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His hand grazed my cheek to turn my head so our eyes met. “Do you truly believe that, Eden?”
“That’s what I’m most afraid of.”
Darius didn’t immediately answer, nor did he sever his gaze from mine, as if he were searching the deep recesses of my soul to uncover all my secrets. But unlike Trinity’s slithering foraging, Darius’s felt so natural, as if he was meant to see every part of me, something I wanted desperately, even while being terrified of what he’d discover.
“Why do you believe that?” he asked.
I needed to confide in him, for there was no better confidant for my feelings and secrets than the one who felt a part of my very being. I lowered my gaze to where my hands bunched the hem of my black dress. Darius gently rested his hands on top of mine to still my fidgeting, his touch as warm as his look. This warmth gave me the strength to push past my fears and speak.
“As you know, I wasn’t exactly the best Dream Weaver...” I began.
“You were just fine,” Darius said. “You were only inexperienced, not untalented.”
“But I’m an excellent Nightmare Weaver,” I said. “I rarely lose.” It wasn’t until this moment that I realized how much I’d secretly been hoping to, as if losing would finally prove what I desperately wanted to believe: I didn’t belong here.
“You believe you’re a Nightmare simply because you weave excellent nightmares for your Mortal?”
I risked stealing a peek at Darius’s expression, only to find deep concern. I managed a nod. He was silent a moment, expression pensive.
“Is your weaving excellent nightmares the only reason you believe you’re a Nightmare?”
I shook my head. “There are many more.”
“Then we’ll work to dispel your reasons one at a time, starting with this one.” His hand went to my hair, where he gently twisted and untwisted a loose strand around his finger, a gesture I found comforting. “Your ability to weave nightmares has no bearing on who you yourself are. It pains me to know you’ve been harboring this mistaken assumption for so long.”
“But you create excellent nightmares and you’re a Nightmare,” I said.
His lips twitched, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “My fantastic talent has nothing to do with who I am as an individual, nor does yours.”
“But itdoes,” I protested. “It’s not just my ability to weave excellent nightmares; Ilovescaring my Mortal, and I especially love how his restless nights keep his mother awake, my revenge for when she taunted me back when I lived on Earth. A Dreamer wouldn’t feel such feelings, let alone relish them.”
Darius frowned, considering. “Negative emotions exist within everyone, whether they’re a Nightmare or a Dreamer. It’s not black and white, Eden.”
“It is when I’ve allowed the darkness within me to eclipse me.”
“You’re in pain, and that, my dear, is a huge difference.” He wrapped his arms securely around me and nestled me close; I naturally melted against him. “Where do dreams get their power?”
“Emotions,” I stated.
“And where do these emotions come from?”
“The Mortal.” I rested my chin on his chest to frown up at him. “Why are you giving me a weaving review?”
“I promise I have a point. And you’re correct: emotions come from the Mortal viewing the dream, but that’s not the only place they originate.”
I scrunched my forehead. “But there’s nowhere else. Emotions can’t be cultivated.” Not that that kept Mother from trying...
“There’s one other source most don’t consider—the Weaver themselves. When we weave, we insert more than just our magic into our dreams; we also insert parts of ourselves, specifically our emotions. I believe that’s why you’ve dominated your weavings.” He stroked my hair. “You’re experiencing a lot of fear and hurt. When you weave, these emotions naturally slip into your nightmare, making them so powerful as to be unbeatable. But feeling dark emotions doesn’t make you a dark person.”
I didn’t realize my eyes had filled with tears until they escaped. “What if you’re wrong? What if Iama dark person? Why else was I suspended from the Dream Realm?”
Darius tenderly wiped away my tears. “Just because something unjust happened to you doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. I know you and I know your heart, and although you’re full of pain, you yourself aren’t darkness. I promise.”
I ached to believe him, to bathe myself in his words in the same way the surrounding starlight enfolded me and danced across my glittered skin. “Is that why you fought against the Council over my suspension?”
Darius cradled my face to lightly trace each glittered star on my cheek. “You heard about that?”
I nodded. “Why did you do it?”
