The War for the Waking World Read Free Page B

said. “But for right now, until we can figure out how to fix this, you’re better off here.”
    â€œDude,” Buster blurted out, “you’re gonna leave us here?”
    â€œWhat about Kaylie?” Mr. Keaton asked, his voice pleading. “She’s just eight. She’ll be in danger. She can’t—”
    â€œDad,” Archer intervened. “Did you see what Kaylie did to that wolf monster?”
    Mr. Keaton’s mouth closed with a snap.
    Archer nodded. “Kaylie is the strongest Dreamtreader ever. She’ll do okay, I think.”
    â€œBetter than okay,” Kaylie said, smiling smugly and crossing her arms.
    Archer grinned, but his expression became serious as he strode toward the newly created blast door. “Listen to me. Mrs. Pitsitakas, Dad, please keep everyone down here. You saw it. There’s crazy stuff—deadly stuff—going on outside.”
    Archer’s father paused. Then, he laughed. “Never thought I’d see the day when you’d be telling me I’m grounded.”
    Archer smiled. It felt like his father was finally coming out of his grief-stricken depression. “Well, you’re not grounded,” he said. “Not really. You can open this door from the inside. You can get out. I just don’t want you to. It’s not safe.”
    â€œWe’ll bunker down here, son,” Mr. Keaton said. He held up his cell phone. “Looks like we’ve still got service, so we can call you, right?”
    â€œWe still have service?” Archer echoed. “Really?”
    â€œSee,” Mr. Keaton said. “Five bars.”
    â€œThat’s surprising in all this chaos,” Archer mumbled. “So, yeah, I guess call us if you need us.”
    â€œWill do. And be careful.”
    â€œRazz?” Archer called out, staring at the ceiling. “Razz, come here. I need you.”
    There was a melon-sized puff of blue smoke, a streak of purple sparks, and a shrill voice from the midst of it all, saying, “Here I am!”
    Razzlestia Celeste Moonsonnet—Razz to her friends—hovered just above Archer’s shoulders. The Dreamtreader breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Glad to see you,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what would happen to you . . . with the Rift.”
    â€œDude,” Buster said, “you’ve got a flying rat with two tails!”
    â€œAwwww!” Amy cooed. “It’s so cute.”
    â€œI am not a rat ,” Razz said, her words fringed with feistiness. “Nor am I an it . I am a flying squirrel of dreamy proportions with an unrivaled fashion sense.” She struck a pose in midair, pushing her acorn-top beret to one side of her fuzzy head and twisting her body to emphasize the shimmer of her sparkly boutique tunic dress.
    â€œOooh, pretty!” Kaylie exclaimed. “You look like a thousand facets of blue corundum!”
    Archer looked sideways at his precocious little sister. “Blue corundum?”
    â€œOh, sorry,” she said, her grin revealing a distinct lack of sorrow. “Sapphire, silly.”
    â€œAnyway, Razz,” Archer said, holding out his hand so she could perch, “you’re coming with us, but on the way out, make sure you get your bearings. I want you to know how to get back here.”
    â€œWhy, boss?” Razz asked.
    â€œSo I can send you back from time to time to make sure they’re all safe.”
    â€œRight, Archer,” Amy quipped. “You mean, to make sure we aren’t sneaking out. Yep?”
    Archer smiled thinly. “C’mon, Kaylie, we have some Dreamtreading to do.” He gave the huge spindle wheel on the blast door a spin. After a pressurized hiss, he pulled the massive door open. “Close this behind us,” he said. “And don’t open for anyone but us.”
    Archer turned to leave, but Kaylie yanked on his shirt. He stopped and turned.