“Was that the sound of you accepting help?” he asked, eyes gleaming. “Shall I have it engraved?”
“Just get on with it,” she muttered. “And don’t you dare drop me.”
“I would never,” he said solemnly. “Not without warning.” He lowered the lantern to the ground, then stepped closer and lifted his arms. “Try not to enjoy this too much.”
She gave him a look that could have curdled milk, but didn’t comment. His hands settled around her waist, and she braced hers against his shoulders. His firm, broad, and annoyingly steady shoulders.
He lifted her down with infuriating ease, the muscles beneath her palms flexing with the motion, and she was convinced he was lowering her excruciatingly slowly just to ensure maximum awkwardness for her—and to give himself the satisfaction of watching her squirm.
“See?” he said as he placed her gently on the ground, hands still warm at her waist. “No goat theatrics required.”
She stepped hastily away from him, her ankle throbbing dully. “If anyone’s performing, it’s you. I merely participated under protest.”
He grinned. “You wound me.”
“Tempting.”
She bent to retrieve the lantern and stepped past him.
They climbed carefully over fallen debris—Mariselle’s skirts catching yet again on rough edges and tangled vegetation—and came to a halt at the edge of a circular platform. They had reached what appeared to be the remains of Dreamland’s central area, a circular space where several of the larger pavilion structures had once stood, with a depression in the ground at the very center.
“I confess I remain somewhat confused as towhat, exactly, this place once was,” Evryn admitted, raising the lantern and surveying their surroundings. “That was the main entrance, correct?” He gestured toward the largest archway, its structure still intact despite the years of abandonment. “And those appear to have been administrative rooms of some sort.” His hand swept toward several small adjoining structures. “But everything else is merely … empty space. A rather large amount of it.”
“Yes,” Mariselle replied, her tone suggesting this should be obvious. “The principal wonder of Dreamland was that it contained an actual fragment of the dream realm anchored within our physical world. Dream architects crafted ever-changing landscapes and experiences within this space, but none of them required physical form in the conventional sense.”
“So visitors would enter beneath that archway,” Evryn clarified, pointing again, “and then simply wander through what appeared to be empty air?”
“Yes, though to them, it felt entirely substantial. They experienced wonders beyond imagination, all manifested through dream magic.” Sheregarded him with mild surprise. “Has your family never spoken to you about Dreamland?”
“Not if they can help it,” he muttered.
“Well, you shall soon get to experience it for yourself.”
Evryn made a noncommittal sound that Mariselle decided to ignore. His doubt changed nothing. Dreamland would be returned to its former glory, with or without his enthusiasm.
They ascended the shallow steps onto the large circular platform, their footsteps echoing slightly against the ancient stone.
“There,” Evryn said, pointing toward the sunken area. “According to the diagram, the dream core was positioned directly at the center.”
They approached the depression, which proved to be deeper than it had initially appeared. Years of leaves and debris had accumulated in the hollow. Mariselle knelt at the edge, brushing away layers of decomposed organic matter with her hands.
Evryn set the lantern down, unrolled the diagram beside it, and bent over the parchment. Mariselle glanced up, finding him studying the plans with one hand holding the edges flat while the other raised the lantern for better illumination.
“Interesting,” he murmured as she returned to scooping up handfuls of dirt and leaves. “It appears this entire central area is supposed to have a power grid beneath it. A complex network of lumyrite veins that once powered the entire venue.” He straightened, surveying the circular platform beneath their feet. “And it seems …” He turned slowly, examining their surroundings with newfound attention. “Well, this whole circular slab appears to be intact. No visible breakage. Not even significant cracking. I wonder if that means the lumyrite network beneath remains intact as well.”
“I could do with some assistance here,” Mariselle said, trying to keep the irritation from her voice. She should have been pleased—shewaspleased—that he finally seemed to be showing some level of interest in his portion of the project, but their focus right now was meant to be on locating the dream core.
“Why not use magic for this?” Evryn asked as he knelt on the opposite side of the depression. “We’ll be here until dawn otherwise.”
Mariselle sat back with a huff, annoyed that this hadn’t occurred to her. “Very well. Could you assist me with that?” She couldn’t quite bring herselfto add the word ‘please’ to the end of her request. It was difficult enough asking a Rowanwood for help.
Before she could begin to draw on her own power, Evryn extended one palm toward the accumulated debris. The soil began to shift and move, layers of dirt and decomposed leaves rising into the air in neat, organized piles that settled themselves at the edges of the depression. As more material was cleared away, the outline of etched metalwork began to emerge from beneath decades of accumulated debris.
“Oh,” Mariselle breathed, her irritation forgotten in the face of what they were uncovering. “Oh, look at that.”
The metal surface that emerged was covered in intricate markings—flowing patterns exactly like those detailed in the illustrations Mariselle had discovered in her grandfather’s notes. As more earth cleared away, it became apparent that they had found not just any metal surface, but the upper portion of a large spherical object partially buried in the ground.
“Is that—?” Evryn began.
