A Court of Dreams and Heartache

2. Nyx

I hurtled out of my bed. My heart was pounding and my head spun so badly that I had to grip the mahogany side table. She's my mate, my mate, my mate. My thoughts were churning. My body was tingling and the bond ached in my chest, solid and real. The elated shock was still registering, as well as the strange realm in which I found her. I stumbled across my room and out into the hall. The sun was streaming through the skylights; my feet took me downstairs to where my parents would be. My mate, my mate, my mate!

My feet slammed into the hardwood so hard that the windows rattled. Two more steps and I was in the living room. My wings flexed as I came to a stop in front of the blue couch where my dad sat. "Morning, Nyx," he said absently into his papers, but his head snapped up when I fell to my knees on the carpet.

"She's my mate," I gasped, my shoulders shaking. "I traveled in my sleep and I found her. She was real, I touched her..." I looked down at my hands, which were trembling. 

Dad sank to his knees in front of me. "Nyx, slow down..." I could sense him calling for my mom through their bond. "Cauldron, you're sure? Well, I can smell it on you."

I blushed at the memory of her touch- against my chest, in my hair. "She was real! I dreamed myself there, but she was real!"

"I believe you Nyx!" He grabbed my shoulders to steady me. All I could feel was the desperation and the panic. That's when Mom burst into the room.

"Nyx!" Her voice was full of concern as she knelt down next to me. "What's going on?"

"Go slowly," Dad interrupted. "Breathe, son."

I took a deep, shuddering breath. "I was dreaming. I don't know what happened, but I was walking down a paved path, lighted in the dawn. I was trying to figure out where I was and then I turned....

"She was walking towards me, but she stopped when she saw me looking at her. Something awakened in me, the recognition of her- a stranger, but not. I could feel it spring up in me, the connection. God, she was so beautiful! I couldn't stop myself from going towards her, speaking to her. She looked so shocked... she has these big blue eyes. Her name is Leia," I looked at my parents, both of whom looked a little stunned. "She's human, Mom."

"Oh, darling," Mom's smile looked pained as she reached for my hand. I let her hold it. "Do you think she was on the continent? You weren't in Prythian, were you?"

"No, it was somewhere I've never seen before," I took another deep breath, letting them both see the images in my head. "I've never seen buildings like that."

Dad murmured something, turning through the images like pieces of paper. "That isn't a place in this world."

I turned to Mom, who was staring at nothing with a gentle expression. "Mom?"

She shook her head, sighing thickly. "No, darling, I've never seen a place like that. But she's definitely your mate. I can see the bond in your memories," I swallowed around the lump in my throat, my head swimming with images of her. Mom squeezed my hand. "Nyx, she's beautiful."

"I promised her that I would find her," I rasped, trying to hold back the deluge of emotions. "I kept flickering from that world back to my body here as I was waking. That's never happened before, I can't remember having so little control over a dream."

"... maybe you managed to walk from this world to the world of dreams... and then walk into another world?" Dad's voice was cold and analytical as he stood and began pacing. "You're relatively young, we still know little about your dream abilities."

I nodded, and Mom rose to her feet too, pulling me with her. "We're going to figure this out, ok? We've faced impossible odds before, as a family. We will help you find her, Nyx," She hugged me gently before murmuring something about her art class and walking out of the room.

I could feel the emotions in me seizing and battling each other. The bond was dimmer, but still there. I could feel aching twinges twisting along the length of it. It led to... nowhere. I turned to Dad, letting him into my mind to feel the sensations.

"Nyx..." He said, turning from his place at the window. "Is it hurting you? I've never seen a bond like that..."

I took a shuddering breath and gently grabbed at the bond, trying to feel her on the other side of it. "Dad, I can't feel her..." My voice cracked. Dad crossed the room and put a hand on my shoulder. "I've never wanted someone so badly..." I admitted. "You saw the kiss, Dad, I couldn't... pull myself away. I know you're supposed to feel like that, at least."

His wry smile was gentle and knowing. "That's exactly how it feels. If she's human... do you think she recognized who you were? Your mom didn't know what it meant, and she lived right next to the wall," We settled onto the couch. "Wherever Leia lives, maybe they don't have mates. You're freaking out and you know what it means- she's probably completely overwhelmed and confused."

I felt my chest tighten. "I have to figure out how to get back. To talk to her, at  least. To explain." Dad nodded. "I'm gonna go train," I jumped up off the couch. "I need to sleep deep and long tonight."

My dad's heavy sigh followed me out of the room.