Moonways pt 12

As she slept, Lily dreamed.
At first it was dark, and warm. But the darkness spun into gossamer pictures, woven lightly across her eyes, and as easily, they drifted away. There were trees, dark and strident, reaching for pastel skies with majestic limbs; Lily felt herself dwindle into insignificance in their presence. Then there were still, silvery pools in the distance that cut through the gloom of the forest with their delicate illumination. Details jumped in that staccato way dreams have, and suddenly she was leaning toward one, but her face would not form a reflection in their gentle mirror surfaces. Details of her own features would not stick in her mind; was her nose long and thin, or short and broad? Were her eyes blue or brown or green or grey? Sharp eyebrows or full lips or high cheekbones... In a panic, she splashed from pool to pool, sending ripples shivering outward. Why was her reflection so important?

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled with a sudden watchfulness. She wasn't alone. Breathing heavily, she spun around, and found herself face to face with Dusk. But no... that wasn't right. Though the man before her was tall and broad shouldered, and he too wore some sort of old fashioned double breasted jacket that shifted against the forest, absorbing its shades, she thought there were differences. This man, she realised, wore his hair much shorter than Dusk, it was an ashy blonde where Dusk's was a peppery brown, and his face seemed younger somehow, though all the Fey she had seen had a sort of agelessness about them.
"Who are you?" Lily's voice warbled through the air, flowing around thickly to her dreamy ears. The stranger seemed sad.
"I am sometimes called Dawn."
Lily felt a blurry recognition at the name, but it slipped away. Thoughts were hard to hold onto in this place.
"That's a pretty name. Why can't I see my face?" She gestured to the pools, which had finally settled now that she had stopped thrashing.
Dawn looked troubled. "I... don't know. This is a strange place to find yourself. You're lost, just like me."
"Oh. Why are we lost?"
"The Interrigators have found new and interesting ways to twist the Laws to their own end. I am lost because they made it so; they pulled me from my body, and hid it from me. You just wandered off your path. Though, I suppose, it's very lucky for me that you did." He smiled, and it wasn't the predatory grin that Dusk wore. It was a more mirthful gesture; though Lily still faintly noticed there was something wrong with his teeth. Sharp inscisors. It unsettled her, and she felt a distant echo, like someone far away shouting. It sounded important. As though Dawn too had heard the call, his smile faded and he stepped forward.
"This is quite important. I can feel Dusk near you, but in my current... predicament, I can't reach him. Tell him they've got me. Tell him they also have the Gate-- no! Don't listen to that! This is important! Stay with me!"
But Lily was distracted; over Dawn's shoulder was a shape, slinking through the deep green shadows. Its eyes glowed a deep, fiery gold, and flames seemed to flicker and lick down its tail and around its paws.
"I think I'd better go..." she murmured, fear crawling down into her belly and setting a jittery energy in her limbs. The creature in the shadows leapt forward, and Lily turned to run.
Lily...

"Lily. Time to wake up."
Lily sat up, gasping and panting, her heart thudding painfully in her chest, confusion setting her scrabbling away from the source of the noise, tangling sheets and limbs and clothes until she caught up with her waking body. Dusk was in his shirtsleeves, looking bleary in the morning light.
"You were dreaming." There wasn't much of a question in his tone. She nodded, trying to piece together the broken fragments of her dream.
"I was in a forest...." It was sliding away from her, details blurrying and hazing... but there was something important wasn't it?
"I think I saw Dawn. Your... your partner, or whatever." For the second time, Lily saw Dusk's face still its wandering and she saw it clearly in its surprise.
"In your dream?" Lily nodded and described what had happened. The look of surprise furrowed into a frown as she spoke, until his face was lined with worry.
"The Percontors play a dangerous game. I don't know what they hope to achieve by this..." He seemed to retreat deeper into himself, until Lily cleared her throat.
"Can you give me a minute? I need to... change and stuff."
He startled, then nodded. "Oh. Of course. I will be downstairs. We need to get going though, so please hurry."

Once he was gone, Lily opened the curtains and stared outside in dismay. Rain hammered down on the window, making the view run and dribble away down the window in a streaky mess. How would they find the Moonways if it was raining? Didn't they need the light of the full moon to bring the gate forward? She would have to ask Dusk. Apprehension settled on her chest next to the snake mark and dulled her senses. She was still horribly tired but felt energy borne of impatience and fear for Mona. For reassurance, she pulled out the mirror shard and watched her sister sleep for a while. Finally she sighed, and got on with getting ready before heading downstairs.