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Ash and I left my suite. I didn’t really have anything to pack, which felt weird, but I could create everything I needed along the way. Even food. Or so the others assured me.
I felt like I should say bye to Baz but couldn’t quite bring myself to do it. Especially knowing I was going to confront not-Baz before long. The more I could keep them separate, the better. Besides, he was unconscious. I doubted he even knew I was there.
The main hallway was unusually full of rainbows today. A pair of dreamers raced through with bubble wands throwing out oddly solid soap bubbles in all sorts of improbable but fantastic colors. They weaved around and through dream creatures, and the bubbles popped with a crackle of shattered ice. The residents of the palace either ignored them or dodged the falling ice crystals.
Another pair of dreamers danced together, totally oblivious to the rest of the world around them.
I’d seen more dreamers recently and wondered why. Maybe I was more attuned to it? Not all the dream creatures reacted to the dreamers, and it was possible the residents didn’t always see the visitors? I’d have to ask at some point.
We didn’t talk as we wound through the corridors, at least until we came up against a dead end where I knew an exit had been the day before. I’d used it to get back inside after Dio and I had thoroughly worn each other out.
“Well, what now?” Ash put her hands on her hips and glared at the wall.
“I’ll just use the shadows.”
“Dio calls it shadow walking,” Ash said.
“Yeah, shadow walking.”
“Well, get out of here.” Ash pulled me into a hug. “Be careful.”
“You, too.” I clutched her close then we released each other. I still wasn’t super comfortable using the shadow powers, but maybe I never would be. Especially after learning that there was more to them than just the ability to move through places and make cool shadow tentacles and stuff. Beings lived there, and apparently, they weren’t entirely friendly. Nic had never cautioned me against them, however, so I guessed we were safe from whatever danger they presented. Maybe being a princess gave me some protection?
With that thought firmly in mind, I called the shadows to me, let my body dissolve into darkness, and shadow walked to the stables.
Geraint
“Do you want me to get her?” I looked at Dio where he stood with four white horses. It would have been more logical to send Robby or Nic, but the two of them had already gone ahead to scout and would be joining us in a few hours.
Dio wrinkled his lips. “Do you think I broke her?” Concern gave his voice a tight edge.
Laughing, I shook my head. “No.” Then I stopped, not sure how much I should say. Dio gave every indication that he accepted me as one of Ember’s mates, but I didn’t know if that extended to me sharing personal information or not. She wouldn’t mind, however Dio might not want to hear about our marathon sex exploits.
Dio opened his mouth as if to say something, shut it again and shook his head, then finally said, “I guess you’d know.”
“Yeah. She’ll be okay. I have no idea why she’s not down here yet.”
“If you don’t mind going to look for her?”
“I don’t mind.”
Dio frowned as if looking inward before shrugging. “I’m not sure where she’s at. I’m still getting used to being able to feel where she’s at with our bond.”
“I doubt she went far. I’ll be back.”
The weather was perfect, as it usually was, around the palace. I was a little worried about Ember. She wasn’t one to not show up, but how much trouble could she have gotten into in Dream Palace?
It wasn’t long before I was back in the palace. I headed to her suite, a good place to start. Unfortunately, it was empty when I got there and a quick query to the guards standing at her doors told me she had left with Ash about an hour ago.
“Hmm,” I muttered and went to the next place I could think of. She and Casey were supposed to be keeping an eye on Baz while we were gone.
I never saw the looks when the others were around, but when I was alone, I caught some side-eye from a lot of the dream creatures that were more in tune with the ruling family. The princesses accepted me, and the king and queen acted like they did, but I suspected most disapproved of my relationship with Ember if they knew about it.
Well, they could just get over it. Once we defeated this dreambound woman, we would be spending most of our time in Nightmare, anyway. It was possible I was just imagining the looks, but I didn’t think I was.
The guards at Baz’s suite didn’t react to my presence and I went inside. Casey sat with Baz, holding his hand. She looked up when I entered.
“I thought you all had left?”
