I didn’t know what to expect from something called the River of Dreams, but whatever I had imagined—stars and dreamers and pirate ships floating down a lazy current—it was nothing compared to the real thing.
“Wow,” Kenzie breathed a few minutes later, her gaze awed as she stared over the water. “That’s just... I think wow covers everything.”
I didn’t answer, feeling like my eyes weren’t big enough to take everything in. We stood on the bank of an enormous black river, the inky surface reflecting the night sky, until they seemed to merge together. The water was full of stars, moons, constellations, and the longer I stared at it, the more I felt like I was in danger of tumbling into the void. I couldn’t even see my own reflection in the glassy surface. Though I could see other things beneath the water or floating along the top. A violin, a stuffed bear, a huge fat goldfish the size of a basketball. A log drifted past, spinning lazily in the current, and a red fox peered out at me with bright orange eyes. Spheres of light, either balls of faery fire or gigantic lightning bugs, hovered over the surface as well, only adding to the dazzling confusion.
“The River of Dreams,” the Thin Man said, standing at the edge of the water with his hands clasped behind him. He sounded...not sad, but contemplative. Wistful. Eyeing me and Kenzie, his mouth twitched into a smile. “Do you know how many mortals have stood on these banks, Ethan Chase? How many have seen the River while awake? None in my lifetime, and I have lived a very, very long time.”
“It’s amazing,” Kenzie whispered, unable to tear her eyes away. Razor, perched on her shoulder, seemed entranced, as well. The Thin Man blinked as she took a step forward.
“I would not stand too close to the edge, my girl,” he warned. “This is not the nightmare stretch, but that does not mean you want to lean too far over the water. If you fall in, the river might be unwilling to let you go.”
A loud gurgle interrupted him. I looked up, just as a portion of river boiled, and a freaking house rose out of the water, pointed yellow roof stabbing into the air. The house was perched on the back of an enormous turtle, which turned its head to stare at us with glassy black eyes. I was frozen, but the massive reptile blinked lazily, as if we were beneath its notice, turned and swam off, carrying itself and the house down the river, until it sank into the depths once more and was lost from view.
I swallowed the dryness in my throat. Okay, that was terrifying. Stepping back from the edge now.
Kenzie, too, had moved a few swift paces away from the water. “The Deep Wyld is on the other side, isn’t it?” she asked, as the ripples from the monstrous turtle began to die away. “How are we getting across? Is there a dock close by? Somewhere we can catch a boat?”
“No.” The Thin Man turned to stare at us, frowning. “There is only one ferry that travels the River of Dreams,” he said, somewhat mysteriously, I thought, “but it is not for crossing the river. I doubt we will see it here, and even if we do, it will not stop for us, I’m afraid.”
“Okay.” Kenzie gave the water’s edge a leery glance. “I hope you don’t expect us to swim.”
“Patience, my dear.” The Thin Man held up an impossibly slender finger. “The River of Dreams is very long, and we are not the only ones who wish to cross it tonight. Worry not. Hopefully, it will be here soon... Ah, there it is. Perfect timing.”
I turned, hearing Kenzie gasp in surprise.
Spanning the length of the River of Dreams, where nothing had been before, was a bridge. A very old bridge, made of wood, stone and rope, creaking softly in the wind like it would snap at any moment.
I stared back at the Thin Man. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“No, Ethan Chase. That is the bridge to cross the River of Dreams,” the Thin Man said, seemingly baffled by my reaction. “You should consider yourself lucky. Sometimes the bridge does not appear for several hours. Sometimes it does not appear at all. Like I said before, the River of Dreams is very long. You can’t expect the bridge to just appear with a snap of your fingers.”
“That’s not what worries me.”
“Then what is the problem here, Ethan Chase?”
“The problem is I don’t want to wind up in the middle of the River of Dreams if that rotten thing decides to snap. Or vanish into thin air.”
The Thin Man shook his head. “You are being ridiculous, my boy. The bridge has existed for a very, very long time. It has never failed. Also, may I remind you that there is no other way to cross the River of Dreams, unless you are planning to swim. Which I do not recommend. There are far more dangerous things in the water than what you have seen tonight.” With a sniff, he straightened, tugging on his coat sleeves. “I am going now,” he announced with great dignity. “Feel free to join me when you are done being paranoid.”
He turned, briefly disappearing from sight, and walked down the bank to where the bridge loomed ominously. I sighed, shared a look with Kenzie and Razor, and hurried after him.
Two ancient moss-covered stones marked the entrance to the rickety walk of wooden boards stretching precariously over the water. The handrails were a couple of old ropes on either side, and I could see the river through the gaps between the planks. The Thin Man strode onto the bridge without hesitation, but Kenzie paused, crouching to peer at one of the stones, Razor lighting up the surface with his neon grin.
“There’s...something here,” she muttered, brushing at the mossy coating. “Words, or a message, or something. I can’t read it. It’s too worn away.”