The Dream Sanctum: The Eternal World by Kay Solo Read Free Book Online Page B

ghastly taste is hardly the worst thing I’ve encountered
here.”
    The others laughed, and Kai couldn’t help but
think that he thoroughly enjoyed this side of Kwin.
    “Where to next?” he asked, and Kwin pointed
south.
    “Agura Shore Town. Charming little place, but
I heard complaints that random cobblestones in the roads are vanishing and
apparently causing many people to trip. My utter confusion at how so many
people don’t appear to look at the ground they walk on notwithstanding, I feel
we should explore there next. And… let’s all go together this time.”
    With the others in full agreement, they took
to the sky and headed in the direction of the south coast.

Chapter 5: A Shaky Debate

 
    D espite their best efforts,
the group’s search in Agura did nothing to give them any more information. By
the time they were done, only Kwin seemed intent on continuing the search, so
she reluctantly decided to call it a night. They spent the rest of the night in
Sky Capital, preparing themselves for the heights they would be competing at
during the Cloud Skipping event – much to Lindsay’s objection – but Kai noticed
that Kwin’s participation was halfhearted. When she thought no one was looking,
her smile fell from her face and she drifted back into thought.
    By morning she seemed slightly cheered,
spurred by discussion about the upcoming debate in Golden Capital. As soon as
Ella brought it up Kwin was quick to latch on, her detailed explanations about
her complex theories interspersed with various insults concerning members of
the institution. The rest were content to simply listen. Only Alastor looked
like he was able to keep up with Kwin’s ideas, Lindsay and Ella were clearly
struggling and Kai had given up long ago. The more she spoke, however, the more
he was sure she was going to win.
    Kwin spent her entire day awake in Alastor’s
study, reading over her notes, consulting various large books and scribbling on
papers. Kai knew better than to disturb her, but in this instance he didn’t
want to – she was doing something she loved, and he liked seeing her happy
rather than worried sick over whatever it was she still refused to tell him
about. On more than one occasion he had tried to broach the subject, but while
she still made it absolutely clear that she had no intention of telling him
just yet, she was much kinder to him than she had been to Alastor. If anything,
she seemed to regret that she couldn’t tell him anything.
    “I know your reasons for asking, and again, I
apologize,” she had told him the previous night. “I am fully aware this is
frustrating, but please do not take this as a sign that I don’t trust you. This
is an issue of mine, not yours. Don’t worry about me. I remembered what you
said, and if I need you, I will ask.”
    Her answer was only slightly comforting. He
was used to seeing Kwin frustrated, irritable and distracted, but not afraid.
Fear was an emotion he very rarely saw in her, and never before in the Sanctum.
In the dream world, she was usually in control. Kai had to assume that the only
thing capable of frightening her was something that was out of her control, and
he didn’t want to think about what that could be.
    Nevertheless, the impending debate seemed to
have taken her mind off of whatever it was, and her spirits were high. When the
sun started to set, Kwin came out of the study and down to the kitchen where
everyone was helping themselves to a massive pizza. She hummed to herself as
she pulled out a plate and placed two pieces on it.
    “Someone’s in a good mood tonight,” Alastor
noticed. “Even going for twice your usual pizza intake. I take it you’re all
ready?”
    “In my excitement over my research I seem to
have forgotten to eat all day,” Kwin said, taking a seat and starting to eat
immediately. “But yes, I am ready. I don’t know if I will get to use even a
fraction of the information I’ve memorized, but I like to be