His expression darkens, and his ash-blond hair, which looks almost steely, falls over his forehead as he looks to the side. I can tell he’s weighing whether he should lie to me. Then his teal eyes meet mine, the vividness of their color the only thing that still makes him appear slightly supernatural. “Enough.” He looks to the side. “Who was that man?”
“Which one?” But my heart is pounding because I know.
“I didn’t hear what he said. I didn’t try to. I stayed in the portal and tried to let the airflow drown out anything happening. Because I have no right to spy. Shortly after that, my dream link broke.”
“And that means you can’t go back with Jerrek?”
He hesitates. “I could go back to our temporary dream realm, but not my world. However, I no longer want to at the moment.” He looks to the side. “I sense malice from that man. I don’t want to leave.” His eyes meet mine again. “Don’t make me.”
“But your dream link—”
“It just means I might not have as much time as I was hoping to win you over,” he says, rubbing his neck. “I don’t want to just be with you at night anymore, Jen. I want to be with you always. Do you not want me in your world?” His eyes narrow. “Is it because of that man?”
I hear a knock on the door behind me, and my heart stutters. “What?”
“The man outside, the one you slapped,” he says. “I stayed back. You had it handled, and he seemed pathetic. So I simply got rid of the snow and waited so we could talk. But after what I saw, I do think we need to talk about it.”
“You aren’t supposed to be here if I don’t want you to be,” I say because it’s my last defense.
“You called me,” he said. “And my exemption criteria for being here whether you like it or not is if you’re in danger. So are you?”
I blink at him. “It’s none of your business if I am.” The door shakes with another knock. “And that man isn’t the reason—”
“Mom, let me in!”
My eyes go wide because Joey usually stays at a friend’s house after school, then comes back over once I’m home.
I should have walked over to get him, but I was just too shocked to see Reve in my living room.
How do I explain this to Joey? Or Reve?
My hands fall to my sides because I know I should have told him sooner. It isn’t fair to him. “Can’t we just leave it for dreams?” I ask one more time.
Reve shakes his head slowly. “No, I don’t think we can, Jen. Not anymore. Come on, you’re my dream mate. Whatever is putting that fear in your eyes, I promise it’s going to be okay.”
“You’ll be angry with me,” I say. “Upset with me for what I haven’t told you.”
Reve shakes his head slowly. “Jen, I’ve waited a thousand years for you. I love you more than life. I’ve tried to show you that in dreams. Let me show you that in the real world.”
“I’m just not ready,” I say, folding my arms around myself. “And I’m not in danger. So please just leave. Please?”
There’s another knock, and I feel terrible, but I’m caught in two directions.
Reve takes a deep breath, then shakes his head. “I don’t think so, Jen. I don’t think you’re safe. I think that man from before, he means you harm. I think I should stay here and protect you. And your child.”
My eyes widen.
“I saw a picture over there. I’m sorry for snooping, but after what I saw—”
“You have a lot of nerve,” I say, folding my arms tightly. “One second, Joey,” I call to the door.
But then I hear a key in the lock, and the door is swinging open, Joey behind it with his short, gangly body, red hair, and brown eyes, which are rapidly narrowing on Reve’s figure at the table.
“Who the eff is that?” Joey asks, pointing. “You want me to throw him out, Mom?”
My hands tighten into fists. “Joey! Language!” I run over to him and pull him into a hug, but he pulls away from me to glare back at Reve who’s still sitting at the table. “No, we don’t need to throw him out.” I smile. “Here, let me get you some hot chocolate, and you can tell me about school.”
Joey’s eyes are still locked on Reve. “Who are you?”
Reve stands, walking over to extend a hand. “Reve.”
“Reve?” Joey cocks his head, shaking Reve’s hand. He does like being treated like an adult, an equal, even if he’s young.
“Yes,” Reve says. Then he crouches, getting on Joey’s level. “Joey, I’m going to be straight with you. I want to date your mom. I promise to always treat her well and you if you can find it in your heart to give me a chance to prove myself to both of you.”
Joey pulls back his hand, then looks at Reve for a long moment. Then he looks up at me, squinting. “This guy is weird, Mom.”
I laugh, pulling Joey in against me. “Yes, he is. But he shoveled the walk. See?”
Joey follows me into the kitchen, and I can feel Reve watching us from where he sits. “That’s nice of him, but when were you going to tell me you were dating someone, Mom? You said you wouldn’t.”
I lower my head. “I’m sorry. I never meant to fall for Reve. He caught me off guard.”
“You like him?” Joey asks.
I nod. “But if you don’t like him, if you want me to stop seeing him—”
Joey shakes his head. “He seems nice. A little weird. I just don’t want…” He trails off. “Never mind. I’m going to go play some video games.”
I shove a few snacks into his hands, desperately trying to make up for this. “I promise to explain more later.”
“It’s okay,” he says, giving me a rueful look over his shoulder. “I’m just a kid. No one has to keep promises with us.”
He runs from the room, and I put a hand over my face, trying to figure out what to say to him.
But Reve stands, giving me a reassuring smile. “Can I go talk to him?”
I shake my head, but Reve is already moving.
“I know what it’s like to be a young warrior,” Reve says. “And I’m the one who caused this trouble. Let me fix it.”
My overprotective side wants to go watch, but I would trust Reve with my life. Especially seeing him instantly accept Joey.
He didn’t overreact or get jealous or act like Joey was some imposition like even Joey’s father did.
In my dreams, my best scenario was obviously a world where I could have Reve and not cause any harm to Joey.
But perhaps even better would be having Reve in our lives to help both of us.
I don’t know why I didn’t imagine it before.
“If he doesn’t want you here, if he doesn’t feel safe, then I need you to go,” I say as Reve’s back disappears down the hallway to Joey’s room.
Reve’s head peeks out as he turns to face me. “I promise. I agree to that. And I’ll leave the door open just in case.”
Then he’s gone again, and I lay my face on the table for a second, wondering what could go wrong next.
4
Reve
“Joey?” Even his name is cute, I think as I knock gently on the door of my soul bond’s son.
He has her hair. Her eyes. So this is what Jerrek meant about having a bonus. Truly, it’s amazing to see a little dream warrior here, one who will need someone to guide him in using his powers.
In becoming who he is.
My heart is full just knowing I get another soul bond along with my dream mate. Someone I can love for all time.
But I understand that there is something weird about the human realm, about them considering children burdens or blaming them for the sins of their fathers, so it seems Jen was afraid for me to know.
She never needed to be. This child, this extension of her love, will one day grow into a magnificent warrior. And he has been lucky to have so much of her love.
But all day, ever since I shoveled the walk, I’ve been thinking about the human that is presumably Joey’s father.
The malice in his face. The way h
e said Joey should have been aborted, which I now know after “Googling” on my phone means killed in utero.
There are complications to mating in the human world, and it seems hard to be a parent because no one in the community cares for each other’s kids.
In the dream fae, all kids are a blessing and a joy to be guided and guarded until they turn into the queens or warriors they were always meant to be.
Matings are careful events preceded by many years of love between a couple. So every child born, which happens rarely, is treasured by everyone in a kingdom.
Poor Joey. Poor Jen. They should have had so much more.
Not that the dream world is perfect, but someone would have stopped that pathetic nightmare before.
Meanwhile, I’m still standing outside the door, and Joey hasn’t answered.
“Look, I’ve been seeing your mom, but she didn’t want you to know about me.” I rest my fist on the door. “And I’m sorry, and I’ll go if you want me to. But I saw something today with your father. I don’t want to leave her if I don’t have to. If you and her want me out of your lives, then eventually, I’ll go. But there is a malevolent presence around here, and I want to see you both safe first.”
The door slowly opens, and narrowed brown eyes glare up at me. “You talk weird, you know that?”
I nod. “Very weird. I’m not from this world.”
Joey cocks his head. “What?”
I realize that I probably shouldn’t just launch into what dream fae are since, in Joey’s mind, I’m just a slightly, or maybe very, odd human. “I’m not from around here I mean.”
He looks me over. “You’re tall. And your eyes are weird.”
I grin, always loving the honesty of a child. “Thank you.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Joey, can I come in and talk to you for a minute? We’ll leave the door open, and you can leave whenever you want.”
“Sure, but if you hurt my mom, I’ll punch you,” he says, glowering as he sits on his bed and gestures for me to sit on a small chair, which I would surely break if I did.
Instead, I sit on the floor, crossing my legs and resting my hands on my knees. “I’ll never hurt your mom. So is my staying okay with you?”
He shakes his head. “I want it just to be us.” He looks to the side. “I don’t even know who you are, and you hate my dad.”
I frown, but I owe him the truth. “I’m someone who wants to treat your mother much better than he ever did.”
“What would you know about it?” Joey glares at me. “What has she told you?”
“Nothing,” I say. “Except that she couldn’t be serious with me even though she wished she could be.”
Joey lowers his head at that. “It’s my fault. I just don’t want to see her hurt again.” He raises his head, his jaw tight. “And once I’m a bit bigger, I can protect her from dad.”
I nod gently, not wanting to hurt this warrior’s pride. Clearly, he’s been very brave in this broken world. “I can see that.”
“My dad sucks,” he says with a sigh, almost to himself. “But you’re just some stranger trying to get in my mom’s pants.”
I cock my head. “No, I’m not. And please don’t talk about her like that.”
Joey looks to the side. “I didn’t mean it bad. That’s what all the kids say about their stepdads. I don’t want one. They seem mean.”
“Stepdad?”
“It’s when your mom gets married,” Joey says glumly.
People in the dream fae realm don’t have stepparents, but I’m not going to tell him that yet.
“I’m not trying to do anything but love her,” I say. “Give her everything she always should have had.”
“She has me,” he says, and his small hands tighten into fists. “She doesn’t need another monster around.”
“I’m not a monster,” I say. “How can I prove myself to you? Because you are the most important man in her life. I can see that. I’ll need to prove myself to you if I want to stay.” I nod. “You’re a strong warrior, Joey. You should be proud of how you’ve protected your mom.”
His eyes meet mine warily, and there’s a twitch at the side of his lips as if he’s trying not to be happy about what I said. He puts a grumpy look on. “I mean. I tried.”
“You’ve done awesome!” I say. “But what about a teammate? It can be hard protecting someone by yourself.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not that weak.”
“Weak?” I laugh. “I have teammates for most of my missions. Working together doesn’t make us weak. It makes us stronger.”
“You really are a weirdo,” he says. He sighs. “But you don’t seem that bad.”
“I’m not bad,” I say. “I couldn’t hurt a fly.”
He looks me up and down. “That’s kind of what I’m afraid of, to be honest. I mean, you’re huge, dude. But you seem really… nice.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
He shrugs one shoulder. “With men like my dad around, being nice… it doesn’t work.”
I lean in a bit, hoping to look more casual than the rage inside me lets me feel as I address this subject. “How often is he around?”
“Not that much,” Joey mutters. “But when he does show up, everything goes to crap.” He cracks his knuckles. “I’m getting big, though. He’s going to regret it when he shows up again.”
I carefully adjust my posture. “I mean, sure. But when you’re at school, wouldn’t it make you feel better to know someone could make sure he’s not around?”
Joey lifts a shoulder. “But you could be bad as well.”
“I get that,” I say, understanding that it’s very complicated for this young man to have me around him.
I think perhaps Jen was right, and I should have stayed away.
But what do I do, torn between this tiny warrior’s pride and my fear for his mother’s safety?
“I’ll tell you what,” I say, standing and brushing off my knees. “My name is Reve. You or your mom ever need me, you just say my name, and I’m there.”
Joey screws up his nose in confusion. “What do you mean? Like a genie?”
I laugh. “Kind of. I do make wishes come true.”
Joey eyes me hesitantly. “Any wish? Even for, like, someone to be dead?”
My heart pounds because I’m assuming he means his father, and I’m right to be worried. “Any wish.”
He drops his head again with a rueful grin. “I guess I don’t mind a genie being around.” He grabs an action figure next to his bed and studies it, then looks over at me again. “Are you like a superhero or something?”
I guess I should be glad that human children still have so much capacity to believe in everything.
“A bit like one.” I guess because I’ve seen a few movies with Jerrek.
“Do you beat up bad guys?”
I nod slightly. “When they need it.”
He makes a “psh” sound and shakes his head. “I doubt it. You’re too nice.” He sets the figure aside and turns to look at me. “But maybe after Dad, you’re what she needs. Someone really nice and patient.” He rolls onto his back again. “I can protect all three of us.” He’s quiet for a moment. “I do have one wish, though.”
“Anything,” I say because I can already feel love welling in me for this little warrior who’s so fierce and good, just like Jen.
It almost seems too good to be true that I get to have this good little warrior in my circle too just because I get Jen.
However, I know I’ll have to prove myself to him. To both of them.
“Make me strong,” he says, looking at his superhero again. “Make me able to beat him. My dad I mean.”
My heart clenches painfully because I feel his need to protect like a sword going straight through my chest.
It’s a natural urge for a warrior and needs to be guided.
He’s already a good little man, but at this age, he should be worried about other things than needing to be in fight
s.
But there is one thing I can promise him, knowing who his mom is.
“You’re definitely going to be strong,” I say firmly. “I don’t even need to grant a wish for that.”
He rolls over to face me. “Make me strong now. You’re a genie, right?”
I move my hand toward him, waving it. “There, you’re strong. You just need to believe it and let yourself keep growing.”
In truth, this little dream warrior will be terrifyingly strong. He just doesn’t know it yet. He already is mentally.
But as for dealing physical punishment, that is my job as a fully grown warrior.
And I mean to protect him as well as his mom.
But for his pride, he doesn’t need to know that yet.
“I do think I’m pretty strong, though,” he says, looking up at the ceiling. “Sometimes I think I have a superhero inside me.”
“You do?”
He nods. “Sometimes I don’t think I’m a human. But something with wings. That’s crazy, right?” He’s still watching the ceiling.
My heart goes out to him for how confusing it must be to be a dream fae in the human realm.
But already, I yearn to return to Jen and check in on her. I don’t want her to worry.
“I guess you can stay for a while,” he says. “But I’m watching you.”
“Watch me carefully,” I say, moving to the door and putting a hand on the doorframe. “I promise I’ll show you who I am.”
He nods but keeps his eyes on the ceiling, zooming his superhero around.
I smile and leave, closing the door behind me.
Time to go see Jen and work everything out.
5
Jen
I watched from a distance as Reve talked to Joey and listened for any signs of problems.
Honestly, though, I don’t know how to face Reve when he comes back.
I want to be mad at him for coming into my world, but I think I’m just mad at myself for being in this situation.
What is he going to say? Is he going to yell at me for lying to him?
My heart begins to race, remembering how little it took to make Mark angry. And violent.
But when Reve appears around the corner of the hallway, just seeing his calm, patient, always-loving face is a huge relief.
In Her Dreams Page 3