Page 67 of Barbie: Dreamscape

Has he been there the whole time? Watching me toss and turn in my sleep as I saw those bats in my head? Did he drop that nightmare into my mind?

I glare at him. With effort, I lift off the floor, refusing to wince even as my every limb aches with the strain. I get to my feet and straighten, chin high, as if I’m not currently imprisoned.

What do you want? I think, assuming he can be inside my mind like the other enchanted creatures. I saw his other form: He might fool everyone else by relying on his crown for magic, but I saw what lies beneath that power.

His voice rings through my head. You’re awfully confident for a prisoner.

I step toward the barrier, filling myself with strength, clawing for it through all the hopelessness and despair. And you’re awfully smug for a monster, I think back.

Lord Evernight narrows his eyes at me. They’re a soft brown right now, a color I can see in flashes through the shimmering wall, but I saw the deep crimson before. I remember the way he yanked his crown from those lions, and the utter ruthlessness of his expression.

I would ask why you’re here, but I already know, so I’ll skip the boring part and get right to the point. I know you possess a key to your land.

I keep my expression neutral, my face unchanged even as my heart sinks. What was I thinking, splattering Heartland all over my dress for everyone here to see? Now I’ve called this evil man’s attention to it.

Hand it over.

My necklaces—he wants them.

No. I refuse—

I take a step back, just as a wicked grin overtakes his face. Necklaces, hm? Wow. I really thought it would be harder to get that out of you. But you came into my home, a guest at my masquerade, thinking you could steal the crown off my head. I suppose I shouldn’t have expected you to be anything other than a fool.

His eyes start to glow red, even with the crown on. I see the darkness in him, the obsession with power. I remember how the lion said he and his crown were a deadly combination… a vision of Lord Evernight piercing the protective mists and invading Heartland makes me shudder. Nothing has ever gotten through before. Everyone would be unprepared. They would be taken by surprise. And it would be my fault. I would have literally handed him the key to hurting everyone I love.

My heart clenches with panic as I stumble back, and he steps forward—

Right through the barrier, the gold scattering around him. It hardens behind his back, leaving me trapped in here. With him. “Now,” he says aloud. “We can do this easily… or not so easily.”

I clench my jaw, even as my teeth tremble in my mouth. I’m not just going to hand over my necklaces.

I back against the wall, hands clutched around the charms. Begging them to awaken with magic. Trying to send a warning to Robin somehow.

But the necklaces remain silent, no vibrations, no pink glow. The magic has been completely snuffed out.

I’m powerless to do anything as Lord Evernight sighs and says, “Fine. The not-so-easy way, then.”

With a rush of power, he rips the necklaces right off my throat, and I gasp in pain. My skin burns where the silver chains snapped. He broke them.

I lunge forward, but it’s no use. My limbs lock under his magic’s control. I fall to the ground, head cracking against the stone, arms limp by my sides.

From the ground, I watch him clutch my most prized possessions. My mother’s and Robin’s necklaces, along with the other charms I’ve gathered since. Everything he needs to descend upon my home… and the other lands I’ve journeyed to.

I’ve doomed them all.

“I’m going to pay your land a little visit.” His white teeth gleam in the darkness. “I’ll bet there are many people there for me to draw power from…”

No. My mind fills with my home, with my friends, with everyone who lives in my world. The thought of me putting them in danger… all of them imprisoned… their accessories stolen.

And Robin’s magic, being siphoned for his evil purposes—

I struggle against his hold, but the magic might as well be iron around my bones. The lord just grins at my useless efforts to escape.

“Did you really think you could go against me?” he says, shaking his head in amusement. “You have no magic. You have nothing.”

He’s right. I don’t.

I’m Fateless. I’m reckless. I’m powerless to even move.