I opened my eyes, and the world formed shadows around me. Slightly disoriented, I turned in place. Just like when my ex-husband appeared, I knew it was a dream. The instant I acknowledged that, a library came into focus around me. It wasn't any library I'd been in before, and my heart skipped in excitement almost instantly.

Book-laden shelves extended high over my head and beyond the top of the two I was between. Beyond them, wooden rafters crisscrossed beneath a stone ceiling. Carpet stretched beneath my bare feet, and I looked down to see rich blue runners stretching from end to end of the aisle. Here and there, yellow crystal sconces extended from the shelves, illuminating volume after volume aching to be explored.

"Oh my god," I gasped, and as soon as I had drawn in a breath, I could smell and taste the parchment, papers, dust, and leather of the books. "This is amazing." Normally, if I knew I was dreaming, I'd try to force myself awake. But it had been so long since my mind had conjured a good dream, one not riddled with anxiety, and I was eager to see it unfold.

I started up the aisle, then froze to look down and see I had traded my traveling clothes for an ankle-length, forest green dress. It hung slightly off my shoulders and revealed just the top of my breasts, with billowing sleeves and a pale gold bustier. I could tell my hair was down, so I reached up to pull my curls around into view. They had never seemed so tame or felt so soft.

"Best dream ever," I hummed to myself and reached out with one hand to caress the titleless spine of a dark brown book. "Maybe all that empathetic touch rubbed off on me.”

The aisle opened up to a circular space that was backed by a high window with a green cushioned seat. Beyond that window, only darkness was visible. In the center of the circular space was a round table that looked similar to the map I'd seen in the command tent. I vaguely recognized the outlines of territories and mountains, but they shimmered and disappeared when I tried to focus.

"Oh, I wonder if-" I didn't bother continuing my statement, and I hurried down a separate aisle. My fingers trailed aimlessly along the books, since I could see no titles, until I felt like stopping. "Let's see." I pulled the one I'd landed on out, holding my breath, and opened it swiftly. The pages were blank. "Damn it, worth a shot." I put the book back before continuing on my exploration. I should have known they would be blank since I had never been able to read in dreams before.

When I emerged from the aisle I was on, I found myself facing the curved stone wall of the room. A narrow staircase was before me, leading up to the other levels of the library. The last thing that I wanted was for this to become a "falling" dream. So I didn't take the circular case that framed the room. Instead, I went down the next aisle.

Interspaced between books were interesting sculptures and objects no taller than the books surrounding them.  There were crystal globes the size of my hand filled with swirling smoke, a small tree that lost its leaves only to regrow them almost immediately, and other such interesting things that confirmed for me that the library I was dreaming of was special. When I came out of that aisle, I found myself again in a circular space almost identical to the one before. Only this time, there was no table.

A fireplace occupied the wall beside the window, surrounded by burgundy, high-backed chairs, multiple cushions of various sizes and designs on the floor, and a screen to keep the embers from spilling onto the massive plush rug before it. Beside each of the high-backed chairs was a small end table. I did a double-take when I realized one of these side tables had a cup of tea on it. Tendrils of steam rose from the contents.

Instinctively, I spun and looked for its owner. Then I reminded myself that I was dreaming and by that logic, the tea belonged to me. I approached the cup, not expecting to be able to feel it in my fingers when I lifted it, but the porcelain handle was warm. I inhaled to find cup was filled with hot cocoa. It was darker and not as sweet as I preferred, though. I set it back down. It was at that moment I knew I wasn't alone.

This sensation was familiar, as I had dreamed often enough of my ex-husband watching me or spying on me. I focused hard and tried to remind myself that I was dreaming and I could wake up if I wanted.

I didn't.

Clenching my fingers into my dress, I turned. I expected, for many reasons, to see my ex-husband. So, when my eyes landed on a complete stranger, who stood in the aisle I'd just left, I did exactly what was natural.

I screamed. At least, I tried to.

Like any dream, the scream was muffled in my throat and came out as no more a choked whisper.

"You can't scream in your mind.” The man’s voice was stunning, deep but not so deep as to be called true bass. It was smooth and enchanting, almost reminding me of whip-cream dissolving into a hot chocolate "I didn't mean to startle you. I wasn't even sure if it would work for you.”

"Who are you?" I put one of the high-backed chairs between us. "How are you in my dream?"

"My name is Berach," he chuckled and pushed away from the shelf he was leaning on. "This is my dream, not yours." He stepped into the light of the fire and crystal lanterns with his hands up as if to show he wasn't a threat. "I understand the confusion on your end though. You've probably never dreamwalked, since you're pure human." I backed up, intent on preventing him from corning me against the fireplace. To my relief, he paused just beside the cup. "I heard a rumor from a fellow scholar at the castle that the prince had returned from the other realm with a new companion. I tried reaching out earlier, but you were somewhere shielded from dream magic." 

Running seemed pointless, if he were being truthful then I would not be able to hide or run from him in his own dream.

"You're a scholar with friends at the castle? Are you trying to spy on me to get information for them?" The thought that someone may be using me to get to my new friends made me want to lash out. I knew I couldn't, though, and I also realized I might be overreacting. They hadn't warned me of any dangers through dreams, so maybe they had precautions against enemies in place already.

"Absolutely not. I am loyal to the Hearthbrights, always and eternally, my dear Lady." Berach sounded like I'd insulted him, and I felt myself relax some when he gestured to the space above my head. "Why else would I display their family crest so boldly in my library's sitting area?" 

I glanced up and did my best to watch him from the corner of my eye. Sure enough, spread across the bricks above the mantle was a massive banner displaying the crest that adorned my brooch and Belenus' ring.

"I summoned your dreams to mine because I was curious. Like I said, I'm a scholar. The opportunity to learn about your realm was too tempting to pass up." He stepped closer, hands still raised. "I'm sure any scholar from your realm would agree. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable."

"They would," I agreed. My hesitation at my situation had lessened a fraction. I would have wanted to do the same thing, but maybe not the same way. "Starting with that apology would have gone over better.” When it became apparent he was examining me I took the time to do the same.

Berach, if that was his name, looked to be in his mid-thirties or early-forties. He wasn't too tall, given that he was roughly the height of my ex-husband who was five-ten. His brown eyes were a bit too golden to be chocolate but not enough to be amber. He looked as human as could be, considering that his side-combed ash-blonde hair exposed perfectly rounded ears. His jaw was pleasantly defined, and it held a dusting of stubble that was slightly darker than his hair and peppered with silver. The man wasn't bulky, but nor was he thin. His long, red tunic sleeves masked his muscles, as did the comfortable-looking khaki-colored trousers he had on. He wore no jewelry, except a leather pouch that dangled just inside his shirt. His upper lip was slightly scared, but it gave his smile, when he met my eyes, an almost tantalizing roguish touch. He was the most stunning human I'd ever laid eyes on, and I felt my stomach flip when his smile turned to an amused smirk.

"You didn't tell me your name," Berach said and extended a hand. "Is that punishment for me not warning you somehow that I was going to dream walk you?"

"Absolutely not," I laughed and took his hand. I was prepared to shake it, but he bowed slightly and kissed my knuckles. I was surprised to find that I could feel the warmth of his lips on my skin. I didn't know how to take the attention he was giving, so I pulled back and introduced myself.

"I'm Grace,” I said. I was still struggling to decipher what was and wasn't platonic attention in this realm, so the slight disappointment on his face when I pulled my hand away wasn't clear. Was he being friendly or "friendly?"

"The pleasure is entirely my own," he replied. Berach stepped back, obviously noting my discomfort. "You look a bit disconcerted. Would a tour of my library help you relax?" As much as I wanted to go, I was still a bit wary of his intentions.

"I'd feel better staying here,” I said. He nodded and gestured to one of the chairs.

"Please, have a seat,” he said. “Dreams can end so swiftly, and I'd like to get to know you before you wake."

"You mean, you can't stop me from waking?" I asked. This bit of news piqued my interest. I hadn't realized I'd been afraid he'd keep me there until it was mentioned.

"There have been very few powerful enough to prevent the other person from waking from a dream spell," He said and gestured again to the chair. I sat down. Those brown eyes scanned my face, as if discerning something in it that I didn't understand. "I have to admit that I watched you explore when you first came, and I noticed you are very interested in books. Are you just a collector or do you enjoy reading them as well?" Berach asked

"Oh, I love reading. I could lose myself for hours in a story, especially fantasy books." I won't deny that I gushed that line out. He had found my passion with ease, and I was ready to talk. It was a simple and effective way to not only distract me but make me lower my guard.

"Fantasy? I'm unfamiliar with that genre," he said, and he looked confused and more than a little curious. "Is that from your realm? Fantasy isn't in any of our allied realms, I'm afraid."

"It is. It's actually based a lot on things I've seen and heard of here: magic, dragons, werewolves, elves, usurped thrones and rebellions to reclaim them," I said, fully aware I was using the tone I often took when trying to convince someone to read a book I'd enjoyed. "Even a stray scholar in a library tower," I teased, and his curious expression burst into one of amusement as he laughed. It was a belly-deep contagious thing, and it echoed around me, almost filling me, until I was giggling as well. His rich gaze, sparkling with mirth, held mine when it came to an end.

I had never been good at maintaining eye contact with men, a side effect of my strict religious upbringing and my ex-husband's intimidation techniques. I tried not to look away, but the longer he stared, and the quieter our laughter got, the less I could hold his gaze. So, I looked away and smoothed my dress.

"You're amusing," he said and shook his head. "I'm a bit surprised. What stories we have of humans is that they normally tried to stamp out magic." He picked up his tea cup and took a sip. I gathered myself enough to look fully at him again, and this time his eyes didn't try to catch mine. "I'd love to hear more about this fantasy you feel so passionate about."

He took another sip, and I felt a hand on my bicep. The room began to shake.

"Someone is waking you." Berach said, and he looked extremely put out by this change of plans. I tried to open my mouth to respond, but I already felt the detached sensation of waking begin. "Can I summon you again?" he asked and reached forward, as if trying to stabilize me.  I nodded, attempting again to force the words out. His face lit up, and I watched the library disappear.

"Yes!" I gasped, and I felt a bit disoriented as Steren's face came into view above me. I shook my head, as she let her hand fall away.