In the Wake of a Dream: Book One of the Newcomer Trilogy Page 15

a fraction, he closed his eyes. A second later enormous and gorgeously plumed gray wings appeared behind him like feathery brilliance.

  “Oooh! Aaaah!” Everyone cooed. Wayfara gave us the finger, a smile huge on his scarlet face. Everyone laughed before clapping loudly, throwing birds from the nearby trees.

  “Fly!” Someone cried. “Fly, Wayfara!”

  “Fly!” Several people yelled. They began to chant. “We want flight! We want flight! We want flight!”

  “Give the boy a break.” The voice behind me was disparaging. “They’re already a howling mob.”

  Turning in my seat, I watched Julian take Wayfara’s. His endlessly tattooed body, though vividly beautiful inside, was stunning in the direct sunlight. He shook his hairless head. “Just watch them,” he continued, gesturing to the group now begging Wayfara to fly. “They’ll burn him at the stake next.”

  Todd returned from the buffet table with Cassie in tow. “Dream cookie?” Todd offered, extending the plate. “They’re white chocolate chip macadamia nut, right Cassie?”

  “Sure are,” Cassie replied, tossing her hair.

  “Wayfara could use some help,” Julian noted, staring past our exchange. “We’d better do something soon.”

  The crowd was gathered around Wayfara, their increasingly louder pleas for flight threatening to engulf him. They were standing in a semicircle around him and pushing forward.

  “I have an idea,” Todd said. He went to stand beside Wayfara. Todd raised his hand. “Everyone listen up! Correct my mistake, but it sounds like you all want to see Wayfara fly!”

  “Right!” The crowd chorused.

  “Awesome!” Todd endorsed. “How’d you like to see me and Wayfara fly together?”

  “Yes!” They chanted. “Fly! Fly! Fly!”

  “Not what I meant, Todd,” Julian muttered behind me.

  “Cool?” Todd asked, turning to Wayfara.

  A flush of scarlet, not unlike the one I had seen around Ash’s neck in times of stress, was now afflicting Wayfara. “Ok,” he said quickly, as though daring himself. “Fine, I’m in!”

  “To the lawn!”

  Cooperation from the spectators was immediate. Grabbing random edibles, the group followed Todd and Wayfara down the deck steps and onto the lawn. The field stretched lazily before our eyes with a green sigh.

  “This should be good,” Ash commented.

  “Entertaining at least,” Julian added.

  Todd stood ready on the lawn, flexing his mighty black velvet wings. He stretched in the sun, pushing his sunglasses up so that they held back his short dreads. Wayfara was less confident in his preparations. He kept refolding his wings awkwardly. Needing to do something, he retrieved a band and returned his dirty blonde hair to its ninja ponytail. The effect made the self-conscious flush around his neck even more obvious.

  “Have you flown yet, Wayfara?” I asked.

  Wayfara nodded. “A couple of times, yeah.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Ash clarified. I was reminded of the words used to assure me before my exchange with Eli. He had been right then.

  “Fly! Fly! Fly!” The crowd was ecstatic.

  Wayfara closed his eyes. Unfolding his wings, he began flapping, increasing the rapidity of their motion until his feet lifted from the ground, sending a wave of gasps and woops through the mesmerized crowd.

  “Wayfara!” I called. “You’re doing it!”

  “Lean forward!” Julian yelled. “Balance yourself!”

  “And don’t clear the trees!” Ash added. “Don’t forget you’re still visible!”

  Todd waited until the youngest Wildecore was sufficiently airborne. Then, wordlessly, he gathered his black wings and launched himself. The scene before my eyes was incredible. Two Utopians, one with gray wings and one with black, were flapping only yards away, treading air like so much endless water. The crowd had been turned to fish.

  “Whoa,” I breathed.

  Ash crossed his arms.

  “We’ll circle the premises!” Todd shouted. His wings beat the sky as he replaced his shades in midair. “Come on, Wayfara!” Keeping low against the tree fringe and hidden beneath the tall branches, he flew away. Wayfara waved happily to the group before following in Todd’s wake, his own filled with the cheers and applause of friends.

  “That was so cool!” I exclaimed. I turned to find Ash looking dejected. “What is it?” I asked, sensing his mood. “What wrong?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” he sighed, spilling hazel into my eyes. “It’s just Mom and Dad would have loved this. You know?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I know.”

  The Utopians were coming back now. Todd alighted spectacularly on the lawn before the waiting crowd. Wayfara’s arrival was more pedestrian but without an obvious flaw.

  “Be right back,” Ash said. I watched him go to Wayfara. Closing my eyes, I soaked up the summer day. It had become eclectic with beauty.

  “Tired?”

  I opened my eyes. Todd Arrowheart had appeared beside me. “Not really,” I replied. “Just having a good time. The party is fun.”

  “Wanna get some dream cookies?” Todd asked.

  I nodded. “Sure.”

  I followed him back to our table. It was now a mess of scattered plates and half empty drinks. Todd frowned at the plate of dream cookies. I quickly found the disturbance. There remained only one, half eaten cookie.

  “Let’s check inside,” Todd suggested. “There might be more in the kitchen or something.”

  Scratching his dreads, Todd led me inside the house. The kitchen was empty. Sunlight danced across the marble countertops, finding a favorite in the stained glass chandelier.

  “Hallelujah!” Todd exclaimed, his steps swift toward the island. “Lots of them!” Scores upon scores of delicious looking dream cookies, each a perfect dreamcatcher, covered the island in plates. His expression was serious. “Do you prefer the hoop or the feathers?” Todd asked. “Or a bit of each?”

  “Bit of each,” I said, licking my lips. Todd broke a cookie down the middle and handed me half. “Thanks!” Taking a bite of dream cookie, I thought aloud. “Do you think Dr. Boliers will ever come to Everest?”

  “He does sometimes,” Todd said. “But not much. He’s an Awaker like I told. He’s not a member of the Holurn. Adia told me that he tried to join the Holurn many years ago but the former Holan turned him away.”

  Suddenly, Divion hurried into the kitchen from the library. He froze upon seeing Todd and I standing by the island. He gestured to our stationary position. “What are you two doing in here?”

  Todd snorted. “Right back ‘atcha.”

  “I was looking for something,” Divion said.

  Todd nodded. “I’m sure you were.” Divion ignored Todd. Instead of replying, he continued to the door. Letting himself out, Divion slammed the door behind him.

  My voice was a stammer. “What was that?”

  “Wish I knew.” Todd stared after Divion.

  I stared at Todd. “You don’t like him, do you?”

  Todd shook his head.

  “Why not?” I asked, following up.

  “I have my reasons,” Todd said, not following up.

  Ash walked in from the deck. Frowning, he ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. “Did you guys just see Divion?”

  “Yeah,” Todd said. “He came in here from the library, said he’d been looking for something.”

  Ash gestured to the deck. “Well he just took off.” Shaking his head, Ash turned to me. “Anyway,” he said, changing course. “The party’s winding down, Annie, should we get on with your training?”

  “I’m ready,” I said, moving toward Ash. “We’re off Dreamdrifting,” I explained to Todd. “See you in a bit!”

  “Bye,” Todd said, smiling creamily.

  As we climbed the huge, spiral staircase a question occurred to me. “What’s my patient’s name today, Ash?”

  He said, “Caleb…”

  12. Caleb

&n
bsp; “Everyone in my family has Dreamdrifted from here,” Ash said, gazing around at the circular windows. We had climbed into the sunlight of the tower room. Sitting down on the Holan’s desk, Ash patted the space beside him. His motions gave me a sudden, horrible twinge of realization as I remembered that Utopians had died in the same space in which I stood.

  I joined him. “Should we be sitting on the Holan’s desk?”

  Ignoring my words, Ash took my hand. “I was very impressed with your performance with Eli,” he began. “So I’ve decided to assign you a more difficult patient. Is that okay?”

  I shrugged with a smile. “I’m a natural, remember? Anyway, Eli wasn’t an easy patient and I was fine with him.”

  “That’s true,” Ash agreed. “Eli was a rough case, but Caleb is on a different level. He’s on the verge of committing suicide.”

  I nodded my acknowledgement.

  “He’s gay,” Ash continued. “And a victim of child sexual abuse.”

  “Got it!” I said, nodding again. “Alright, let’s go!”

  Ash stared at me, his face blank.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You seem very confident,” he commented.

  I smiled. “You make me confident.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of,” Ash said. “Are you sure you want to do this? I can find an easier patient.”

  “No,” I clarified. “I mean yes. I want to help Caleb.”

  Skipping further deliberation, Ash retrieved the Dreamchest. Opening it carefully, he perused the vials. A minute later we were lying side by side on the couch. Ash pulled me close. I soon realized that he had put something in my hand. I read the name on the vial: Caleb.

  I downed the vial without thinking. Once again, the room seemed to turn over before my eyes. I was falling without hitting the floor. And then we