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“You are in no shape to do anything,” the count pointed out. “You’re all welcome here while you figure out your next course of action.”
I studied Baz for the first time. Though he certainly looked better than he had in a long time, his dark skin was still ashen, and he was barely keeping his eyes open.
He glanced back at me, lips tight, eyes a little wide, as if he were frightened of me. That was certainly odd, what would I have done to scare him?
I put it out of my mind for now. We had other things to worry about, like, well, everything.
“You should all rest. Should you need anything, my servant here can provide it, including sleeping accommodations.” He rose and gestured an elegant hand toward the man who had served us alcohol. “Good evening.”
Hell, he even had a trace of the accent you would associate with the movie version. Ash, still holding my hand, watched as he left.
I couldn’t find it in myself to laugh, but amusement did push through the dark feelings threatening to consume me.
“There are several things we need to accomplish.” Robby broke the silence. “One of them is rest. We are close enough to Nightmare that I believe Baz will gain whatever energy he needs from that part of Dream well enough.”
“Dio, uh, didn’t fully recover until we, uh, completed our bond.” Why was I suddenly feeling awkward about that?
“Ahh, you two should probably get on that, as well.” The jester smirked at me.
Baz’s brow furrowed and he turned an annoyed look on Robby, which the jester ignored. Baz’s expression shuttered after the brief emotion. Clearly there was something going on.
Ash’s hand tightened on mine.
I was about to suggest we get some rest when the count burst back into the room. “You need to leave. Now. The biggest nothingness storm we’ve seen is heading this way. Princess, you must save us.”
My chest clenched, and I struggled to breathe. Again? We’d just escaped one. It was almost like they were targeting us.
“Shit,” I said out loud. Maybe they were targeting me?
Robby clenched his jaw. “Ember, you, Baz, and the princesses should return to the Conscious Realm if Bloody Mary can get you there. I will remain with Casey.”
The lyrist looked up at Robby, gratitude in her expression.
I didn’t try to argue, just sprang to my feet and followed the count back to the mirror we’d arrived through.
Bloody Mary waited on the other side. “Princess,” she said.
“Can you get us back to the Conscious Realm?”
She nodded. “The cabin is accessible. Though it needs repair. You should not have any trouble with that.”
“No.” By now repairing the arches was almost second nature.
“Then let us go.” She stepped back, presenting me with a stone archway.
The now familiar sensation of cool glass turning to a thick liquid under my hands and pressing through it into the mirror realm was almost comforting. I knew the others would follow, and I pushed forward into the stone archway. When I met resistance, I pushed dream essence into it, and mended the pathway. Stepping out into the cabin on my parents’ property in the Conscious Realm felt strange after so much time in Dream.
The air was damp, clinging to me with humidity. The cabin air smelled moldy, and I broke out into a sweat from the warm air. I kept moving, giving the others room to follow me out.
The shadows were long when I stepped out into the familiar verdant forest. The underbrush was a bit thicker and what grass did grow in the shade much longer. Bushes had filled in and recovered from the winter hibernation, and a patch of poison ivy spread near the cabin door. I stayed close so I could warn the others to avoid it. The last thing we all needed was a rash.
Baz came out next, looking around warily. I gestured toward the irritating plant and with practice born of years running through these very woods as a kid, avoided it.
The princesses followed, also taking my direction and not stepping on the plant or brushing against it. Then Ash stepped out.
At first I didn’t register the significance, but then it hit me. “Ash?”
She stared at the ground and ran her hand through her short hair. “They needed a mate. I needed to be able to return here,” she muttered.
