Chapter One

Drake asked Talyn, "Marry me?"

Lyn frowned as she replied, "No."

Drake whispered, "Excuse me?"

Lyn sat next to him and put her head on his shoulder. "It's not that I'm saying no," she said, "but we haven't even had a first date yet. And we don't know much about each other."

Drake gave a sad smile. "I feared you might say something like that, but it was worth a shot right?" He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out another box. Inside was the necklace he got for her birthday. Taking it out of the box, he put it on her. "A beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl. How about we start over? Would you like to go out for coffee sometime?"

Lyn smiled and touched the pendant, remembering the day he gave it to her. As she opened her mouth to answer him, a tree burst open and black squid like tendrils came hurtling towards her. Wrapping around Lyn, the tendrils pulled her into a swirling vortex that appeared. Her only reaction was of sheer terror as she screamed out, "DRAKE!"

The vortex disappeared.

"NO!” Drake growled as he pounded on the tree that took Lyn. Both Grim and War tried to pull him back, but it was no use. In a feral rage, he began to shift.

"That'll be enough of that," a dark, threatening voice came from behind. Standing in front of them was a sight the Horsemen never thought they would see again... the Dream King.

"How–" Grim asked before Nightmare silenced him.

"It's none of your business," he said with a sneer.

Distracted by the turn of events, no one noticed the other newcomer arrive. Wynter stared at the Dream King with surprise.

"Dad?"

Nightmare turned around to see her staring at him. He smiled brightly when he said, "Hello Pumpkin." The revelation left Drake and Cael in shock. Denying them the chance to react, Nightmare continued while glaring at Drake, "How do you propose to save my other daughter you worthless piece of shit?"

Drake paled in fear of the answer when he asked, "Who's your other daughter?"

Nightmare's glare turned deadly. "Talyn," he said while observing the group. Wrapping his arm around Wynter, he clarified, "This is my daughter, as is Talyn. I am furious beyond no end. Those who swore to protect Talyn have failed miserably." As he spoke his last sentence, Nightmare turned his focus back on Drake and gave a hostile look.

"Uh, Sir," Drake said hesitantly before the Pale One pulled him back.

Hissing in Drake's ear Grim said, "Shut up! It would be wise of you to keep quiet unless you're spoken to. Night's been gone for over thirty years. Gone to a place he shouldn't have returned from."

"Yes," Nightmare said in anger. "Gone into the Oblivion, a fate far worse than death. The final act to which there is no return. As we all know by now, Talyn managed to tear the fabric of the Universe when she was born. As I fell into the Oblivion, I saw one of those tears and managed to hide myself within it. There, I remained until just now when her scream caused the tear to rip even further, allowing me to slip back into this world." Nightmare still had his arm around Wynter, but gave the Pale One a cold stare.

Thunder rolled in the distance, as dark clouds rapidly moved over the kingdom. Lightning struck the ground so hard, tremors of the effect could be felt for miles. Taking a cautious step towards the Dream King, War smiled as he raised his arms outward.

"Hey there old friend," War said joyfully as he slapped Nightmare's back in a welcoming manner. "So glad you're back. Now, why don't you say we head into the castle and catch up on things?"

More lightning fell from the skies, this time striking a tree in the distance and causing it to catch on fire. Letting go of Wynter, Nightmare turned and walked towards the tree where Lyn disappeared into. Dropping to his knees, he drew an image in the ground. Standing up, he drew the same image on the tree. Once he finished, the storm clouds disappeared.

Grim stepped forward, raising a concerned eyebrow. He asked, "What do you mean when you said Talyn's scream further ripped the fabric? I felt nothing. War, did you?"

Equally concerned, War shook his head no.

Sighing, Night shook his head. "No, I gather you wouldn't have. Her abduction happened so quick, the duration of her scream was cut short. But yes, from where I was, the fabric's ripped more now than ever. Death, I thought you drained her powers?"

Grim stared at his eternal friend with wide eyed wonderment. "How did you know?"

Nightmare scoffed, "When it comes to my daughters, I know and see everything. Just as I'm aware of the mark Drake placed on Talyn. Unbeknownst to her, Talyn's dreams fed me, kept me alive while I was in the Oblivion. As a result of our connection, I was able to see through her eyes. At all times."

War stepped close enough to the Dream King until they were nose to nose with each other. "If that's true, how much of her did you manipulate? How much of Talyn's actions since arriving on Daemor are hers?" Growling, War forcibly shoved Nightmare, knocking him back a bit. "It wouldn't be the first time you've manipulated a person to do your dirty work."

To the Horseman's astonishment, the Dream King did not retaliate. Instead, he adjusted the black vest he wore and straightened out a sleeve on his lavender shirt. Nightmare's black hair was worn short, with purple tipped spiked layers. His eyes were just as black as Grim's, but he was nowhere as pale. And Nightmare's taste for clothing was just as expensive looking as the Pale One's. However the similarities between the two stopped there. Instead of the pristine way he carried himself, Drake thought he would be brawny, like War, based on the degree of nightmares he created.

Once he finished grooming himself, the Dream King looked at War and smiled. He asked, "Since when did you start getting emotional over what happens to Humans?" War snarled, but Nightmare ignored him and continued, "No, I did not manipulate Talyn. She's my daughter for fuck's sake! I may be sick and twisted, but I'm not that sick and twisted. Give me some credit here!"

It was Drake who spoke up next. "Um, gentlemen," he said carefully, "I hate to be the one to break up your pissing match, but it appears there's a lot we need to talk about. The first being, where the hell is Lyn?"

Nightmare smirked in amusement, while Grim raised his eyebrows in surprise at the commanding way Drake spoke to them.

After regaining his composure, Nightmare looked at him. "Young dragon, Hell is exactly where she is. And I fully intend to march right into its depths and bring her back."

"WHAT?" War and Grim said in shocked unison.

"That's all I know," Nightmare said, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Hell," Wynter whispered in confusion. Looking at her father, she asked, "How?"

"Someone with a lot of power to be able to summon a vortex, break through the wall that separates the living from the Ruling Dimensions, grab her and seal the vortex like nothing happened. That's who," Nightmare said irritably.

War asked in contemplation, "Nathan?"

The Dream King shook his head. "No, it's not his style. He likes to use a little more drama and flair. But then again, if he was pressed for time, he may have done it."

A cell phone went off in Drake's pocket. Pulling it out, he answered before hanging up seconds later. "Guys, we have a problem. Mom wants all of us at the castle ASAP and all dragons in the area are to return to the nest." He looked up in the tree branches to see a few babies peeking through the leaves. "Now," he commanded and the dragons flew off towards the castle.

Concerned, War asked Drake, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Mom's frantic and Jeanette was screaming in the background."

Nightmare grabbed Wynter and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Grim and War grabbed Drake and Cael and disappeared as well.

Upon reaching the Throne room where everyone had gathered, Jeanette was on the ground wailing like a Banshee.

Nightmare rushed to her side. Crouching down, he touched her shoulder and asked with concern, "Jeannie?"

Jeanette stopped crying and looked at the man she thought she'd never see again. Shocked, she whispered, "Night?"

Grabbing her in his arms, Nightmare hugged her. "Yeah baby, I'm here. What's wrong?"

Pulling away from him, she stood up. As he rose to meet her, she slapped him in the face and screamed, "Where is my daughter?"

War sighed as he put his arm around Drake. "I just love family reunions, don't you?"

Bjorn paled when he saw Nightmare as long forgotten memories of the Hellacian War came flooding back. He asked, "You... you're alive? But how? You died at the hands of a Moldera."

Handing Jeanette to Grim, Night approached the throne. Bowing, he said, "It's good to see you old friend. Truth be told, I didn't die. Well, not the way you thought. I'm not the person you think I am." Night stared Bjorn in the eyes. As he rose to face the King of Daemor he said, "I'm the one you call the Dream King."

Both Ophelia and Bjorn were shocked by this, but Ophelia spoke first. "If you are who you say you are, why did you scan as Human when you joined the Inferno Militia?"

Jeanette growled as she tried to break from Grim's embrace. "Screw that," she shouted, "I want to know why he couldn't bother to tell his wife he was alive?"

Night sighed as he looked at War. War shrugged and said, "Don't look at me like that. I told you it was a bad idea, but you did it anyways. You got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out."

Turning his focus back on the King and Queen of Daemor, Nightmare sighed, "Before I came to this planet, an ancient evil entered the dream world, which I rule. Unlike some who control the other Ruling Dimensions, I'm fully aware of everything that enters my realm. Unfamiliar with this entity, I decided to track it and find why it was in my world and what its intent was." Nightmare hesitated before continuing, "I managed to follow it to the dream version of Daemor, but before I could catch it, it slipped into reality."

Bjorn interjected, "What does that have to do with you making us think you were Human?" Bjorn's patience exploded into fury.

Night held up a hand to silence the rest of Bjorn's protest. "Please, let me finish. As a Council member, I needed to learn more about what may be a potential threat to the Universe. Since the entity was no longer in my realm, I had no jurisdiction to chase after it in your world. The only way I could continue to track it was if I became Human; or at the very least make the scans think I was Human. So... I killed a man and took over his identity."

Cael scratched his chin in confusion and asked, "Taking over a person's identity doesn't bypass the scans, as they're encoded with a person's DNA. The only way you could potentially create a false read is if you possessed the body."

Nightmare grinned and raised his right arm to wave. "Or you can just take part of their body and wear it like a piece of clothing like I did. My gracious host was always scanned with a fingerprint reader using his right hand. You don't need a full body to do a scan, I did my research."

Cael looked at him with shock, but Bjorn interjected. "Why all the smoke and mirrors? You could have just come to me with what you knew and I could have assigned someone to follow this entity. Shit, for that matter you could have just told me the truth in who you are. I thought of you as one of my best friends and even considered you a part of the family. I never once questioned your loyalties. Now? I don't even know who you are." The tone in Bjorn's voice was one of heartbreak and disappointment.

Nightmare took a step closer to the King of Daemor and looked at him with fierce determination. "Old friend, I did not betray your trust. I had every intention of telling you what was going on, shortly after I infiltrated your army. But some weird shit came up and I felt it was important to keep my secret a little longer. The entity I was following ended up possessing Sara Lightrider. Just before the possession, the entity told Sara someone on the Council was following it. But it was unable to locate the Council member, even though that member was on Daemor. In order for the entity's plan to be executed, the Council needed to be destroyed. Knowing this, I felt it was important to stay hidden a little while longer."

Bjorn got off the throne and walked to where Nightmare stood. They stared at each other for a moment before Bjorn spoke. "What do you know about this entity? Does it still threaten Daemor? As much as I would like to have you thrown in the dungeons, I suspect you would just break out of it. Give me one reason I should trust anything you say?"

Nightmare gave a sincere smile. "If it wasn't for me, the Te'skor would have a different leader and Daemor would have been destroyed. Because Jeannette married, Lucian was blocked from taking control of the throne. Since Jeannette is not Te'skor, she didn't have the sickness which causes the race to abuse power. As such, she was able to make some much needed changes to the kingdom. Or do I need to remind you about the day Drake and Cael were born?"

Bjorn narrowed his eyes and glared at Nightmare. "No, you don't need to remind me. And I am grateful for what Jeannette did during their births." He sighed before continuing, "You're right, if she was Te'skor, Jeannette would have ripped the dragons from their mothers before it was time, leaving Ophelia and Anne to bleed to death."

Cael started to shift at the mention of his dead mother, but Drake put an arm over his cousin's shoulders. "Don't," Drake whispered in his ear. "What happened to your mother, you couldn't control. It was an accident and you need to stop blaming yourself."

Ophelia glanced nervously at her son and nephew before looking back at Bjorn and Nightmare. "Sweetie," she said calmly to her husband, "I believe the King of Dreams. If there's a greater evil that exists, then it's our job to learn as much as we can, no matter the consequences. If Nightmare wanted to betray you, he would have already done so. Just as if he could have told Jeanette he was alive, he would have done that too. We all have a part to play in what's to come, and we better start preparing for it."

Her odd behavior startled Bjorn. "Opie? I know that look, what aren't you saying?"

Ophelia glared at her beloved before answering, "I have seen a lot, past and future. While we cannot change the past, we can change the present and move forward. Did His Majesty mislead you? Maybe. Was it intentional? No. He is your best friend, even when you thought he was someone else. But regardless, the bond you share with him cannot be changed. I don't know much about the Council, but I do know if they offer up a friendship, it's best to accept it. Nightmare has saved your ass countless times before and during the Hellacian War. If anything, you owe him a debt that you may never be able to repay."

"The Queen is right," came a soft female voice from the corner of the room. A pale blonde haired woman, wearing a white pant suit, stepped out from the shadows. Behind her, Genevieve followed. Everyone gasped at the sight of Genevieve for she no longer looked like a Moldera, or appeared to be under the influence of one. Instead, she radiated with a heavenly glow.

Seeing Drake, she smiled. "Hi," Genevieve whispered as she walked over to hug him. When he tried to break from her embrace, her grip tightened to his amazement. "No, Drake. What's about to be said may make you shift, and we can't have that happen. There's too many spies in the castle."

As Drake went to question her, War spoke up. "Celeste, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Heaven hiding behind your pristine walls?"

Celeste hissed at him. "Oh believe me you cocksucker, I would love nothing more than to go back to my realm. But we have bigger issues to deal with. The first being that my brother has the daughter of Death and Dreams. As far as I know, he isn't aware who his newest pet is, which may buy us time in getting her back. If Nathan finds out who Talyn is, he won't hesitate to exploit her and her abilities to launch an attack on Heaven. If he finds out she is the Universe reincarnate, he won't give her back as punishment for his banishment."

Drake went to speak up, but Genevieve wrapped her arm around his throat, mildly choking him. "Keep quiet," she hissed at Drake. "I'm much stronger than you at the moment so it would be best for you to be complacent. Just listen to what my mother has to say okay?"

Celeste raised a surprised eyebrow at her daughter, before turning her attention back to the group. "As I was saying, Talyn's in Hell. Although Sara's imprisoned in the Black, there's rumors she's waking up. There's also rumors the entity that Night's been tracking is in Hell as well. Karm's been researching Sara, but nothing's turned up yet."

"Who's Karm?" Bjorn asked confused and irritated.

"That would be me," a disembodied voice said as a cloud of smoke appeared in front of everyone. The cloud disappeared but in its place, Rakma stood facing the group. Smiling, she bowed and said, "Your Majesties, I would like to formally introduce myself as Karma. I apologize for the deception, but it was on a need to know basis."

"Speak for yourself, you stupid Bitch," a leathery voice called from the entrance. Pestilence sauntered into the throne room, taking up residence next to Karma, as he bowed to Bjorn and Ophelia.

War growled with impatience, "If everyone is going to be here, it may be wise to move this meeting somewhere more secure." He stopped and surveyed the room before yelling, "Fee! Get your feathered butt in here. NOW!"

A whirlwind of flames appeared inches from War and Fee stood in front of him a moment later. "Saying please would have been more efficient," she scolded before giving him a hug.

Ophelia, surprised by the events that unfolded before her, spoke up. "You're all Council members aren't you? I get the Horsemen's positions as well as Karma, Celeste and Nightmare's, but what is your purpose Fee?"

Turning to face Ophelia, Fee smiled. "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out." With a snap of her fingers, Fee transformed into the Phoenix, before changing back to a more human form. "Rebirth and renewal is what I do best," she said smiling.

Exasperated, Bjorn shouted, "Can someone please tell me what's going on, because I sure as hell can't figure it out!" Frustrated, he sat on his throne.

The Council nervously looked at each other before Nightmare replied, "War's right, we need to move this meeting to a secure area. There's a lot to talk about and not enough time to do what we need to do."

Ophelia suddenly sat upright in her chair and abruptly asked, "Where's the dragons?"

"They're fine," Jeannette said. "This isn't a discussion for them to be a part of. Nevith, Sakura and Calypso are taking care of them. Well at least Nevith is; I'm not so sure about the other two. The last time I checked in, Sakura was trying to hide her food dish from Calypso. But my husband is right, there's a lot we need to go over."

♦ ♦ ♦

A little while later, everyone was seated in a circle in Cael's den. Jeannette tried to change seats so she didn't have to sit next to her husband, but Nightmare wouldn't allow it. He whispered in her ear, "I know you're pissed at me, but can we please try to work through this? We've been through worse and–"

"And nothing," she hissed in his ear. "For thirty-five years I thought you were dead and not once did you try to get a message to me to let me know you were alive. When Wynter drowned, you helped me through the loss. You were my life, my everything. Thinking you were dead and Talyn lost to me... do you know what the effects a shattered heart has on a person? I have hated for so long that I'm not sure I want you in my life anymore."

Nightmare looked at his wife for what felt like an eternity. "I did try to get a message to you, many times over the years. In the beginning I was too weak. Then when I realized I was getting stronger as a result of Talyn's dreams, I tried again. I didn't know where you were, so I shifted my focus to the Pale One, as he out of anyone would know how to find you. But once I found out how Renee was raising our daughter, I felt it was more important to do what I could to protect her. It took a lot of energy to make sure she was safe."

Nightmare tried to protest further, but Jeannette turned her head and ignored him. "If you two are done fighting, can we address more important concerns? Like Talyn's kidnapping." Karma glared at the Dream King.

Bjorn who was staring at his glass of wine interrupted, "Screw that, can we please address who you all are and what the fuck is going on?" Bjorn's usually calm demeanor disappeared after witnessing Genevieve put Drake in another headlock, when Drake and Nightmare started fighting as soon as they entered the den.

Sighing, Karma got up from her seat and started to walk around the group. "Your Majesties, before you are seven of the nine Council members. The Council was created by the Universe to uphold a balance and bring order to an otherwise chaotic life system. Celeste, Nathan, Death and Nightmare all govern a Ruling Dimension, what you consider Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and the Dream realms. We've found that the world of the living cannot be ruled by the Council because you all have that annoying thing called free will. Outside of established governments, you cannot be controlled other than by your own actions. When the living dies, it is up to Death to distribute souls to Heaven or Hell, a process determined by the actions of one's soul. When a soul is unable to be placed, it is put in Purgatory until further notice. While these three realms are all individually contained, the Dream world overlaps these and also extends into the living, thus giving Nightmare ultimate power and authority of the Council."

Karma stopped to observe the group. Wynter fidgeted in her chair, while Cael nudged her to get her to sit still. Nightmare stared at the floor while Death was stretched out in his chair with his arms crossed. Bjorn and Ophelia held hands and Drake frowned. The rest of the Council stared at Karma waiting for her to continue.

Rolling her eyes and sighing Karma went on. "When Sara overthrew us, she threatened to have us all killed. When Nightmare tried to stop her, she had Lucian throw Night into an Oblivion Pit, hence why we all thought he was dead. She threatened to do the same to the rest of us, if we didn't step down. Fearful of her actions, the remaining Council members disappeared into what you might consider retirement. Phoenix transformed into a Human and started the Evolutions salon, operating under the name Fee. Pestilence became Lance, the tattoo artist and I became Rakma, the resident gypsy you all know and love. Death, Nathan and Celeste couldn't retire because of the soul issue. And War more or less became an instructor teaching anyone who could pay how to fight. Although we were no longer on the Council, we could at least do what we could to protect Daemor until Talyn's return and until she could take her rightful place on the Council."

Pestilence asked, "What about Famine? Has anyone heard from him since the Hellacian War? I've tried everything to track him, but he's nowhere to be found."

Scratching his head, Grim scowled. "The last time I saw him, he was in Hell hanging out with some Baron person. But that was about thirty years ago."

"Wherever Ani is, it can wait," War said, calling Famine by his nickname. "We have more pressing concerns like how we can get into Hell and convince Nathan to release Talyn. But even more importantly, can someone tell me what the hell is up with Bjorn's wine glass?"

Everyone looked at Bjorn and found that the liquid in his glass was rising up and expanding into a dense mass. When Bjorn dropped his glass in shock, the mass quickly evaporated. Grim looked at Wynter who blushed.

"Sorry," Wynter said with embarrassment. "I'm still not adjusted to things."

Nightmare demanded, "What things?"

"Night," Grim said with hesitation. "When Talyn brought Wynter back from the dead, she didn't just bring all of her back. She also brought the element in which caused her original death. Since she died by drowning, Wynter has power over water and water related objects. If Wynter had died in a fire, she would have power over fire. If she died by falling out of an airplane, she would have power over air. It's why the dead need to stay dead, because if they are reborn, they will have power which should never be theirs."

"So what are you saying? My daughter needs to die again?" As she asked the question, Jeannette had a sick look on her face.

"No, sweetie, I wouldn't put you through that again," Grim said with sadness. "It just means that someone is going to have to teach her how to control and use her powers. It also means once she hits her peak, her soul will have to be removed and given to a Guardian. Given her growing friendship with Cael, I suggest it be him when the time comes."

Nightmare erupted with fury. "No fucking way! I am not going to have another dragon take ownership over my child."

"You don't have a choice," War interjected. "Cael hasn't marked Wynter, so he has no claim of ownership. But he is the only one that Wynter trusts without question."

A childlike voice screamed out, "Will you all stop fighting? Gods I can't take this anymore!" Wynter stormed out of Cael's den before anyone could respond.

Concerned, War asked, "What the fuck was that all about?"

"The Growing," Death replied as he and Nightmare looked at each other with fear.

Cael asked, "Excuse me?"

"The Growing is a rare condition that occurs in the reborn. It's like a one in a million chance of happening. Let's just say that because Wynter's soul never had the chance to grow as an adult while she was alive the first time, she's going through the process now." Grim paused and looked at Cael, "She died when she was five, so five is the age she is at the moment. Eventually she will go through the years until she reaches maturity, or the age of the body that she permanently took over."

War laughed uncomfortably. "Life is about to get so much more interesting. So, who's on babysitting duties?"