with long blue hair and skin. Her eyes were a lime green as she smiled at Drake. Drake played with her hair as he wore an easy smile that made his whole face light up. His black silver wings glimmered in the sunlight. I didn't see any big scars from where I was. He looked...sweet. I wasn't sure if I had ever heard him laugh like that or wore a smile so easily on his face. My stomach tightened and a flare of anger and frustration struck me.
"How do you know that, my dragon?" She asked as she got out of the water and kissed him on the mouth.
Was this...his wife?
Is this a memory? Or a dream created from a memory? And how the hell do I compete with a memory of his naked wife?
Drake pulled back with that smile on his face. This softer Drake wasn't familiar to me. He started to sing again.
"It eats me alive from inside my head
and all I see is red.
I've been bled
too much, I believe.
That's how I get such a madness, I believe. "
What did it mean to find the real Drake?
I might as well try.
"Drake!" I yelled. He pulled away from the kiss and looked at me as wifey wrapped her arms around him.
"Who is that?" She asked as her grip tightened around him. Drake returned with a protective grip. "My dragon?" Her eyes turned to him. I remembered how scary I could look to some when they first saw me, but Drake didn't look frightened. That made me feel better.
Drake looked at me. Nothing came over his face except his eyes narrowing slightly. "I don't know her."
Something tugged at my chest when he said that. Of course he doesn't know me. It shouldn't bug me. Dreams don't make sense.
"Drake, you're dreaming. The Dreamwalkers are in your head and looking for me. You tried to protect me. You're a knight in the Lunae Lux court." I said.
"He is not." She hissed at me as she untangled herself from him. "He's a solitary faerie and my husband, human."
This was the woman who made Drake stroke my own hair in memory. It was weird hearing the word out loud. An odd wave of jealousy washed over me. I wanted to grab him.
"Drake, you're a loyal knight at the Lunae Lux court. You brag about your queen and how wonderful her court is all the time. You are my protector."
Drake frowned and his eye brows furrowed. "No... I..."
He shook his head and the bird stopped chirping. The river stopped flowing. Dreams don't make sense. I try to remember this as I walk over to him.
"My dragon, my Drake, what's wrong?" She asked.
This has to be the real Drake. The real Drake would want to be in his happiest memory, or dream was his wife.
"Why would I protect a human?" Drake asked.
Right, probably too complicated to explain the whole sight thing right now.
"Because you're a stubborn idiot who follows his queen to the death." And a weird small part of me hoped that it was because you cared about me.
"No I- I wouldn't." Drake looked at me. His face twisted into a grimace. He kept shaking his head.
"Drake-"
The woman in his arms shattered and everything became silent. Drake's eyes widened. "What have you done?"
I ran into the stream and went over to Drake. I reached out for him. "Drake, come on, I promise -" He grabbed my wrist in his hand and squeezed it so hard until I heard a crunch. Pain shot through my arm and I gritted my teeth.
"Drake!" I screamed before he too shattered. "Drake!" I felt a jerk right behind my belly button and I landed back in the circular room. I got up. Was that not the real Drake? Then where is he?
"Poor, poor little thing."
I turned to see a woman who stood at six foot and beautiful. Purple veins crawl around her face and turned black around her yellow eyes that flickered, changing colors like fire. A red ruby stuck to her forehead. White blonde hair intertwined with small pink flowers. Her lips were blood red with three black lines painted on her bottom lip. Ram horns bloomed out of her hair. She wore a purple dress that went to her ankles and a far cloak around her shoulders.
"Searching desperately for your little protector," she tsked. Shit.
"Oooh, big scary woman," I said.
"I am The Dream Walker." She corrected me. "And you are in my world. My home. What are you doing here?"
"Drake's head is not your home. Get out!"
She smiled and her eyes twinkled.
"And I want you. Wrapped up in a pretty little bow for my king, my prince."
Okay, whatever. "Well, this isn't my physical body. I'm pretty sure Erasmus wants my physical body. I can't do the whole baby making thing without it."
"I know and that is the problem." She said as her black nails tapped against the walls. "I've been jumping from world to world, searching for you. And when I get close I'm sent to another world, another dream. Oh the sweet, sweet Dragon put up quite a fight. Running away from me in his sweet, sweet memories of his wife, but his heart no longer dwells there."
I didn't have a weapon. Dreams don't let you have weapons, but dammit, why do I have a broken wrist?
"You must know where his heart lies," I said, thinking about how the hell I was going to beat the hell out of this bitch.
The woman chuckled. "I wonder how many women have said that. Of course I don't, dearie. He is still trapped here though."
Well that's good to know for sure. I ran to the lion headed door and yanked it open with my good hand.
"Have fun, dearie with that. I wonder what Drake will do to you this time. Maybe he'll split you in two. That is a favorite of his."
The stone continued into a long, long hallway with torches. My fingers brushed on the ice cold stone and shivered. A wind made a whistling noise and blew my hair back.
Where are you Drake? Why can't I find you here?
A scream pierced the silence and darkness of the hallway. I started running and stopped when the hallway opened into a large room with blue light coming from a pool of water. I've been here before. It was with Drake when we went to the Lunae Lux Court. I smelled blood, the coppery scent that set my teeth on edge. The room was just as dark as the hallway with a multiple of torches that mixed with the blue light.
Tall, strong bodies surrounded where the screaming was coming from. Between them, she saw a blue hand reaching out for someone. The scream made me cringe.
"Drake, you have to do this."
I looked to see a woman standing away from the group. Her hair was silver and went down her back with her brown skin hanging in backs. Her watery blue eyes shed tears as I saw Drake turn his back from the scream. The queen of the Lunae Lux Court. Alive, well, kind of a live.
"There is nothing more we can do for her." She continued. "If you do not do something, she'll-"
"I know that!" Drake shouted as he turned around, wearing a blood red cloak that encircled him and heavy black boots. He picked up a sword as the wall of bodies parted for him. I saw the woman who was his wife laying there, screaming and crying. She saw Drake and stopped for a moment.
He swung his blade.
"Drake!" I screamed as I jumped in front of his wife. "What are you doing?" Okay stupid question, but it got him to look at me. He jumped and stood stone still before turning to look at her. He frowned with arched eye brows.
"Seize her!" The woman with the crown screamed.
Fuck.
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Author's Note:
Uh, sorry guys, I was sick as a dog the other week. We're pretty sure it has something to do with my happy pills so I'm sorry I couldn't get something up. Things might be a bit shaky until I can figure out what's wrong, but I'll do my best.
Also, just so you all know the next few chapters might be a bit trippy. Dreams are weird, ya'll.
Thanks for everyone who comments and votes on this series. It means a lot to me. I love interacting with you guys. And I love hearing what you guys think.
See you next week!