“There is no king of the nightmare realm,” both Falin and Desmond said, nearly simultaneously.
The new fae’s smile widened. “Ah, but if there were one, I would be he. Kyran, at your service.” He didn’t rise but from his reclined position made smal loops with his wrist like someone putting on airs while bowing.
“He’s an outcast,” Desmond said, his voice al but a growl. “A scavenger scraping up the refuse the courts have discarded.”
“I like to think of myself as an opportunist,” the
“I like to think of myself as an opportunist,” the selfproclaimed king said, swinging his feet off the arm of the chair so he could stand. “Why should this magnificent place go to waste simply because the high king fears mortals?”
“What’s going on? What are they talking about?” I whispered to Falin. He’d armed himself again, but for now he only watched the other two fae.
Falin glanced at me, and for a moment I thought he wouldn’t answer. Then he said, “From what I’ve heard, when the high king and the court royalty decided the fae would announce their existence to mortals, it was also decreed that courts would no longer be al owed to build power using mortal fear. It was determined that if mortals knew fear was as powerful a magic source as belief, they’d turn against us. The Shadow King was forced to sever the nightmare realm from his court, changing it from one of the most powerful courts before the Awakening to the least powerful after the Awakening. I don’t know who he is”—Falin nodded at the cocky fae—“but he’s clearly trying to establish a court in the nightmare realm.”
“Trying?” Kyran said. “Trying? This court wil build itself.
Faerie may have severed its connection to this realm, but mortals have always feared the dark. They have always imagined monsters in dark shadows, and here those monsters take life from that fear.”
“But they are trapped here,” Desmond said. “Only the sleeping enter this place, and when they wake, the nightmares are left behind.”
“For now.” Kyran grinned again, a grin that said he knew something that no one else did. “For now I am merely a king of dreams, but one day?” He lifted his hands in an exaggerated shrug.
“Why did you bring us here?” I asked, holding PC tight.
“Me bring you here? My dear, you’re the planeweaver.
You dreamed yourself and your friends right into your own nightmare. You should shield better.” He slung his feet nightmare. You should shield better.” He slung his feet around so he sat ful y facing us in the chair and leaned forward. “I must say, that was an original entrance. I give you nine points for style, but only three for the nightmare itself. I mean, real y, what was that? You must have a better imagination than just rehashing that same dream night after night.”
I looked away. The only person I’d told my nightmare to was Death, and that was because he’d been there and I needed to talk to someone. I didn’t like it that this random wannabe king had been watching my nightly terror.
“We should go,” I said, glancing at Desmond.
The barghest nodded, the red in his eyes flashing despite the lack of real light.
“Going so soon?” the nightmare kingling asked. “But we stil have time.” He reached around the back of the throne and retrieved a slender pole with a large hourglass suspended in a ring at the top. Currently al of the sand was in the bottom of the hourglass. The kingling jumped to his feet, studying the glass. “Wait for it,” he said, holding up a single finger. “And . . . now.” He flipped the glass over and the fine white sand inside began trailing down from one hemisphere of the hourglass to the other.
“See, plenty of time,” Kyran said, and then glanced at the glass again. The sand wasn’t pouring out of the top globe, but it wasn’t crawling either. “Wel , maybe not plenty. ”
“Time until what?” Falin asked, his own gaze fixed on the hourglass.
Kyran only smiled that Cheshire cat grin again.
I leaned in closer to Falin. “Are we sure this guy is supposed to be king and not court jester?”
“I heard that! And here I was going to help you.” He left the pole with the hourglass stationed in the sand and then tossed himself onto his throne again.
“Help us with what?” Falin’s voice sounded more than just suspicious.
“Why, with finding the door she’s looking for.” Kyran
“Why, with finding the door she’s looking for.” Kyran pointed at me.
Door? Was I looking for a particular door? Actual y, maybe I was. I placed a hand over Hol y’s amulet, feeling for the charm. Unlike almost every other time I’d tested the charm in Faerie, this time it gave me a strong pul in only one direction. My heart fluttered. Found her. Or at least found the right direction.
“This way,” I yel ed, starting off at a run.