Darkness Falls: Reveler Series 1 Read Online Free

real world, his life reduced to glimpses of fantasy.
    Proof positive: the man’s appearance altered—his expression smoothed, shoulders loosened. Since Rêve was artificial, most people arrived in the clothing they wore when they were put to sleep—like Big Sis and her classic black dress. It took skill to consciously alter your appearance, and more to hold it for the duration. This sad sack guy gained some faux muscle, lost the paunch in his belly, and erased a decade from his face. Yeah, he had some control, but one look at his stressed pre-Rêve self, and it was clear that the dream controlled him right back.
    Not that Rook could judge. Even here, in this cheesy predesigned place—
    A mere thought, and the darkness in the trees suddenly gathered into a dense wave, a weight that threatened to smother him. Breathing became difficult; good thing he didn’t need oxygen here.His monster hadn’t taken long to find him, like a shadow tied to its master. It was always there, waiting for a moment of weakness.
    Shit.
    Danger worked differently in dreams—sometimes, if he didn’t look at the nightmares, they couldn’t see him, either. A kid’s game, obviously, but then children had to have learned it from somewhere.
    He gritted his teeth and concentrated on his mark. She was the one he wanted. “What’s your name?”
    It’s not there. Not there. Not there.
    She’d turned to look at the sad sack newcomer, too—had to have sensed him since he was behind her—and had taken a backward step toward Rook.
    “Jordan,” she mumbled. “Nice to meet you.”
    She was the real deal, all right. Twitchy, but if she’d come this far, she’d just have to be brave enough to go deeper. No going back.
    What nightmares would she waken?
    Didn’t matter to him. Couldn’t. He had a job to do.
    He moved to her side so that he could talk to her without blocking her view—God forbid he should get in the way of her watching for her sister.
    “Nice to meet you too, Jordan. I’m—” What was his fake name again?
    She wasn’t listening anyway. Her attention was completely absorbed, but not by the surreal starry landscape or the tropical jungle behind him. Now Jordan was looking around before each new Envoi guest broke through the Rêve barrier, anticipating each eruption, though they came from all directions onto the beach.
    Coll was going to wet his pants.
    Rook smiled as charmingly as he could. “I’ll bet there’s a bar on the other side of the trees. Can I buy you a drink?”
    She didn’t bother to turn her head, but her gaze slid over, a brow lifting at the irony of his offer.
    Old, tired joke. Money didn’t matter here—not yet—and there were no real drinks to be had. The Rêve high was in the euphoria that came from pure creation, being liberated from the restrictions of the rules. For those in pain, release.
    There were lows too, which was what Coll had led with when he’d originally scouted him from that filthy deserted warehouse where he’d been crashing with a bunch of other runaways.
    Jordan suddenly smiled, so bright with emotion that it was near blinding to someone with darksight like him. The feeling was direct from her heart, intensified by the dream. He’d bet her sister was on the brink of arriving.
    A Technicolor flash, and sure enough, Wild Child broke through the Rêve barrier.
    Arms out, Jordan ran toward her and they met in a movie-style hug. The dream cheesing it up again? Or were they for real?
    “I couldn’t grab the doorknob,” Wild Child said, pulling back. “It kept moving every time I reached for it.”
    Jordan laughed out loud. “I couldn’t even find the door! I was searching and searching, but it was nowhere.”
    Rook was pretty damn sure that Jordan had opened the door as soon as it appeared. She must’ve been looking for something else.
    “Oh my God! Will you look at this place!” Wild Child was gawking at the starry infinity drop.
    Rook was more overwhelmed by Jordan.
    She’d put