“Yeah, maybe. But people in those funny dreams don’t usually bring it up that I’m dreaming.”
Jonathan laughed. “Nice try, Jess.”
“Yeah, this kid’s smarter than that,” Rex said. “And tougher than she looks too.”
“Smarter?” Jessica cried. “What’s that supposed to mean? I thought the blue time was all a dream, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.” Rex chuckled. “Well, feel free to tell her whatever you want until Melissa gets here.”
Jessica frowned and glanced at Jonathan, who shrugged, a helpless look on his face. He didn’t much like the idea either, but he clearly couldn’t see any other way of keeping the secret hour secret.
A crashing sound reached them through the trees.
“Speaking of which,” Rex said.
Dess emerged first, a long metal pipe balanced over one shoulder, like a spear ready to be thrown. She stumbled into the clearing and came to a halt, looking at them one by one. Then she lowered the spear with a disgusted noise. “No monsters left, are there?”
“All under control,” Rex said.
“Rats,” Dess said. “Jessica, I haven’t slain jack squat since you became the flame-bringer.”
Jessica sighed. “Yeah. My bad.”
Melissa came into view, yanking on her long black dress, the hem of which was tangled with twigs and trailing branches.
“Jeez, Rex. That was freaky,” she announced.
“You tasted it?” he asked quietly.
“It was pretty hard to miss,” Melissa said, running a finger along one of her scars. “I mean, I already knew you were having an identity crisis. But I didn’t think a darkling would agree with you!”
Jessica glanced from one of them to the other. Rex had a funny look on his face, and she noticed that his hands were still shaking, his fingers bent stiffly into claws. Melissa was staring at him like he’d grown antlers.
“Are we missing something here?” Dess asked aloud.
“Yeah, what happened?” Jessica said. “I saw a darkling running away.”
Melissa took a step closer to Rex and the girl. “The darkling was here, but it seemed to think Rex was a”
“Don’t!” Rex interrupted.
There was a long silence, the two of them staring at each other.
“Not now,” he hissed.
“Wow,” Cassie Flinders said. “Maybe I am dreaming because you guys are really weird.”
Everyone looked at the girl. She stood there, staring defiantly back at them. Jessica decided that she had a point.
“Okay, kiddo,” Melissa said after another awkward moment of silence. “I think it’s past your bedtime.”
“But it’s morning,” Cassie answered, then looked up at the sky and frowned. “Or it was …”
“Either way, I can’t believe your grandma let you out of bed,” Rex said. “You being sick and all.”
“She always lets me play in the backyard,” Cassie said huffily. “Says it’s good for a cold to get out in the cold.”
“Well, I’m putting you back under the covers,” Melissa said, reaching out a hand. “Come with me.”
“Said the spider to the fly,” Dess muttered.
Jessica looked across the clearing at Jonathan. There had to be some other way to keep the secret than messing with people’s brains. She was just a kid, after all. Who would believe her?
As Melissa’s hand closed around Cassie’s, the girl seemed to relax. Then she yawned, her eyes growing sleepy.
Melissa turned to the others. “Chill, guys. I’m a lot better at this than I used to be.” She shrugged. “Besides, I’m only going to calm her down and put her to sleep and maybe suggest that this all was a nightmare. When it comes to radical memory overhaul, I only work on stiffs. Which, you may have noticed, Cassie isn’t. Anything else will have to wait.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Cassie asked sleepily.
Melissa smiled, leading Cassie back toward the railroad tracks. “We’re discussing how you’re going to remember this crazy dream tomorrow.” She winked at Rex. “But probably not the next day.”
“So she’ll
Jonathan laughed. “Nice try, Jess.”
“Yeah, this kid’s smarter than that,” Rex said. “And tougher than she looks too.”
“Smarter?” Jessica cried. “What’s that supposed to mean? I thought the blue time was all a dream, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.” Rex chuckled. “Well, feel free to tell her whatever you want until Melissa gets here.”
Jessica frowned and glanced at Jonathan, who shrugged, a helpless look on his face. He didn’t much like the idea either, but he clearly couldn’t see any other way of keeping the secret hour secret.
A crashing sound reached them through the trees.
“Speaking of which,” Rex said.
Dess emerged first, a long metal pipe balanced over one shoulder, like a spear ready to be thrown. She stumbled into the clearing and came to a halt, looking at them one by one. Then she lowered the spear with a disgusted noise. “No monsters left, are there?”
“All under control,” Rex said.
“Rats,” Dess said. “Jessica, I haven’t slain jack squat since you became the flame-bringer.”
Jessica sighed. “Yeah. My bad.”
Melissa came into view, yanking on her long black dress, the hem of which was tangled with twigs and trailing branches.
“Jeez, Rex. That was freaky,” she announced.
“You tasted it?” he asked quietly.
“It was pretty hard to miss,” Melissa said, running a finger along one of her scars. “I mean, I already knew you were having an identity crisis. But I didn’t think a darkling would agree with you!”
Jessica glanced from one of them to the other. Rex had a funny look on his face, and she noticed that his hands were still shaking, his fingers bent stiffly into claws. Melissa was staring at him like he’d grown antlers.
“Are we missing something here?” Dess asked aloud.
“Yeah, what happened?” Jessica said. “I saw a darkling running away.”
Melissa took a step closer to Rex and the girl. “The darkling was here, but it seemed to think Rex was a”
“Don’t!” Rex interrupted.
There was a long silence, the two of them staring at each other.
“Not now,” he hissed.
“Wow,” Cassie Flinders said. “Maybe I am dreaming because you guys are really weird.”
Everyone looked at the girl. She stood there, staring defiantly back at them. Jessica decided that she had a point.
“Okay, kiddo,” Melissa said after another awkward moment of silence. “I think it’s past your bedtime.”
“But it’s morning,” Cassie answered, then looked up at the sky and frowned. “Or it was …”
“Either way, I can’t believe your grandma let you out of bed,” Rex said. “You being sick and all.”
“She always lets me play in the backyard,” Cassie said huffily. “Says it’s good for a cold to get out in the cold.”
“Well, I’m putting you back under the covers,” Melissa said, reaching out a hand. “Come with me.”
“Said the spider to the fly,” Dess muttered.
Jessica looked across the clearing at Jonathan. There had to be some other way to keep the secret than messing with people’s brains. She was just a kid, after all. Who would believe her?
As Melissa’s hand closed around Cassie’s, the girl seemed to relax. Then she yawned, her eyes growing sleepy.
Melissa turned to the others. “Chill, guys. I’m a lot better at this than I used to be.” She shrugged. “Besides, I’m only going to calm her down and put her to sleep and maybe suggest that this all was a nightmare. When it comes to radical memory overhaul, I only work on stiffs. Which, you may have noticed, Cassie isn’t. Anything else will have to wait.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Cassie asked sleepily.
Melissa smiled, leading Cassie back toward the railroad tracks. “We’re discussing how you’re going to remember this crazy dream tomorrow.” She winked at Rex. “But probably not the next day.”
“So she’ll
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