Character - Nick

Nick

Major Side Character

Male

20

Nick is one of the few members of the original Gathering that actually stays on the good side of things after Seth’s reform, making him a primary side character. Nick goes out to find Alec and restart a new Gathering to combat Nightmare. He was the youngest of the original Gathering, but is now one of the oldest. He loves everything electronic and technical, and likes to wear suits and dress shirts. He stands about five foot five and has spiky black hair and brown eyes. Soon after Eli joins the Gathering, Nick comes across Skye for the first time and falls instantly in love with her. During one of the Gathering’s battles with Nightmare, Nick blindly rushes into Skye’s dream to save her, almost getting himself killed in the process. Nick and Skye hold a steady relationship for most of the novel once meeting each other.

Character - Skye

Skye

Major Side Character

Female

17

Skye is an important side character, who eventually joins the Gathering. She is one of Eli's good friends in both the Dream World and reality. She has long, layered, blond hair and green eyes. Luke is her father and Sidney is her younger sister. Kit and Jake are her Aunt and Uncle, and Trevor is her cousin. When troubled with the loss of both her cousin and her sister, she eventually falls for Nick, another member of the Gathering. She is quirky, eccentric, and ready for almost anything. She did fall victim to Nightmare at one point, but Nick saved her. For an early part of the story, she works at a local fifties diner. Her biggest fear is losing those she loves, which plays its toll on her. By the end of the story, she is the only member left of her family and she becomes even closer with Eli than she was before.

Character - Trevor Kale

Trevor

Major Side Character

Male

14

Trevor is more or less an important side character, appearing as Eli's boyfriend for the first part of the story. Trevor is a fairly average guy, though unpopular and shy, and extremely timid when it comes to dating Eli. But by following her example, he gains his courage, and eventually does kiss her. He loves Eli more than anything and would go to any length to save her, which is exactly what he does. His shy nature seems to be attributed to the fact that his mother (Kit) abuses him, and his father (Jake) is rarely around. He tries very hard to hide the abuse from everyone, but is eventually found out by Skye one night, and Eli finds out after eavesdropping on this conversation. Eli also mentions Trevor's aversion to blood and injury, though he is a klutz like her. One interesting thing about Trevor is that he knows how he will die but not when, after an angel (Clockwork) tells him what will happen. Oddly however, Trevor does not seem to be afraid of this death, and seems to personify it as freedom. Trevor is short for his age and stands about five foot one, only a little taller than Eli. Eli frequently likes to call him by the pet name Trev. His biggest fear that people will find out that his mother is abusing him, and feels like it shouldn't be anyone else's problem but his own. He has messy blond hair that is almost curly, and green eyes like Luke, Skye, and Sidney. Luke is his uncle and Skye and Sidney are his cousins.

Character - Seth

Seth

Antagonist

Male

34

Seth is the primary antagonist in this story and falls into this role purely out of fear and accident. Little is known about this time until later in the story, and he emerges as Nightmare to Eli, the name he has chosen to take on. Previous to the story's beginning, Seth had an affair with Clockwork, making Alec his son. Seth used to be the leader of the Gathering, but when the prophecy was made, he panicked and started working on hunting down and killing his son, the only way he believed he could stop the prophecy. But in turn, he ended up becoming the monster he was trying to prevent himself from becoming, killing some of the most powerful Dreamers in the Dream World to power his crazed hunt. As he did so, he became very powerful and it went to his head. He is still extremely hind sighted and doesn't see the monster he is, but he is enjoying the rule he has over the Dream World, and at the beginning of the story, it seems as though he wants to keep it that way. He's very controlling, and knows his enemies, using his powers to put constrictions on Clockwork, and watching the new Gathering's every move. He is also extremely persuasive, and is about six foot two. He has mesmerizing electric blue eyes, and short cropped, spiky black hair tipped with red. He appears to have a very demanding and negative outlook on life, but like all great villains, he's really just afraid. He loves power, but his biggest fear is becoming a monster, though he has already become that.

Character - Alec

Alec

Main Character

Male

17

Alec is the other star-crossed main character of this story, and one of two love interests for Eli. He's a leader, though he puts his team first. He's strong willed, quick witted, observant, and an excellent fighter. When Seth split the Gathering and turned evil, Alec became the leader of the new Gathering when he turned fourteen. He is the son of Seth and Clockwork, making him a demi-god. He was born in the Dream World and lives there, rather than in our reality. However, with the aid of his mother, he can make trips to our world. He stands about five foot six, and has messy, semi-long, black hair. His eyes used to be electric blue, but they turned purple not long before the start of the story. He has a very formal, organized outlook on life. He loves music, and anyone who can spend time with him in the lonely Dream World, especially his eventual girlfriend. His biggest fear is confronting Nightmare on a personal level.

Character - Eli

Eli

Main Character

Female

15

Eli is the star-crossed heroine and frequent narrator of this story. She has a personality that gives her the air of not being quite all there. She often sees the world in a bigger picture and misses the fine details if they are not pointed out to her. She loves the night, and why wouldn't she? She is a Dreamer, one of few in the world that dream so vividly they can travel in the Dream World. Yet it is not all that it is cracked up to be, and Eli takes this very hard as she sees her dreams as a refuge from reality. The nightmares that plague her as the story unfolds tend to centre on her fears; those of fire, pain, and the sun that brings the day. She is clever and sometimes quick-witted, though school is not her forte and she finds herself day dreaming through her classes. Eli has several friends outside of the Dream World, and these include Skye, Sidney, and Trevor, Eli's timid boyfriend. She later meets Alec while being attacked by Nightmare, and the two have an obvious connection. It is also interesting to note that Eli has a voice in her head, though she will later find out that it isn't exactly a voice after all. She is five feet tall, and has long, straight, chocolate brown hair. Her eyes are blue, but very early in the story they change to purple for a reason unknown to the reader.