Read Waking Dream [Tales of the Citadel 23] for Free Online

register with the facility coordinator?”
    “After breakfast. I will ping her when we are on our way.”
    After smoothing her hands over her hips one more time, she turned to him with a bright smile. “Lead the way.”
    It was such a relief to not have to split herself immediately upon waking. She was a little land sick but that was to be expected. The feel of natural gravity tugging at her limbs was not what she was used to, but she had been on vacation before, and it wasn’t a new feeling. It would dissipate in a few days.
    The smells of the dining hall were amazing. She wanted to ram everything into her face, and then, she wanted to savour it all.
    Instead of following her instinct, she took a tray and selected foods that were both fresh and familiar. The tea and caf both ended up in cups on her tray, and she looked around for an empty seat. Burin was already waiting for her, so she joined him, much to the distress of the young lady who was trying to drape herself over his shoulder.
    Wiyra started in on her breakfast as if she didn’t see the young woman. That produced the reaction she was waiting for.
    “Who are you?” The girl had dark red skin and golden hair. Her vaguely feline features seemed to point to her being Wyoran.
    “Me? I am Burin’s partner. Who might you be?” She smiled and kept eating.
    Burin went from being a muscular, threatening presence to a quiet, embarrassed, flustered male.
    “I am Gneera. I am one of Master Tracker Burin’s students.” She stood up straight, flipped her gold hair behind her shoulders and stuck out her chest.
    “I am Wiyra, the Waking Dream, the Walking Death, the Seeking Soul, and now, I am astral projector linked to poor Burin. I mean, he got my dowry and everything when he asked my grandfather for my hand. And the rest of me.” She shrugged and met the woman’s gold eyes without any malice.
    She felt pressure on her mind, and she calmly kept eye contact while she loaded a piece of fruit on her spoon. With a sharp flick, the melon piece caught her in her right eye, and she jumped back with a yelp, her hand slamming against her face.
    Wiyra continued to eat her meal with a wink to Burin. He waited until Gneera left, and then, let out a relieved breath. “I don’t know how you did that, but thank you. She has been trying to get me to be her link for the last four months.”
    “She was trying to press in on my thoughts. She was lucky I settled for a piece of fruit to the eye.”
    He was concerned. “She was really pushing on you?”
    “Yup. It stopped the moment she was distracted.”
    “I saw you loading the spoon, but I wasn’t sure what you were going to do with it. I applaud your restraint.”
    She chuckled. “On the platform, I would get in trouble for food fighting. We don’t waste fresh food, ever. Here, it seemed the lesser of two evils.”
    “It definitely was. What she was doing could get her expelled from the Citadel.”
    “So, what did you do to be the favourite teacher?”
    He opened his hands in a helpless gesture. “I don’t know. She simply fixated on me and has stalked me every moment of every day since.”
    “So that is why you wanted me to get hunter training? So I could defend your honour?” She fought giggles and instead rolled a nice spoonful of pudding around in her mouth before she swallowed.
    “No, so that you could have all tools to defend yourself. By the way, you have an appointment with the armourer this afternoon. We will meet with him after the coordinator.”
    The variety of people coming and going was amazing. Even on her groundside trips, it was seldom that she saw this many species in one place. She people watched and enjoyed her meal while Burin worked his way through his selections.
    “Do your students often fall for you?”
    He would have blushed, but he ducked his head instead. “It happens now and then. I do not take advantage though. Frankly, it makes me uncomfortable.”
    “Gee, being ardently pursued by