Asleep

53 His Plans for Her

Charlie~~

Dad leads me to the oval-shaped room where the master dreamer for Somnia is kept. There are separate rooms for the master dreamers of the other dreams. Those dreams don't hold nearly as many people. They're for certain tests Dad wants to run.

Asleep on the gray examination table, dressed in the standard uniform, the man looks like any of the other dreamers.

"I wanted to show my appreciation for you being the one to tell me Nora was finally lucid."

"I've been in here before."

Dad claps his hands behind his back. "I want you to know why I'm interested in Nora."

I keep a neutral expression. If he sees interest, he will extort it. "You said her father . . ." My expression morphs into a mix of horror and understanding. That can't be right.

"That's Nora's father. And also my best friend."

Besides for the brunette hair, they don't look related. Though maybe I'd need to see him awake. His beard hides a good portion of his face.

"He worked with me before your grandfather died. He wanted to test himself in the dream as if he were a normal dreamer." Meaning he wouldn't know what was going on. "That's how we discovered he was a Class One."

"He didn't need to give up his memories to test if he could manipulate the dream . . ."

"He wanted to go all in." Dad crosses his arms and sighs. "When I thought of loyalty, I thought of him."

"You expect me to believe that he asked to be a master dreamer?"

"He didn't." Dad sighs. "He never told his wife that he'd have to give their children to the dream. When his wife got pregnant with Nora, he . . . changed. I was informed he was making plans to run so I made him the master dreamer; I'd never have to worry about him trying to leave again."

He keeps those he cares about in cages.

"You trapped him in the dream like you did Mom."

His eyes flash. "I put her in the dream to protect her."

"If she wanted you to protect her, she wouldn't have escaped and left us."

"That's enough, Charlie."

I clench my teeth.

"We're here to talk about Kiernan"—he inclines his head to the master dreamer—"and Nora."

"How did Nora end up at OneirTech?"

"As I said, Kiernan never told her mother they'd have to give her up. I made sure that after she had time to properly mourn the death of her husband, that she met a man loyal to me. I was at their wedding."

My stomach churns, and I breathe deeply through my nose trying not to throw up. He's practically orchestrated Nora's life and he's still doing it, but this time with even more control.

"The control Kiernan had over the dream—he was stronger than you." Dad doesn't know half of what I can do. "I had to know if Nora was like him."

"And if she is a Class One, what are your long-term plans for her?"

"Once her father passes away, she will be the next master dreamer for Somnia."

I swallow down my bile as the room seems to tilt on its side. No. No, he can't force that on her. She'll have no life, no control, no power. She'd be barely more than a consciousness.

"I'm surprised you don't want her to have children," I spit out with a sneer. "Create a pedigree of Class Ones. You've already decided every other part of her life." Written every bit of it. I turn, headed for the door.