For Now | Dreaming Trilogy | Book 1 (HEAVY CONSTRUCTION)

Shyanne | The Dreamers

Phoenix's innate ability to switch from cold confidence to sheer terror in moments never failed to both amaze and startle me. Shane looked up at me, his heterochromatic eyes shining in confusion. I gave a shrug. He returned to whisper something down to her.

    Phoenix suddenly snapped back, pulling herself away from Shane to stare in disgust. "What did you just call me?"

    Shane laughed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sassy Silver-Eyes." Phoenix squinted. "What? It's fitting, isn't it, Shyanne?"

    I gulped, looking between the two. "Sure," I muttered. "Yeah," I repeated with more confidence. "Yeah, it's fitting."

    Shane and Phoenix shared a narrowed-eyes glance before returning all attention to me.

    "Bitch," Phoenix then said in absolute monotone.

    Bubbles of uncontrollable laughter rose up and erupted out of my mouth. Inexplicably, I felt comfortable here. Comfortable with the woman who'd brought forward a panic attack. Comfortable with my best friend being from a whole other world.

    My laughter died as I became hyper-aware of the hundreds of eyes focused on the three of us. I leaned towards Jake, stealing hesitant glances up. "Why is everyone staring?" Even as I whispered these words, frightened murmurs shot across the crowded room. Each strange creature avoided my gaze by suddenly noticing something new on their screen, or becoming engrossed in conversation with their peer. "What's so special about us?"

    "You're legends," Jake replied with a shrug.

    "Legends?" Phoenix repeated, eyebrows shooting up to hide behind her blue bangs. "What the fuck does that mean?"

    Before Sassy Silver-Eyes could manage any other questions or the nervous wreck that was Jake could manage and other answers, the massive set of white we'd passed through before appeared again. Holding her bloodied side with one hand, and her equally as bloodied katana in the other, stumbled Jael. I rushed to her, putting my arm under hers to help her stand up straight. My hand met sticky, warm blood.

    Jael looked at me with concern, one of her sky blue eyes surrounded by a darkening bruise. The blade she'd produced earlier dripped with more crimson blood. Dirt smudged her beautiful, kind face. She placed a grimy hand on the wall to support herself, gasping, before finally managing to yell, "They're coming!"

    Shane, calm and collected as ever, walked towards her. "Who's coming?" His tone filled with the soothing energy he radiated.

    "Don't tell me it's...," Jake gulped, his words trailing off in fear as he shook his head, wringing his hands nervously.

    "It's what?" I asked quietly, suddenly afraid of any answer the small, leaf-boy could possibly produce.

    Jael nodded and answered Jake, though her worrisome blue eyes stayed fixated on ,e. "The Soldiers. Seven of them." She took a deep, ragged breath, finally prying her gaze away from mine. "I took out two, but... I'm sorry. There were too many."

    "Shit," Joie said under her breath, fluttering down to rest on Phoenix's shoulder again as she tugged her blonde hair.

    "Are you sure there were seven?" Piper asked flying forward to look Jael in the eyes. Jael raised her exhausted, dirty hand for the dragonfairy to land on as she nodded. "There's no way we can handle that," the dragonfairy queen said with certainty. "We'll need to divert them."

    "We don't have enough fighters to deal with seven," Joie agreed.

    Phoenix squinted in confusion, looking around the crowded room as it bustled with nervous energy. "What do you mean 'not enough'? Seven? There's at least a hundred people here."