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

my tongue. He merely shrugged indifferently, but I didn’t miss his slightly deflated expression.

When Darius became temporarily distracted at a booth selling moon rocks, Bolt quickly popped up from his hair and grabbed a handful of gumdrops before ducking out of sight again. I smiled in spite of myself, and this time I didn’t try to hide it when Darius glanced over and met my gaze. His responding grin was worth the hit to my pride.

The meadow where the show was to be held had been roped off with garlands of blossoms, a large archway its only entrance. Despite our arriving early, the sloping fields burst with crowds of Dreamers and Nightmares loitering on picnic blankets, floating cushions, or their clouds, their excited chatter and murmurs of laughter filling the settling night.

Darius crumpled his empty gumdrop bag and tossed it at Stardust’s scowl. “There’s a spot over there.” He took my elbow and started guiding me towards the only empty area on the silver lawn, but I shook him off.

“For the last time, I’m not watching the show with you.” But I reluctantly followed him around a group of Cultivators contentedly nibbling blossoms from the popcorn plant previously showcased in the cultivating display and a group of Nightmares who cast us suspicious glances.

Darius seemed unbothered by their obvious disapproval as he plopped down onto the grass with a contented sigh. When I didn’t join him, he patted the spot beside him with an imploring grin. “Are you so stubborn you’d really stand at your first flying colors show, Nemesis?”

Despite my anger at his betrayal, I couldn’t help feeling disappointed at Darius reverting back to my nickname, which he hadn’t used often since our outings together. I tried to convince myself this distance was for the best and tucked my anger more tightly around me like a shield as I scanned the meadow for any other available spot.

“There’s one over there.” Stardust morphed into an arrow and pointed towards an empty section of grass midst the thick crowd, but even as she spoke someone claimed it. She shrugged. “Well, there’s always next year’s show. Let’s go.”

I scanned the fields again, but everywhere else was taken. I nibbled my lip, deliberating. Which was worse, sitting with Darius or missing the show? Or perhaps the more accurate question was: which side of the battle raging within me would win, my anger or my desire to be with Darius, even after everything?

“Come on,” Darius coaxed, his eyes strangely smoldering.

“Fine.” I ignored his goofy grin as I plopped beside him as far away as possible, but in the limited space our knees still touched.

“Well, that worked out better than I expected,” he said cheerfully. “Next task: get you to talk before the show ends.”

Translation: butter me up so I’d spill more secrets to his treacherous ears. Judging by her glower, Stardust was thinking the same thing. “All the moonbits in the Universe wouldn’t be enough to force me to watch the show with him,” she muttered.

“Then why don’t you just morph into a pesky insect and go somewhere else to watch?” Darius suggested.

Stardust’s eyes narrowed, and I could almost sense her detective senses tingling with Darius’s not-so-subtle ploy to get me alone. Frowning, she morphed into a firefly, but before she left she flew against my ear.

“After his recent betrayal, this entire scenario is obviously a setup,” she whispered. “But since you insist on going along with it, at least use it as an opportunity to figure out how much he knows about you-know-what.”

With an unnecessary warning glare not to fall for his tricks—barely discernible due to her small form—Stardust floated away, leaving me and the traitor alone. But the longer I sat with him, the more I wondered whether Darius’s presence truly was a setup or if my anger had caused me to jump to that conclusion too readily, especially when all my instincts still assured me I could trust him.

These worries taunted me in the time before the show started, my only distraction coming when the flying colors began. They were truly spectacular, a combination of the fireworks that lit up village celebrations and auroras I’d seen illustrated in books. They glowed with brilliant light and color, the strands bending and twisting together to orchestrated music to form unique designs with each graceful spin, a symphony of color.

The twirling patterns were strangely hypnotic, and with each transforming picture lighting up the night sky, the annoyance bubbling inside me slowly slipped away. I hugged my knees to my chest, transfixed. “Magical.”

“It’s my favorite part of the festival,” Darius murmured. I glanced at him to find him watching me rather than the flying colors, his eyes soft, and it took a moment after I’d caught him staring before he looked away.

I studied his profile. Why hadn’t he started his interrogation yet? Wasn’t it the sole reason he’d invited me? The longer he held off, the more my hope grew that my fears were unjustified. Perhaps I could trust him after all. How I wanted to.

His gaze met mine again, a single eyebrow raised in a wordless question. My vow of silence shattered, and the words I’d so fiercely suppressed tumbled out: “Why did you invite me?”

He shrugged. “I wanted to spend time with you. Besides, after our time at the Alcove of Waterfalls, I’d thought…”

The heated look that accompanied his words caused hope to lift my heart before I could quench it. That had truly been a tender turning point, one where I’d opened myself up to him and he’d promised to help me. Surely such a promise couldn’t be broken so easily.

And yet the very circumstances surrounding our relationship caused a few reservations to remain. “But you’re a Nightmare and I’m a Dreamer. Such a connection has always been forbidden. Not to mention that from the beginning you’ve found me suspicious. Why should I believe you’ve had a change of heart now?”

He frowned. “I know my behavior towards you may seem confusing, but I