Above me, the High Priest forms another lightning ball and shoots it at Kit.
Kit transforms before getting hit.
I look at the far, far away bed where Cadmael is. If I were there, I’d jump into his dream and wake him up—I can still feel him in REM sleep. But given the state of my leg, I’d have to crawl, which means there’s no way I’d make it there in time.
Maybe Kit could throw me. But no, she’s too busy with her own battle. Besides, who says I’d land in any condition to dreamwalk? I can barely stay conscious as is.
Then I remember it.
Touchless dreamwalking.
I haven’t tried it since the beta testers gave me a boost of power. There’s a chance I could make it work now.
Closing my eyes, I extend my hand in the direction of Cadmael’s bed and strain to make the connection.
It doesn’t work.
I strain harder.
Nope.
I take another route. I imagine standing there, above the elderly gnome’s tiny body. I imagine touching his wrinkled forehead, picture how I’d want to clean my hand afterward.
The exercise is effective in that I can almost feel the germy skin under my fingers.
Still, nothing happens.
No, wait.
Something is happening.
Something both odd and familiar.
There’s a small voice in my head, a voice that seems to be saying, Who are you, and what do you want?
Of course. He’s a gnome, so I need his consent.
My name is Bailey. I’m a friend of Itzel, your granddaughter. I’m trying to help you. Please let me in.
No mental reply comes, but something yields and I enter the gnome’s dream world.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ignoring a barrage of questions from Pom, I teleport to the tower of sleepers as soon as I appear in my palace. Swiftly, I find Cadmael and leap into his dream.
A dream that is clearly a nightmare.
Icelus agents are cutting Itzel into small pieces with their ceremonial daggers while Cadmael is tied up and powerless to save his granddaughter.
Not bothering with subtlety, I evaporate Icelus, make Itzel whole, and have her kiss her grandfather on the cheek before sprinting out of the room. Finally, I free the gnome from his nightmare bindings.
He rubs his rope-burned wrists and stares at me with utter incomprehension. “How?”
“You’re dreaming,” I say calmly. “That was a nightmare. I’m a dreamwalker. My name is Bailey.”
“Bailey,” he says, still looking stunned. “Itzel mentioned you.”
“Great,” I say quickly. “Sadly, we don’t have time to get better acquainted. Icelus kidnapped you. They made you build a bomb from Vega reactor technology.”
He looks like I’ve slapped him.
Good. I need him to snap out of the dream haze and smell the apocalypse.
“Did it go off?” he asks, his voice small. “How many dead?”
“It hasn’t exploded yet, but it could at any moment. Which is why I need you to wake up and disable it.”
The gnome’s back straightens. “Where is it?”
I turn the room around us into the hundredth floor of the hub building—with Icelus, the bomb, and the rest of it.
“You’re here.” I point at his bed. “The bomb is there.” I point at the podium. “Make sure to avoid him.” I point at where the High Priest stands over my body.
Eyeing the High Priest warily, Cadmael nods. “How do I wake up?”
“Just wish to do so,” I say.
He closes his eyes.
I help him with a jolt of my power.
He stays, eyes still closed.
Whatever they gave him to make him sleep is strong.
Only I’m stronger. Quadrupling my usual jolt, I shoot Cadmael with it.
It works.
He disappears and I find myself back in the tower of sleepers, where Pom stares at me with an unblinking gaze.
“We might survive this yet,” I tell him and terminate the dream.
Chapter Thirty-Three
I come out of the trance to the sound of a lightning ball smashing into a distant wall.
Kit is in pixie form, which is how she’s dodged the projectile again.
Sneaking a peek at the beds, I see Cadmael get up.
Yes! Now we just need to keep the High Priest from noticing this development.
Kit spots Cadmael too and reaches the same conclusion. Abandoning her pixie shape, she turns into a drekavac.
Now we’re talking. All she needs is to touch the High Priest with one of those pustule-covered tentacles, and the evil gnome will be writhing on the floor in pain.
Realizing the same thing, the High Priest dodges Kit’s appendage and sticks his hand into his pocket.
With all my remaining strength, I grasp my knife. Before I can summon enough energy for a stab, the High Priest notices my intent and jerks his hand out of his pocket.
In his grasp is a vaguely familiar device.
There’s a hiss.
I blink in confusion. My knife is in the hands of the High Priest.
Pucking blood loss. It made me miss the moment he took that from me.
Drekavac Kit whips another tentacle at the High Priest.
He slices at it with the dagger.