Geraint and Dio looked confused, and I suspected I’d only closed my eyes for a moment while we’d gotten sucked back into the real world.
Then I realized I’d called Dream the real world. Well, it was real enough to me these days.
I released Geraint and Dio and they both tumbled to the ground.
Baz grabbed me into his arms and held me tightly for a moment, before falling to his knees next to Dio.
I collapsed by Geraint, feeling like I had nothing left.
My tether to Baz had led me back to the oasis we’d constructed and at least for now we were still safe.
Geraint groaned. “Spark?”
I’d never been happier to hear that musical Irish accent.
“Knight?”
“Are we dead?”
“If we are, we’re together.” I curled up into his arms when he weakly gathered me to his chest.
“Oh, well, that’s good then. Nic? Dio?”
“Yeah, they’re here, too.”
“Even better.” He sighed and buried his face in my hair.
“What about me?” Baz protested. He sounded much recovered.
“I’m afraid of you still,” Geraint mumbled into my neck. “So, I’m pretending I didn’t see you.”
Baz chuckled. “No need, knight.”
Geraint leaned back enough to look up at Baz.
They didn’t talk, but whatever passed between them seemed to reassure Geraint. Some of the tension left his arms.
“Nic?”
“I’m all right, luv.” He dissolved into shadow and resolidified next to me. “Confused, but all right.”
“We got stuck in the nothingness storm. I escaped. You three didn’t. Baz and I worked things out and then I went back to get you. Now we’re all out. We even have a plan to deal with Effie.”
“Does it involve lots of sex?” Dio propped himself up on his elbow and looked over Geraint’s shoulder at me.
“Um, no. That’s after.”
“Ember has promised that none of us will be walking right for at least a month once we take care of that dreambound,” Baz declared.
“Mmm, I like the sound of that.” Dio chuckled.
“Yeah, me too,” I said. “But first, we have some building to do. We need to get the princesses.”
“Have they shanghaied a human?” Dio ran his hand over my arm.
“Yeah. Ash.”
“Huh.”