Dream Killer: Book One in the Nadia Chronicles

Dimitri dreamt for the first time in a long time. He was taught at a very young age how to close his mind, especially during sleep. His exhaustion and emotional strain broke down his control and he found himself standing in a corridor, hand in hand with Nadia.

“Dimitri?” Nadia questioned in a whisper. “What are you doing here?” She was extremely tense, which Dimitri found silly.

“Nadia,” he smiled down at her, slowly taking in her alarmed look. “Why do you fear? This is only a dream.”

Nadia rolled her eyes and tugged on his hand to get him moving. “You should not be here,” she said in an urgent whisper. “I came back because I need to free the others.”

“Free the others? Came back?” he began trying to wrap his sleeping mind around the dream. He realized if he was fully aware that he was in a dream, then perhaps it was not a dream. “Oh, no,” he groaned allowing Nadia to pull him down another dreary corridor. “Are we in…” He was silenced by a look from Nadia. She pulled Dimitri into a dark out cropping behind a suit of armor in front of a window. Nadia glanced outside trying unsuccessfully to get her bearings.

“Listen,” she said urgently. “Last time I was in this castle there was a dungeon with a lot of caged up people. I need to find the dungeon and release the people. If I leave you here can you find your way out of the dream realm? Can you force yourself to wake up?” Nadia never once looked up at Dimitri, but instead tried to see anything familiar about the long and rarely used corridor.

It took Dimitri a moment to allow what Nadia was saying to sink in. He looked around slowly. He took in the old, large stone walls and floor that were in desperate need of a cleaning. He glanced out the window and saw that it was pitch black outside. He looked back at the suit of armor that was made for decoration, not use. Finally, his eyes came to rest on Nadia. She looked frazzled and intensely focused, as if she was going to spring out of their hiding place toward her goal at any moment.

“Do you not have an ounce of self-preservation?” Dimitri asked in a low growl. “If you don’t want to save yourself, then I must do it for you. I am not leaving you.”

Dimitri’s words pulled Nadia’s focus. She looked up into his orb like blue-gray eyes. She saw a small amount of fear, but it was over shadowed by his stubborn determination. Dimitri tried to speak again but she gently placed her hand over his mouth.

“Dimitri,” she whispered with quiet conviction. “Do you know where we are?” He nodded, but she was not convinced. “We are in Serg’s castle. He held me captive here all day,” she glanced down thinking. “Was it only yesterday?” Dimitri balled up his fists popping his knuckles, but Nadia continued before he could say anything. “I am not sure how we came to this place together and for right now I don’t care. I think we entered here without anyone the wiser, but how long do you think that will last? If we are caught, we will both be stuck in this dream world. This world is not governed by the same laws that reality seems to be. This place can allow me to walk around fully healed, but if we die here, we die out there too.” She took a breath to let it all sink in.

“I leave when you leave,” Dimitri answered stubbornly. “I almost lost you once and I’d rather stay here forever with you than awake without you.”

Nadia was taken aback by his statement, but was also exasperated by his stubbornness. “I know that you are supposed to be my guardian,” she began but stopped. She shrank back closer to the window pulling Dimitri with her. She had heard a noise that sounded like very light footsteps, but she could not tell which direction they had come from. The footsteps continued past their hiding spot and out of sight. Nadia could just make out the shape of one of the large men that had numbers for names. Even Dimitri seemed small compared to the monsters Sergei surrounded himself with. The numbered men had arms the size of Nadia’s thighs and thighs the size of her torso.

Nadia gripped Dimitri’s hand tighter and despite her trepidation she was glad that he was with her. Both Nadia and Dimitri inched slowly around the suit of armor to make sure the corridor was clear before venturing out. Nadia mouthed to Dimitri to not let go of her hand and he intertwined their fingers tightly.

Nadia was gradually feeling like she was gaining a better understanding of the dream world and wanted to experiment. She was hoping she could get herself and Dimitri closer to the captive people without having to travel the halls. She closed her eyes tightly and thought hard about the hallway right outside the dungeon. Dimitri watched amazed as the scene around them rapidly changed from a dark and dusty corridor to another dark but not as dusty corridor. Nadia leaned on him exhausted from the experiment. She was also panting slightly as if she had jogged from one corridor to the other. Dimitri looked down at her concerned, but he was relieved to see the look of triumph on her face.

“I did it,” she whispered with excitement. “I’m not sure why that took so much effort and I doubt I could do it again anytime soon, but I did it all the same. Come on.”

Dimitri wasn’t sure what she had done since the corridor they were in looked very like the last. But Dimitri followed as Nadia practically pulled him toward the dungeon. Nadia’s experiment, though successful, ended up being useless, because the cages were empty.

“Damn it,” Nadia cursed louder than she had meant to. “That slimy piece of,” Dimitri stopped her by placing his hand over her mouth and pulling her into the darkness.

“Was that the ever so sweet voice of Nadia?” Nadia’s heart sank as she heard Sergei’s gloating voice from the corridor they had just left.

“Did you come back hoping to rescue even more of MY property?” Sergei took a deep breath trying to control his rage. “Only to find that they aren’t where you left them? Are they dead or did he just move them? That’s what you’re frantically thinking, isn’t it?” He stopped right outside the dungeon hallway peering into the darkness. He was flanked by two of his giant body guards. “Come out, come out where ever you are and I will bring you right to them. I’m sure they’re more than willing to share their cages or their coffins with you.”

Nadia gripped Dimitri’s hand to get his attention. She was clammy and looked exhausted, but Dimitri could see the selfless, determined look she had every time she was about to risk her life for someone else.

“Don’t,” he mouthed.

“I have to try,” Nadia said in a whisper.

“What was that, my dear?” Sergei said still trying to see through the darkness, but did not receive an answer. “I grow tired of this

game. Go and get her.”

Nadia tightened her grip on Dimitri’s hand and wrapped her other arm around his waist. Then she collapsed against him. “Twice,” she said to him almost completely breathless, but able to carry her own weight again.

“What?” Dimitri asked.

“We jumped somewhere else twice,” Nadia grinned sheepishly as Dimitri looked around.

The corridor they popped into was very clean and probably inhabited by quite a few of Sergei’s people. Dimitri felt very exposed and feared they would run into maids, Sergei, or his men at any moment standing out in the open like they were.

“We need to move,” Dimitri said voicing exactly what Nadia was thinking. This time Nadia followed as Dimitri pulled her away from the well-lit area. Her fear grew with every step and Dimitri was rigid with the intensity of a hunter. They slowed only once so Dimitri could ‘scout ahead’. Nadia exhaustedly leaned against a wall and waited. She was deep in thought about where the prisoners could have been moved when Dimitri came back. Nadia jumped when he grabbed her hand. She would have tripped and fallen onto her face if Dimitri had not caught her. However, he did not stop her from kicking over a small table and smashing the crystal vase that was perched on top of it. He wrapped his arms around Nadia protectively, almost picking her up off the ground as she stared at the shattered vase that practically put a spotlight onto their location. Dimitri and Nadia hid in a room just off the other side of the hall from the vase. Dimitri let go of Nadia when they were safely in the room. He shut the door just enough so he could still see what was going on in the hall.

It was clumsy moments like this, Nadia thought savagely, that remind me that I am only a girl from Gilbert, Arizona. I’m not some amazing superhero able to save the world. Nadia shook her head slowly as she heard shouting and hurried footsteps in the hallway. She knew she had given away their position and all her dream jumping was for nothing.

A servant of some kind and one of the large numbered monstrosities came running to see what had happened. They stared, unsure of what to do. Dimitri found it funny and turned to tell Nadia. She wasn’t there. At first, Dimitri thought he was alone in the room. Then he heard Nadia say something in a stifled whisper. The noise drew his gaze to the corner of the room. A small, sweaty man with orange eyes was smiling up at Dimitri. The tiny man’s face was contorted with triumph and malice. Dimitri instantly knew that he was looking at Sergei. The man that ordered his village to be burned to the ground. The beast that haunted and enraged his days. The demon that Dimitri had sworn to free his people from one way or another.

At first, Dimitri could only stare into Sergei’s unnatural orange eyes trying to control the shear hatred that pulsed through his veins. Then Dimitri’s heart skipped a beat and he became statue stiff.

“What, my dear?” Sergei said to Nadia never taking his eyes from Dimitri. Sergei had Nadia gripped across the chest with his left arm and a knife at her throat with his right.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered again to Dimitri. “I’m so, so sorry. I’m clumsy, so clumsy. Just go.” Sergei threw his head back and laughed wickedly as he sheathed his knife.

“My dear, I have never heard you sound so tired or apologetic. It is not very becoming,” Sergei said with mock concern. “This won’t even be fun for me. Pity.”

Dimitri looked at Nadia when she spoke, but snapped back to Sergei. Dimitri was trying to find a way to release Nadia without causing her further injury. But he was hoping to horribly maim Sergei in the process. While Dimitri contemplated Nadia’s escape, Sergei decided to slowly choke the life out of her. Nadia tried to fight back, but she was already exhausted from the experimental dream jumps. Dimitri could tell she was losing the fight and Sergei’s arrogant grin told Dimitri that Sergei knew it too. A few seconds later, Dimitri watched Nadia’s eyes roll back into her head and her body collapse against Sergei. Dimitri still did not know how to save her. When Sergei was sure Nadia was unconscious, he let her fall to the ground with a careless thud laughing to himself.

“So,” Sergei began in a sickeningly sweet voice twirling his knife once more. “You must be Dimitri.” Dimitri was a little taken aback, but he was too focused on Nadia’s crumpled form to care. Sergei saw the intensity of Dimitri’s focus and laughed again. “She was very foolish to come back here, especially since she is still not fully healed.” The smile Sergei wore saturated his voice as he spoke. “I mean she still has that nasty head wound.” Sergei laughed harder as the wound appeared again in the tangle of hair on the back of Nadia’s head. “It is now infected.”

Nadia’s body convulsed slightly, but she did not wake. Dimitri was rooted to the spot feeling extremely helpless. He had studied the dream world all his life, but did not understand it. He also could not manipulate it like Nadia could, Dimitri thought to himself trying to stay calm. Sergei is known throughout the land as the Dream Puppet Master. If you enter Sergei’s dream realm, you do not leave until he is done playing with you or he kills you. Nadia, however, had entered several times and had left almost as many. But how?

Sergei broke Dimitri’s silent debate by saying, “Did you know that she also has a broken ankle still?” Nadia whimpered and Dimitri took a step closer enraged. “Dimitri, why so angry? I am only telling you what is wrong with her. Apparently, her internal bleeding has stopped, but that pesky rib is still broken.” Nadia gasped and Dimitri had had enough. He lunged at Sergei, but stopped just short of attacking him. Sergei had placed a booted foot under Nadia and flipped her over onto her back. Her arms flung mercilessly hitting the ground once again. The sound made Sergei smile. He rested his foot on the right side of her rib cage. Dimitri knew that was the side with the broken rib. He also knew from the look on Sergei’s face that Sergei would crush Nadia’s ribs into any internal organ he could find given the chance.

“You scum sucking, piece of,” Dimitri growled through clenched teeth, but Sergei cut him off.

“Now, now what harsh language and with a woman present.” Sergei pressed his

boot down onto Nadia’s rib cage and watched her face contort with pain. Sergei’s own showed the glee a child would have on Christmas morning. Dimitri heard the sickening pop and crack of another rib breaking, but it was Nadia’s screams of pain that caused him to fly off the handle. Dimitri slammed Sergei into the wall before Sergei even had time to react. Sergei was able to scream out to his guards before Dimitri pressed his forearm against Sergei’s wind pipe. Dimitri punched Sergei hard in the stomach for good measure hoping to have caused some damage. The whole room wavered slightly before three large guards came slamming through the door. All the guards stopped just inside the room. Dimitri had pulled the knife out of Sergei’s hand and held it to Sergei’s throat.

“If you come any closer, I will not hesitate to kill this despicable creature,” Dimitri spit the words out, laced in venom.

“She is dying, guardian,” Sergei whispered and Dimitri glanced down at Nadia. She must have curled herself into fetal position during the fight and she was gasping for air as she spit up black-red blood. Dimitri could hear that each breath she took was wet and bubbly sounding. “I must have punctured one of her lungs,” Sergei said with a wicked smile. Dimitri pushed the knife harder against his throat cutting a thin line and drawing blood.

“Send us back,” Dimitri whispered through his rage. “Or I will cut off your head. Try and control this world then.”

Sergei smiled overly confident, “Go ahead. Unlike you, I cannot die in this world. I control it completely.”

“Really?” Dimitri asked calling Sergei’s bluff. “Nadia has stopped you three times in this world and my guess is if you could have escaped from me you would have.” Dimitri pressed the knife a little harder and Sergei flinched as Dimitri drew more blood. “Ah,” Dimitri said allowing his voice to fill with victory. “You aren’t really in that much control, are you? Send us back now,” Dimitri whispered inches from Sergei’s face.

Dimitri woke up abruptly sitting up on the cold floor in the City Center. He was disoriented, but Nadia’s labored breathing brought him back to his task at hand. Dimitri reached for Nadia to confirm that she too had woken from the dream world. He smiled at her briefly before Nadia began to choke on her own blood.

“Stay with me, Nadia,” Dimitri said trying to hide his panic as he laid her as flat as she would allow. He could see the fear in Nadia’s eyes when she looked at him. “Come on, Nadia, you have to help. You need to fight.”

He felt her relax ever so slightly under his hands. Dimitri reached for his father’s gift of healing and knew he was only slightly more rested then the day before. Dimitri also knew he had no choice. He had to heal Nadia’s punctured lung if nothing else. He lifted Nadia’s shirt to reveal the bottom of her rib cage and gasped with rage. There was a boot shaped bruise spreading across the right side of her ribs and a small cut sluggishly bleeding from the center of the bruise. He pushed gently trying to find the rib that did the most damage, feeling at least three broken ribs. Nadia reached up and grasped his wrist as a soft gurgle escaped her lips. He placed both hands on her ribs and concentrated on the lung underneath. Dimitri felt one of the ribs right itself as it was removed from Nadia’s lung. In the mere seconds before Nadia’s lung was healed a lot of blood poured into her lung. Nadia’s hand dropped from Dimitri’s wrist and grabbed at her throat because she was suffocating. Dimitri carefully flipped Nadia onto her left side to help expel the blood in her lungs with his gift. When Nadia could breathe normally again Dimitri turned his attention to her head wound. He had seen in the dream world how infected it had become and kicked himself mentally for not doing a more thorough cleaning.

“Stay awake for me,” he said to Nadia. She softly grabbed his wrist again, but kept her eyes shut.

She was trying to will herself not to throw up from the taste of the blood or pass out from the pain in her ribs, ankle, and head. She didn’t hear Dimitri ask her to stay awake, because all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart beat in her ears.

Dimitri, however, heard footsteps on the stairs as he began searching through his bag for herbs to help clean Nadia’s head wound. Her injuries were too extensive and he was too tired to heal her completely. He was sure he had something herbal to lessen her pain. He assumed the footsteps were Althea, but he did not have the time to pay her any heed. When he did glance up Dimitri was met by what he believed to be a family of five. He jumped to his feet, jerking Nadia’s hand from his forearm, ready to defend himself and Nadia from the strangers.

“Wait,” the older woman said as she held out her hands to show she was unarmed. “We have come to help Nadia as best we can.” Her statement stopped Dimitri. “Please allow me to explain later,” the older woman began. “For now, I am Astrid and this is my family. We are healers, though not as you heal. We have a great knowledge of herbs and have come to help a friend.”

Dimitri looked deep into Astrid’s eyes before allowing himself to relax a small amount. He nodded to her and she turned to her family. Astrid pointed to her two sons and asked them to bring her all their bags and blankets. Then she turned to her daughter and husband and told them where to find several herbs in the surrounding area. As they left to complete their tasks Astrid turned to Dimitri and said, “You look greatly worn, but I could still use your services. Can you tell me of her injuries?”