The Dreamcatcher: A Dreamland Series Novella (The Dreamland Series)

by E. J. Mellow

  “There were two in the beginning, Liza and Patrick, but I don’t know beyond that.” Aveline dabbed at a few burns speckling her skin, her blonde hair standing out against the smudges of dirt covering her face.

  Dev rubbed his forehead. Liza and Patrick. Newly inducted guards. He swallowed back the ache clawing up his throat. They were too young. “You should see the medics when they arrive.” He nodded to her welts.

  She dropped her hand. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Even so, get that treated,” he said and then turned, not allowing a debate.

  Twisting a path through the remains of the fallen Metus, Dev tried not to think further about his own recent loss of soldiers, knowing they would be mourned silently, the Terra way. Instead he searched for something that might explain why the creatures were able to move so close to Terra’s borders undetected. The thought sent a chill down his spine. What if they had shown up like that near him and Molly? He was a good fighter, but he wasn’t that good. Rubbing the worn area on his Arcus strap, he took a moment to look up into the night’s sky, watching the endless stream of sleeping minds zipping by. How many were infected with nightmares tonight? How many were adding to their enemy’s numbers?

  His main solace rested in the fact that Molly was awake now, her mind untouchable. But they wouldn’t always get so lucky. And he wondered if that was Terra’s plan. Could the energy he knew was churning inside her be used to fight? Defend?

  Turning toward the city, Dev caught the approach of the medic vehicles, their sleek chrome bodies designed to camouflage their surroundings. As they hovered to settle beside a few injured Nocturna, their soft hums grew quieter. Sweeping the perimeter, Dev looked for any lingering orange forms in the distance, but all remained dark, undisturbed. Still, his muscles stayed alert, for there was now a truth not even Rae or Aveline could deny—things were changing. The Metus hadn’t attacked in packs for decades, a behavior that meant their numbers were growing rapidly.

  Shoving a hand into his front pocket, Dev sought out the tiny round object that rested within and began to trace the spiral design over and over with his thumb as his thoughts similarly looped with disquiet. For this change only meant one thing for his land.

  A war was coming

  — 8 —

  DEV STRETCHED HIS neck from side to side as he left the Security Council meeting, a dull throb forming at the base of his skull. These regroups had yet to be productive, and he was starting to question the elders’ roles in them. They let arguments go on much longer than necessary before stepping in, and when they finally called the Council to a close, had very little to say that was any more enlightening than what the Nocturna Security Forces already surmised was happening in Terra—the Metus numbers were growing and there was indeed a threat of war. The only thing of consequence that happened, in Dev’s opinion, was when Elena interrupted him in the middle of sharing his agenda for the meeting. He planned to discuss the Dreamer’s recent appearance and her potential to help, but he barely got four words out on the subject before she announced that the elders would speak with him separately in regard to his plans. Of course this earned curious glances from the rest of the Council, which was just what Dev needed—more nosey members watching him. He tried to speak with Elena after the meeting, but besides reassuring him they would have a discussion soon and telling him he needed to keep quiet about Molly until then, he was swept away by her guards. Again, utterly useless.

  Stepping out of the Council’s chambers and into the large atrium that sat at the center of City Hall, he searched the marble space. The area was packed with government officials rushing to their various destinations and filled with the sound of their overlapping conversations. Even with the clog of bodies, he still seemed to sense her location before his eyes did, and he turned to the left, finding a small familiar figure close to where he last left her. She was dressed in the Nocturna’s common black clothing of pants and T-shirt, the tight material accentuating every one of her body’s graceful curves, and she had pulled her dark hair back, giving him a clear view of her angular profile. Her gaze was transfixed on the Earth clock by her feet, fluttering as she attempted to take in all the blinking lights. How much was she able to piece together waiting here for him? Knowing her quick mind, Dev was resigned to think it was a great deal.

  Quietly approaching, he went to stand beside her. “This is how I know when you’ll be here,” Dev said, glancing down at the slowly shifting daylight on the map. “If you notice, the eastern part of the United States lies in shadow, meaning it’s night there.” He pointed to where North America sat under darkness. “The blinking lights represent the number of people either going to sleep or waking up. Blue indicates sleeping and white waking. The number of people asleep is recorded at the top.”

  They both watched in silence as the counter he indicated quickly shuffled in numbers.

  “That’s amazing,” she said softly. “But why would you want to know how many people are sleeping?”

  Dev rubbed his lips together and glanced around. He knew answering her was the one rule not to break, but he was getting nowhere fast by following it. He still didn’t know why she had come here or whether the beach was a one-time phenomenon or something she could control. The inaction of the recent meeting was teasing him to take things into his own hands, his conscience balancing on a tipping point between listening to others’ orders or his own desires. But who was he kidding? Dev hadn’t become Dev by walking a straight line.

  With a new plan forming, his pulse skipped faster, and he leaned in. “Every sleeping mind gives energy to this place,” he said, focusing back on the map. “We would not exist if you did not exist. You could say we are a form of protection for those who dream. We monitor their sleeping minds, persuading the thoughts they dream to come to fruition in waking life if that idea can serve a larger purpose for the world. And often we take inventions we find in dreams and use them for ourselves. That’s why we count the people sleeping. You are all important to us,” he finished and stood back, awaiting her reaction.

  She blinked up at him, an empty expression in her gaze, and he wondered for a moment if she even heard anything he said. “Molly, what are you thinking?”

  “So, what are you?” she asked, her voice calm, eerily so.

  “I am Nocturna. We are Nocturna.” He motioned to his brethren in the vicinity.

  “Nocturna?” She tested the word.

  “Protectors, wardens, watchers of the night, of Dreamers,” he explained, still watching her carefully. “Please tell me what you’re thinking.”

  She glanced back to the slowly moving map by their feet. “I’m thinking that I have a lot more questions.”

  Dev relaxed slightly, more familiar with this version of Molly, and nodded toward the exit. “Come, let’s get out of here.”

  —∞—

  She sat quietly at the base of the northern tree, and Dev followed to rest by her side. The city of Terra glowed proud in the distance, the only form for miles, its skyscrapers reaching for the sleeping souls flying overhead. Dev watched Molly furtively. Her cheeks were still flushed pink from them traveling the zipline, but otherwise her features were relaxed and her breathing steady. He hoped this continued calm was partly due to him deliberately choosing that form of transportation, for it was an activity that always worked in clearing his head. She proved to be a quick learner. Despite needing a boost to get up on the line, she handled the rest of the flight like a seasoned Terra citizen. He couldn’t help wondering if any of this reminded her of her world, if parts felt normal, like home. Or did it remain completely alien? In the shadowed corners of his thoughts, he knew he wanted it to be the former.

  Leaning against the tree, Dev took in a steady breath, ready to finish what he had started. “You said you had more questions?”

  Molly’s bottom lip released from being pinched between her teeth. “So what is this place? Does it have a name?”

  “It’s called Terra Somniorum. Translated, it means
Land of Dreams.”

  “Terra Somniorum.” She tilted her head back to the city. “It’s a pretty name.”

  He smiled. “It is.”

  “And you said that meeting was about what we saw at the canyon?”

  Dev frowned, thinking back to yesterday’s events, the soldiers lost. “Yes. The red glow you saw was a horde of Metus. The Metus are parasitic, fear-inducing creatures. At times, they can work their way into someone’s dreams and create nightmares. We don’t know how long they’ve been here, probably since the beginning of fear itself. We can only trace them as far back as our most ancient history books allow. We’ve learned that they’re created from the most evil of thoughts and despair in a Dreamer. Demons that haunt a Dreamer in their subconscious are created here, and these demons try to terrorize other sleeping minds so that more of them can spawn. It’s a disgusting cycle of evil and fear.” He paused, letting her take in his words. “The meeting was called to discuss some things…concerning the horde, but also concerning you.”

  Her eyes widened. “Me? What about me?”

  Dev knew he was going out on a ledge, but he was unable to stop. “Molly, you’re so much more than you think you are.” She had to be, he thought.

  Molly stayed quiet, and he forced himself to look away. He could feel himself becoming reckless, more so than he planned, and he was afraid that whatever he would see in her eyes would bring him to confess everything. Though he set out to push the rules, the duty to his world ran too strong in his veins to disobey any order completely. It felt like an invisible collar in his genetic makeup, and he cursed silently. What would happen to him if she knew? To her? How would the elders even find out? He roved the peaceful land, knowing that was a stupid question. They always knew, always saw.

  Realizing he was holding something solid between his fingers, Dev glanced down, startled to find himself twirling the shell. He hadn’t remembered taking it out of his pocket. He held in a scoff. His constant need for the thing was getting a bit ridiculous, for it was always with him, giving him a strange sense of peace.

  With a blur, Molly’s arm snapped forward, reaching for what he held, and Dev jerked back, startled. Not backing down, Molly draped herself over him further. “Come on—what’s so important that you have to hide it?” she said teasingly.

  For some reason he had a strong need to keep this from her, equating it with stealing a lock of someone’s hair—a lot creepy. So with a grunt, he hooked his arm around her small waist and twisted her away, pinning her beneath him. There was no way she was getting that shell. She squirmed to get out of his grip, and the grinding movement paralyzed him from head to toe. For the love of Terra… Was she trying to kill him? His breathing became a tornado in his ears, his heartbeat a war drum, and he stared down at her as his body enveloped her whole. When their gazes met, she stilled, suddenly aware of their placement. Every part of her was fitted perfectly against every part of him, and he watched her neck bob with her swallow and her lips part. Their fullness asked to be bit, to be kissed, and his senses flooded with desire. She would be his undoing. He knew if he took a bite, tasted the sweetness that undoubtedly lay within, he would never be his own again. He’d be at the whims of his heart, and the last time he checked, that space was hollow, safely so. Plus, he knew she had another waiting for her, another who claimed part of her heart, the thought of which made his mood turn dark, possessive, something he rarely felt. Swimming with indecision, Dev watched as Molly’s eyes dilated, and her face slowly rose to meet his. Just when the heat of her nearness touched his lips, his mind yelled at him to move, and like a cat jumping from water, he was up and off the ground, standing by the tree a secure distance away. His body felt cold with her no longer pressed against it, but he knew it would pass. It had to.

  “This isn’t a good idea,” he said sternly, more to himself.

  Molly blinked and with a frown, slowly sat up. Her eyes said it all—they always did—and hurt clouded every inch. “Why?” she asked, her voice small.

  “It’s just…it’s simpler if it didn’t.” Safer, he thought.

  She turned away at that, and he felt like such a Metus turd. He had to remember it wasn’t her fault, wasn’t her past she was fighting, and it’s not like he hadn’t given her reason enough to want to kiss him. He hesitantly stepped closer. “Molly, let me—”

  “It’s fine,” she cut in.

  “No, let me explain.” He found himself reaching for her hand.

  “Don’t.” She recoiled with a hiss, and the flicker of hatred, of hurt, that breached the surface of her gaze rocked him back on his heels. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t how he wanted things to be between them.

  The problem was, he didn’t know what he wanted.

  Before he could attempt to fix any of it though, a tangy scent filled the air, and with a relieving sigh, Molly began to fade, her body a dimming bulb. He moved forward, wishing he could make her stay, but just as their eyes met, she abruptly winked out of existence.

  Dev stood, now alone and left staring at the indentation their bodies had collectedly made in the grass. And he was unable to move until every blade bent back, erasing any trace of their embrace.

  — 9 —

  THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. His heartbeat ricocheted against his rib cage as he pushed through the apartment door. His mind still tumbled, uncharacteristically, as he worked through everything he just witnessed. Molly in the field, him throwing the rock straight at her, it turning to dust—her turning it to dust. All of his what ifs verified in that small moment in time.

  Now to just show the others.

  “Tim!” Dev searched the entrance of his home until he found whom he was looking for. Sitting on the beige couches in the center of the living room, his mentor’s brows crept up his graying face as he took in Dev’s animated movements, before his attention slid to the left.

  “Molly.” Tim stood. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

  “Oh, you know”—Molly came to stand next to Dev—“I thought I’d pop in because I had nothing better to dream up.”

  “Well, I’m glad we were your place of choice.” Tim smiled and gestured for her to take a seat.

  “No, wait!” Dev blocked her path with a snap of his arm.

  “What in all of Terra is the matter with you?” Tim chided.

  “You need to see this.” Hurrying to the other side of the room, Dev attempted to calm his racing pulse and sooth his mind to the task at hand. She had to be able to do it again. He had to make her be able to.

  “Dev?” Tim took a hesitant step forward, his eyes narrowing in distrust as he watched Dev retract his Arcus.

  “No, Molly,” Dev said, catching Molly creeping along the edge of the wall. “Stand where you are.” Reaching behind his back, there was a whoosh as one of his arrows jumped from his quiver into his hand, a blue flame snapping to life at the tip. Quickly nocking it into place, he aimed down the figure pressed against the far corner, a figure whose eyes now bulged in horror. And Dev almost laughed—for the second time that day, he found himself poised to kill the girl he would do anything to protect.

  “Dev!” Two voices shouted in warning as he yelled “Concentrate, Molly” and released the arrow.

  It flew fast and true, the center of her chest the inevitable end to its journey, but as he watched its flight, a smile edged along his lips, for just then the room erupted with the overpowering scent of Navitas. She was doing it.

  With outstretched arms and a scream on her lips, a ripple burst from Molly’s core, warping the space in front of her and sending forth a gust of wind that shook the light fixtures in the room. Shielding his eyes from the brightness, Dev was glued into witnessing a translucent barrier forming around her, a bubble of armor, of protection. And when the arrow met the invisible surface, it sizzled with a cry of failure before swerving to the left and colliding with the wall by her side, leaving Molly perfectly and beautifully untouched.

  The aftermath of the blow threw the apartment into a de
afening silence, and the air quickly cleared of any signs of energy. Molly slowly pushed herself up from the crouched position she fell into upon impact, and her wide eyes danced between the singed mess behind her and Dev. Her jaw flexed, and her gaze reduced into two stormy slits of fury as they finally settled on him. Her body tensed to attack just as the front door swung open and in walked Aveline.

  Her steps faltered to a halt as she took in the spectacle—a half-demolished smoking wall, a ghost-white Tim frozen midlunge toward Dev, and a boiling-mad Molly. Aveline blinked and then blinked again before her arms dropped limply to her sides, and she asked what everyone was probably thinking, “What in all of Terra is going on?!”

  —∞—

  The field felt different now, more alive and charged with possibilities. Molly stood fifteen paces away, her hands balled into fists, her lips pressed together warily as she watched him, apparently still put off by his earlier method of proving her abilities. He couldn’t necessarily blame her. His actions at the apartment didn’t exactly fit with his promise to ensure her safety, even though he tried to convince her otherwise on the walk out here. The problem was, he couldn’t really tell her that he pushed her as hard and as fast as he did because he was determined to verify her presence as one that could help fight the Metus. Even he knew sharing such information would be clearly disobeying orders, orders that he was already testing the leniency of. So for now he had to settle with staying frustratingly silent again, and somehow prove her capabilities. Maybe then the Vigil elders, along with everyone else, would take her presence in Terra more seriously.

  Running his gaze down her form, he marveled that so much power could be held within a single person. Could she sense it flowing within her, swimming in every vein, empowering? He couldn’t understand how it didn’t alter her behavior, her mind, except to think that maybe such a sensation felt as it always did to her—normal. The thought briefly unsettled him, to be in the presence of such a creature, but he tucked the feeling away, along with all the rest that awakened when she was near.