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Kallie’s brows furrowed. “Is that why . . . ?”

Fynn looked at her from the corner of his eyes with a knowing glance. “Is that why you’ve been having such vivid dreams lately?”

Kallie nodded.

“Yes, it is. And if I had to guess, knowing my brother and our friend, those dreams tended to be focused around Graeson?”

Kallie’s mouth fell open. Against her will, a blush rose to her cheeks, and Fynn chuckled.

Recalling one dream in particular, Kallie gasped. “Wait. Can Terin see the dreams?”

“While I don’t think that is the most pressing matter to discuss—no, not always.” Fynn scratched the back of his head. “That would be exhausting, wouldn’t it? If he had to be awake in our world and see the dreams of his victims? Can you imagine the headaches and confusion that would transpire?”

Kallie sighed in relief, and the embarrassment slowly faded from her complexion.

Fynn rubbed his finger against the scruff on his chin. “I suppose it would explain why he was always so tired. For a man who can force others to sleep, he sure does have problems sleeping himself.”Fynn arched a brow. “What is it that you wished he didn’t see?”

The heat returned to her cheeks. Desperate to change the subject, Kallie cleared her throat and asked, “Are you just a figment of Terin’s imagination?”

“Not quite. It’s more complicated than that, but I don’t have much time. In simple terms, the wall between the dead and the living is thinner in the dreamscape, so Terin has created a small opening to connect us.”

Kallie’s heart rattled at the new information. “Does Dani know?”

“No, she doesn’t, and I hope she never does.”

“Why? I’m sure she misses you,” Kallie said, brows knitting together. If Terin could create a connection between the living and dead, shouldn’t Fynn be happy that he would still be able to see his wife? They could still be together.

“That’s exactly why I never wish for her to know.” Fynn stared at the glistening lake, the amusement long gone from his face. As the sun’s rays bounced off the water, sparkles glided across the surface. He folded his hands behind his back. “I do not wish for Dani to live in the past. I care about her too much to have her waste her life away in dreams. She deserves to live. She deserves to love again.”

“Then why—” Kallie swallowed the words, afraid of the answer.

Fynn looked at her and smiled, but the twitch of his lips was sad, his countenance full of sorrow. “I came today because of you—because you need to listen to what I have to say. Because if you do not, you will not be able to live your life the way you’re meant to either.”

A cold breeze swept by, and Kallie shivered. She rubbed her shoulders, but it did little to soothe the chill crawling up her skin. “What is it?”

Fynn dug a hand through his waves, his gaze wary.

“Fynn?”

He took a step forward. “You need to listen to me carefully, Kalisandre.” He gripped her arms. Her skin pinched beneath his hold, and fear crept up her throat. “Your life depends on it.”

Chapter60

GRAESON

With a metal torch,they locked the door. It wouldn’t hold the Frenzians off forever, but it would at least slow them down.

The small hallway behind the tapestry split off into two directions: one way veered to the right, which, by Graeson’s guess, would lead them to the priest’s back room and hopefully an alternative exit; the second led down into a dark, musty hallway.

Terin picked up a black feather that had been in Ellie’s hair. He started to go down the path on the right, the safe-looking option, but then Dani screamed.

They both stared at the path that led down the narrow steps. The walls were wet with moisture, stinking of mildew and iron.

Graeson took a deep breath. There was only one path for him to go down. And, of course, it was the narrow one.

“You go that way, I’ll go this way,” he said.

“No.” Terin shook his head. “Every time we have separated, bad things have happened. Ellie, Medenia, and Emmett must have escaped that way. They know where to go. We will find them. Right now, we need to stick together.”