“Okay, so how does this work?” I ask, feeling a little nervous. JP pulls me against his side and starts rubbing my back. The small circles help ease the tension from my shoulders and I give him a tentative smile and mental ‘thanks.’
“Well, it's a pretty simple process with no potions or anything like that, but I will use gemstones and a few runes. Here, take a look.” She hands over a book from the coffee table. JP and I look over the hand written text, which I realize is more like an old tome with brittle paper that’s barely attached to the spine. The runes she has circled are all focused on dreams and power.
Setting down the ancient-looking text, I point to a paper she has sitting out. “What does the phases of the moon have to do with all of this?” I point to a couple symbols she has highlighted and wonder why only a few are marked and others aren’t. She had told me that today was the only day we could do this because the moon would be right, but I had no idea what the hell she was talking about.
“Well, unfortunately there is a chance that not all the moon phases will be strong enough for the connection. It seems you already have a link, so that’s why we aren’t using the full moon like most witches would. You need the first quarter moon. Which as you see there, is all about action, divination, creativity, and calming. This is what you need to strengthen the dream world side since that becomes blurry to you. Unless I read the texts wrong?” She inquires and I shake my head.
She has been texting me back and forth for a few days now getting information and making sure she has everything she’ll need for this. I was grateful for all her efforts because after this last ‘vision’ or dream, I was really worried, and I need to see what’s going on.
“In about half an hour or so, the moon will be in the right position to start. You’ll be laying down on the pillows as Destiney meets you in the Dreamworld to help guide you through your connection.”
JP has been quiet up until this part, lending me silent comfort. “Wait. Who’s Destiney, and can we trust her?” JP asks, looking between the two of us. I hide my smile but before I can mentally answer him, Desar’s body jerks and her blue eyes turn a golden brown, glowing with power. “Woooah.” JP says in awe.
“Hi.” Destiney gives a meek wave which throws me off from the power behind her eyes.
“Hey, Destiney. This is JP.” I wave back, giving her a reassuring smile. She reminds me of a wounded animal that I just want to pick up and cuddle. Probably to get mauled to death by it in the end.
She gives him a small smile before visibly shaking and crystal blue eyes reappear. Sarah has joined us once again. Clapping her hands, she looks up at JP and me. “Wanna help get things ready?”
Twenty minutes later, I’m lying down on the pillows with runes etched into the chalkboard beneath me. I have no idea how Desar got a slab a little bigger than a human and I don’t ask. Helping trace out the runes and placing the gemstones where she indicated was enough to keep my mind occupied. My grandmother enjoyed working with runes and gems so I have some experience—though at the time I thought it was hooey—I did learn a little.
“Okay, Rez. I need you to hold these stones.” Desar holds up a dark blue gem along with a small piece of quartz. “This is Sodalite. It’s to help with insight, clarity, and intuition. The quartz is to help amplify the Sodalite’s properties,” she says, placing them in my right palm. She then holds up a light blue gem. “This is Kyanite. It’s mainly used for communication and help with lucid dreaming. This stone will allow Destiney the ability to see what you’re seeing and help build the connection to your dreams,” she explains, before grabbing a few more and placing them down by my feet.
JP sits down beside me and runs his fingers up my arm, “How are you doing, ma chérie?”
“Okay. I’m a little nervous,” I admit as I watch Desar gather a blanket and cover my legs before sitting down by my head.
‘Any ill intent?’I ask JP as Desar looks down at me with her glowing golden eyes.
He shakes his head. “I’ll be right here by your side the entire time,” he reassures me.
“When you’re ready. Just close your eyes and try to think back to what you pictured in your dreams. Once the connection is strong enough the rune that’s directly under the pillow will help pull you into the dreamworld. I’ll meet you on the other side and help make the connection stronger.”
Taking a deep breath, I try to give them a reassuring smile. “Okay, here goes nothing,” I mumble and close my eyes, thinking of that dreary room.
I feel my body shift as if it becomes lighter. A floating sensation overcomes me for a brief moment before I feel myself settle back down and an audible click is heard. Opening my eyes, I find myself in the room from the first night I traveled to the dreamworld. The only difference is the small candle in the corner giving off a faint glow and the shuffling sound coming from the opposite corner.
“This is not the dreamworld,” Destiney whispers in awe. Turning in her direction, I can barely make out the whites of her eyes and the tightness around them. Her jaw is tense and it takes me a moment to realize it’s not in amazement that she spoke of but in horror.
A tendril of fear shoots down my spine at her revelation. If this isn’t the dreamworld that she knows so well, then where the fuck are we standing?
Oh shit.
“Then where are we?” I ask and all she does is shrug.
Are you kidding me?
Fabric shuffling in the distance turns my attention away from Destiney for a moment, but my sight is still murky at best.
“What was that?” she asks with dread. It’s bad enough as it is trying to keep my nerves in check; I don’t need Miss Anxiety making them worse.
“Don’t worry about what it is, can you help make my connection stronger here?”
“You— Youwanta stronger connection here?”
“Yes,” I whisper-shout. “You guys are the ones that came to me, remember? You said I shouldn’t be mourning, and this right here—” I point down to the rough rock floor. “Right where I’m standing is the reason why I’m mourning. So either help me or fuck off!” A part of me feels bad when she flinches, but this is Lynx we’re talking about. No one comes before him. I know he has to be here, probably in that cage, but the only things I can make out is Destiney and the small flicker of flame.
She takes a look around the room and then over my shoulder to where I know there’s a cage embedded, and finally back at me. “You’re right. We did say that. I don’t know what this place is, but you are able to access it through sleep somehow, so let’s see what I can do.”
