Dream of Me: Book 1 The Dream Makers Series (19 page)

“You just had to go and end with
the man gifted with your body,
didn’t you, Sandman?” she grumbled into the empty room as she attempted to get comfortable. With thoughts of Dair and the possibilities of what it would be like to be his in every way dancing through her head, getting comfortable was a losing battle. She felt something then, the cool air that alerted her to his presence, but when she looked around her room he was nowhere to be seen.

“If you’re there, it’s your fault I can’t sleep; do something about it.” She pulled the covers up tight to her chin as she curled into a ball on her side, and as she felt the familiar effects of his power, she smiled to herself and thought,
make it a good one, Sandman, make it a good one.

D
air stood at the foot of Serenity’s bed watching her sleep. A subtle smile was on her lips as she slipped into the dream he had made for her. He had a feeling he would get an ear full tomorrow, but to see her blush would be well worth it. He hated to leave her, but he knew that if he stayed any longer, especially knowing what her mind was getting to experience in its sleeping state, he would crawl into her bed to hold her. He was also pretty sure there would be kissing after he woke her up. Nope, he definitely couldn’t stay. With one last look at his love, he closed his eyes and traveled to Emma’s house.

“I was wondering if you would show tonight,” Raphael said as he stepped around the dark corner of the rundown home.

“Has everything been quiet?”

Raphael shrugged. “For the most part. A man came by earlier, but Mildred had what he wanted, so there was no fighting. They did, however, get high together and Mildred kept calling for Emma to come make them something to eat. I wouldn’t let Emma leave her room, and finally I went out to Mildred and her guest and subtly suggested that he leave and she go to sleep.”

“By subtle you mean?” Dair’s eyes narrowed.

“I might have used a little influence on them, though I did not make myself known,” Raphael said with a sniff.

Dair chuckled. “You’re crossing over to the dark side.”

“No, I was protecting a child. I didn’t harm either human in any way, though the thought did cross my mind.” The angel glanced up at the night sky and then back at Dair. “How is your female?”

Dair could tell he wanted to ask more. “She is well.” He waited, knowing that Raphael wouldn’t be able to keep quiet.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to the Creator.”

Raphael’s eyes widened. “When?”

“Soon.”

“What are you going to ask?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. But I don’t want to keep a secret, especially when He already knows.”

“What if He tells you that she isn’t for you?”

Dair felt as though a fist had wrapped around his heart and began to squeeze. He didn’t want to even consider that the Creator would tell him to let Serenity go. “I don’t know what. I feel as though I belong to her. I’ve been walking this earth since the beginning of time; always something was missing, until her. How does a being live without air to breathe? She’s my air, Raphael.”

“Then I hope for your sake, brother, you get to keep her.”

E
mma couldn’t believe how quickly the days flew by. But it was the nights that seemed to drag. She had woken up that morning and pulled out the small calendar her mama had given her and to her surprise saw that it was Christmas Eve. How had she not realized it was so soon? School had been out for a week, and she had spent every moment she could at the library or with Serenity. With all of the present wrapping Darla had her doing at the library, she would have thought that she’d have realized Christmas was literally right on top of her.

She climbed out of bed, already dressed with even her shoes on. It was a Darla request and so she honored it. Emma pulled her long hair over her shoulder and re-braided it the way her mama had taught her and then headed for her bedroom door. As always, she stopped and listened before she opened it. The house was quiet, which meant Aunt Mildred was still asleep or gone. She hoped it was the latter. When she opened the door and stepped out into the hall, she was greeted with a nod from Raphael who was standing guard, as usual, between her room and the living room. She had to wonder if he got bored standing in the hall all night. She had asked him once if he ever got tired, and he had informed her in his flat, no nonsense way that angels did not require sleep.

Emma made her way to the bathroom to take care of her morning business and then headed back to her room. Raphael followed her in and she saw that Dair had appeared as well.

“Mildred left this morning, but she will be back very soon. We should probably leave before she returns. I saw that she had a list of grocery items in her hand,” Raphael told them.

“She was going to the grocery store?” Emma frowned. “That’s new.” Emma had never actually seen her aunt bring home groceries that she had bought herself. Usually the way her aunt acquired food was as a form of payment for the ‘goods’ that she sold out of her home. Emma figured accepting groceries for payment was much easier for her aunt than actually having to get out and go do something that might require the slightest bit of energy. “Why are you worried about us being gone before she gets back?” Emma asked the angel. Mildred had never tried to stop her from leaving before.

“She was muttering something about putting you to work to pay for your stay.”

Emma could tell that Raphael didn’t like having to tell her, but it didn’t hurt Emma’s feelings. Why should she be hurt over a woman who she didn’t really know, nor did she care for? For her, living with her aunt was simply a season of her life that would pass. She wouldn’t always be a child and she would not always need the room Mildred begrudgingly provided. One day Emma would be able to care for herself, and then she could put the time she spent with her aunt behind her.

They left the house quickly with both Dair and Raphael keeping a wary eye out for her aunt’s beat-up old, what use to be, blue station wagon. They walked more quickly than usual and Emma found herself having to pay close attention to the slippery sidewalk and roads. She found herself wondering what things Darla had planned for the day. Even though she dearly loved her time with Darla, she was hoping Serenity would be by to take her to the vet so she could be around the animals. Regardless of what the day held, she knew that as long as she was away from her aunt, it would be a good one.

As they entered the library, the familiar smell of books hit Emma and she found herself smiling. This place had truly become her home. Darla and the other staff always welcomed her with open arms and they never treated Raphael differently, despite his huge size and somewhat intimidating demeanor.

“I am so glad you are here.” Darla’s voice carried from the small office that was to the right of the checkout desk. She came rushing out in her usual exuberant manner, smiling as if Emma and the two guardians with her had hung the moon. “Hello Dair, Raphael.” She nodded to them and then wrapped Emma in her usual hug.

“Darla,” Raphael’s voice rumbled.

Dair simply nodded in return.

“How are you doing this fine Christmas Eve morning?” Darla asked her.

“I actually didn’t even realize that today was Christmas Eve. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here for over two weeks already.”

“Time does fly when you’re having fun,” Darla sighed.

“So why are you so glad we’re here?” Emma asked.

“Oh, right.” Darla clapped her hands together and then rubbed them as if warming them. Darla was about to say something more but was interrupted by screeching tires in the parking lot. They all turned to look out the window and see what the commotion was. Emma’s stomach dropped to her toes when she saw her aunt’s car parked right outside the front door of the library.

“Emma, go to the back please,” Darla said, her voice suddenly taking on a tone that Emma had never heard before.

Emma shook her head. “I’m sorry ma’am, but I can’t do that. I can’t leave y’all here to face my problem.”

The door flew open with a resounding snap as it struck the wall behind it. Mildred Jones stormed in, looking wild-eyed and as crazy as Emma had ever seen her. Emma swore if she had been a dog she would have been foaming at the mouth.

“Mildred, you cannot park your car in front of the door; it’s a fire hazard,” Darla told her calmly.

Raphael and Dair had stepped closer to Emma forming a protective barrier around her. She knew that they wanted to protect her from her aunt, but there wasn’t anything they could do. Mildred was her legal guardian and had never really done her any harm. She didn’t see any way for them to help her, at least not right then.

“I ain’t staying. I come to pick up my ward. I didn’t give her no permission to leave the house, and yet I sees her walking down the street, with two men no less.” Her gaze shifted to Emma and her glazed-over eyes narrowed. “How you think it looks, girl, for you to be walking around with men old enough to be your father? I ain’t raisin no whore.”

Emma was surprised that Mildred remembered seeing them considering Raphael’s ability to sway minds, and she wondered if it had anything to do with all the drug use and alcohol. Maybe her mind was just too gone to be able to be influenced like others.

“ENOUGH,” Dair’s voice rumbled over Mildred’s. And pulling Emma from her thoughts about her aunt. “You will not call the child such vulgar names or you will face my wrath.

“And who’s you be for me to care? That brat is mine. She livin’ in my home, eatin’ my food, sleepin’ in the bed I be providing, and she’s goin to start earning her keep. Now, come on, girl, ya hear? I have people coming for dinner and I won’t be letting them go hungry.”

Emma stepped forward to follow her aunt but Darla gently took her arm. “You don’t need to go with her, Emma. She’s been drinking and is probably high as a kite as well.”

Emma looked up into the worried eyes of the woman who she’d come to think of as her real aunt and smiled gently. “I’ll be okay, Darla. I’m not a victim and I’m tough. If I don’t go with her now, I have a feeling it will be worse for me later on.” Emma could tell that it took everything in Darla for her to release her and let her walk out of the library. She didn’t want to disappoint her, but she knew that her aunt would take her anger out on Emma if she didn’t just do what she wanted. Cooking dinner for her aunt and her low life friends wouldn’t be that bad as long as Emma could lock herself in her room before they all arrived.

Even though she heard Darla tell Raphael to make sure she made it home in one piece, Emma didn’t look back as she climbed into the back seat of her aunt’s car. She didn’t want to see the worry in their faces. Instead, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes and thought of happier times. Emma drew on her memories of past Christmases with her parents. If her mama and daddy were still alive they would be in the kitchen with the Christmas music turned up loud while they cooked Christmas dinner. Her mama would let her help make the dressing and baste the turkey, and she would even let her eat some of the cookie dough from the sugar cookies they made every year. The whole house would smell of good food and be full of laughter and music. They weren’t the perfect family, but her parents worked hard to make the holidays special. He mama always used to tell her,
Emma, memories are important and making good ones can sometimes be the difference between simply surviving through difficult situations or thriving.
As she sat in the back of that car, with stale cigarette smoke swirling around her, Emma realized exactly what her mama had been talking about.

Two hours later, Emma stood in the kitchen in Mildred’s house admiring the ‘feast’ she’d prepared. The preparation had consisted mostly of simply heating things up because her aunt had only bought stuff that needed to be tossed in a pan and warmed or thrown into the microwave. Green beans, mashed potatoes, as well as macaroni and cheese were all microwavable. The turkey she bought was already cooked and simply had to be heated up in the stove. The dressing was Stove Top from a box. None of it was difficult for the girl to manage. She simply followed the directions on the backs of the containers. Her aunt had left her alone for the most part, only coming in a few times to gripe and complain about Emma
thinking she could come and go as she pleased
. Emma simply ignored her and listened to the Christmas music she had playing in her head.

Once the table was set and all the food was laid out, Emma started to slip off to her room. But her aunt grabbed her arm and turned Emma to face her.

“Where do you think yer going?”