Dreamer (The Dream World Chronicles Book 1) by Camille Peters (thriller books to read .txt) 📕

“It’s nothing.” I so badly wanted to confront him, but I wouldn’t give him the pleasure of knowing I’d discovered him. A nice dose of the silent treatment would have to suffice.

His smile faltered. “Don’t give me that, something’s obviously bothering you. No one should be so gloomy at the festival. What’s wrong?”

“As if you didn’t know.”

“I don’t.”

“Why don’t you leave her alone?” Stardust interjected, giving him a deliciously malicious glare. “Can’t you see she doesn’t want to talk to you?”

He frowned. He was silent for a moment before he brightened. “I know what will cheer you up. Would you like to watch the flying colors with me?”

I froze so suddenly Stardust floated into me. “What? Why?”

He grinned crookedly through the light blush that had accompanied his invitation. “You did promise to spend the festival together, and I’d never miss an opportunity to get to know you better.”

Probably so he could gather more secrets for the Council, making the invitation nothing more than a ploy.

He gave my shoulder a playful nudge. “Come on, you know you want to.”

“Actually I don’t. Don’t jump to your usual conclusion that everyone is as in love with you as you are with yourself.”

He sighed. “You wouldn’t object to us at least walking to the show together, would you?”

I gritted my teeth. Since he was so determined to get his way I didn’t have much choice in the matter, but I made sure to ignore his overly cheerful small talk as I trudged towards the meadow where the show was to be held.

After several annoying minutes of him commenting about how he’d gotten through the challenging cloud maze in record time and been one of the few to scale to the top of the rock-climbing wall, he finally gave up trying to engage me. I risked a sideways glance to find him looking rather disheartened. Despite my best attempts to school it, guilt wrenched my heart. Even after his betrayal, I didn’t like to see him unhappy.

We walked in silence as we strolled past the various booths, slowing when Stardust became distracted with the display of souvenirs, which she eagerly browsed.

“A crystal ball that allows you to relive moments from the past, I’ve always wanted that. Oh look, and a jewelry box that holds secrets, I want that too. Ooh, a unicorn spotting memory; I must have that.”

While I admired the jewelry box—which would be the perfect place to store my secrets from the constantly snooping Darius if only I could afford it—Stardust followed the line of stalls that led like a trail of bread crumbs down the twisting street, passing the stalls piled with nightmarish merchandise without a glance before pausing next to one selling glass ornaments.

“Check out these snow globes. Only eight ounces of dream dust.”

“Eight ounces?” How could anyone afford these prices? “Are you determined to bleed my magic dry before the festival ends?”

Stardust slumped in obvious disappointment. “You’re right, you likely can’t afford these until you manage to win more weavings.”

She continued looking around and brightened when she spotted something else. She held up a package of miniature moons lightly dusted with gold.

“These would be perfect for you; they match your style perfectly.” After I’d purchased them, she dug my weaving mirror from my bag and held it up as I carefully wove the moons amongst the stars already dotting my lilac ringlets.

Darius’s look warmed. “They suit you.” He reached out as if to help me secure a clip to my hair but I recoiled from his touch, which only deepened his melancholy and my own guilt for how I was treating him. Was I perhaps behaving unfairly? But who else could Blaze and Trinity have learned my secrets from except for him?

I turned away and stroked my fingertip along the snow globes, all of which were so lovely. I felt the warmth of Darius’s presence as he stepped closer.

“Do you want one?” he murmured into my ear.

I shook my head and yanked my hand away. “We should go to the flying colors.”

“You said ‘we’ that time.” Mischief filled his eyes as he waggled his eyebrows.

“I know when I’ve lost a battle.” But I couldn’t help the smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

He gently poked it with his finger. “I knew I could soften you.”

My cheeks warmed and I hastily looked away. Only when my back was facing him did I allow my smile to fully emerge. Unfortunately it wasn’t lost on Stardust; it faltered at her glare. She was right to be annoyed; Darius shouldn’t be making me smile, not when I was supposed to be angry with him. But my grudge was slipping away against my will, as fleeting as the memory of a dream after its viewing.

I halfheartedly tried to recapture it as we continued our trek to the flying colors show, only to find it rather difficult when I was also fighting the happiness of just being in Darius’s presence. I distracted myself with the several treat stands we passed, laden with nebula cream, meteor suckers, and even one run by a Nightmare offering chocolate-covered bat wings, which Darius looked briefly tempted by.

“Hold on a moment.” Darius tugged me to a stop, causing my stomach to flip. Startled, I actually waited while he went to buy a treat, ignoring Stardust’s frantic urges to seize the opportunity to lose him.

He returned from a nearby sweets booth with two bags of asteroid gumdrops. “I got us something for the show.”

My scowl deepened and I flinched away when he offered me a bag, although it took all my willpower to resist the syrupy scent rising with the steam. “I’m not watching the show with you.”

“I know you want to.” He shoved the warm bag in my arms, and although I took it—and grudgingly ate a few after several minutes of his pestering me to do so—I refused to warrant they were any good when he asked, despite the fruity sweetness dancing across