Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
It’s late, and the street is quiet as we walk back to campus, Chase’s presence both comforting and unsettling now that I know what could be lurking in the darkness. I frown, then glance sideways at a looming shadow before fingering the little herb pouch tucked in the pocket of my jeans.
“So, about this training,” Tia says, breaking the silence. “What exactly does it involve? Meditation? Lucid dreaming techniques? Please tell me it’s not just ‘think happy thoughts.’”
Chase glances at her, a hint of amusement in his expression. “More complex than that. Dream combat isn’t about positive thinking—it’s about understanding the rules of the other realms and learning to bend them to your will. Especially in the Nightmare Realm.”
“Dream combat?” I repeat. “I’m picturing those plastic green army men on fluffy clouds shooting at us.”
“Yes,” Chase says dryly. “That’s exactly how it will be.” He lifts one eyebrow, his mouth quirking into a half-smile as I glance toward him.
“Sorry,” I say. “My imagination goes to strange places when I’m scared.”
“It’s a good defense mechanism. And you’re right to be scared. The situation’s ominous, but that doesn’t mean you’re helpless. Dreamwalkers with training can be formidable opponents, even for powerful mares.”
We pass under a streetlight, and I catch sight of his profile—strong jaw, serious expression, that strange intensity that seems to radiate from him, this incredible man who lives mostly in a completely different world, so entwined with this one.
It’s hard to believe that just a week ago, my biggest concern was whether I’d make friends in college.
“How will this training work?” I ask.
“Controlled exposure and repetition. We’ll lock in the basics, then move on to more advanced skills.”
“Such as?”
“Environment manipulation for one. The other realms operate on different laws than this one. Belief and will have more power there. If you truly believe you can fly, you will. If you’re convinced you’re defenseless, you are.”
“That’s why the monsters felt so real,” I realize. “Because in the Nightmare Realm, they are.”
“Exactly. But the same principle works in reverse. If you believe you’re powerful, you become powerful.”
Tia kicks at a loose stone. “What about people like me? Can non-Dreamwalkers help at all?”
“Absolutely. And your magical background gives you an advantage.”
“Not much of an advantage when I can’t actually do magic,” she mutters. “I can’t even float a feather.”
“You’d be surprised. The blocks suppress your active abilities, but they can’t eliminate your sensitivity to supernatural energy. That’s how you sensed Vexarin even before he appeared.”
“Are you kidding? I didn’t notice squat.”
“You did,” he insists. “Your subconscious recognized the threat. You were tensed up and ready before he materialized.”
“I was?” Tia asks.
“How on earth do you know that?” I ask.
He shrugs. “You see a lot when you’ve been around as long as I have. And I saw you react the same moment that I did,” he tells her.
“You’re not bullshitting me?”
“No bullshit. And you’re going to train too,” he says. “Not as a Dreamwalker, but with the power and magic inside you, you’ll be an asset. We’ll get the power out. Maybe we’ll find a way to release the magic too.”
She glances at me. “I like him.”
“Yeah, he’s okay,” I say, shooting him a grin.
We’re approaching the edge of campus now, and I slow my pace, wanting to delay the moment when I have to process everything I’ve learned tonight. And when I have to leave Chase’s side.
“So, what time tomorrow?” I ask, trying to sound braver than I feel.
“Nine o’clock.” He looks at me. “Are you working tomorrow?”
I frown at the non-sequitur. “No. Why?”
“I’ll meet you both in Hamilton Hall at eight forty-five. We’ll head to The Griffin’s Nest together. Griff’s sympathetic to our cause.”
“Mr. Griffin knows about Hunters?” Considering his herb garden and occult collection, I don’t know why I’m surprised.
“He’s a former Hunter,” Chase says, making my head spin. “Retired, but he still helps in other ways. His shop has some of the strongest wards in the city.”
“Former Hunter?” Tia glances at me. “Didn’t see that coming.”
“What made him retire?” I ask.
Something dark flickers across Chase’s expression. “Sometimes the job takes more than you’re willing to give.”
There’s clearly more to that story, but I don’t push. It doesn’t seem right to press Chase to share Mr. Griffin’s secrets.
A few minutes later, we arrive at Hamilton Hall, its facade looking reassuringly normal in the lamplight.
Students move in and out of the building, some talking and laughing, others looking like they’re trying to memorize the Periodic Table by morning.
It’s plain and normal and real. And it feels utterly strange after everything that’s happened today.
“Tia!”
I turn to see Riley hurrying toward us, her now-purple hair iridescent in the moonlight.
“I was just about to text you. I have an insane ice cream craving. Wanna walk to the food court?”
Tia glances at me, and I see the question in her eyes—Do you still need me to be your wingman?
“Hey, Riley,” I say. “Will you remind her that roomies are obligated to bring back a pint of cookie dough ice cream?”
“Aye aye,” Riley says, whipping off a salute. “So what have you been up to?” I hear her ask, as she and Tia head toward the quad.
“Tia will keep our secrets,” I tell Chase, who’s looking after them, frowning.
He nods. “I know. Tia’s as solid as they come.”
“I think she’s developing a thing for Riley.”
“Hopefully, she won’t get her heart broken.” He meets my eyes. “Sometimes having a thing can be hard to manage.”
Butterflies take up residence in my belly. “Will you walk me up?” I ask, reluctant to let him disappear into the night.
He nods, and we climb the front steps together. In the lobby, a few girls glance our way, clearly checking out Chase.
The elevator ride to the third floor passes in silence. Surprising, considering how loud my pounding heart sounds to me. By the time we reach my hallway, I’m jittery with anticipation, though I’m not sure what I expect. Or, for that matter, what I’m hoping for.
“Well,” I say as we stop outside my door. “Thank you. For tonight. For saving us, and for trusting us with all this.”
“You have to know,” Chase replies. “And you handled it brilliantly. Most people would have run screaming after what you saw tonight. And they wouldn’t believe the truth.”
“Oh, I’m totally planning to run screaming after you leave. I’m just playing it cool.”
His face doesn’t change, but I can see the light of a smile in his eyes. “You do it very well.”
“Thanks.” I slide my hands into my pockets in defense against the urge to reach out and touch him. To ask him to come in and hold me. To keep on protecting me the way he has been—both in and out of my dreams.
Then sanity thwaps me on the head, and I clear my throat. “And—well—thanks in advance for the training. I don’t want this life—I really don’t—but since it’s mine, I’d rather understand what I’m facing than go in blind.”
Something shifts in those stunning eyes, an emotion I can’t quite discern. “You’re braver than you know,” he says.
“Or stupider than I look.”
He chuckles. “Definitely not that.”
We stand there for a moment, the air between us charged with something more than that sizzle I’ve come to expect from his touch.
And I do want his touch. I want him to hold me and tell me that we’ll get through this.
That I’m strong enough to handle all this craziness that’s been dumped into my lap.
More than that, I want to forget for a little bit. I want to just be a college student standing with a boy.
His gaze drops to my lips, then back to my eyes, and for a breathless second, I think my wish might come true.
Then he steps back, and my fantasy shatters like glass.
“Goodnight, Cora,” he says. “Sweet dreams.”
The irony of the phrase breaks the spell, and I manage a shaky smile. “That might be asking too much.”
“You’ll be fine. But if anything feels wrong, anything at all, call me immediately.”
He hands me a card with his phone number written in careful script. Our fingers brush again during the exchange, sending that familiar jolt through my system. “Chase? Do you—”
Before he can say anything, I shake my head. “Never mind. I’ll call if I need to. I promise.”
For a moment, I think he’s going to drill down on my question, but then he nods once before turning and walking down the hall to the elevator, leaving me standing in the doorway with my heart racing and the taste of disappointment on my lips.