Dark Side of Dawn: The Nightmare Chronicles by Kathryn Smith Page B

offered me a spoonful of the rosewater-soaked breadlike cheese.
    “Soon,” I replied, and let him pop the sweet into my mouth. I chewed—bliss!—and swallowed. “I can’t put it off much longer.”
    He gave me a concerned look. “You okay?”
    “I think so.” I had no idea what the Warden was going to say or do to me. Suppose he—or she?—wanted to lock me up in a cell or something? I couldn’t leave this world for that long. I had responsibilities.
    But, there was no point freaking out until I faced the music, so to speak. So, after dessert settled and we’d watched a couple of shows stored on the DVR (we are such TV freaks), I decided it was time. It felt like it was time.
    Noah decided to paint for a while. He tried to make it sound like he’d suddenly been inspired, but I think he just wanted to wait up for me.
    He went to his studio area and I stayed in the living room. Once I was alone, I took a deep breath and opened the portal I needed to cross over. I’m ashamed to think of how much courage it took for me to step through. I was so tempted to let Verek come and fetch me like a Dream Realm bounty hunter.
    When I opened the portal, I wished for it to take mewhere I needed to go. Sometimes this worked and other times it didn’t. I’m pretty sure the problem with getting it to work consistently was with me, but at least this time it seemed to listen. I stepped out of Noah’s living room, crossing the veil between the worlds. It was like stepping outside after having been cooped up in a stuffy attic. The night air was sweet—no pollution in the Dreaming. And above, a million stars twinkled in a black-as-velvet sky.
    I wished to go to wherever the Council wanted me to be, and ended up standing at the base of wide shallow steps, leading up a small hill to what looked like an ancient temple complete with Corinthian columns. Torches flickered on every third step, lighting a path for me to the looming doorway where two well-muscled guards stood, looking grim and deadly. Neither of them looked at me, although I thought something changed in the female’s expression.
    What did they think of me? I wondered as I began ascending the steps. Did they revile me as so many others, or were they in awe of the half-breed? And what lay in wait for me beyond that door?
    I struggled against the anxiety clawing at me, tightening my chest. I had never been much of one for panic attacks and I really hoped that wasn’t going to change right now.
    I paused for a moment at the entry way to draw a deepbreath and square my shoulders. Regardless of how I felt, I wasn’t about to let it show. Like the mist surrounding this world—mist that had thankfully been elsewhere tonight—these people were not my friends, and there were no doubt some who would hurt me if they could. I had to look strong, and be ready.
    The room before me was large, with a pale yellow stone floor covered with rich Persian rugs. Statues of various men and women dressed in flowing robes lined the room. More torches burned in here, snug in sconces high on the windowless walls. Flickering shadows danced along the rough walls—mine was one of them. Was it my imagination or did the shadows seem somewhat out of time with the bodies they belonged to? No, it wasn’t my imagination. The shadows had a life of their own, bending and twisting to the beat of music I couldn’t hear. My own dark twin moved like water toward the front of the room. I followed behind.
    My heart jumped when I saw the dozen or so, very serious-looking men and women seated at the front of the room, around a large, heavy table. They barely acknowledged my presence. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. Was one of them the Warden?
    I calmed somewhat when I saw my father. He sat to the side of the Council with two other men I recognized as his brothers, Icelus and Phantasos, princes of unpleasant dreams and flights of fancy. No wonder Ifelt freaky. As the royal family of the kingdom,