Dreamer (The Dream World Chronicles Book 1) Camille Peters (books to improve english txt) 📖

“Don’t come any closer.”

He immediately froze. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

He’d been doing so from the moment I’d caught him watching me from the trees yesterday, though admittedly uncomfortable was not the precise word to describe how he was making me feel. But because I had no other, I managed a breathless nod. He hastily backed several steps away, relieving me from some of his rather overwhelming presence. I released a breath of relief.

But even after he’d stepped away he didn’t stop staring at me, looking at me as if he’d finally found what he’d spent a lifetime searching for. I couldn’t fathom why he’d give me such a look when, for all I knew, we were strangers.

I wriggled beneath his perusal. “Please stop.”

He obediently lowered his eyes, but only for a moment before peeking up at me again, his green gaze filled with an emotion that took me a moment to decipher…recognition.

I frowned. “You’re looking at me as if you know me, but I don’t see how that can be; we’ve never met.” Yet somehow, in a strange way, it almost felt as if we had. I stared back, hoping doing so would help me solve the mystery behind this strange connection we shared. “Who are you?”

He tilted his head, his gaze penetrating. “That is the very question I was about to ask you, one of many. You’re rather intriguing with all the mysteries that surround you—you appear to reside on Earth, and yet you can see me, which means you also possess magic. It’s…fascinating.”

I quirked my brow. “I assure you that my seeing you, both now and in my bedroom last night, is a far more pressing concern.”

This time his lips fully lifted in a rather adorable crooked half-smile, one I felt a strange ownership of, as if every one he’d given had and always would belong to me. “Even so, seeing you now has been the most unexpected surprise, for it’s placed both of us on a path that will forever change everything.”

I ached to ask him what he meant, but the last thing I wanted to do was extend our encounter…even though at the same time I never wanted it to end, a rather confusing paradox.

The Nightmare was still watching me, looking as if he anticipated whatever I had to say. I narrowed my eyes. “You didn’t answer my question. Whatever surprise you’re feeling is nothing compared to the one I experienced when I awoke last night to discover an intruder in my room. Do you have an explanation?”

He lowered his eyes in clear remorse. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I only…“

He trailed off with nothing more than a guilty shrug…and another half-smile that pleaded for me to forgive him. It faltered at my continued scowl. He cleared his throat and glanced up at the leafy boughs above us.

“I know I have no right to inquire when I’m not forthcoming with my own explanations, but perhaps you can humor me and tell me what you were doing up in that tree?”

I bit my lip and warily glanced up. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because it’s where I sensed a strong surge of magic moments before encountering you, the second one in two days.” He gave me a knowing look, as if he already suspected the magic had come from me.

My heart pattered wildly and I silently cursed myself for allowing my draw to dreams to cause me to behave so recklessly after Stardust had warned me there was a Nightmare lurking nearby. From what we’d spoken of about my powers, I knew enough to know that they were unique in her world, and thus had to be kept a secret at all costs. Surely nothing good could come from attracting a Nightmare’s attention, no matter how drawn I felt to him.

The Nightmare was still awaiting an answer, eying me with open curiosity. “It appears your trust is something I must earn.”

He’d never earn my trust…even though for some reason I wanted to give it. Thoroughly confusing. I folded my arms firmly across my chest, as if I could protect myself from these irrational impulses. “You can begin by telling me why you were trespassing in my bedroom last night.”

He bit his lip. “I wasn’t trespassing, per se…” He eyed my unconvinced frown and actually chuckled. “Alright, perhaps I was doing a bit of that, but in my defense I’d mistaken you for a Mortal, to whom I’m invisible. My presence in your bedroom was simply me fulfilling my duty to create a dream. I was stunned to discover you could see me.”

His penetrating gaze became searching, as if trying to discover the answers he sought to such an anomaly. His brow furrowed.

“It certainly is a puzzle. I initially wove a dream for you to test a suspicion, but I’m only left with more questions. I know you saw my dream.”

“I didn’t—” I began, but he talked over me.

“You did, even though your being a possessor of magic should make such a feat impossible.” But the riddle only seemed to excite him, causing his eyes to glisten. “I must learn more about you.”

First the man claimed to know me, now he wanted to learn more about me. This encounter only grew more and more strange. But even more puzzling was my reaction to his inquiry—my entire being wanted nothing more than to give him my name, but I fought against the irrational desire.

“I’d rather not share that information with you.”

He stepped forward, bridging the distance that was already too small. “Please, I must know.”

I rigidly shook my head. He sighed, clearly frustrated, though understanding filled his gaze.

“Considering the circumstances in which we’re meeting, I can’t expect anything more, at least until I’ve earned your trust. And I will. I promise.”

I raised a skeptical eyebrow, which only made him smile, as if he found my doubt highly amusing.

“Even if you won’t tell me your name, could you at least tell