Peace and Love Everyone!
Hope you are enjoying your Memorial Day weekend.
For the last few days I have been racking my brain to figure out what to do with the next chapter. I had a few ideas but nothing was solid. I had resighed myself to just ending it. But once I started writing, the story came alive for me again. I hope you enjoy the next chapter in my blog romance ‘The World of Dreamers’.
Chapter 15
Daphne sighed as she rolled onto her back. At least she was laying down. She could have been standing the whole time or tied to the bed. Still, with her hands bound, she couldn’t get comfortable. Maybe she should sit up, she thought.
At least they didn’t torture her, Daphne thought. And Chance hadn’t come back into the room to check on her. After he checked on her, Daphne didn’t see anyone for the rest of the day. She listened for everything that was going on in the apartment, but after a while, it was silent.
She was surprised that Chance didn’t come back into the room to knock her out. He let her sleep. She thought that maybe he figured she would have more energy to take if he allowed her dream, Angelo.
When they dreamed each other that night, she let Angelo know that it could be a trap. It was way too easy.
“Are you sure you can’t get out of there?”
“I thought I was supposed to stay. Aren’t we making an example of Chance so that no one else gets this bold idea again? If he succeeds, all Dreamers are in more danger than we are already.”
“I know. Daph, I don’t want you doing this. What about our child?”
“Pray it’s a girl because if we pull this off the baby is going to be scary anyway — so much power going through him/her. We’ll have a hard time controlling a boy. My brother was so difficult. Now we’re trying to save him from being dreamless.”
Angelo sighed. “Daph, this could kill the baby even if you survive. Get some sleep. I want to feel you. Can’t you escape him like you did last time.”
“Dreamers who can do that are rare. If I do that, there’s no telling what will happen to the baby. Someone’s coming. Stop all communication and energy transfer.”
Daphne heard footsteps getting closer. At first, she thought it was Chance, but his steps didn’t sound like that. It wasn’t the tick tick pattern of Tina’s shoes. But she probably didn’t wear shoes in the house. Someone tried the doorknob and pushed. The door opened.
“You’ve been such a good prisoner we haven’t had to restrain you. Hope you haven’t given your partner any bright ideas in your dreams. Well actually, we’ve been hoping you already have. Then we will all have our dreams again.”
Daphne didn’t know the guy who came into the room. She didn’t see him at the mall or when Chance shoved her into the van. Still, Daphne remained silent as he slowly walked over to the bed where she lay. When he put his knee on it, she moved towards the opposite end.
“Don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you. I just never had a Dreamer before. I’ve seen one and fed from one. I even watched a Dreamer for days before I fed. But I have never felt what it would be like to fill one up.”
“And this will not be the time.”
Daphne and the guy looked toward the door at the same time.
“Chance, I wasn’t going to hurt her. Just keeping her company.”
“Idiot. I said she must remain unharmed. You’re scaring her; her mental state is important.”
“I was just visiting with her.”
“Visiting my ass. Out.” A few moments past as Daphne and Chance watched the man leave the room. “I’m sorry honey. You won’t be disturbed again.”
As Chance was going to close the door, he paused and looked at his friend.
“I wish it wasn’t you. Do you need anything?”
“You haven’t fed me today, and I need to use the bathroom.”
“I was going to get your food, but I decided that you could eat in the dining room with us. Come on; Tina will take you to the facilities.”
Once Daphne had alleviated herself and washed up, they sat down to dinner at Tina’s small table. The table was set for the three. She motioned for Chance to untie her hands, but he shook his head.
“Sorry, Darling, can’t take any chances with you trying to escape. I wouldn’t want one of my men to get their hands on you; they may damage you before I can stop them.”
“Fine.”
“Daphne, you’ve finally come to visit me. So glad you stayed. Sorry, we haven’t been able to talk a lot. I had to go to work yesterday. Your partner was telling my boss that I was holding you hostage. I had to speak to the police.”
Daphne said nothing as she stared at Tina. She couldn’t believe what she was saying.
“There is no need to look at me like that. If you survive, you can straighten it all out.”
Still, Daphne remained silent. She couldn’t help but think that Tina had lost it if she thought she would help her in any way.
“Daphne don’t be like that, Tina and I have ordered this terrific dinner for your last supper.”
Daphne wiped the tears from her eyes. “I trusted you both. I helped you, and this is what you do to me. Don’t act like dinner is for me. You’re just trying to make yourselves feel better. Tonight you kill me.” Daphne paused and put the fork down. She wiped at her tears with her hand and got up from the table. “I’m not hungry anymore. I’ll be in the room.” She kept wiping at her eyes, but the tears ran freely with each step.
Tina’s home was silent for a long time. The apartment felt blanketed with a shroud. Would she die here? Daphne closed the door behind her and climbed into bed. She was terrified of tonight. As soon as she gave in to her fear, Angelo’s energy flowed through her.
“I’m here, my love. We are on our way to the apartment as I speak with you. Matt is driving so that I may connect with you. I could feel your anger and fear beating at me.”
Daphne had grown quite accustomed to Angelo slipping in and out of her mind. She welcomed it, most of the time. But right now Daphne didn’t want him to know how scared she was. She thought of pulling away.
“Don’t shut me out,” came as a whisper in her mind. She sent love to Angelo.
“They are hoping that you will try to rescue me. Please be careful.”
“I will. We will all be in disguise. Also, we won’t come to get you until it’s over. There will be no need if we are to complete this. You parents are not far, but they stay out of the radius that Chances men are keeping around the building.”
“Even with the disguises, please be careful.”
“We will. Rest. I will dream you when I reach the apartment. Traffic is a bit congested, so it may take a while to reach uptown. Still, we’ve have a few hours.”
Daphne smiled to herself and closed her eyes. Even after speaking with her beautiful Angelo, she couldn’t help it. Finally, she drifted to sleep. This time she didn’t dream Angelo, Daphne’s pulled into a dreaming with the council.
When Daphne stood before the council, she saw no faces only bowed heads. We’re they bowing to her?
“Peace and Love, Dreamers.” It was the customary greeting when one first entered the meeting. It would appear that she was the last to arrive. Even her parents were here bowed at her feet.
“Dreamers Love and Peace,” was murmured across the room.
“Elder, what is happening here?” Daphne didn’t sit down because the only space was the seat in the center of the crowd. At the moment, people were starting to rise and look at her.
“Rise in peace,” Elder said, and everyone sat up. “We’ve gathered you for your ascension.”
“What ascension. I am not old enough to sit amongst the wise.”
“Maybe, but you are stubborn enough.” The crowd chuckled and made a path for Daphne. “Come, beloved, you sit, and Waseem will explain. We don’t have enough time to complete the ritual and explain separately.”
Daphne made her way up the human-made isle followed by her parents. But she didn’t sit down until Elder nodded and gestured for her to do so.
Daphne’s parents sat directly in front and faced her.
“Love and Peace, Daphne.”
She greeted the second elder, Waseem in the customary greeting. “Peace and Love, second Elder.” As a Dreamer, the most powerful and wise among them were the head of the council. Usually, those were the oldest of them. They were only their peers called them by name everyone else referred to them at the number on the council and elder.
“We sit here today to pay homage to your power and sacrifice. No Dreamer alive has ever faced a Chaser. We only read about it in our sacred text. Some of the eldest amongst us has heard it from the mouths of our oldest elders. We pay homage.”
“Homage to Peace and Love,” responded the crowd of Dreamers.
“You were too young to remember the last ascension to the council. Our very own Elder was granted this blessing when she gained the age of fifty. At fifty, she was the youngest of us all, and still, she had ideas and gifts we had not seen in centuries.” Wazeem paused and placed a wreath of honeysuckle on Daphne’s head.
“No one in three centuries has managed to move from one place to another in their dreaming. No one but the council has been able to connect with their mate while still awake. No one has dared to face a Chaser as you do, covered in an expecting glow.”
Everyone gasped and began to whisper to each other. Wazeem started to quite the crowd. Just as he was about to begin, Angelo appeared at the opening of the sea of Dreamers. Daphne’s parents looked behind them before moving to make a space for him. After he appeared, so did his father. Elder let out a gasp. She looked at Wazeem for approval before she walked down the path to her oldest son. When she reached him, everyone turned again to Wazeem and Daphne. Elder needed a private moment.
“Daphne, we are bringing you early into the ascension. We’ve always intended for you to be one of us; we weren’t expecting to do so so soon.”
One of the other councilmen handed Wazeem a jug. Daphne knew what was inside. Her mom explained what would happen one day. Although Daphne didn’t think it would happen to her. Wazeem poured the contents over her head. It felt real even though she wasn’t physically there. The water that was steeped with different flower petals fell all around Daphne and Angelo. He sat at Daphne’s feet, holding her hands in his and kissing them.
The crowd erupted in ‘Homage to Peace and Love’ followed by cheers.
Funny how the elders were always awake during the council. Like Daphne and Angelo, they connected with everyone while they were awake. All Dreamers regarded them as both powerful and dangerous. Now, as Daphne sat with Angelo and her parents in front of her, she became one of the most powerful and dangerous. She cried, tears filling her eyes.
“Now we must ready ourselves. The hour approaches. We will meet back in the great hall at midnight.”
With that, everyone disappeared except Daphne. She remained with the elders, Angelo and her family.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this chapter of ‘The World of Dreamers’.
See what happens next week. Will Daphne survive the ceremony?
Peace & Love
Copyright 2019
LeticiaEdghill 