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I'd never dreamwalked before, but once Whisper showed me how, it was easy to access the dream realm, and I stared in amazement when I took my first steps that night; it was filled with stars, the dreams of everyone in the world. Often new lights would flicker to life while others went out; these would be people going to sleep and other people waking up.
I had no idea how to find Sienna's dream, but as I floated there, some of the tiny points of light became transparent bubbles as I drifted past, allowing me to see inside the sleeper's dreams. Most of them were ordinary, giving me no clue as to who the sleeper was, and I began to wonder if I was wasting my time.
However, just as I was about to give up, one of the bubbles came on me so swiftly I was almost drawn into it. I quickly pulled back, enough to be able to see inside, but far away enough that I wouldn't get trapped inside. And when I saw the visions in the bubble, I was suddenly very glad I'd pulled away. I'd found Sienna's dreams. And they were horrifying.
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I woke with a pounding headache and a horrible feeling of impending doom. My own dreams had been bad after what I'd seen, and I didn't waste time. But as I ran downstairs, I was nearly bowled over by Dad as he came storming upstairs, his face like thunder. Mum and Candy hurried after him, and I felt my heart sink right into my toes as Dad first threw open Zach's door, and then Sienna's. He didn't like what he saw in either of their rooms, and his face was dark with rage as he rounded on us. I didn't need to check my siblings' rooms - Dad's face told the story.
"Someone is going to be explaining themselves," he said in a voice I'd never heard him use before. "Or someone is going to wish themselves dead by the time I'm through with them."
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The interrogation took all morning. No matter how many times I told the story as plainly as possible, Dad refused to be satisfied and told me to tell the story again and again, questioning me every step of the way until I felt as wrung out as a used dish cloth. Mum and Candy were forbidden to speak to me the whole time, and finally, when I felt about ready to pass out from hunger, Dad let out a growl of disgust and sat back. His warning glare prevented Mum to come to my side, and I shivered, knowing this wasn't over.
Zach's and Sienna's emply rooms told a damning tale on their own - based on what I'd seen in Sienna's dreams last night, she'd discovered how to enter a dream physically, and had used that to abduct Zach before the pair of them had vanished. I suspected Sienna had either returned to the Brighton packhouse, or she'd gone straight to wherever Wanda was. Recalling what she'd told me, I had a horrible feeling Wanda had taken the triplets to Stonehenge.
Dad interrupted my unhappy reverie. "I'm seconds away from beating you to a pulp," he said angrily. "Sienna was a lying little whore from the time she could walk - you should've known better than to fall for her manipulations. I swear to God, if you had anything to do with this..."
"I didn't trust her either," I protested. "But I did hope she'd turned over a new leaf. That's why I tried to visit her dreams last night so I could find out if she really was telling the truth. It's not my fault she used me - yes, I shouldn't have brought her here. But if I hadn't, she would've kidnapped me as well, and you wouldn't know that Wanda's got the five of them at Stonehenge as we speak."
"You don't know that," Dad pointed out.
"No," I agreed. "But it seems like the logical place for Wanda to start her campaign. And if Sienna can sneak into people's dreams and kidnap them, I can sneak in and steal them back."
"Sienna will be wise to you," Candy warned, ignoring Dad's glare as she came to my side and put a hand on my shoulder. "She can just as easily take you prisoner as well."
"Whisper won't let any harm come to me," I said. "He's pretty angry as well, and he's about ready to tear Wanda and Sienna to shreds. He'll make sure I don't get taken, and he's promised to unleash hell on anyone who tries it. I've a feeling he's been holding back for quite a long time, and Wanda's gone and tipped him over the edge. And it'll serve that mad bitch right for all the pain she's put us through "
"That 'mad bitch' is still my mum, God help me," Dad chided, but the frightening rage had left him, much to my relief. "Unfortunately, you're probably right in all aspects, as much as I hate to admit it." He sighed. "Right. I know I'm sleeping on the couch for the foreseeable future. Saffron, let me know when you're ready to do this, and I'll mount a watch on you to make sure nothing goes wrong."
"I figure it's best to do it sooner rather than later," Mum surmised, but though her voice was conciliatory, her eyes were spitting fire, and I foresaw a very long talk in Dad's future. He grimaced, not quite able to meet her eyes, and I winced. He had been an ass to both her and Candy, and he deserved getting a bollocking from the pair of them.
"I'll do it tonight, then," I said. "Whisper will lay the groundwork for us, and then I'll go in. If I'm not back at dawn, assume the worst, and I'll do whatever I can to take Wanda down from the inside." 111Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaDkEB4sl8
Dad winced, but said nothing, and I shared his foreboding as we left the room. If Sienna didn't seize me, Wanda would, and I admitted to quite a bit of worry as I went to get a very late brunch. It was either that, or watch my future nieces and nephews get turned into pawns. And while Wanda thought she was running the show, she'd be in for a nasty shock. I'd learned a lot under Whisper's tutelage, and Wanda was going to be regretting her life choices before long. Nothing said hell on earth like an angry witch, and I was through playing the nice guy.
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