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Though nerve-wracking, the trip back to the van went quickly. I got behind the wheel, adjusting the seat forward so I could reach the petals, then firing up the engine. Trying to hurry while being quiet and discrete, I hit the driveway and attempted to ignore the cornfields that loomed in the distance.
Robby popped back in, making me scream and jerk the wheel.
“Easy, princess.”
“Damn it, Robby,” I snarled.
“There are two clowns.” He sounded uncharacteristically grim.
“Amazing,” I muttered sarcastically.
Nic melted into shadow for a moment. “We must draw them into Dream.”
“When you figure out how we’re going to do that, let me know.” Robby’s tension manifested in his uncharacteristically sharp tone.
“Go watch them, jester. We’ll come up with a plan,” Nic ordered.
Robby vanished again.
“Ember. It is possible you can create a pathway for us. As Robby has pointed out, the entire point of having a mortal in our grouping is to add the energy of creation to Dream and keep the energies fresh.”
I’d been having thoughts along those lines and nodded. “Okay.”
“That may be our only recourse,” Nic continued.
“No pressure or anything.” I clenched my hands on the wheel.
“We’ll likely die if you don’t figure it out.” Nic gripped my shoulder.
“Lovely.” I turned and glared at Nic.
“So, you know, we’re all going to die?” Geraint interjected.
“Hey!”
He smiled at me from the passenger seat. “I have complete faith in you, Spark.”
That really didn’t make me feel better, but I focused on my driving instead, breathing a sigh of relief when we broke free of the cornfields. I flipped on the lights and hit the accelerator, driving as quickly as I dared toward Ash’s place.
***
A small eternity later, I pulled up in front of Ash’s house.
“What do we do?” I hated how small my voice sounded.
“Front door, probably,” Geraint replied grimly.
“I agree. They know we’re coming.” Nic dissolved mostly into shadow before exiting the van. He solidified once he stood on the sidewalk.
I stared out into the night. Clouds obscured the moon and the stars, not to mention light pollution from the city. I’d lost track of the time and when I glanced at the clock, it was nearly two in the morning. No wonder I was exhausted.
We got out of the truck. Geraint hefted Dio over his shoulders again, and we headed for the front door. I dragged my feet, and I pressed my hands against my stomach, trying to suppress the butterflies that churned my guts.
As soon as we stepped onto the small front porch, the air around us rippled and warped. After having dealt with the snakes, it was easier to feel the Dream energy that the clowns used to do their magic, or whatever you wanted to call it.
“Can we—?”
Nic held up his hand, interrupting me. He tapped his ear, and I took that to mean we could be overheard so I fell silent. That left me wondering if we could absorb the clowns’ energy like we had with the snakes, though.
