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“Eden, I swear, I wasn’t trying to—”

“Stop. No more lies.”

His jaw tightened and he jerked to his feet. At first we had a silent, glaring stare down before all at once his expression cleared. “Eden…”

“Go away!” I turned my back to him, my wall securely built back up. The only sounds between us were my heavy breaths and my heart pounding in my ears.

“I’m sorry,” Darius whispered.

I waited for a moment, and when he didn’t say anything more I spun around, but he was already gone, swallowed by the audience.

Chapter 28

Iwatched, unseeing, as a lime, carnation, and pansy-colored aurora display lit up the sky, their colors swaying like ocean waves, their beauty eclipsed by the tornado of emotions raging within me.

Stardust floated over. “Finally, he’s gone. You two were getting pretty cozy. So much for your promised silent treatment.” She caught a glimpse of my face, which I only then realized was streaked with tears, and her annoyance immediately softened. “What happened?”

I frantically tried to wipe away the evidence of the pain Darius had inflicted. “You were right: it was all a setup to get more information from me.” Even though it came as no surprise, it still stung, especially after I’d tentatively extended my trust to him again.

“I did warn you,” Stardust said. “Nightmares are nothing but darkness and would do anything to lure you into their web.”

I’d received that warning countless times since arriving in the Dream World, but I’d been certain Darius was different. I could still feel the shadow of his touch, see the fervor in his gaze…the memories caused the warmth he often made me feel to surge through me, one that felt different than the hot fury simmering inside of me.

“Please, I don’t want to talk about him.”

Stardust searched my expression and I wondered if she could detect the true reason for my heartache at Darius’s betrayal—that what existed between us was something more than a weaving partnership, making each time he violated my trust all the more painful. I braced myself for an interrogation, but thankfully she merely curled up beside me.

“At least he left before the show ended so we could watch the rest of it together.” She snuggled closer and I absently petted her, each stroke helping soothe some of my pain.

The flying colors’ dance was beginning to slow, their artistic patterns becoming fewer and further between as the show neared its conclusion. But instead of the colors fading into the night they suddenly shifted, transforming from vibrant, cheerful hues to dark shades. The patterns separated to twist into large, looming letters, appearing one by one across the sky, before arranging themselves into a message, scrawled in eerie script:The Balance is Tipping. Dreamers Beware.

A tense, foreboding silence filled the air as the glowing threat glistened ominously. Then all at once the spell was broken; gasps echoed throughout the meadow as the audience pointed up to the sky.

“Comets.” Stardust wasted no time ogling; she promptly morphed into her notebook and frantically copied the message down. “Words never appear during the flying colors show. Only dark magic could manipulate something this powerful.”

The threat hung in the sky for a few more seconds before it melted away, leaving nothing but inky night, but the apprehension it had created lingered, prickling my skin.

Although the show was over, no one made any effort to leave. Ashen-faced Dreamers huddled together, whispering anxiously and casting suspicious glances at nearby Nightmares, many of whom were gloating.

A trio of smirking Nightmares wandered past. “Who do you think put the message in the flying colors?”

“Whoever did is brilliant. The Dreamers need to know what’s coming.”

Stardust frowned after them as they disappeared into the crowd. “This is undoubtedly a Nightmare’s doing, and what better place to make a statement than the Dream Festival?”

“But Iris said the festival is meant to create peace and friendship.”

Stardust rolled her eyes. “Iris’s head is in the clouds. Everyone knows the festival is merely a formality; nothing can erase an eternity of contention. Now let’s search for clues.” She morphed into a magnifying glass and darted off. I hurried to catch up, weaving around pockets of solemn Dreamers, who flinched at my passing.

I clutched a stitch growing in my side. “Where are we going?” I panted.

“The scene of the crime, of course,” Stardust said. “Which is undoubtedly the cauldron the flying colors were poured into. I’ll have this case solved before midnight.”

The pewter cauldron in question, the size of a small mound, stood tucked behind a thicket of blossoming blue trees, a ladder resting against its side. No one appeared to be in sight.

Stardust smirked. “I knew we’d beat the Investigations Team. Such incompetence. My quick response time would be an asset if they’d only let me join.”

She promptly began examining every inch of the surrounding area, morphing back and forth between her notebook and magnifying glass forms.