The Logical Exception

{ Chapter 30 - A Matter of Time }

This was not what Deceit was expecting. Then again he wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but this web of crystals was a far cry from the television static Remy had described it as. It was like a sky filled with stars and celestial bodies, but nothing bigger than a grain of sand. It was a blizzard where one could hardly distinguish one snowflake from another.

'Focus on who you want to go see, picture every detail in your mind." He remembered Remy's words and pulled his attention back to his task. He had to focus on Logan, think about all of the specific details about him. For a moment, he felt nothing. Had he done something wrong? Then it pulled at him, like a rubber band that had been stretched too far and suddenly let go. He stumbled into a room. There had to be a more pleasant way to travel between dreamscapes, and maybe with time he could figure it out but he didn't have time.

After he found his balance, Deceit looked at the room around him. Bookshelves lined the wall, their titles unreadable, and in the center of the room was a table with a map lined on it. Logan was standing over the table; his usual professional attire replaced with a regal cape, and a billowed shirt; his crest had hints of blue, red, and green, woven and intermingled together; and his hair was ruffled and messed underneath a lopsided crown. His posture was dreadful as he looked over the map, his hands planted firmly on the table.

"Ainsley, wonderful, you are probably the only one who can assist me with this." His voice was broken, in a way, Deceit couldn't describe. This was a version of Logan he had never gotten the pleasure of seeing. A shame he couldn't enjoy it. His skin crawled at the sound of his own name. Wasn't he supposed to look like Remy, and didn't Logan remember how much he hated that name?

"Oh yes, I would be happy to help after you referred to me in such a vile manner." Deceit searched for a mirror, managing to find one on the wall. He was surprised when he saw his own face looking back at him, not a scale in sight. At least that answered his first question.

"Apologies, but I have never enjoyed calling you Deceit as there is more to you than lies and deception." Logan waved it off as if now was not the time for this conversation. Instead, he beckoned Deceit over.

"I am in a quandary, though honestly, the implications of that word are a bit light for my liking."

When he looked up, Deceit noticed the bags under his eyes and the desperation that fought through every line of his irises.

"I need the expertise of an outside source."

"Why not seek help from one of the princes, their skill in creative solutions has never been lost on you before my liege." He had to play into the fantasy, had to find the source of what was keeping Logan asleep. Then he would work on waking Logan up.

On the surface, it was obvious that Logan was worried about Roman and Remus, it showed in every small detail of the room they were in, the kingdom setting, his attire, even his crown has jewels that reminded Deceit of the twins.

Logan froze, his eyes casting back down to the map, a myriad of figurines cast on it's surface. "I believe in my desperation to protect them, I have made a mistake. They no longer believe in my protection and have decided to face the dragons and witches alone."

There it was, the ever perfectionist Logan couldn't deal with the fact that he had screwed up. "May I be so bold as to ask, what did you do?" Maybe he was asking for his own curiosity, maybe he wanted to help Logan face it. He couldn't tell.

The room began to fade and worble as Logan was pulled into the reality of what had happened. "I was attempting to protect them, that was always my intention." His hands were shaking as he grabbed at the map, trying to maintain his hold on this fictional world. "I... I pushed my emotions aside so that they could grow up in safety. I hid them. I ignored the ache every time I missed them."