Dreamwalker

6. Chapter 6

“Oh, are you actually doing it? I didn’t expect you to take this so seriously. How cute!” I opened my eyes to find Jun watching me, his warm eyes glittering in amusement. Jun’s voice echoed throughout the empty room, proving that only he and I remained in the building.

“I was just following you!” I protested, making him laugh. “We’ve already done most of the ceremony -- you mean to tell me there was no reason?”

“We had to go through the motions to establish your position, Jade. But that doesn’t mean we have to stay here until the sun rises. Would you like to come with me?” Jun stood up, walking over to the nearest lantern, and detaching it from the post. He came back over to me, offering his hand to help me up from the cushion. I accepted his help, still confused, “There are secret places in every corner of the palace...” Jun stepped around to the back of the gigantic statue and pressed a section of the flames inward. I heard a loud grinding sort of noise and a door caved in at the base of the statue, leading underground.

“Whoa!!” I shouted, then realized I was probably too loud and covered my mouth.

Jun chuckled, “Come along, Priestess,” he beckoned.

Jun took the first step down the stairs, and I followed close behind, grabbing the back of his clothes so we didn’t get separated. He awarded me with a soft smile, and continued forward, just as the door shut behind us. We made our way down a winding stone staircase, the lamplight flickering against the stone walls around us. The last step went to a wooden door that opened up into a small, simple room. There were a wooden bed and a small table, but nothing else.

“We can sleep here for the night,” Jun explained, placing the lantern on the table. I paused, chewing my bottom lip worriedly between my teeth. No matter what, I couldn’t fall asleep here.

“I-I’m sure you’re tired. You can go to sleep first,” I lied, moving to take a seat at the table.

Jun eyed me cautiously, “Why do you want me to sleep first?”

“Y-You’re a man and I’m a woman, it wouldn’t be right if-”

Jun frowned, not believing me for a second, “After your display during the Second Rite, I’m certain something like that doesn’t bother you. What is the real issue?”

I sighed, plopping my head down on the table, sighing in resignation, “I… can’t go to sleep here.”

“This room is small, but we won’t be here for long-”

I shook my head, “No, no, that’s not what I mean.” I pushed out a breath. I had to give him a little more information about the situation, at least. “If I fall asleep, I’ll vanish again.”

Jun gave me a truly concerned look, kneeling beside my chair, “Jade, I need you to explain this fully. I don’t -- how can you vanish?”

“Earlier, I told you I’m from a place that’s far away, right? But it's even further than you can imagine. The only way for me to get here, to the Onyx Kingdom, is to fall asleep.”

“And if you fall asleep again, you can return to your home?”

“Exactly.”

Jun pursed his lips, the wheels turning in his mind, “What summoned you here then? How are you able to come between each place?”

“I was told that someone called for me. We don’t know who, but-”

“We?” Jun repeated, and I resisted the urge to groan out loud. Sometimes, I talked too damn much.

“I have no idea how I got here, or who is calling for me in this world. All I know is that every time I come here, you’re the first person I see.”

Jun stewed over that information for a bit. He stood up, taking a seat on the edge of the bed a few feet away. Neither of us said anything for a while, both of us deep in thought. Suddenly, Jun stood up, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the chair.

“I want to see it.” He said, leading me over to the bed. He stretched out in the spot closest to the wall, patting the empty space beside him. “Show me how you’ll disappear.”

“Jun, if I vanish, I don’t know when I can come back again,” I warned him, though I was already sitting on the bed. A part of me wondered if he’d actually be able to see me disappear.

“That’s fine. I’ll just tell everyone we stayed in the baths too long, and you fell ill. Don’t worry -- I will make sure no one is looking for you.” Jun quickly devised, and I was impressed with his quick thinking.

“Ok,” I agreed in a small voice, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes.

Jun chuckled, leaning on his arm to watch me, “Just like that? You’re going to sleep?”

I huffed, “I can’t sleep if you’re talking to me, Jun.”

He laughed again, amused by my retort, “If you vanish, what should I do?”

I sighed dejectedly, opening my eyes to stare up at the ceiling, “I have no idea. Since someone has to call me here, maybe you can call for me?”

Jun nodded, then paused as he reconsidered, “How do I do that?”

I shook my head, “I don’t know the answer to that either.”

Jun mimicked my position, laying on his back, “Hm. We should ask Minghao.”

“Who is that?” I asked, rolling on my side to face Jun.

He grinned and turned to face me once again, “My little brother, Minghao, is the Eighth Prince. He’s read more books than anyone else in the Palace.”

“There’s eight of you?”

Jun shook his head, “In total, there are 14 of us. I’m the first, and oldest son. Some of my siblings are only months apart in age; others, a few years. Very few of us have the same mother.”

“And you? Do you share a mother with anyone?”

“My elder sister and I have the same mother. Our Royal Mother, the Queen, adopted my little brother, Minghao. His mother passed away during childbirth, so we are the only family he has ever known.”

Minghao was an orphan, like me. I wondered if he looked anything like his older brother.

Jun gave a soft chuckle, “We’re supposed to be sleeping.”

“I’m supposed to be sleeping,” I corrected, shutting my eyes once again. “If I vanish… Try to think about me or something. Maybe that will bring me back again.”

“That won’t be hard to do,” Jun murmured, and I opened my eyes immediately, catching a glitter of desire in his gaze.

I couldn’t leave that revelation unnoticed, so I reached forward with my index finger to tilt Jun’s chin upward, “Keep your thoughts to yourself, Your Highness. As you’ve told me repeatedly: no man can touch me.”

Jun fixed me with an unwavering stare, trapping my finger in his hand. His voice dropped an octave, the sound of his voice echoing in my ears, “This time, you touched me first, so you can’t blame me for what happens.”

My heart fluttered unexpectedly, and I pressed my lips tightly together to keep from saying anything else. Instead, I made an attempt to withdraw my hand, but Jun tightened his grip, holding my hand still. When he gave me a pointed look, I closed my eyes again to block out his gaze, which made Jun laugh.

“You started this, silly Priestess.” He teased. I kept my eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. “Sleep well, Jade,” He whispered gently.

I felt the day catching up to me, exhaustion steadily creeping up on me. The entire world was going dark, but someway, somehow, I could feel Jun’s hand in mine. I could hear his soft breathing. I focused on that sound even as I lost consciousness, a part of me fearing the worst, but hoping for the best.

Hours later, I woke with a start to Jun’s arm wrapped tightly around my waist, my forehead resting against our tightly clasped hands. I was still right where I had fallen asleep, in the Onyx Kingdom.

I was confused. I was concerned. I was ecstatic. Too many feelings washed over me all at once, but all those things paled in comparison to the warmth in my chest as my gaze landed on Jun’s sleeping form.

His eyelashes were much longer than I realized. Jun’s breathing was gentle and steady as he slept, which made me smile, since he was supposed to stay awake and watch me. I untangled my fingers from his, reaching out with my now-freed hand. I hesitantly touched the silken strands of long hair that had fallen into his face. His hair was soft and smooth, thick, but nowhere near as voluminous as mine. I tucked his hair behind his ear slowly, my gaze slowly sweeping from his earlobes, down his sharp jawline, and directly to his mouth. I unconsciously my lips, wondering if a kiss in this dream world would feel like real life. When I finally shifted my focus to examine his sleeping face further, I realized that Jun was already awake, and watching me.

My cheeks heated instantly, and my face felt like it was on fire, embarrassed that I got caught. We stared at each other for a moment before Jun broke the silence, his voice low and deep from just waking up, “Jade, I warned you.”

I actually nodded, admitting my guilt, because he had warned me. I could hear my heart beating in my ears as Jun pulled me closer, forcing me onto my back and straddling me. I was getting warmer and warmer, knowing it wasn’t the temperature of the underground room that was making me hot.

“Should I punish you for breaking a royal command?” Jun leaned forward, speaking softly in my ear. His lips brushed the sensitive skin on my earlobe, making my heart go crazy, “Of course, since you’re my Priestess, it’s only right that I mete out your punishment...”

I had to catch myself from nodding in agreement, at risk of falling directly under his spell, “W-What are you going to do?”

Jun leaned back, lifting an eyebrow, hearing the slight hitch in my breathing as he straightened up so he could face me directly, “Did you already have something in mind?” He questioned, with a full-blown smirk.

I shook my head adamantly. Jun nodded, leaning forward until our foreheads were pressed together. I didn’t push him away as he cupped my cheeks in his hands.

“I was so worried you wouldn’t be here when I woke up. I shouldn’t have fallen asleep,” he murmured, closing his eyes since we were so close together. His long hair fell around us like a curtain, tickling the tops of my shoulders.

I giggled softly, “You’re a terrible scientist. How are you supposed to test a theory if you fall asleep before seeing the results?”

Jun laughed, still holding on to my cheeks, but pulling back a little so we could look at one another. I could feel the vibrations of his laughter from where our bodies touched, “I tried very hard to stay awake if that counts for anything.”

I chuckled, shaking my head, “It doesn’t count for a single thing, Your Highness.”

In retaliation, Jun stuck his tongue out at me saucily and finally climbed off of me. I mentally chided myself for letting my mind go to places it had no business being, struggling to focus on the topic at hand, “Jun, I’m still here. I never went back home.”

He sat up in bed, leaning his back against the wall, “Then, do you know how to get home now?”

“No, I know even less now.” I frowned thoughtfully, trying to make heads or tales of the situation. I know I had fallen asleep, so why was I still in this world? It didn’t make sense.

“We’ll have to try again some other time. We need to go back to the altar before the servants unlock the doors.” Jun explained, and I agreed, reaching for my slippers at the edge of the bed. Once we checked each other’s appearance to hide the evidence of our sleepover, we left the tiny room in the same way we arrived. As the stone door slid open, Jun blew out the lamp and helped me climb out of the hidden passageway. Sunlight was streaming into the temple from all sides, a clear indication that it was morning. We peeked around the giant phoenix to make sure that no one else was in the room.

Thankfully, the temple was still empty.

Jun returned the lantern to the post near the front of the altar, while I went back to kneeling on the cushion. Just as Jun took a seat on the cushion beside me, the double doors at the entrance to the temple were thrown open and a gathering of people filed in, a mixture of servants and clergy. Jun and I remained where we were, pretending to meditate until Monk Yang’s voice rang out over the noise.

“Your Highness, the Gods have witnessed the dedication of both your hearts. The ceremony is officially complete. His Majesty, the Emperor, plans to host a parade in the city to celebrate the rise of High Priestess Jade.”

I peeked over at Jun, who made a show of slowly rising from the cushion. He held out his hand to help me do the same, and I stood as gracefully as I could, allowing Jun to lead me back down the dais, where Monk Yang waited for us.

Further behind him, Lily and Flora bowed to the ground, along with another young man, who bowed at the waist, a few steps ahead of them. I had never seen this guy before, but everything about him was youthful and happy. He had chestnut-colored hair and a warm smile, but his eyes seemed more intelligent than he let on. He was beaming at Jun as he rose, who looked just as happy to see him. Was this his younger brother?

“Renjun, did you just get back?” Jun asked him curiously, releasing my hand to hurry down the steps. He clapped the young man on the shoulder, grinning happily.

“The wild goose chase you sent me on took longer than expected, Your Highness.” His smile was still in the same place, but I chuckled behind my hand. I was going to like him.

Jun laughed sheepishly, looking apologetic, “I’m sorry for sending you on a pointless errand.”

Renjun nodded, “And I’m sorry for not returning sooner from your pointless errand.”

Monk Yang coughed to hide his laughter, but Jun just shook his head, laughing loudly at Renjun’s candid response.

The two turned to me, and Renjun stepped forward to take my hand, bowing on one knee, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Priestess. I’m His Highness’ right hand, Huang Renjun. You are free to command me as you wish, though I follow no one but the Eldest Prince of the Onyx Kingdom.”

“I’m sure Jun needs you much more than me,” I replied, giving him a single nod in greeting. “Nice to meet you too, Renjun.”

Renjun eyed me critically for a moment before he finally stood and released my hand. He turned to Jun, and commented warmly, “Now I see why you were so desperate for me to find her, Your Highness.”

Jun’s eyes widened when I turned to face him in surprise. He cut his eyes at Renjun, “Must you reveal everything, Renjun?!”

The younger man chuckled, “I’m afraid there are many people who are curious about the new priestess. Some might want much more than her prayers once they finally meet her.”

Jun turned back towards me, a fierce expression in his eyes, though he was still speaking to Renjun, “Too bad for them. She belongs to me -- now and forever.”

End Chapter 6