of my best friends, after all, even after everything that had happened.
“No.” Keller shook his head. “I’ve been traveling the country, meeting with different Nocturns and paranormal groups.”
I nodded as if I understood, but I didn’t.
“Will you be at the Circle?” I winced as I asked it. Keller was the enemy now. I shouldn’t have said that.
“You can trust me,” Keller said, sitting up as if he thought he needed to be more alert.
“Can I?” I whispered. “You work for the Darkness Premier.”
“She’s not the Premier,” said Keller. “It’s so much more complicated than that.”
“Do you work for darkness or not?” I spluttered. It would be one thing if we’d been communicating this whole time, if Keller had been feeding us information, but he hadn’t.
Keller sighed and scrubbed his face as if he was giving himself time to think.
“Look,” he said, “I can’t explain, but trust me when I tell you I’m always on your side. Whatever side that is.”
“What about your parents?” I demanded. I couldn’t imagine a world where I wasn’t on the side of the paranormals.
“My parents were afraid,” said Keller. “They went with what they know, and they’ve known Cynthia Malle for a long time.”
“But they took you away from me,” I whispered. My voice shook audibly, but at that point I didn’t care if Keller heard it. It was the first time I’d gotten to talk to him in a long time and I wasn’t going to waste it.
Keller got up and came toward me, but when I backed away, he stopped.
I eyed him dubiously.
“I don’t know anything about my dream giver powers,” I said. “Elementals are stronger, and my father was a king.”
“Right,” said Keller. “I think a lot of this goes back to family.”
“That’s cryptic,” I muttered.
He grinned. “Never satisfied unless you have all the information.”
“I like to know what I’m up against,” I said. “Do you know who the Premier is?”
Lisabelle knew, I was certain of it, but she also wasn’t saying. In fact, she had informed me that under no circumstances would I believe who it was.
Keller shook his head. “No, I’ve tried, but it’s a closely guarded secret. Malle knows, the Demons of Knight on the Demon Council know, Lisabelle knows . . .” He trailed off once he got around to mentioning our mutual friend.
“What?” I demanded.
“Lisabelle,” said Keller. “I had no idea how strong she was.”
I ignored that. Lisabelle was too dangerous a subject between us, and I wasn’t going there.
“What about Faci’s father and mother?” I remembered Lough pointing the mother out when we were at Vampire Locke for Lanca’s coronation.
“It’s Faci’s stepmother,” said Keller. “His real mother killed herself.” There were other rumors, but I wasn’t going to bring up those, either.
“Yeah, I know,” I said. “If I was related to Faci I’d be pretty upset too.”
Keller smiled. “Yeah, well, I think they know, too. They’re the ones who secured Vampire Locke as a base of operations, anyway.”
I sighed and looked out the window. The world still dripped in silver.
“Okay, so what now?”
“Now I go back to working for Malle,” said Keller, “and you take care of yourself.”
“Both of those things are really stupid,” I informed him.
I could feel tears building behind my eyes and I wanted the dream to end before I became a total crybaby.
“Can I hug you goodbye?”
I hated that word, and I especially hated it right then. Something in my face must have given me away, because Keller took another step closer to me.
“Oh, fine,” I muttered. If I wasn’t careful I’d turn out to be as grumpy as Lisabelle.
But Keller ignored my tone, stepped forward, and opened his arms. Carefully he wrapped them around me, his chin resting on my shoulder, his forehead nestled into my hair. I felt his chest expand and his breath on my neck. Gingerly, his fingers touched the small of my
“No.” Keller shook his head. “I’ve been traveling the country, meeting with different Nocturns and paranormal groups.”
I nodded as if I understood, but I didn’t.
“Will you be at the Circle?” I winced as I asked it. Keller was the enemy now. I shouldn’t have said that.
“You can trust me,” Keller said, sitting up as if he thought he needed to be more alert.
“Can I?” I whispered. “You work for the Darkness Premier.”
“She’s not the Premier,” said Keller. “It’s so much more complicated than that.”
“Do you work for darkness or not?” I spluttered. It would be one thing if we’d been communicating this whole time, if Keller had been feeding us information, but he hadn’t.
Keller sighed and scrubbed his face as if he was giving himself time to think.
“Look,” he said, “I can’t explain, but trust me when I tell you I’m always on your side. Whatever side that is.”
“What about your parents?” I demanded. I couldn’t imagine a world where I wasn’t on the side of the paranormals.
“My parents were afraid,” said Keller. “They went with what they know, and they’ve known Cynthia Malle for a long time.”
“But they took you away from me,” I whispered. My voice shook audibly, but at that point I didn’t care if Keller heard it. It was the first time I’d gotten to talk to him in a long time and I wasn’t going to waste it.
Keller got up and came toward me, but when I backed away, he stopped.
I eyed him dubiously.
“I don’t know anything about my dream giver powers,” I said. “Elementals are stronger, and my father was a king.”
“Right,” said Keller. “I think a lot of this goes back to family.”
“That’s cryptic,” I muttered.
He grinned. “Never satisfied unless you have all the information.”
“I like to know what I’m up against,” I said. “Do you know who the Premier is?”
Lisabelle knew, I was certain of it, but she also wasn’t saying. In fact, she had informed me that under no circumstances would I believe who it was.
Keller shook his head. “No, I’ve tried, but it’s a closely guarded secret. Malle knows, the Demons of Knight on the Demon Council know, Lisabelle knows . . .” He trailed off once he got around to mentioning our mutual friend.
“What?” I demanded.
“Lisabelle,” said Keller. “I had no idea how strong she was.”
I ignored that. Lisabelle was too dangerous a subject between us, and I wasn’t going there.
“What about Faci’s father and mother?” I remembered Lough pointing the mother out when we were at Vampire Locke for Lanca’s coronation.
“It’s Faci’s stepmother,” said Keller. “His real mother killed herself.” There were other rumors, but I wasn’t going to bring up those, either.
“Yeah, I know,” I said. “If I was related to Faci I’d be pretty upset too.”
Keller smiled. “Yeah, well, I think they know, too. They’re the ones who secured Vampire Locke as a base of operations, anyway.”
I sighed and looked out the window. The world still dripped in silver.
“Okay, so what now?”
“Now I go back to working for Malle,” said Keller, “and you take care of yourself.”
“Both of those things are really stupid,” I informed him.
I could feel tears building behind my eyes and I wanted the dream to end before I became a total crybaby.
“Can I hug you goodbye?”
I hated that word, and I especially hated it right then. Something in my face must have given me away, because Keller took another step closer to me.
“Oh, fine,” I muttered. If I wasn’t careful I’d turn out to be as grumpy as Lisabelle.
But Keller ignored my tone, stepped forward, and opened his arms. Carefully he wrapped them around me, his chin resting on my shoulder, his forehead nestled into my hair. I felt his chest expand and his breath on my neck. Gingerly, his fingers touched the small of my
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