I woke with a shriek, jolting upright and throwing back the covers. My heart felt like it was about to explode inside my chest. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck, and as I looked down at my hands I saw they were shaking.

"Vera? What's wrong?"

Irena crouched down next to me, laying old, comforting hands on my shoulders. I looked up at her, trying to speak, but I couldn't find the words. She murmured reassuring nothings to me, running one hand through my damp hair, and gently clasping my trembling fingers in the other. "Shh, Vera, it's all right. Take your time. Don't force it. Take your time." She said. I took an unsteady breath, and another, and another, until breathing deeply came more easily. I felt my body stop trembling, and when I was ready, I tried to speak again. My words came out in a whisper, as if I was sharing a dark secret with the world.

"The boy. I saw him again, Irena."

She clicked her tongue. "After so much time? I thought perhaps we were rid of him. What did you see?"

I shook my head and closed my eyes again, trying to remember. The feelings were still sharp inside me, making my insides coil with fear and crawling sensation on my skin that told me something somewhere was wrong, but no details would come. The dream itself was a blur, indistinct and terrifying. Trying to think about it made me start shaking again, but I focused my thoughts and pushed the fear away, making room for my memories.

"I saw...blood. Blood, and darkness. Cold places and cold hearts. He was in pain. Gods, he was screaming..." I felt tears come to my eyes.

"I don't...I can't remember why, but he was running. Something made him run away. Something awful. More blood, blood against pale skin...something...something old came for him, chased him away. He's so scared, Irena. They're inside his head and he can't fight them. Now they're inside my head too!" I buried my face in my hands and just shook, wanting so badly to scream and cry until the monsters in my head went away.

Irena hugged me. "Shush, Vera. This boy of yours is just a symbol. The monsters cannot travel through dreams as we can. You are safe from their evil here. Was there anything else in your dream that you can remember?"

"No...nothing...just fear. It's in my bones, mama. It's under my skin and I can't get rid of it!" I shivered, despite the heat of the small cabin we were in. "Why is this happening now? Of all the times I need to be strong for him. I can't do this now. I have to fight. I have to be strong." I looked up at Irena for answers. "Why is this happening to me?"

The old woman smiled, cupping my face in her calloused hands. "You say that now is not the time, child, but it is the perfect time. Doubt gains strength from your resolve, just as a shadow is darkest when the sun is high. Evil is not a static thing. It does not wait until you are ready to face it. It comes at you every day, when you are weak, when you are strong, when you cannot afford to lose. Your mind is full of doubt because you must be so strong, Vera. But doubt is just a feeling. It cannot hurt you unless you allow it to do so."

I felt the beginnings of a wan smile on my face as some of my fear began to fade. "You're right, of course. You're always right. What would I do without you?"

Irena grinned at me with her tough, yellowing teeth, more than a few of which were missing. "You would thrash around in your bed at night dreaming of mysterious boys, thinking useless things, and when you woke up instead of me you'd have Erashi sitting next to you."

That made me laugh. I couldn't help it. The thought of waking up from a nightmare and being faced with Erashi's permanent, too-white grin was as absurd as it was true. "Now that is a frightening thought!" I wiped away some of my tears as I laughed, and Irena held me close and laid her head against mine. "Ah, sweet little Vera. You do too much for one so young."

"I have to, mama. Father needs me. Some days I feel like I'm the only person on this boat who truly believes in him."

"You know that isn't true."

"Consciously, yes, but my heart tells me a different story." I sighed. "The men don't want to be doing this. Only three other clans joined the crusade, out of fifty. Three!" Without even thinking about it I gathered up a handful of bed cloth and clutched it with my free hand. "How could they do that? Don't they see he's just trying to protect us? He's right about the vampires, they're not going to stay cowering in their cities forever. Eventually they're going to break free and come for us in the night and we won't be strong enough to face them!"

Irena pulled away and looked at me, shaking her head sadly. "Now there's the Vera I know. Full of life and righteous anger. Do you feel better now?"

I paused, looking down at my hands. They were still shaking, but this time it wasn't with fear. The feeling of wrongness leftover inside me from the dream hadn't gone away entirely, but it was weaker now. I felt more like my normal self again. And I was angry. "Sometimes I hate that boy, mama," I whispered. "He comes and goes through my life like a summer wind, making whatever changes he pleases and he's not even real. How is it a figment of my imagination can leave me so helpless?"

"Vera Kelon, there has yet to be a member of your family that has been helpless," said Irena as she rose to her feet, shuffling over to one of the lamps whose light was starting to flicker. "You least of all. The choices you make are your own. This boy you've been dreaming about is just a reflection of your inner self. You do what you do because you want to, because you know it's what's right for you. That's all."

I thought about all the years I had spent dreaming about the mysterious fair haired boy, how many times his presence in my mind had made me change my direction in life. Erashi and I had broken up because of him. And now, was he telling me not to fight? Or the opposite? Or was Irena right, and it was just my inner self dealing with the doubts that were already in my mind? I shook my head, pushing away the covers of the small cot. "I wish I could believe that, mama. But I think this boy is more than just an image in my mind." I got to my feet, pulling my damp hair back into a short ponytail. "This means something. It always has. You of all people know that."

Irena finished tending the lamp and faced me with sad eyes. "I do know that, child. But sometimes you have to leave the dreams behind you and live your life in your own way, before it's too late. Look at me, little Vera. Trapped here in this ship for the rest of my days. There is no vampire master over my shoulder, but I am a slave none the less."

"Irena! How could you say that? Father has always been kind to you. Our tribe would fall apart if it wasn't for you!"

"That's just it. The dreams are my life now. Without me, things fall apart. I can never leave. But you still have a chance. Don't let him keep you here. It will seem like the right thing to do, it will seem like everything in your life has led up to that exact moment, but it's a lie. Be yourself. It's harder than you think, but by the gods, it's important."

We stood there in silence for a moment, just looking at each other. I suddenly realized how small she looked, her aged back buckling under the weight of burdens we had all been happily placing on her for years without even thinking about it. Irena had been like a mother to me, after my birth mother had been killed in the last attack against the Cities almost fifteen years ago now. I even called her mama, something my father had told me to do when I was young to help ease the pain of losing my real mother. I still did it today, out of habit. In a way, Irena was mother to all of us, our dreamweaver, leading us, consoling us, advising us when our minds offered us messages we couldn't understand. She raised and taught the children, calmed my father's wild temper, soothed our consciences and offered us protection against the fear that we walked hand in hand with every day of our lives. Fear that someday, the masters would return, and punish us for our disobedience. Fifty years had passed since the Wars. It wasn't nearly long enough.

BANG! Something heavy hit the door of the small cabin, jerking us both out of our reverie. Irena trundled over to the door as I fumbled for my knife, unable to grab it before she opened the door.

"Vera!" shouted Typhon as he galloped into the room, skidding to a halt mere inches in front of me. I let out a cry and fell to my knees, embracing him, letting him rest his scaly head on my shoulder. "I'm sorry it took me so long!" he said, wings flapping in distress, making the lamp flames flicker. "It was another dream, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Typhon. It was the boy again, but I'm all right now. You didn't need to come."

"I had to. It felt like hot knives under my skin, Vera. It always does." Typhon shuddered, and I hugged him tighter.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, tears coming back to my eyes. He just rumbled at me, a deep noise that was oddly comforting.

I felt Irena's hands pulling me up. "Go on you two, get out of here. This cabin isn't big enough for all three of us. Go! Get! No dragons allowed in here. You know the rules, Typhon."

"Stuff the rules," muttered Typhon, but he did as he was told. I grabbed the small knapsack containing the rest of my clothes, knife, and a few other supplies, leading Typhon out of the cabin with my hand on his wing. Irena and I traded looks as I passed her, but neither of us said anything. Enough had been said already.

We stepped out of the cabin into a stiff evening breeze that cooled the sweat off my skin and felt as good as freedom. I sighed happily, letting the last tendrils of the dream fade out of my mind, reveling in the sharp chill of the wind against my body. Picking up on my pleasure, Typhon began rumbling again, leaning heavily against my legs. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the evening, and of the Minerva. I could hear her sails flapping in the breeze, her aged wooden body creaking as we drifted slowly over the Copper Plains. She was one of five airships that had survived the Wars fifty years ago, handed down from chieftain to chieftain in my tribe since long before I was born. She remained our most prized possession, cared for better than most of our human members, and currently the head of the small army my father had amassed. We marched for the Wastes, and after that, the Cities, where we would wage war against the monsters that had enslaved us only a few decades ago. Underneath us I could hear the steady drumbeat of marching foot soldiers, their armor clattering, their torches burning, their voices raised in song even at this darkening hour.

The distant sound of thunder brought me abruptly back to reality. I opened my eyes, watching the skies for a moment, and saw the telltale flash of lightning in the distance. "Damn," I whispered. "Damn, damn, damn. This is not what we need right now."

Typhon growled a little. "That's been brewing for awhile. Mother says it's going to be a big one. Almost unnaturally big. She called it a portent." He shivered. "Aren't you cold?"

"No. What did she mean, a portent?"

"Something to do with the coming battle. She wouldn't tell me anything else."

"Damn," I said again. "Have you told anyone else about this?"

The young dragon looked up at me with a hurt expression on his face. "No. Just you."

"Keep it that way. I don't want any of the men to know about this."

"What about your father?"

I hesitated. The storm would make itself apparent soon enough. If I could see it, then it wouldn't take long before everyone else found out. I could even say it would be a bad storm, that we should prepare. But the knowledge that this might have something to do with our choice to march on the Cities...no. My father's position was too delicate as it was. "Keep it to yourself, Typhon. Not even father needs to know. If we tell him then it will make it look like he's been holding out on the men. If someone finds out, then I'll tell them it's my secret. They can afford to be mad at me, but there mustn't be any loss of respect for my father. That would crush us before we begin. They have to believe in him all the way."

Typhon bowed his head. "As you wish, Vera."

An eerie sound, like distorted trumpets, wound its way through the wind. Typhon went rigid, and I felt a small thrill inside me, as if someone had pricked my heart with a needle.

"Mother," muttered Typhon. "She needs me. Vera, are you going to be all right now?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." I smiled at him, and gave him a pat on the flank. "Go on! I don't want you getting into trouble again."

Typhon eyed me dubiously. "All right. But if you need me—for anything—you'd better call me. I'll come running, I promise."

I sank to my knees, bringing myself to Typhon's eye level, and gave him a kiss on his scaly cheek. "I promise that I'll call you, dearheart. Now go." The call repeated itself, low and longing, almost like a lament. "Senua needs you."

With a sigh, Typhon looked away from me and took off at a run, leaping over the Minerva's railing and plunging off into the darkness. Moments later I saw him twisting and turning upwards in the twilight, wings flapping in the breeze as he went off to join his mother. A few months from now he would finally be big enough for me to ride through the skies, and it was a day I looked forward to with great anticipation. I followed his path to the railing, leaning over it and letting the wind play in my hair. Despite the troubles that faced us, I couldn't help but feel a little exhilarated. The night was cool, and clear. Below me I could see torches being lit by the foot soldiers who marched underneath us. The Minerva kept just ahead of them, setting an even pace. She could go nearly as fast as a dragon under the right circumstances, but for now she was idling, almost as if we were taking her out for a stroll.

The whole thing had a dream like quality to it, and it was hard to imagine that less than a day from now we would find ourselves bearing down on the Wastes. After that came the gateways of the Cities, beginning with the best and brightest—Haven. Rumor had it the men of Haven City had built the Minerva just before the Wars began, and that was why she was the best airship ever created. I dropped my knapsack on the deck and ran my fingers along her aged wooden rails, tracing lines of age and scars of battle, imagining her construction all those years ago. We did our best to keep her in good shape, caring for her almost better than we cared for ourselves. I saw dark stains in the wood and wondered, not for the first time, if some poor unfortunate soldier's blood had been spilled in this spot years ago.

Blood. Images from the dream burst back into my mind without warning. I could see it sparkling in the moonlight, pooling in the center of a cold, darkened room. I saw faces contorted in pain and frozen in death, staring open mouthed at the stars with clouded eyes. I felt trapped, like a caged animal forced to watch helplessly as others danced freely. Sometimes the bars were invisible, creating the illusion of freedom. Then he was there. The boy. He was facing away from me, moving forward, his breath labored, his hands shaking. I could feel it inside him. The rush of freedom, of terror, of doubt. I felt it in my own heart, like a maddened bird throwing itself against a wall over and over again.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I whispered, unable to move, barely able to speak. The boy stopped walking. He looked over his shoulder as if he'd heard me, but said nothing. Then he shook his head and kept walking. I watched as his steps faltered, and heard him scream as he fell into a dark pit. At the bottom there was a lake of blood. Laughter echoed as he struggled, desperate, screaming for help...no one could hear him screaming, except for me...why was it always me...

"Vera? Vera! Snap out of it!" Erashi grasped me by the shoulders pulled me back from the edge of the ship. His touch sent the images in my mind running, leaving me in the real world again. I stared at Erashi, feeling tears in my eyes again.

"Gods, Vera, you're pale...what's wrong? Tell me!"

"Erashi..." I felt my knees buckle, but he caught me, propping me back up until I found my footing again. Then he hugged me, holding me close to keep me from falling again. I laid my head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat until I stopped shaking.

"It's all right," he whispered, stroking my hair as Irena had done. "It's all right. You're safe. Do you want to tell me what's going on with you? Should I get the Chief?"

"No!" I said quickly, pulling away. "No. He mustn't know of this. I'm just...I just had a bad dream, that's all." I took a step back to the railing, using it for support and trying to hide the fact I felt like being sick then and there. I'd be damned if I was going to show Erashi any weakness. "It's fine. I'm fine." I said.

He gave me an unimpressed look. "Don't lie to me, Vera. It's insulting. You know I know you better than that."

"I'll lie to you if I want to, damn it! It's none of your business anymore." I snapped.

He frowned at me and crossed his arms. "Oh really? So I'm just supposed to ignore you now? I'm supposed to pretend like the last three years never happened? Or that I've known you since you were barely old enough to speak? Is that what you want from me?"

"Damn it, Erashi, I don't have the energy to fight about this..."

"So don't fight about it! I'm not the one who's snapping at people who are trying to help her. Why can't you just shut up and let someone take care of you for once?"

I glared at him. "I don't need taking care of."

"So you keep saying. And yet here you are, barely able to stand straight, having some kind of fit and far too close to the edge of the boat for my liking. I don't think I'm the crazy on here, for once."

He was right. I knew he was right. And it just made me angrier. I opened my mouth to snap at him again, to chase him away so I could have a chance to crawl away somewhere private, when my body decided it had other ideas. The wind picked up as my knees gave way again, chilling me to the bone. I collapsed into a shivering heap on the deck, and there was nothing I could do to stop Erashi from rushing forward to help me. He laid my spinning head against his shoulder and part of me—a much larger part than I wanted to admit—was silently grateful. I said nothing as he held me, not saying a word, waiting until I stopped shaking. Slowly, the dream's hold on me began to fade. The warmth of his body steadied my nerves, and I felt more like my old self again. Still, somehow I could not bring myself to pull away from him a second time.

Finally, after what seemed like an age, he spoke. "Why are you out here with hardly anything on, hm? Trying to get my attention again?"

I tried not to smile. "Shut up, Erashi. You're ruining the moment."

"Oh, so we're having a moment now. Sorry, didn't realize. Thought that all our moments were gone and done with."

"Not all. Just most."

"What's so bad about me, anyway? What did poor old Erashi ever do to raise the ire of the mighty Vera Kelon?"

I shifted a little in his grasp, sitting upright so I could look him in the eyes. I noticed that even though his grip loosened, his hands never left my arms. "You didn't do anything. I just...wasn't happy any longer. I'm not someone who settles down well." It almost wasn't a lie.

Erashi flashed me a quick grin with too-white teeth. "You don't say."

"I don't hate you, Erashi, despite my teasing. You're a decent man. I just don't think I'm right for you. That's all."

"What you really mean is that I make you unhappy. Go on, Vera, tell me the truth. I can handle it."

I smiled a little. "That's debatable."

"Hey now. I thought you said you didn't hate me?"

"I don't. It's just..."

"Just what? What is it that's so bad about this?" He leaned in a little closer, his fingers running along the back of my neck, where he knew I liked to be touched. "Maybe we're not the perfect couple, but who is? Are you really going to wait your whole life for something you may never find? Come on, Vera. Stop running away from me. I'm not going to hurt you..." In one swift movement, he closed the gap between us and kissed me, stealing my breath. I responded without even thinking about it, letting him in. Instantly I was warm again, and strong, stronger than I'd felt in a long time. I put my arms around him and pulled him closer, as if I never wanted to let him go ever again.

There was a noise, like thunder, only closer. Someone screamed. My world suddenly tilted and Erashi was abruptly on top of me, his limbs tangled in mine. Sluggishly I realized that it wasn't me who was falling, it was the boat. I could hear shouting, swearing, the pounding of boots on wood as members of the crew started running. There was a sharp whistling sound, then another bang. This time the world hurled me upwards, and Erashi too. Somehow he found his footing, though, and brought me back down to earth where I belonged. Staggering, I fell against him and together we fell against the railing as the Minerva pitched sideways.

"MAN YOUR STATIONS!" someone bellowed. "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"