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As if summoned by those words, Pom appears in the middle of our gathering, his fur a light shade of orange. “What’s going on?” He looks at Kojo curiously. “Who’s that?”
Speaking fast, I explain that introductions will have to wait for later because we’re in a life-and-death situation and about to face the god of nightmares himself.
As I speak, Pom’s fur turns darker and his ears take on a beet hue. “That sounds beyond scary.”
I pet the top of his head. “We can do this without you. In fact, it might make it easier for me if I don’t have to worry about you getting hurt.”
He shakes his head, his ears turning teal. “I want to help.”
“Fair enough. How about I’ll mentally call for you if I need you? That way, you can gather your courage in the meanwhile.”
Pom turns a dark purple and gives me a military salute with his paw. “You got it.” He performs his best Cheshire Cat disappearance.
“I’m off to recruit the Escapists,” Kojo says and disappears as well, without fanfare in his case.
“What about me?” Asha asks. “I don’t really know anyone that Kojo doesn’t.”
“Remember the dream constructs from my earlier lesson?” our father asks.
Asha’s eyes brighten. “I did want to experiment with that.”
A unicorn with humanoid arms appears in the distance and shouts something to Asha.
“A character from the Escapist myths,” she explains. “Let me make more.”
Different people and creatures begin to show up, along with a version of Kojo that looks more noble and buff than the real thing.
“We’ll do this too,” Maxwell says to me. “But after we bring in the real people, since they need to be briefed.”
I nod, already thinking along the same lines. “This is where your status as an ambassador between worlds could pay off. You must’ve gotten to know many powerful Cognizant.”
Asha quirks an eyebrow, and I explain how Icelus used Rattie to coordinate between worlds, and how Maxwell was chosen to do something similar for the good guys.
“The problem is that I don’t know those powerful Cognizant too well,” Maxwell says. “I hope I’m convincing enough to get them to join our dream battle.”
“I believe in you,” I say.
“Thanks.” He smiles and disappears.
“Later,” I tell Asha and take myself to my tower of sleepers.
Looking around, I debate my first choice of an ally.
A lot of the people from New York are asleep right now. It must be nighttime in that part of Earth. Sadly, some Earth Cognizant with the best powers—like Nina, Kit, Colton, and Chester—are Overtaken and therefore not available.
On the bright side, Ariel is here, and so are Rowan and most of the rest of the New York Council—people who are presumably grateful to me for finding a murderer in their midst.
I decide to start with Rowan, figuring it would be fitting to get help from a necromancer in the dream battle while another necromancer threatens us in the real world.
The question is whether Rowan will be able to use her power here.
Only one way to find out.
I jump into Rowan’s dreams.
Rowan is sitting in front of a glass-covered display with a variety of spiders, flies, and other creepy-crawlers inside. Lifting the glass, she starts pinning a cockroach into an empty slot.
Gross. Those things live in garbage and spread all the worst germs of Earth. I wouldn’t touch one even in the dream world.
Pointedly clearing my throat, I wave to get Rowan’s attention.
She drops both the pin and the cockroach and rubs her eyes—without first sanitizing her hands.
Wrinkling my nose, I make the critters disappear. “I didn’t realize you were an entomologist. Unless this is a creepy hobby?”
“Sleeping beauty,” Rowan exclaims, grinning. “Am I dreaming you, or are you dreaming me?”
I return her smile. “How would you be conscious of yourself if I were dreaming you?”
She shrugs. “Your awesome power?”
“I’m actually in a rush,” I say and rattle out what I want and why.
Her eyes grow ever wider as I go on.
“So,” I say in conclusion. “Will you help us?”
“I guess,” she says. “Especially if you can tell me how I’m supposed to use necromancy in my dreams.”
I create zombies for her, specifically her macabre entourage from Necronia, masks and all. The zombies begin to move around in strange patterns, and Rowan grins at this like only a necromancer would.
“It works just like if I were awake,” she explains. “So cool. I’ve already grown to miss this.”
Miss it? She must not be allowed to use her powers on Earth. I want to ask her, but there’s no time. The fates of Valerian and all of Soma are on the line.
“Let me take you to our meeting place,” I say. “Once there, do your best to summon even more corpses. My sister can help you with it.”
“Your sister?” she and her zombies ask at the same time.
