Over the next few days, I apologized to Keegan so many times that he finally got annoyed.

  “Ria, it’s fine. Like I told you, I’ve had worse things happen to me.”

  “I just don’t understand why I turned into a bird instead of a dragon,” I said for the twenty-eighth time. We were sitting on the ancient couch in my basement.

  “Dream worlds are tricky. It's part of what makes them so dangerous,” he said. “Plus, this just proves my point about Wendellia.”

  “Keegan,” I said, “we have to go check on him. We promised.”

  “I promised,” Keegan said. “You do not have to go there.”

  “What if something happens to him? We have to help. You know you can get us out of there if something bad is about to happen. You’ve done it a ton of times in other worlds.”

  “That world is different. What happened to Soren, being really stuck there… something strange is going on with that, and I’m not willing to chance something happening to you there.”

  I scooted away from him on the couch. “I’ll just have to go when you’re not there,” I muttered.

  Keegan glared at me for a long time. I glared back, fuming.

  “Please, Ria,” he said finally. “I don’t know what I would do if something bad happened to you. Please, just let it go.”

  “Why? Why should I?”

  “I have hardly slept since you started Dreamwalking. When you need a night of real sleep, your body keeps you from dreaming, but I don’t know when that will be. I have to check for you every night. Even when you aren’t there at the beginning, I never know when you will show up, so I keep checking all night long. My grandma is worried about me because I’ve been taking so many naps during the day.”

  I was surprised and a little annoyed. “Keegan, you don’t have to come with me every time I Dreamwalk. I’m sure I can find something to do without you. And I’m sure that I would be fine if you weren’t there.”

  Keegan shook his head. “Ria, you have no idea how dangerous Dreamwalking really is. I still don't know a lot of things about it. You thought what the Captain did to me was bad, but that was almost nothing compared to some of the other things...” As his voice trailed off, his eyes darkened and he tugged the sleeves of his shirt down over his wrists.

  I remembered the welts on his back and shivered. “If it’s so dangerous, why don’t you tell me more about it? What’s so dangerous about it?”

  Keegan’s shoulders tensed. “I can’t talk about it. And,” he said, his voice shifting to a teasing tone, “I’ve already been shot and whipped since you started Dreamwalking. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  I looked away from him. “I’m sorry, Keegan. I know that you want to keep me safe, but sometimes I wish you would let me discover things how everyone else does,” I said.

  “No, you don’t,” he said, his voice so low I had trouble hearing him. He looked down at his hands, which were balled into fists on his lap.

  I moved closer to him and reached out, gently placing my hand on top of his, wondering what exactly he had lived through in the past year. He turned his hand over, interlacing his fingers with mine. His eyes grew calm again as he looked at me, and I squeezed his hand.

  “I’ll find a way to help him,” Keegan said.

  “But will you be okay?” I asked.

  Keegan snorted. “I’ll be fine,” he said, sure of himself.

  I frowned.

  “Really, Ria, I’ll be okay.”

  I sighed. He had the same nonchalance as he used to years earlier when he was about to break into abandoned buildings for his photography. He could be so stubborn, about everything, and once he’d made up his mind about something, there was no changing it until he changed it himself.

  Later that night as I went to bed, I replayed the conversation in my mind, trying to think of something different I could have said. I understood his reluctance to let me stay in Wendellia, but as I thought about it, I realized that his worry was pointless. If he could get himself out, then he could get me out too. And if he couldn’t get himself out, I would get stuck there soon after, because I couldn’t control where I went to when I dreamed, and most of the time I went to Soren’s world. There was just no point in him going alone. I fell asleep wishing fervently that he would let me stay with him.

  As soon as my eyes opened I knew I was in Wendellia in the cluster of trees where Soren had told us his story. I always reappeared in this spot, and before Keegan whisked me away each time, I had seen glimpses of the changing seasons. Now the ground was covered in deep snow, and the sky was covered so thickly with clouds that I couldn’t tell where the sun was.

  Keegan shimmered into existence, hand already reaching out to me, ready to spin us away. I could still feel the longing to stay in this world, and I wished with all my heart that Keegan would let me stay.

  Suddenly I felt something whoosh out of me towards Keegan. It felt like every emotion I had was pulled away from me, rushing through my skin. A moment later a torrent of emotions slammed into me, and I felt an overwhelming desire to do the right thing, to protect.

  Keegan’s eyes widened and he gave a little cough. “What just happened?” he asked.

  “Did you feel that too?” I asked.

  He nodded. “It felt like all my emotions were ripped away and now I just want to stay here. To keep you here too.”

  “I… I think those are my feelings,” I said. “And I think I have yours.”

  Keegan’s eyes widened at something behind me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to the ground, finger on his lips. I looked in the direction he was watching through the trees and saw a lone figure tramping through the snow towards us.

  “We should go,” Keegan whispered.

  I shook my head. Even from a distance it was clearly not a Changeling. The figure was bent over, pushing through the snow towards us. “I think it’s Cyntia.”

  “Who?” he asked.

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  “She’s kind of like Soren’s mom or grandma here,” I explained.

  Keegan nodded, and a look of concern filled his eyes. “I guess we should see what she wants.”

  We stood up, brushing snow from our outfits of thick leggings and fur coats. As Cyntia got closer, I realized with growing wonder that I could sense emotions radiating out from her. The sorrow and anxiety coming from her were so strong that I gasped.

  Keegan whipped around to look at me. “What’s wrong?”

  “Something terrible has happened to her,” I said.

  “How do you know?” he asked.

  “I can feel her… emotions, I guess,” I explained hesitantly.

  Keegan frowned as Cyntia stepped into the little cluster of trees.

  “The Creator keep you,” he said, nodding to her.

  “And you,” she replied coldly. “You’re the pirate?”

  Keegan gave a stiff nod.

  “Soren told me to find you here if anything happened to him. I’ve been keeping watch.”

  “What happened to him?” I asked, apprehension filling me. I could already guess the answer.

  “The Changelings took him,” she said. Her voice was hard, and her face impassive, but I could feel her deep sorrow and overwhelming fear for him.

  “Cyntia, I’m so sorry,” I said, voice catching in my throat.

  Cyntia turned to me. “I know what you can do,” she said. “Soren told me that you are very powerful.”

  “I’m not even sure what I can do,” I said.

  Cyntia nodded. “That is why you must go to Emilia. Both of you. She will be able to tell you what to do.”

  Keegan shook his head, reaching for my hand.

  Cyntia’s hand shot to my forehead, and she muttered a few words.

  “Cyntia, no!” Keegan shouted, pulling me away from her.

  “It’s too late,” Cyntia said, her voice cold.

  I could feel anger and a tiny bit of fear radiating from Keegan.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “She’s put a Tether on you,” Keegan said.

  “What?” I shouted, panic beginning to grow in me.

  “Just a temporary one,” Cyntia said. “It will keep you here until you wake up, so this one,” she gestured at Keegan, “cannot take you away.” She glared at him. “Soren was beginning to think you are more than your reputation, Pirate. I don’t believe it, but I know she will keep you here. Now you have no excuse not to help Soren.”

  Keegan ran a hand through his hair. I could barely untangle the mess of feelings coming from him. He was still angry and worried, but he also felt ashamed and a growing determination to do what needed to be done. Finally he nodded.

  “We should get moving,” Cyntia said. “There were Changelings in the village earlier today.”

  Keegan shook his head. “If something happens to her…” he warned.

  I felt a spike of fear from Cyntia, but she gave no outward sign of it. She turned and began trudging through the snow towards the closest line of mountains. “She lives in the forest there,” she said, pointing to a line of trees that began partway up the slopes.

  Keegan and I followed, leaving the little cluster of trees behind. We walked in silence as we struggled along through the deep snow. Keegan kept glancing behind us, making sure no one was following.

  The cold air stung my lungs as I wheezed, quickly tiring in the thin air. I glanced up from time to time, but the mountains never seemed to be getting any closer.

  Hours later, the ground finally began sloping upwards. As we climbed, snow began to fall thickly from the sky, making it difficult to see. We were headed into a sort of crease in the mountains. It wasn’t exactly a valley, more of a wrinkle on the face of the slope. By this time it was starting to get dark, and I was worried about reaching our destination before nighttime. Besides, I didn’t think I could keep going much longer.

  Soon there were a few trees here and there, and after a few minutes we were walking through a thick forest of pines. The trees kept the falling snow off of us, but anytime someone brushed a branch, piles of snow would cascade down. Soon we were all wet and shivering with cold.

  I stopped walking. “I can’t go any further, Cyntia,” I said as I crouched down, trying to give my tired legs a rest.

  “We are almost there,” she replied. “We must keep going. If the Changelings find us now, all will be lost.” I could feel her frustration towards me oozing from her.

  I shook my head. I didn’t think I could go another step without resting first.

  “Give her a moment,” Keegan said to Cyntia.

  Cyntia shook her head and took a step towards me. I felt a shift in her emotions as she gave in to her panic about Soren. It grew and grew, pushing against me like a physical pressure.

  I gasped and scrambled backwards away from her.

  “Cyntia, what are you doing?” demanded Keegan.

  Cyntia ignored him, eyes never leaving me. I tried to fight off her feelings, but I couldn’t. I drew a deep breath, trying to calm myself. It didn’t work. I was growing frantic. Panic welled up in me, flooding through me. My heart pounded, and I struggled for breath. Finally I could take it no more, and a scream ripped from my throat.

  “Cyntia! Enough!” Keegan said, stepping towards her.

  Cyntia looked away, and the feeling receded.

  I knelt on the ground and gulped deep breaths, trying to recover some semblance of calm.

  “Do you understand now?” Cyntia shouted at me. Tears began to streak down her face, her emotions finally breaking through.

  She sank to the ground next to me. “You must help,” she said, taking my face into her hands. “Don’t you understand? It’s not just for Soren; it’s for all of us. For this whole world. If Cyrus has Soren, we are all doomed. He will be unstoppable again. He will destroy everything.”

  I couldn’t refuse her, not after feeling what I had just felt from her. “I will help. I give you my word,” I promised. As soon as I said it, I felt thousands of miniscule threads wrapping themselves around my body, around my brain, around the essence of who I was, tightening against me. I held my breath, wondering what was happening, and a moment later, the feeling had passed.

  Keegan groaned, but I ignored him. Cyntia shook herself and stood up. She turned to look at Keegan. “You know what this means?” she asked him.

  He nodded, eyes tight, but didn’t say anything.

  “What?” I asked, confused.

  “A promise is binding in most dream worlds. Didn’t you feel it?” Keegan asked.

  I stared at him.

  “That’s why I didn’t want you to promise before. You will have to help now. You will always come to this world until you fulfill your word.”

  “Well, I almost always come here anyway,” I pointed out.

  “Yes, but now, I won’t be able to just take you away whenever I want.”

  “What will happen if we’re in danger?” I asked.

  Cyntia answered, “Keegan will be able to take you away if you are in danger. As long as your intent is still to help, you will not be breaking your vow.”

  I nodded, realizing I would have to be careful from now on about what I said. I cautiously tested the emotions around Keegan. Worry swirled through him, along with frustration.

  “I’ll be fine,” I said.

  He didn’t respond, just turned and tramped away from us.

  I stood up wearily, my legs protesting, and hurried after him.

  “Are you okay?” Keegan asked, voice a bit harsh as I caught up to him. He was still upset with both Cyntia and me, and himself for some reason.

  I nodded curtly as Cyntia stalked ahead of us through the snow, weaving between trees.

  Keegan’s face softened. “I’m sorry, Ria,” he said, reaching for my hand.

  I shoved my hands into my pockets. “What are you sorry for?” I asked tersely. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Keegan laughed a hard laugh. “All of this is wrong,” he said, waving his hand about, indicating the world all around us. “This should not be possible. And, even if it is, you shouldn’t have to be here. It was bad enough when it was just me here, getting into trouble. Now it’s happening to you too.”

  “Nothing’s happening,” I said. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m not hurt. And I can take care of myself.” I stalked away from him.

  I could hear him muttering in frustration, but I could feel real fear swirling through him, and flashes of panic. I knew that he was remembering things that I could only dream of.

  And slowly, as my lungs and legs began to burn again, I remembered some of my nightmares from before I was Dreamwalking. If they could come true, if they could happen to me…

  He was right. It was all wrong.