Page 68 of The Mist of Stars

Stars, just like in my dreams.

The dreamer can followthe stars like a map, back to the original point of where the dream stems from. This requires a lot of training and isn’t recommended without an expert foreseer’s guided help.

I readthat in the book Henry stole for me. But was it the real Henry who did that or that Nicholas faerie guy? I’m not sure, but I have nothing else to go on at the moment.

“What’re you doing here?” Alex hisses as I land beside him on the cloud of stars he’s standing on. His hair dances in the wind as he faces me, shaking his head, his green eyes reflecting so brightly against the light that they look like emeralds.

I have the strangest urge to reach out and run my fingers through his hair, to kiss his lips, hug him. I have been so much more worried about him than I could acknowledge.

I’ll keep that to myself, though.

“I’m here to save you,” I say in a tone that lacks confidence.

He shakes his head, his annoyance written all over his face. “You shouldn’t have done that.” He flings an arm out at the sea of stars. “There’s nowhere to go.”

“I can get us out of here,” I assure him. Although, as I note how far the stars go, my confidence dwindles.

“And how do you plan on doing that?”

“With my foreseer powers.”

“I thought you didn’t have the mark?” he questions, light casting around him like a halo.

“Yeah, about that. I learned some things while we were apart.” I nod for him to follow me across the map of stars, walking along them like I’ve done in my dreams so many times. “But come on; let’s walk while we talk. I have a feeling this is going to take a while.”

More than a while by the looks of it.

I just hope I can get us out of here.

And that we’ll have a world to return to once I do. Because, if what Nicholas said is true, then if we’re in here too long, the world as we know it might cease to exist.

21LAYLEN

“Something feels off about all of this,” I say as Aislin and I stand in front of the machine Gemma and Alex entered.

Aislin is rubbing her arms as if she’s cold. “I know. I feel that, too.” She glances at me, worrying filling her pretty eyes. “It’s not even that the machine yanked Alex in on its own. It’s that it’s down here and you guys just happen to stumble across it when investigating a murder.” The corners of her full lips tug downward. “I feel like this was staged to get Alex and Gemma into the machine.”

I nod in agreement. “I wanted to stop Gemma from going in.”

“Me too. I tried. But she’s stubborn.” She sighs as she presses her hand to her forehead. “I’d say maybe we’re being paranoid, but the last twenty-four hours prove anything is possible.” She sighs. “I can’t believe we existed in another life and that this isn’t even where we’re supposed to be.”

“Yeah, I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.” I pause. “What do you think we were like in that life?” I wonder if she and I were together.

I think about being with her all the time, but she’s my best friend’s sister. While Alex is a good friend, I’m unsure how he’d react if I started dating her. I’ve kept my crush on Aislin prettyquiet, although I’m certain Gemma suspects it. But she’s never said anything to anyone about it. She’s a good friend like that. The best actually. So is Alex.

“What are we going to do if they don’t come out?” I express my worry aloud. “We didn’t think this through.”

Aislin worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “We didn’t have any time.” She pauses, the sounds of zaps filling up the silence. “I don’t know what to do. If they don’t come out … And if that Nicholas faerie guy was telling the truth, then the world is about to crumble …” She shakes her head, tears welling in her eyes. “And I really do believe my father is part of this. I didn’t want to believe it initially, but I think I have to accept it.” She faces me then, the sharp illumination of the energy reflecting in her wide, tear-filled eyes. “We may need to get a hold of him. Trap him or something and get some answers.”

“Your father’s one of the most powerful keepers,” I remind her, stuffing my hands into my back pockets. “Do you know how hard that’d be to do?”

“It’d be very hard.” Stephan’s voice rises over the zapping like a snap of thunder.

I instinctively shove Aislin behind me as I spin around and stand in front of her.

Stephan is standing in the tunnel's shadows, but he steps forward into the machine's light. The blue glow dances on his face in an eerily pale sort of way, making him look almost ghostly. He has a fresh cut on his cheek, and he’s wearing all black, down to his boots.

“Father, what’re you doing here?” Aislin whispers as she steps out from behind me.