*****
Sarah yawned and stretched herself awake. Sunshine beat against her window. She felt rested and calm, a combination far too elusive of late. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she slept so well.
She stretched again, and checked the time. It was later than she normally slept, but not an unreasonable hour. She felt good. Maybe her insomnia was over, a boring book and a day of rest cured it. Feeling so well had Sarah looking forward to the day with unusual cheeriness, so it took her a while to notice her sneakers.
Sarah was brushing her teeth when she looked down at her feet. She was wearing her sneakers. Why was she . . . ? Muddily, she remembered her dream. She’d gone out, back to the pavilion from her first dream. But she was actually wearing her shoes and they were crusted with grit. Did that mean it wasn’t a dream at all?
Toothbrush in hand, Sarah walked back into the bedroom. The door to her balcony was open again. She went outside and leaned on the rail, running her gaze over the garden and maze. Nothing was amiss. There was no sign that she, or anyone else, had been out last night.
She must have been sleepwalking. Or sleep dressing, in this case. The alternative wasn’t pleasant to think about. A strange fairy-boy putting her to sleep and carrying her back to her room? Sarah shivered despite the warm morning.
*****
Chapter 17: Everybody’s Got a Secret