Dreamwalker (23 page)

“
Are you going to be ok?” I asked.

“
I will be fine. Nothing a homemade herbal infusion in my thermos can’t fix,” she said with a smile.

This made me slightly more relieved as we left the cemetery and I saw her drink her concoction. I could tell the instant it kicked in. Her aura seemed to flicker a brilliant gold on the etheric and then just as quickly it was gone. She smiled at me and said “All better.” I wanted to question what I just saw with the aura but realized it must be something to do with the bracelet.

We trudged through traffic, going all the back roads to get to the Loop. I could feel the power draw from the uncomfortable bracelet in my bra and I basked in it. Thinking of the bracelet made me think of Sam. I just had to ask.

“
Do you miss Sam?”

The question caught Autumn clearly off guard. She fumbled and responds with a “More than you know,” that I knew was genuine. It gave me a warm smile just thinking that Sam was loved by someone other than me in this world. At that moment I knew that Autumn was just as much a sister to me and Sam as we were to each other.

We made it to the loop with three minutes to spare and parked behind the Chinese restaurant a block down. I knew our time in this vehicle was running out and I didn’t want to get caught for an actual crime.

We left the plush comfort of the SUV and I tossed the keys inside before locking it. Autumn looked at me quizzically but didn’t ask.

We were just about to round the corner of the building when I heard “Oomph” and saw Autumn stumble backwards. She had managed to run smack into someone around the corner. It was hard to believe that she wouldn’t be more careful than that and I moved to question her. That was when I saw it was August and my eyes grew wide as saucers. I wasn’t ready for this. Where was our backup damn it?

I grabbed Autumn by the hand and turned the way we came. “Plan B. Do you have one?” I asked as we rushed to make some distance. Even in disguise, our surprise had obviously given us away. August had noticed us and was grinning in an eerie stare that sent chills down my spine.

Autumn just shook her head no, clearly traumatized at how rough August now looked. He looked nothing like the sexy brown eyed brunette we once knew. His facial hair had grown just a little and he looked incredibly scary and unkempt. I steered back towards the car until I realized that we no longer had keys. Damn. I was to the point of panic when a black mustang pulled up and swung open its passenger door.

“
Get in. NOW,” Boone shouted. We wasted no time following his instructions. He peeled out of the parking lot with a chirp of the tires and we were zipping through back neighborhood streets.

“
What the hell?” Autumn asked clearly horrified.

“
I know creepy right?” I said.

“
I definitely didn’t have sex with that,” she responded in obvious distaste.

“
Thank the gods you didn’t,” I added.

“
Are you guys alright?” Boone asked. Concern was written all over his face and I just wanted to melt. I had to pull myself together though and responded for both Autumn and me.

“
Yeah, didn’t mean to walk right into a trap though. Good thing you were looking out for us. Speaking of that, where is Clark?” I asked suddenly noticing his absence.

“
He is with Madison and Graham. Once we realized we had the right place and we had been spotted, we reconvened at another location until we could find you two.”

“
I hope you have another plan. We can’t just stroll in the front door that is for sure,” Autumn chimed in.

“
Agreed and Madison has a plan, we just wanted to wait on you guys,” Boone said. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, blowing the smoke out the rolled down window.

“
Wait, how did you know it was us?” I asked with suspicion in my voice.

Boone at least had the decency to look embarrassed. “I can sense you. I was watching nearby and I sensed you even stronger this time. It wasn’t hard to figure out from there.”

“
Oh, well thanks,” I replied, slightly embarrassed at the intimacy that was implied in that statement.

“
Wren is a great disguise by the way. You look a little too timid to be the bitch in high heels though. It was a dead giveaway,” Boone said to Autumn.

“
Gee, thanks. Where the hell are we going?” she asked, making an overdramatic show of being insulted.

“
We are meeting at a new safe house. A lot has happened in two hours,” he answered.

Autumn and I just exchanged looks knowing how true that really was. If Boone sensed it, he kept it to himself, thankfully. He was always so good at knowing when to and when not to say certain things.

Boone being able to sense things was really turning out to be an incredibly sexy quality. Then I internally sighed knowing that I need to let him or Jared go soon. It was wrong to string them both along.

My internal musings were cut short by the slow descent before we were pulling into the driveway of a nondescript brown brick bungalow. Our disguises were soon to be fading and I was almost relieved at the promise to soon be back in my own skin again.

“
Ladies first,” Boone said as he held the front screen door open for us.

I was not sure what I was expecting, but the house was quaint. Polished cherry wood flooring and white crown molding made it feel homey. The furniture was tan and modest. The room was very clean and neat except for the weapons Madison and Graham were lying out in the middle of the room.

Large black blocky guns and small little hand guns were all assembled in the center. It was the closest I had ever come to violent weapons in my entire life. It was oddly intimidating. I knew we would have to go in loaded, I just hadn’t thought through the whole scenario.

Madison noticed us and locked the Glock into place with a click. I winced slightly at the sound, remembering the last encounter with Wren.

“
Ladies, glad to see you are ok. We were just getting ready. Hope you know how to handle a gun,” Madison said laying the Glock down and picking up the 40 caliber.

“
Umm, we will manage,” I replied.

Then Boone entered behind us, shutting the door behind him with a snap and I jumped in surprise. It was clear that Madison had gotten under my skin and she knew it. Score one for the vampire.

Things were somewhat strained with Madison after she bit me. It was as if some kind of invisible power struggle was going on between us. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

Now I remembered the mind reading and all I wanted to think about was things I shouldn’t. Instead I tried to think of Jared and how our souls just seemed to acknowledge one another. I refused to let her pry any secrets out of my head that I didn’t share with her willingly. Score one for the psychic.

Once again, Boone sensed the tension and spoke up. “Madison, did you want to tell the ladies our plan and what you have rounded up for us to use as weapons?”

“
Why of course Boone, anything for you,” she replied sweetly in a mocking tone.

“
Graham and I managed to roundup guns for all of us; hopefully Autumn has some cover spells so we can hide the larger ones in plain sight. The only chance we have is if we go in in waves, guns blazing,” she explained.

“
If we go in pairs, the first pair will cover any resistance upon entering. By then, the second pair can come to either join or aid them if stuck. Then the third pair will bring up the rear, putting the most important person in the least amount of harm theoretically,” Madison added.

“
August is outside and he already saw us so he knows we are coming,” I offered.

“
Autumn, is there anything you can do to subdue him magically?” Madison asked.

“
He is fey so most things won’t work since he isn’t human. The only thing that would work is some sort of iron. We would have to overpower him and slip him in iron cuffs. It is in our best interest to just try and evade August,” Autumn said.

“
Great, how about Wren? I see you have chosen her as a glamour. Is she neutralized?” Madison asked, continuing her line of questioning.

“
She won’t be a problem. I have about a half an hour before this disguise wears off. Her powers are bound and she is limited to weapons only.”

“That is scary enough for her to be wielding. She definitely isn’t helpless,” I commented.

“
True, but that is why we are going in waves. If one group of us gets over powered, the next group can catch them off guard and even the playing field,” Clark said.

“
Ok, so who is going when?” I asked.

“
I thought Graham and I would go first since we are the most experienced. Then Clark and Autumn can form the second wave. I think it safest to let you and Boone go in last,” Madison explained as she pulled her perfect blond hair up in a loose ponytail.

Then something occurred to me, Where was Yoseph and Mr. Greene, where was our backup?

“
Boone, where is the backup? Why are we the only ones here?” I pressed on.

“
There is no backup because there is still a mole. Mr. Greene didn’t want to take any unnecessary chances. The less people know the better. We are going in alone, off the books,” Boone said while running a hand through his unkempt brown hair.

Interrupting the discussion, Madison began placing weapons in everyone’s hands. The gun was small and cold. The unrelenting steel against my palm seared through my flesh and chilled me at the core. I didn’t want to have to use it and was not very comfortable with it in my possession.

“
It’s just a gun. It won’t bite,” Boone told to me. He offered a slow smile and it all seemed bearable.

“
Ok, let’s do this before I change my mind,” I said, checking the safety before tucking the handgun into the back of my pants line.

Several minutes later we all piled into the black mustang and it growled to life. We drove through the old and quaint little neighborhood surrounding the Loop and settled on a street two blocks away to park. Graham and Madison climbed out and gave us a salute before heading for the shop.

My heart thudded in my chest as my adrenaline kicked in. This had to work. I missed Sam. If I had to go in guns blazing to save her, I would. Then there was Jared. I was more confused than ever, sitting here next to Boone, missing Jared. They were so different yet so important to me. It was one hot mess.

I didn’t have long to continue my thoughts because it was time for Autumn and Clark to go. I gave her a huge hug and promised to see her in just a few short minutes. They were gone and all I saw was her blond hair in the wind as they faded into the distance.

Then something happened that I didn’t expect. I grew light headed and everything got a little fuzzy. I only had a second to grasp Boones arm before I was being pulled into a vision. This was so not part of the plan.

When my vision cleared, I was behind Groovy Days. Graham was trying to pick the lock to the back door. I assumed I must be Madison in this vision. I was jittering impatiently as I waited for Graham to open the door. Finally it came open with a pop and the door slowly opened. We entered into a dark dimly lit back room. The shelves were lined with books and candles as well as incense and other miscellaneous items.

I signaled Graham to the left and we encountered more bookcases. It felt like an old creepy movie in this vision. A sense of foreboding filled me. There had to be a way in, below the shop. They weren’t keeping prisoners anywhere near customers.

We began to lift books and looked for anyplace the dust hadn’t devoured. Madison’s eyes were watering from the dust and she struggled to keep a sneeze in check.

The light sound of footsteps quickly approaching nearby sounded in the distance and both of us were looking for a place to hide. We managed to find a small corner behind some boxes of inventory luckily. Madison clutched to Graham there in the creepy library they called a back room.

After several minutes, the scene quieted and we slipped out of our hiding place. Madison was looking for any signs of disturbance and sighed in relief when she saw a small patch of dust missing on a bookshelf. I rushed it and tilted the book. To my delight, the shelf slid open and Bingo. We found the entrance.

I looked around, but there was no one in sight. The door slid shut behind us and we were enclosed in a candle lit stairway. Then, I swiftly pulled my gun and aimed it forward as we rounded the first corner. Again, no one was in sight. Before we made it down the second flight of stairs, I stopped.

Without even a speck of emotion or hesitation, I turned and pulled the trigger with accuracy. I hit Graham in the chest and he was down instantly, a look of betrayal on his face. Blood blossomed in a ring on his chest as he faded away.

The shock of it sent me hurdling back to my body and I jolted forward with a gasp. I barely managed to make it outside of the car and onto the ground before I was vomiting from the jolt. I transitioned so fast, too fast.

I felt hands brushing the hair from my face and holding me steady. The vomiting dissipated and I wiped my mouth. Tears were leaking from my eyes and I sank into Boone sobbing.