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“What did you see?” Concern filled Stardust’s inquiry, and all my long-hidden secrets weighed me down as if I were still trapped belowground, suddenly too heavy to bear alone anymore.

I doubted my abilities were anything unusual in the strange world Stardust came from. Perhaps she held the answers which had eluded me for so long, and if she didn’t, she’d eagerly track down the solution to the puzzle I’d been trying to solve my entire life: why could I see others’ dreams?

Stardust prodded me with her gaze, an invitation that solidified my decision. “I have a secret ability, which I’ve never shared with anyone before now…”

Chapter 5

My ability to see dreams was a secret I’d harbored for so long it was surreal to share it now, much less with a talking cloud. Recounting my many years of spying on dreams invisible to everyone else—as well as my attempts at using magic to bottle them up—made the experience like telling a bedtime story rather than something from my own life. Stardust lay snuggled against me, listening with rapt attention and surprisingly no interruptions. When I finished, she didn’t speak for several minutes, her face scrunched in concentration.

“How many Dreamers can see dreams?” I asked when I couldn’t bear her agonizing silence any longer.

“None. I didn’t know such an ability existed. It’s a well-established fact that dreams disappear immediately after they’re viewed.”

“But that’s not true,” I said. “They float around for hours and only fade away as they’re forgotten.”

“The fact that such a phenomenon isn’t common knowledge proves this is magic beyond the Dream World’s current understanding.” Stardust paged through my dream journal with renewed interest. “The more I study these, the more I can tell each possesses a distinct style, unique to the different Weavers who created them. Are any of these yours?”

Time for my final confession. “No. I’ve never dreamed.”

She snapped my journal shut. “Never? But every Mortal on Earth is assigned a set of Weavers. As a magical being yourself, your lack of dreaming would make sense as Dreamers are unable to receive dreams, but Dreamers don’t live on Earth, nor can Mortals see them the way that Mortal girl saw you tonight. But you can’t be a Mortal due to your possessing magical powers. It sure is perplexing.”

An eager glint filled her eyes. All of her earlier accusations seemed to have been forgotten, the mystery surrounding me apparently more intriguing than the evidence against me. She sure loved a good mystery.

Stardust’s stomach suddenly rumbled. “It’s difficult to concentrate on cracking this case when I’m so hungry.”

“Do you want some water?” I asked, unsure what clouds needed. “Or some leftover stew?”

“Do you have any moonbits?” She looked around the room, as if she expected there to be several packages hidden within the chaos.

“Sorry?”

“Moonbits: fruity cream puffs shaped like miniature crescent moons that come in gazillions of flavors and drip with frosting. If you’re all out of those, I could go for some cotton floss, an asteroid sucker, or even some nebula cream.”

I stared blankly at her. She sighed.

“Do you have any sweets at all?”

“Mother’s all about fresh produce from our garden.”

Stardust grimaced. “Never mind, I’ll get some myself. It’s just as well; I need to fly to the library and gather more information.” She drifted towards the window.

“You’re not going to tell anyone about me, are you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The last thing I want is the Dream Council—or worse, the Nightmare Council—poking their noses inmycase.” Her eyes glistened. “This is exactly the type of mystery I’ve been searching for. There are so many layers to uncover and puzzles to be solved—who and what you are, why you can see dreams, and how you’re able to capture them.” She picked up my jar and examined it. “Now I understand why this is pulsing with magic—this must contain a dream.”

“The first and only one I’ve managed to bottle.”

“Interesting. I didn’t know dreams could be captured; it’s another riddle to solve.” She set it down carefully. “I’m off to research these latest findings, but I’ll return by—” She squinted at something outside the window, morphed into a pillow with a gasp, and plopped onto my bed. “Quick, act natural.”

I grabbed my journal and pretended to read it. After a moment I peered above the pages for any sign of what had caused Stardust’s alarm. All was quiet, and yet…

Familiar prickles coated the back of my neck, the sense of someone’s sharp gaze monitoring my every move, similar to the feeling I’d experienced earlier when I’d spotted the pair of eyes spying on me from the forest. I shivered and sank deeper beneath the covers.

“Your book is upside down,” Stardust whispered.

“Someone is watching me.”

“That’s why I’m hiding. Keep quiet and don’t—where are you going?”