Page 81 of Realm of Dreams & Shadows

“Good,” Chase’s voice comes from nowhere and everywhere, like an echo inside my head. “You’re in the Neutral Zone. What do you think?”

“Not much to write home about.” The landscape is gray and stark. The sky is a washed-out smudge, neither light nor dark. It’s like standing inside an unfinished sketch. And one that holds very little promise of evolving into a Monet-like masterpiece.

“This place won’t ever top my vacation list,” I add. “I mean, honestly, I prefer our beach. Even with the freaky sand monsters.”

He chuckles. “Fair enough. But if you don’t like it, why don’t you change it?”

“Right,” I say. “Because I can totally do that.”

“You can.” His voice is firm. “Remember, in the dream realm, belief shapes reality. But don’t be discouraged if you can’t do it right away. Some truly exceptional Dreamwalkers took five, maybe even ten trips into this space before they mastered the most basic control. And I haven’t met a Dreamwalker yet who can do more than raise a few flowers on their first incursion.”

“Right. So, when you said no pressure, you meant it.” What I don’t say is that I fully intend to blow away that competition.

I focus on a spot about ten feet away, imagining a flower growing from the gray ground. For a moment, nothing happens. Then a single red rose struggles up through the colorless earth, its petals bright and impossibly vivid against the drab landscape.

I stare at it, both awed that I did that, and at the same time, not. Because why be awed by something as simple as breathing? It’s just something I can do. Like picking up a pencil or putting on socks. Something easy. Almost mindless.

“Excellent,” Chase says. “How’s your energy? Feeling drained?”

I consider the question seriously, then shake my head before realizing I’m only shaking it in my mind. “Not drained at all.” In fact, I feel the opposite. I feel invigorated. But I don’t tell Chase that.

I’m not sure why I stay silent. Or maybe I do. Because I’m odd. This power—it’s not typical at all. More than that, it’s strong. A few roses? That’s a parlor trick. I could raise a castle if I wanted to.

And part of me really, really wants to. No. Not just wants—needs. Because how else can I know—really know—that I’m not the mousy daughter anymore? A little girl hungry for those moments when her mother didn’t have her nose in some book on dreams, desperate to spend time with the cool mom who made jewelry and told bedtime stories about mythical kings and castles in the sky.

And I’m damn sure not the girl who got shoved into some prison of a boarding school because the uncle she loved couldn’t deal.

“Cora?” I hear the edge in Chase’s voice. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. I’m fine,” I say quickly, easily pushing down all my anger and regret. After all, I had years of high school to practice that. “It’s just that this is all so incredible.”

As if to demonstrate, I picture a garden—rows of flowers in every color imaginable, trees heavy with fruit, a small fountain sparkling in the center. The images ripple outward from where I stand, transforming the barren plain into a paradise of growth and color.

“Holy shit.” His voice is soft, almost inaudible. But I hear the pride in it, along with confusion and, strangely, something that might be the tiniest hint of fear.

“Cora, what you’re doing…”

“It’s incredible, isn’t it?” I draw in a breath, marveling at what I’ve created. And, yes, I even clap my hands and giggle like a little girl. “I can feel the life in everything. It’s like I’m connected to every blade of grass, every flower petal.”

“Be careful,” I hear the edge of warning in his voice. “You’ve already accomplished more than we anticipated. Maintain your control. We don’t want your energy radiating out of the Neutral Zone. It might attract attention.”

I think of sand monsters and shiver, then look to the sky, fearing I’ll see Kali on her dragon racing toward me.

Or perhaps the Nightmare King himself, come to see that I have power too. The thought disturbs me, but whether because I fear him or want him, I truly don’t know.

I close my eyes, pushing thoughts of Adric out of my head and desperately hoping that the connection between Chase and me while I’m in this state doesn’t include picking up on lusty feelings.

“Dial it back,” Chase says, making me startle guiltily. “You need to work on control. Power is nothing if you can’t control it.”

I nod, thinking of Adric and Chase and the tight control both those men must have. That’s what I want too. That most fundamental state of being—control over myself. My choices.

“Okay, that’s great,” Chase says, and I blink, realizing that even while my mind had been wandering, I’d been drawing flowers up out of the ground without even realizing it. “Just work on focusing. You were drifting a bit.”

Was I ever! But how freaking cool is it that I could do that with so little concentration?

“Control is key, Cora. The deeper you go, the more seductive the power becomes. Remember, this is just practice. Stick with card tricks. No need to saw the lady in half today.”

I roll my eyes, and when he laughs, I realize he can see me. I’m his dream now. Me and this place.