Foreshadow (13 page)

When Logan and I got into San Jose, we drove around for a while, trying to decide on a hotel. I knew my way around from the shopping trips my mom and I made when we had visited Genevra and Shane.

We settled on staying at the Fairmont. While kind of pricey for two teenagers, my mom and I had stayed there before, and I knew they had good security. Unfortunately, they also had a policy restricting guests under eighteen registering for rooms. Logan dialed his mom and explained the situation. Understanding the danger we were in, his mom agreed to call in a reservation for us. I protested—I’d been planning on paying for the room. He grinned, saying, “You can pay her back, then.” I nodded, agreeing. He laughed, and I realized he’d been joking.

We took our time parking the car and getting out. We walked slowly to the lobby, wanting to give his mother enough time to phone the hotel.

Logan marched right up to the front desk, slapping his ID and his parents’ credit card on the counter. “Reservation for Conner,” he stated.

“Yes, of course,” the concierge said. She typed on her keyboard, checking us in, and handing us key cards. “A two bed suite was requested, but unfortunately we only have a one bed suite available. Will that be okay?”

I glanced at Logan. He shrugged. “Sure that’s fine.” We really had no choice, unless we went to a different hotel. The concierge told us the room number, adding, “Do you need help up to your room?”

Knowing it would look strange if we checked into a hotel with no luggage, Logan quickly replied, “No, we’ll bring our bags up later, thank you.”

We didn’t have any bags. We had escaped so quickly, we hadn’t grabbed anything.

We took the elevator up to our room. When Logan unlocked the door, I was amazed to see that the suite came complete with a couch, a desk, and a mini kitchen. I wandered over and sat down on the couch. He came over and sat down next to me. “Are you feeling any better now?” he asked.

I gave him a wry smile. “I’m a little better. I’m as good as I can be, knowing we’re hiding out from some psycho guy.”

“I’m going to take you shopping,” he announced.

“What?” At first I was surprised he could think about shopping at such a time, but then visions of Santana Row and Valley Fair began to dance before my eyes. “Aren’t we supposed to be hiding?” I asked.

“Yes, we are. I have my laptop in the car. I’ll bring it up, and you can order whatever you want. We’ll have it delivered here. We’re going to need clothes and other things since we might be here for a while.”

He had a point. Why argue with logic?

He got up and left the room, making sure the door locked behind him. I wandered over to the window and gazed down onto the city. We had an incredible view, and it would be even more amazing at night.

I was pouring over the room service menu when Logan returned with his laptop. We sat down at the desk, and as the computer booted up, he began to rub small circles on my back.

I pulled up the website for a high-end department store. Shaking his head, Logan leaned in front of me and keyed in the address for a different one. “I like that one and all,” he explained, “but this one is better.” He put his credit card down on the table. “Get whatever you want.”

As much as I appreciated his generosity, I didn’t want to be spending a lot of his money this early in our not-quite-relationship. I tried to type in my ATM card number without him noticing, but he saw and insisted upon putting everything on his card. He ordered almost as much as I did. I had known he liked nice things, but I hadn’t pegged my new almost-boyfriend as such a clotheshorse.

While I arranged for next-day shipping, he picked up the hotel phone and called down to the concierge. He asked her to send someone up with toothbrushes, toothpaste, and pajamas for us from the gift store. He then proceeded to order a ton of food from room service, including not only every vegetarian dish on the menu, but also every dessert. I raised one eyebrow at him when he hung up. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to sleep in my clothes. As for the food, I didn’t know what you wanted for dinner. We can put whatever we don’t eat in the fridge,” he explained.

I grabbed the remote and plopped down on my back on the sofa, hoping to distract myself from the recent events. Logan walked over and joined me, gently lifting my head and settling it against his chest. I lay there flipping through the channels, listening to the beat of his heart and the calming rhythm of his breathing.

I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up to see Logan’s face in front of mine. He crouched beside the couch, shaking me awake. “Sorry to wake you. I know you’ve had a pretty tiring day, but the food is here. I thought you might want to eat it while it’s still hot.”

I sat up slowly, stretching my tired muscles. “Thanks. I didn’t even hear the knock on the door. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

“No problem. Understandably, you’re tired. When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep?”

I hadn’t thought about that. “I’m not sure,” I answered. The nightmares had become a common occurrence in recent days. I couldn’t remember the last time I had slept well. I hadn’t had a nightmare the night before, but I still woke up exhausted.

“Have you been having bad dreams?” he asked. “I mean, more than just the one I woke you up from the other night?”

His piercing emerald eyes were filled with concern. I wished I could forget about everything else and just stare into Logan’s eyes forever.

Yes,” I admitted. “I’ve been having nightmares almost every single night for a few weeks.”

“Will you tell me about them?”

“Well…” I hesitated. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell him. It was just that I didn’t know what to make of them myself. “I always seem to be running. I’m not sure what I’m running from. It’s always really dark and scary. Right before I’m caught, this bright light comes out of nowhere, and I’m saved.”

He sat silent for a moment. “Is it always the same dream?”

“No, but similar. In one dream, I was happy for part of it. It wasn’t all that frightening, but something felt wrong. The rest were a little worse. Then the one you woke me out of was downright scary. Whatever I was running from actually grabbed me. I sort of saw it one time—it looked like a man.”

“When did these dreams start?” he asked.

I thought back. Suddenly, it hit me. “Not long after I met Andrei,” I said.

Logan’s eyes narrowed. “When did they start to get worse?”

I jumped up. “When you and I started hanging out! When Andrei started freaking out!”

Logan seemed pretty irate. He tried to speak calmly, but his voice gave away his anger. “Well, maybe you knew subconsciously that something was wrong with him.”

I started pacing nervously. “You could be right. What are we going to do about him?”

He stood up and halted me, pulling me into his arms. “Don’t worry. We will think of something.”

I stifled a yawn. “You’re still exhausted,” he told me. “Why don’t you go change? We both could use some sleep”

Sleep sounded like a wonderful idea. The pajamas and toothbrushes had arrived earlier with the food. I knew I was suffering from fatigue, but I still couldn’t believe I had slept through the knock on the door.

Logan had thoughtfully laid out my new pajamas on the bed. They were cute, silk shorts and a tank top with a matching teal silk robe. I headed into the bathroom to change. I stripped out of my clothes, pulling on the shorts and tank top. The toothbrushes and toothpaste were lying on the counter. I quickly brushed my teeth.

Realizing I hadn’t eaten a single bite of the delicious-smelling food that Logan had ordered, I wrapped myself in the silk robe and walked out of the bathroom, carrying my clothes. I folded them and placed them on a chair. “I’m so sorry. I forgot about the food. Let’s eat before we head to bed.”

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“No.”

“Then let’s just go to sleep.”

“But all the food!” I protested.

He came over to stand in front of me. He reached one hand up and smoothed my hair away from my face. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s get some sleep.”

He had already changed into pajama pants and a T-shirt. It seemed a little odd to see him so casual, but it looked good on him.

We walked back into the bedroom. Logan pulled back the covers, and we climbed into opposite sides of the bed. Now that we were actually in bed together, I felt so nervous I shook a little. I had never been in bed with a guy before, and it was a strange, exhilarating experience. “Are you sure you’re ready to go to sleep?” I asked, my voice trembling a little. “I mean, just because I’m exhausted, it doesn’t mean you have to sleep now.”

“I’m sure,” he told me, smiling. “I’d like nothing more than to be right here, sleeping next to you.”

My heart melted a little. What had I done to deserve this wonderful guy?

We finally lay down. I curled against Logan, my head pillowed on his chest. His arm circled around me protectively. I felt so safe with him. I breathed a deep sigh of relief as I drifted off to sleep.

I found myself running again, but the setting had changed. I wasn’t at the beach this time. I stood in a long hallway, and it seemed familiar for some reason.

The fog hung low in the hall, surrounding me. Fog inside a building? It didn’t make sense, but in horror, I watched as it pulled at my clothes, twisting around my legs. I ran harder, trying to distance myself from it. I tried each hallway door, but they were all locked.

I saw a shiny door at the end of the hall. The elevator! With the rate I was tearing down the hall, I would hit the elevator at full speed. I thrust my arms out to brace myself for the impact. My palms collided with the doors, and I bounced off of them. I stumbled back a few steps.

I stabbed my finger at the button frantically, silently begging the elevator to hurry up. The fog thickened around me and began to coalesce. I could hear horrifying laughter echoing from within the fog. The elevator
wasn’t
coming. I turned, hoping to escape the other way. But I couldn’t get past the shadow forming behind me. I threw my hands over my head in a futile attempt to protect myself. Crouching down, I could not stop my hysterical sobbing. I expected the worst, but prayed for a miracle…

“Raena! Wake up! Please, Rae. I need you to wake up!” Logan said with worry coloring his voice.

I sat up with a start. “No! I have to get away!” I screamed, still caught up in the aftermath of my dream.

Logan put his arms around me and pulled me close against him. He whispered into my ear. “It’s okay. It was a nightmare. You’re safe. I’m here. It was Andrei again?”

I buried my sweat-drenched head into his chest and broke down into sobs. “I think it was him, chasing me through a hallway…
this
hallway. All of the doors were locked and there was nowhere to go! I felt him grab at me and I couldn’t run any faster. I couldn’t get away. The corridor was ending. I made it all the way to the elevator, but it wouldn’t open. He almost had me! Oh, and the laugh! This creepy, scary laugh all around me. I felt like I was going to drown in it.”

By now, Logan’s shirt had soaked through with my tears and sweat, yet he continued to hold me and whisper reassurances in my ear. “I promise I won’t let him hurt you, Rae. I will protect you for as long as I have breath in my body. Here.” He tilted my head up to his. He gently drew the hair away from my eyes and kissed my forehead. “I will always be here to protect you. Always. I love you.”

I cried myself to sleep in his embrace.

Dawn broke, and the light streaming in through the slit in the curtains woke me from a dreamless sleep. Logan lay propped up on one elbow, watching me. I gazed up at my rescuer as he smiled down at me.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked through a yawn.

“Surprisingly, yes. After the nightmare, that is.”

“I’m glad to hear it. You needed sleep.”

I stretched and sat up. “I guess I’d better call Genevra.”

The room phone rang as I climbed out of bed to get my cell. “Yes, we are,” I heard Logan say into the phone. “Please sign and have them sent up.”

After he hung up, I looked at him questioningly. “Our clothes are here from the mall,” he explained. “The front desk is going to send someone up with the packages.”

“Great!” I said, excited to have some fresh clothes to change into. I didn’t relish the idea of wearing the same thing two days in a row.

After a few minutes someone knocked at the door. Logan cautiously peered through the peephole. He relaxed and opened the door. A porter waited on the other side, laden down with packages. Logan took several boxes from the man and gestured for him to pile the remaining packages on the floor.

We sat on the couch, pulling item after item out of boxes. Thoughts of my lovely clothes and shoes at home flew right out of my head as I reveled in the new items Logan had purchased for me.

I decided I needed a shower before I got dressed. The hotel’s personal assistant had brought us a selection of shampoos, conditioners, and soaps the night before, when they had delivered the toothbrushes and pajamas. I chose one of each as the water heated in the bathroom.

I took my time in the shower. I needed the heat and the steam to help me relax. I had considered taking a bath, but I didn’t want to monopolize the bathroom for too long. Surely Logan would want a shower as well.

After I stepped out of the shower and toweled off, I once again wrapped myself in the teal silk robe. I walked out of the bathroom to find my new clothes lying all around the bedroom.

“I thought it would help you choose if you could see them all at once,” he explained.

I went over to him. “Thank you. It does help.”

He put an arm around my waist and drew me to him. I struggled a little. “I’m soaking wet. I’ll get you wet, too.”

He didn’t seem to care. His free hand tangled in my hair, and he drew my mouth toward his. After a minute, he pulled back. “I’d better go take a shower,” he said. “You should call Genevra.”

I agreed with Logan as he headed for the bathroom.

First, I needed something to wear. Then I would call. I scrutinized the clothes, debating. I selected a teal blouse, linen pants, and silver sandals. I dressed, and then went on a hunt for my cell phone.

“There you are!” Genevra exclaimed when she answered. “We were getting worried!”

“I’m sorry. I slept late, and then our new clothes arrived. I took a shower and got dressed. I should have called first.”

“New clothes?”

“Well, we had to get out of the house so fast yesterday I couldn’t grab anything. Logan insisted upon ordering some new things for both of us. They arrived not too long ago,” I explained.

“I see. That was thoughtful of him. Now, will you please tell me where you are?”

“We’re in San Jose, at The Fairmont.”

“It’s a nice place,” she said. “I hope you thanked him.”

“I did. I even offered to pay, but he refused. His parents are paying for the hotel,” I told her.

“How nice. We will have to thank them when all of this is over.”

“Are you guys safe?” I asked.

“Oh yes. We’re at The Hilton. The police have our number here, and they will call us when they catch Andrei.”

“I’m glad you’re all okay.” I felt relieved. I didn’t want to drag them into this any more than I already had. After all, they were the closest thing to family I had left.

Genevra assured me that Nuada was safely with them. We talked for a few more minutes and were just hanging up as Logan emerged from the shower. He wore dark jeans and had no shirt on. The dark waves of his hair were slicked back from the water, but one errant lock tumbled across his forehead. I couldn’t help but stare until he grabbed a shirt and pulled it over his head. I averted my eyes, blushing as I realized what a love-struck fool I must appear to be.

The room phone rang again, and Logan picked it up. I couldn’t hear the conversation, but I saw the alarmed look on his face. When he hung up, he immediately grabbed my arm and started to run for the door with no explanation.

“What’s going on?” I demanded as he threw the room door open and dragged me into the hall, leaving the door ajar.

“We have a visitor. He wouldn’t give his name, but they described him as a tall, blond man.”

I could feel the color drain from my face. “Andrei,” I whispered, horrified.
How did he manage to find us?
I wondered as we ran down the hall.
We were so careful in our escape!

“Sounds like it,” Logan said over his shoulder. “We have to get out of here!”

We sprinted for the elevator.
No, the elevator’s too slow
, I decided. Remembering my dream, I knew the elevator wouldn’t come in time. We had to take the stairs. I pulled Logan toward the door for the staircase. “The stairs will be faster!”

He nodded in agreement and flung open the door. We barreled down the steps to the first floor, our footsteps echoing in the stairwell. I prayed at each turn Andrei wouldn’t appear around the corner.

We made it to the ground floor and inched the door open slowly. Logan peered out of the crack. “I don’t see him, but it doesn’t mean he’s not still out there.”

He opened the door a little wider and checked both ways. “There’s a door at the end of the hall. It looks like it leads outside. Let’s go!”

We dashed for the exit, throwing the door open. Logan started dragging me across the street to the park. “I forgot my keys in the room,” he desperately realized. We had to find a place to hide. I slammed my hip into one of the benches as we ran, causing me to stumble. Logan caught me before I fell, practically dragging me toward the trees.

We crouched behind two trees growing close together, warily keeping an eye on the front door of the hotel. Andrei materialized in front of us, as if out of nowhere. Chuckling, a low, threatening sound, he hissed, “Don’t think I don’t see you two there. You should know by now that I see everything.” He raised his arms, and I saw a flash of bright light. Then my world went black.