Chapter 8 King
King
Waking up in the Dream-veil was even more glorious knowing that, back in Sky’s bed, he was wrapped in my arms. “Huh. That’s strange. We’re at the boardwalk,” Sky said.
It was different. So far, every person’s dreams we’d stepped into, they’d been somewhere in their own home.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I took in the boardwalk stretched before us.
Like in the real world, it was nighttime, so it was quiet, the only sound was the crashing of the waves.
The tall lights spaced evenly down the sides of the boards illuminated softly over the benches and stretched just far enough to see the tin of the rolling doors over the shops across.
“I guess it makes sense that people would dream about places outside of their own homes.”
He nodded excitedly. “Sure it does. Like when I was preparing to move here, I’d dream about Harry and seeing other ghosts.
What it would look like to train under Elyse.
” His strange expression flickered across his face.
I’d have to ask him about that later. Then he smiled at me shyly.
“And you, King. I definitely dreamed about climbing you like a tree.”
Even though we weren’t awake, I felt color flood my face. “You mean, like…” I cleared my throat. “Like sex dreams?”
He giggled and grabbed my hand, pulling me to stroll down the boards next to him. “All the hot, sweaty, bone-melting sex. We were glorious together.” He squeezed my hand. “But not as good as the real thing.”
My spine straightened. I’d been worried that I wouldn’t be able to satisfy him.
It was no secret that he’d partied a lot in NYC, so I knew he’d been with way more men than me.
Our sex life so far had been incredible to me, but I had to admit—even if it was only to myself—I thought maybe he’d find me lacking.
Unsure I wanted any more insight into what his mind had conjured about us—at least not here and now—I said, “I don’t see anyone. Do you?”
He shook his head. “No, but it’s beautiful out, in a perfect spot for a date night. Let’s just walk toward the rides and see if we find anyone.”
Sounded good to me. When we reached the amusement park area where all of the rides were, we weaved through them, passing the Himalaya and the wave swinger.
It was odd being here without the hum of the engines or the sound of music blasting or people screaming with exhilaration.
As we walked past the ferris wheel, Sky did a kind of skip-hop.
“We have to come back when they’re open and ride this. Wouldn’t that be so fun?”
Like a stone skipping across the bay, my heart stuttered.
Riding the ferris wheel with someone who cared about me by my side had been my biggest fantasy growing up.
Even in my twenties, if I was honest. But I’d thrown off my childish fantasies years ago.
Admitted to myself that I’d never be one of those guys who got that experience, who got that type of romance.
In my pursuit of being more open and honest with Sky, I tried to formulate a response that would tell him how much I wanted that. How big it felt that I’d never done it before, but now I’d get to do it with him. That I didn’t see his request as some small silly thing, but profound.
“It’s silly. We don’t have—”
Spinning him into me, I cut him off with my lips. He opened for me immediately, sighing into our kiss as I devoured him, pouring what I didn’t know how to say into this moment. “Yes,” I whispered before diving back in for more.
Our little makeout session heated up as I pressed him against a ticket booth, damn near humping each other, when Sky jerked his head back. “Did you hear that?”
Blinking out of the haze of all-things Sky, I closed my eyes and listened. Distantly, a voice floated toward us on the wind. Whipping my head around, I searched for the person who we were here to help, feeling slightly guilty that I’d kind of forgotten we were on a mission and not a date.
Sky hunched down to the ground and whispered up at me. “It sounds like it’s coming from down there.”
Squatting down next to him, I put the side of my head to the ground. Sky swatted my back. “Eww, King. It’s dirty. Don’t put your skin on there.”
Turning my head to see his indignant face, I smirked. “Is it? I mean, isn’t this like our spirits walking around outside of our bodies or something?”
Sky’s nose scrunched. “Uh…I don’t know, but it’s still nasty. You’re going to have to use my cleansers and stuff in the morning. Honestly, we need to go shopping for a skincare routine for you.”
I blinked, then shook my head. Skincare routine? That was a tomorrow problem. First things first. Straining, I heard what Sky had. The voice was definitely coming from under the boardwalk.
Standing up, I grabbed his hand. “Come on.” I jogged, tugging him along behind me.
“Where are we going?” he whisper-yelled.
“There’s a spot in the rails where we can slip down to go into the abandoned sewer pipe. Teenagers have been partying in it for years. It’s like the best-worst-kept secret in town.”
It was also a place where the homeless had been known to sleep until they realized they’d be terrorized by the youth of Willowhope. Not out of maliciousness, but because it truly was a spot to hide from the security who patrolled the boardwalks at night to make sure no one was on them.
As suspected, my six-foot-five frame wasn’t fitting through the rails anymore—not that I was sure it ever would’ve. I hadn’t been invited to hang out down here, but I’d seen the other kids while I’d been the teenager out wandering the beach, searching for lost spirits.
I’d gone through a whole season being obsessed with the possibility of the spirits of dead pirates making their way to land.
Jetty had started coming out with me back then, and I think the only reason he went for it was getting to hang out on the beach under the moonlight at night. It was so peaceful.
“I’m going to jump over. Do you think you can fit through the hole there?” The fence stood about four feet high and made of rusted metal rails, but three of them had been missing in the middle for as long as I could remember.
Sky glared at me playfully. “I’m small, but I’m not that little. I’ll just go over like you do.”
Snickering, I hopped across the fence, thankful for my long legs as my feet landed firmly. Sky hunched down so we were face-to-face. He fanned his face. “That was so hot. Who knew you were like an action hero?” He was so silly. “But how did you get so far down there?”
Smiling, I gestured behind me at the sand. “This beach meets the foundation of the boardwalk right here. Crawl up onto the rail and I’ll lift you over.”
He glanced up at the top of the railing, then down to the hole like he was trying to decide if he could slide through. I was pretty sure he could. It wasn’t as narrow as he seemed to think it was.
“Okay.” He licked his lips again, then nodded. “I’m going to try to come through there.”
I nodded my approval. “And I’ll still catch you.”
He blew out a breath and hesitated, but then we both heard the voice.
It was louder than before, close enough to hear the sneering anger in the person’s tone.
We exchanged a knowing look. This was what we’d been gifted for, and we needed to get down there pronto.
Sky turned to the side and wedged himself through.
Reaching up, I gripped him around the waist, pulling him out and dragging him down my body until his feet found purchase.
He smirked up at me. “Way to cop a feel.”
I waggled my eyebrows playfully. Then we heard a keening wail and took off running, stopping as we reached the mouth of the pitch-black tunnel.
“What do we do?” Sky asked.
“Call for Patchy. He’s given us swords and a picnic, surely he can manifest a flashlight.”
Sky’s face looked pained as he called, “Patchy.” The patchwork puppy appeared in his arms instantly. Sky nuzzled him, mumbling apologies into the psychopomp’s hair for not calling him sooner.
“Youuuuu…you filthy human. Soooooo…dirty. Sooooo..alone. Soooo…broken,” a voice in the most malicious tone I’d ever heard said. “Youuuuu…are nothing. Youuuu…are evil. Unwooorthy…human.”
“What the hell?” Sky mumbled. “Who could be so mean?”
I shook my head, listening as the cruel taunting continued.
“Patchy, we need a flashlight, please.”
I quickly closed my hand around the heavy weight of a metal cylinder as it hit my hand. Finding the switch, I pointed the beam of light that issued out of it down at the ground, doing my best to hide our approach from the attacking spooky until we got there.
“Patchy, sword.”
The psychopomp puppy peered up at his owner like he was confused. Which in turn made Sky’s head tilt as he stared back down at him like he didn’t understand why he was confused that he’d requested the same weapon we’d been using. “Patchy—go on, boy.”
The sword appeared in my other hand, and I switched them, so I’d be ready for combat. “Ready?” I asked.
“Leave me alone. Please,” came an anguished plea of a young man from deeper in the tunnel.
Sky and I nodded at each other, then, hugging the wall of the enclosure, slipped in to help this person with their nightmare.
It didn’t escape my attention that this man—much like the baby—must be in tune with their spirit if they knew they were being tortured.
I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
“Soooo…worthless. Stoooopid…boy. Nooooo…one loves you. Noooo…one wants you. Your parents hate yooooou. Stoooopid…worthless boy.”
“What an asshole,” Sky muttered.
I had to agree. The low, menacing voice kept spewing one hateful thing after another. It was pissing me off. I’d never wanted to explode one of these ghostlies as badly as I wanted to take this one out.
Finally, we saw him. A figure huddled under a small, lightweight, holey, olive green blanket. He was curled in on himself with his head buried in his own lap and turned toward the wall. I prepared my stance, ready to face his tormentor, but…
Sky’s head whipped around as he too searched for the ugly-spirited undead, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Yet, his voice still echoed through the small chamber. What the hell?
The man against the wall started begging for mercy again, but his attacker’s words got more vulgar and crude. Patchy growled low in his chest from the shelter of Sky’s arms. He patted his familiar absently while his face turned red with fury. “Where is it?”
“I don’t know.” Shoving the flashlight into Sky’s hand, I stepped into the glow from the beam of light and said in a loud, stern voice. “Show yourself.”
The spooky cackled but otherwise ignored me and went back to heckling the stranger.
Based on the ratty backpack, bottle of water, and box of crackers to his side, I assumed he was homeless and staying here for the night.
I couldn’t think of another reason why he might dream of this place.
Unless he’d stayed here before and moved on now, and he longed for the safety of this tunnel.
The thought of that made my heart hurt. I wouldn’t want to step in here for longer than stepping out of a rainstorm.
“King, what do we do?” he asked, moving the light this way and that trying to find the culprit, but the only person in here with us was the man.
“Leave. Run,” the guy said. “I’ll be fine.”
Was he talking to us? Did he know we were here? Could he hear us? I knew the baby had sensed our presence, but this was next level. Was he a Dreamwalker, too?
“Stooopid…boy. Duuumb…human. Uselessss… Noooo one wants yooooou. Noooooo…one loooooooves yooooou.”
“We’re not leaving,” I called out. “Let us help you. Do you know where it is?”
The air itself seemed to shove against us, sending Sky and I both flying backward, landing on our butts. Sky gripped his familiar to his chest. The psychopomp growled deep in his chest, his little body vibrating with his displeasure.
My boyfriend rolled up onto his knees next to me while the cruel voice echoed around us, continuously mocking the huddled figure, slinging one insult after another. “What do we do?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted grimly. “How do we fight something we can’t see?”
“And why can’t we see it?” he shrieked, voice trembling with fear instead of his usual excitement when we were in the veil.
Sitting up next to him, I swallowed. “I…I don’t know, but I don’t think…”
His eyes glistened with tears. “We can’t help, can we?”
“Not now. Not like this. We don’t know enough. We’re not prepared enough.”
Sadly, he nodded. “Patchy, home.”