Shit.
Danger worked differently in dreams—sometimes, if he didn’t look at the nightmares, they couldn’t see him, either. A kid’s game, obviously, but then children had to have learned it from somewhere.
He gritted his teeth and concentrated on his mark. She was the one he wanted. “What’s your name?”
It’s not there. Not there. Not there.
She’d turned to look at the sad sack newcomer, too—had to have sensed him since he was behind her—and had taken a backward step toward Rook.
“Jordan,” she mumbled. “Nice to meet you.”
She was the real deal, all right. Twitchy, but if she’d come this far, she’d just have to be brave enough to go deeper. No going back.
What nightmares would she waken?
Didn’t matter to him. Couldn’t. He had a job to do.
He moved to her side so that he could talk to her without blocking her view—God forbid he should get in the way of her watching for her sister.
“Nice to meet you too, Jordan. I’m—” What was his fake name again?
She wasn’t listening anyway. Her attention was completely absorbed, but not by the surreal starry landscape or the tropical jungle behind him. Now Jordan was looking around before each new Envoi guest broke through the Rêve barrier, anticipating each eruption, though they came from all directions onto the beach.
Coll was going to wet his pants.
Rook smiled as charmingly as he could. “I’ll bet there’s a bar on the other side of the trees. Can I buy you a drink?”
She didn’t bother to turn her head, but her gaze slid over, a brow lifting at the irony of his offer.
Old, tired joke. Money didn’t matter here—not yet—and there were no real drinks to be had. The Rêve high was in the euphoria that came from pure creation, being liberated from the restrictions of the rules. For those in pain, release.
There were lows too, which was what Coll had led with when he’d originally scouted him from that filthy deserted warehouse where he’d been crashing with a bunch of other runaways.
Jordan suddenly smiled, so bright with emotion that it was near blinding to someone with darksight like him. The feeling was direct from her heart, intensified by the dream. He’d bet her sister was on the brink of arriving.
A Technicolor flash, and sure enough, Wild Child broke through the Rêve barrier.
Arms out, Jordan ran toward her and they met in a movie-style hug. The dream cheesing it up again? Or were they for real?
“I couldn’t grab the doorknob,” Wild Child said, pulling back. “It kept moving every time I reached for it.”
Jordan laughed out loud. “I couldn’t even find the door! I was searching and searching, but it was nowhere.”
Rook was pretty damn sure that Jordan had opened the door as soon as it appeared. She must’ve been looking for something else.
“Oh my God! Will you look at this place!” Wild Child was gawking at the starry infinity drop.
Rook was more overwhelmed by Jordan.
She’d put a protective arm around her sister’s shoulders and was keeping her close, as if at any moment a tiger would leap out of the dark, and she would fight it single-handedly, putting her sister behind her.
He felt himself grow darker in comparison, his chest tightening with shame.
The woman deserved a good life, not one filled with nightmare after nightmare.
And yet, it was too late. Even now she was changing, and it couldn’t be undone. And if he’d scouted her, and Mr. Millions had scouted her, then the gamers on the Envoi who were behind the beach Rêve had, as well.
She wouldn’t last a week before she disappeared from her life. It was her own damn fault. Her instincts had said no—he’d caught that much from her nervous questions on the water taxi. She should’ve listened to them. Instinct was everything where Rêve was concerned.
“I want to dance!” Wild Child was trying to drag Jordan toward the tall, dark trees, where deep within, the club music pounded.
Jordan held back and kept her sister close. “Is it safe?”
Wild Child pulled out of her grasp, singing, “Safe and legal!” as she dove by him and into darkness.
Jordan looked like she was about to follow, but Mr. Millions suddenly appeared on the beach behind her. By her shoulders he turned her around—Rook took an angry step forward into starlight and watched as the man kissed her full on the mouth.
Son of a bitch. This guy had to go, and Rook was just the one to boot him out into the void. The couple broke apart—shock on both their faces. Rook was sure Millions’s was fake. Interesting hunting technique, however.
“I don’t know what came over me,” he babbled. “Must be the dream. Not that I didn’t want to kiss you. I did, which is probably why it happened.”