Deathstalker 05 - Deathstalker Destiny

on with reassuring speed, and his bedroom appeared around him. His old bedroom, from when he'd been a child growing up in Tower Wolfe. Stephanie had had it opened up again especially for him, when it became clear how badly he needed somewhere he could feel safe and secure.
    Something had happened to him, during his search for his dead father, something awful. So bad he couldn't remember any of it. Except in his dreams.
    He swung down from his bed and padded over to the nightstand to wash his face in the basin. The cool water was soothing, but he remained troubled. He felt sure there was something he ought to remember. Something important. No matter how much it terrified him.
    His door slid open, and his heart jumped painfully in his chest. He spun around, arms raised to protect himself from… something. But it was only his big sister Stephanie, come to see that he was all right. She always knew when there was something wrong with him. She'd come straight from her own bed, her hair still disheveled, a cloak flung over her flimsy nightdress so as not to scandalize the guards. Daniel nodded jerkily to her, and moved back to sit on the edge of his bed. She sat down beside him, and put a comforting arm across his still shaking shoulders.
    "Was it the dream again?" she said quietly. "Have you been taking the pills the doctor prescribed?"
    "They don't help. I don't have any problem sleeping. Just dreaming. No one can stop you from dreaming."
    "Do you have any idea what it is about the dream that's so bad? So frightening?
    Or why you keep having the same dream?"
    "No. It's always gone by the time I'm properly awake." Daniel stared down at his hands, twisting together in his lap. He was wearing pajamas with pictures of Bruin Bear on them, just as he had when he was still a child. They comforted him, and gave him some feeling that someone was looking after him. "It's just…
    something bad is coming. I know it. But I don't know what, or why, or how… I wish you'd call in an esper. Have them dig it out of my head."
    "We've been through this before, Danny," said Stephanie firmly. "If we call in an esper, word would be bound to get out. And then people would talk. We can't have the other Families, or anyone else, seeing us as weak. Not with things… as they are. It's only a dream, Danny. You'll get over it."
    "If only I could remember…" Daniel glared helplessly down at his hands, clenched into useless fists.
    Stephanie made hushing noises to him, and rocked him back and forth a little.
    Daniel began to relax, almost in spite of himself. He remembered his mother doing the same thing, when he was very young. "Don't worry about a stupid old dream," said Stephanie. "You're entitled to a few bad dreams, after spending so long trapped in the wreckage of your ship. Just be grateful your transponder finally decided to start working again, so we could track you down, and pay for your transport home. Be glad you're still alive, Danny. A crash that bad would have killed most people."
    "Then why can't I remember anything about it? Why do I have no memories at all of why I crashed, or what I was doing so near that deserted moon?" Daniel's face creased up with frustration, like a child's. "I was gone for months. Where was I, all that time?"
    "It'll all come back," said Stephanie. "Give it time."
    "I don't know if I want it to. I'm scared, Steph."
    "Look, try and tough it out for a while longer. If you're no better in a few weeks' time, I'll see about smuggling an esper in here. There are still a few people who owed Clan Wolfe favors. In the meantime, thank your lucky stars you crashed when you did. You were well on your way to the Forbidden Sector, and no one comes back from there."
    "So everyone keeps telling me." Daniel sighed heavily. "I wish I could have found Father. Or even just his body, to bring it home to the Family vault. I miss him so much, Steph."
    "I don't. He was a tyrant and a bully. Never cared for what we wanted, and far too ready to knock you about when it suited him. He never laid a hand on me.
    Knew damn well I'd stab him if he tried. We're much better off now he's gone.
    Valentine's disappeared, Constance is completely preoccupied with her forthcoming wedding… and I have secret allies. If we work this right, we could secure control of this Family, Daniel, and run it as it should be run. Make us a power in the land again. Isn't that what we always wanted?"
    "I suppose so," said Daniel. "You always know best, Steph.