The Sandman Read Free Page A

Steve.”
    “There’s no way Mirren is going to leave her kid again,” Rook said. “And Vince is iffy at the best of times.”
    She winced as the man he’d been pounding collapsed to the street.
    And yeah, David, Mirren’s son, was probably in the city now, too. Just tucked away in the playground Maisie had built for him. Now that was a cool piece of work.
    “Besides,” Rook continued, “they’re wanted for killing Senator Fleight’s daughter, and it was the senator who sent that mercenary to Maze City to find them. Sera is still the best one to go to Steve, Maisie. Deal with it.”
    Ugh. It was just that Sera hated shared dreaming, while the dreamwaters were where Maisie was at her best. They just couldn’t relate. Never would.
    The vision of Steve’s head recoiling back after being kicked in the face assaulted her again. A cry ached in Maisie’s throat. She could do such amazing things, but she couldn’t help the man she…the man who…
    “Deal with it?” she muttered through clenched teeth. “Send a freaking cook to save Steve Coll . It’s so stupid.”
    And there Sera was, talking to Eleanor and some ritzy lady in pearls.
    “She’s a chef ,” Rook said. “Almost filleted the last person who made that mistake.”
    “Whatever.” But Maisie walked directly over to her.
    “— must be Lambert,” the pearl-wearing woman was saying.
    “Lambert is dead,” Sera said.
    Harlen’s mom, Eleanor, had her arms folded, her face lined with worry. Her gaze flicked to Maisie, eyes full of understanding even though Eleanor didn’t know her at all. Her compassion made Maisie’s eyes prickle.
    She would not cry. She would not cry. Bitch, yes. But not cry. Not until Steve was okay and holding on to her. And then she’d bitch at him, too, for worrying her like this.
    Lady Pearls put a hand to her chest. “I heard Lambert was in reveler care. Did he pass away?”
    Maisie wanted to interrupt, but she was working on the lump in her throat.
    Sera shook her head. “Not yet, but he’s never waking up, either. The Sandman did something to him. Turned him into dust. It was witnessed by his daughter, Mirren.”
    And Steve , Maisie mentally added. Steve had been there, too.
    Lady Pearls’s gaze flicked up to the buildings on the left. “Then who owns this Rêve?”
    “It’s not for me to say,” Sera said.
    Damn right it wasn’t.
    “Sera, I have a favor to ask you.” Maisie made her voice hard in case it trembled. She remembered what Rook had said— ask nicely —and for Steve, she added, “Please.”
    “Yes, of course.” Sera’s eyes were wary.
    “It might be a big favor. A dangerous one.” An important one.
    Sera nodded. “I think I can guess what it is.”
    “You can?”
    “I’m the only one nobody is looking for, right?”
    Okay, maybe it was time to start giving Sera some credit. “Yes. That’s it exactly.”
    “I’ll go just as soon as we figure out the next step.”
    The recoil of Steve’s head flashed in Maisie’s mind again. “How about now, instead?”
    “Then I won’t know what to tell Steve about what’s going on, will I?” Sera reached out and gently touched Maisie’s arm. “As soon as I know the plan, I’ll go.”
    Maisie gritted her teeth. Steve needed help now .
    Lady Pearls extended her hand. “I’m Vivienne Kennedy. Malcolm and I work together.”
    “Nice to meet you,” Maisie mumbled but left her hand hanging to turn back to the guys. “Hey! If we don’t decide shit this minute, I swear I will wake up and leave you all for the nightmares.”
    Why were they chatting without her, anyway? This was her city, so the plan was her call. They seemed to decide something, and then they finally came over.
    The dreamwaters near Harlen seeped with his pain.
    “You should wake up now,” Sera said to him. “We’ve got this.”
    Rook shook his head. “Harlen is going to stay in the city and help keep order. Mirren will help him. I’m going to go back out into the Scrape