Page 55 of Dark Destiny: The Turning Of The Loom

Kian reached for her hand on the table. "You will need to explain because I don't know what you're talking about."

She let out a breath. "I had a vision a few days ago. There had been such a long stretch of nothing, even when I actively sought them, that I'd started to think the wellspring had dried out. But this one came out of nowhere and made no sense whatsoever, so I didn't mention it because I didn't know what to make of it. But now all this talk about re-creating Anumati's capital in Perfect Match is hitting too close to home."

"When did you have the vision?" Kian asked.

"The Sunday before last, when I put Allegra down for her nap and sat in the rocking chair by her bed. I dozed off, and it came. Frankly, I'm not sure it was a vision. It could have been just a dream."

"What was it about?" Amanda asked.

"It was so vague that it's hard to describe. It was probably the vaguest one I've ever had. That's why I think it was just a dream. I fell asleep and had a dream."

Kian shook his head. "You were in Allegra's room with her sleeping right beside you. It wasn't a dream."

Khiann did not know why Allegra being nearby was significant, but given everyone else's reactions, it was.

"But it made no sense," Syssi insisted.

"Then let us make sense of it together," Annani said. "We will help you decipher it."

Syssi looked at her for a long moment, then at Kian, and nodded. "All right."

22

ANNANI

"Three images appeared," Syssi said. "One after the other. The first was a crown. It wasn't on anyone's head. It was just a crown by itself, floating in the air like the Bat Signal searchlight used by the Gotham City police to summon Batman. But it wasn't a projection. It was three-dimensional, yet didn't appear solid. More like a hologram."

"A symbol," Amanda said. "Or a warning if it reminded you of the Bat Signal."

Syssi nodded. "I thought that might be it. The second thing was an island. I'm not sure whether it was an island or just a rocky shore, but my impression was that it was an island. It was covered in a fog so thick I could barely see the cliffs. It was a cold fog, not the marine layer we get here, and nothing tropical, so it wasn't the Doomers' island either."

"Sounds like something in Norway," Amanda said.

"That's what I thought. It could also be Scotland." Syssi drew a breath. "The third thing was the dragons."

"Dragons," Kian repeated.

"Yep. Flying over the island in the fog. Three of them. They were big, with enormous wingspans, but because of the fog I couldn't see details." Syssi finally looked up. "And then Allegra called me, and I opened my eyes. That was all, and it hasn't returned since."

"I like dragons," Allegra said.

All eyes turned to her.

"Did you dream of dragons, sweetie?" Kian asked.

"No, I just like them in the story."

"What story?" Syssi asked. "I didn't read you anything about dragons."

"Marisa read it to me."

"I see." Syssi smiled. "Marisa is the new teacher we hired for our daycare at the university. That's where the idea of dragons must have come from."

Amanda chuckled. "Well, now we know. The dragons came from a story Marisa read to the children, and the crown was Allegra's. You told me she was holding daily court sessions with her dolls."

"It's class," Allegra protested. "Not cart."

Kian patted her arm. "Court, sweetheart, not cart. Court is where a princess lives, and you are our princess."