cinder || dnf

chapter twenty four

Dream crouched against the wall that bordered the palace, the coolness from the stone soaking into his T-shirt. The crowd had gone, the only memory of them left in trampled signs. Even the guards had abandoned the courtyard, though the intricate iron gate remained locked. Two stone gargoyles were perched above Dream's head, occasionally sending out a magnetic pulse that hummed in his ears.

His hand had finally stopped trembling. The warnings across his vision had finally disappeared. But the confusion remained, persistent as ever.

He was Lunar. Fine.

He was a rare breed of Lunar, a shell, who couldn't twist the thoughts and emotions of others and was immune to the tampering himself.

Fine.

But then why had Minx's glamour affected him the same as everyone else?

Either Dr. Za was wrong, or he was lying. Maybe Dream wasn't Lunar at all, and Phil had been mistaken. Maybe his immunity was due to something else.

He released a frustrated groan. Never had the curiosity to know his background, his history, been so intense. He needed to know the truth.

The humming of the gates on their buried tracks startled him. Dream looked up, spotting a pristine white android rolling toward him on the cobblestones.

"Dream Almeida?" It held out a scanner.

Blinking, he clambered to his feet, braced against the wall for support. "Yes?" he said, extending his wrist.

The scanner beeped and, without having come to a complete stop, the android turned its torso 180 degrees and started rumbling back toward the palace. "Follow me."

"Wait- what?" His gaze darted fearfully up toward the balcony where the Lunar queen had stood.

"His Imperial Highness has requested a word with you."

Checking his gloves, Dream cast a look toward the road that would take him away from the palace, back to the safety of being an invisible boy in a very big city. Releasing a slow breath, he turned and followed the android.

The palace's elaborate, two-story entry doors were gilded in gold and nearly blinding with the sun glinting off their sheen as they opened. The lobby beyond was blessedly cool and filled with grand jade sculptures, exotic flowers, the voices and footsteps of dozens of harried diplomats and government employees, combined with the calming song of bubbling water- but Dream hardly noticed any of it. He was filled with panic at the possibility of finding himself face-to-face with Queen Minx, until he found himself face-to-face with Prince George instead. He was waiting against a carved pillar.

George straightened when he saw Dream and almost smiled, but not one of his brilliant, carefree smiles. In fact, he looked exhausted.

Dream bowed his head. "Your Highness."

"Mr. Almeida. Luca told me you were waiting."

"They weren't letting people into the palace. I just wanted to be sure he got to you all right." He tucked his hands behind himself. "I hope your national security issues will be resolved soon." Dream attempted a lightness in his voice, but George's expression seemed to falter.

The prince dropped his gaze to the android. "That will be all," he said, and waited until the android had disappeared into an alcove by the entrance, before continuing. "I apologize for taking up your time, but I wanted to thank you personally for fixing him." He said, softly.

Dream shrugged. "It was an honor. I hope... I hope you'll find what you're looking for."

George's gaze squinted suspiciously, and he glanced over his shoulder as two well-dressed women passed by, one talking animatedly, the other nodding in agreement, neither paying Dream and George any attention. When they had passed, George let out a breath and turned back to him. "Something's come up. I need to go talk to Dr. Za."