Midnight Runes (The Bestowed Ones) (3 page)

The drive passed quickly, and soon we pulled into the parking lot. We unloaded our stuff and staked out a space on the large sandy beach. The girls sunbathed while the guys threw a Frisbee around.

There were very few clouds in the sky, and I needed to cool off after lying in the hot sun. I pulled a cover-up over my head and grabbed a chilled bottled of water from the cooler on my way to the water’s edge.

I loved the beach. The sound of the gentle waves diffusing across the sand, the heat of the sun, and the calm breeze gliding over my skin relaxed me. My friends’ muted voices carried over the distance, in harmony with the sea gulls’ calls and rhythm of the waves. I felt peace.

Leaving footprints for the waves to wash away, I walked along the shoreline, looking for brightly colored or uniquely shaped stones. Finding distinctive items was another of my favorite activities here. I’ve even found worn sea glass—or lake glass—on occasion. I kept everything I found in a glass cylinder on my dresser.

A glint of light in the sand caught my eye. Before I could act, a wave covered it. Thinking it was a nickel or a bottle cap, I waited for the water to retreat. The water pulled away and exposed a few silver links. I plunged my hand into the sand and plucked it out before it was lost again. I used the rushing water from the next wave to remove the remaining sand in my hand and looked at it.

It glistened in the sunlight. It was the most beautiful, intricate bracelet I’d ever seen. Stunned at my discovery, my first thought was that I couldn’t possibly keep it. I glanced around, trying to spot anyone looking for something lost. How would I find the rightful owner? I certainly couldn’t bury it again in the sand; its beauty would go unappreciated. I hesitated, then wrapped it around my wrist, looping the toggle clasp. I turned my wrist over to take in its brilliance. The large, oval, yellow center stone, set east to west, was surrounded by smaller, light green rectangular stones and pale blue circular stones held in place by delicate filigree. Just before the thick silver links sat a square, bluish, iridescent stone on each side.

Once it was on my wrist, I didn’t want to take it off. Ever. The colors matched practically everything I wore. I’d never felt so strongly about a material thing. I had always been drawn to gemstones. Giddy with my find, I promised to diligently watch for anyone searching for something lost in the sand. If by the end of the day, I didn’t find its rightful owner, it would be officially mine.

At dusk, we reluctantly agreed to pack up and head home. Elyse commented in the truck about my new bracelet, and everyone agreed what a cool find it was.

• • •

I fell into bed, and sleep came quickly. I found myself in the dream again. Standing on the edge of the patio, drawn to the trees but held in place by an invisible force, the frustration rose inside me.

I was determined to confront this guy. I resolved to do something new—even if it was only to move off the patio or to speak. My mind screamed at me to ask what he wanted…why he was here…but I could not will my mouth to form words. I would have settled for a word at this point. One word. That would be better than just standing there, mute and rooted in place.

I didn’t want the dream to disappear until I understood it. I’d read that our subconscious works on our problems while we sleep. It helps us figure things out, piecing events together like puzzle pieces. There was a reason I couldn’t shake it. It kept returning because I didn’t understand its purpose. I hadn’t acknowledged the message yet. I knew if I could just see him or talk to him, I would get answers.

I focused on him and on me. On the expanse of space between us. I willed the distractions to lessen: the music to fade, the voices of my friends to subside. When the noise and commotion decreased, my focus sharpened. I wasn’t walking out empty-handed again. As the sounds grew fainter, my vision took on the dream-like quality I was familiar with: sharply in focus where I looked, blurry around the edges.

I knew I could walk. If I could change all those things outside of myself, surely I could move my own muscles. I found myself stepping off the patio, onto the grass, shortening the distance between us. Each step brought me closer to him. Just as I reached the edge of the yard, a buzzing caused me to pause. Awareness came hard and fast. My alarm. I felt myself pulled back into my room. I fought it, trying to root myself in the dream. I’d finally changed it, and I was going to disappear before I had any answers.

I felt his contentment as everything faded. That was the encouragement I needed. I knew I was on the right track.

I woke up smiling.

W
ith only two weeks of summer left, I reflected on how quickly it had passed. The grad parties, the college course and subsequent studying, and our planned day-trips took up nearly all of my time.

Trevor had called to suggest we meet at one of our favorite parks. I thought it was strange he didn’t offer to pick me up, but after a week of not seeing him, I didn’t dwell on it.

I drove to a favorite spot of ours: a picnic table underneath a huge weeping willow. I loved the natural feeling of the overgrown branches. They created a private sanctuary in the open space.

I parked next to Trevor’s car and turned off the ignition. My heart pounded. We needed to have a serious talk about the state of our relationship. I scrambled for a way to approach the topic without confrontation. I kept waiting for him to return to himself. I didn’t want to drive him away with persistent questions. Maybe if I focused on how I felt and how his actions made me feel, it would be less aggressive.

I took a deep breath and headed over to him.

His agitated voice drifted through the breeze as I approached our tree. “I already said I’d take care of it. I can’t do anything until Keith does his part. No, no one else knows about the assignment. I’ll call you later if you feel the need to go over the details again. I have something else to take care of right now.”

I ducked beneath a group of branches. He set his phone on the table.

“Hey, Trev,” I said. I bit the inside of my lip, wondering which I felt stronger: embarrassment or frustration.

“Hey.”

“What about me do you have to take care of?” I asked when he didn’t say anything further.

“It’s not like that, Brynn.” He sounded exhausted. “I want to talk. Would you please sit down?” he said, gesturing to the space across from him.

I sat.

“Brynn, you know things haven’t been right between us for a while. And it’s me. It’s all me. I’ve been trying to keep my old life in the shadows of my new one. And I just can’t anymore. I’m bound to mess up. And that can’t happen. I worry about it all the time.”

“You can still have a similar life even though you’re starting college. It doesn’t mean everything has to radically change.”

“No, it’s not college. It’s…” He sighed. “I wanted to do this in person rather than over the phone, but it’s not any easier. It’s not that I wanted to do it at all, but I can’t keep doing this to you. You deserve so much more than what I can give you right now. I hate cancelling on you. I hate my unpredictable schedule.”

“I hate it too. It makes me feel like I’m not a priority anymore. Especially since you won’t tell me what comes before me. Or what changed. I feel like you’re right in front of me, but you’re so far away. It’s like you’ve shut yourself off.”

“Because I love you and I can’t…I can’t…”

I knew what came next. Tears stung my eyes and blurred my vision. I should have confronted him before it went this far. I should have demanded answers instead of hoping it was all in my head.

I blinked rapidly at the canopy of the branches overhead and said, “You feel bad about cancelling on me, yet you don’t choose to stop cancelling on me when it’s in your control to stop.”

“No, it’s not in my control. I have orders…I mean, I have things I have to do.”

“You’re not making any sense! If you don’t want to be with me, just be honest and say it.” The tears freely ran down my face. I didn’t bother wiping them away.

“I do want to be with you, just not right now. We need a break until I figure this out.”

“Until you figure
us
out, you mean.”

“I have to get my new…life…under control. Once I know all the rules and how to keep you separate—safe—then we can be together.”

“You’re breaking up with me so we can be together later?”

“Yes, well, so I don’t continue to ruin what we have.”

“You can’t just pause life, Trevor.” He smirked. “Just like that psychic said, you can change our future by excluding me now. That’s exactly what you’re doing.”

“The future is changeable. And she had no right in telling you that.”

The wind made the long branches dance around us. The small leaves rippled and filled the air with a delicate sound, drowning out the birds’ songs.

“But you’re willing to risk it?” I asked.

“It’s not a risk.”

“People change all the time. Time and distance change people.”

“So do circumstances and life choices,” he snapped.

I evaluated him, realizing he’d made his choice. Just like his justification for cancelling plans, he wouldn’t negotiate. He was unreachable. He’d been that way for a while, I just didn’t want to admit it.

Trevor reached across the table and held my hands.

New tears overflowed onto my cheeks. He wasn’t someone I could cut a connection with easily. Our families were practically related. Our fathers were best friends who had stayed in touch throughout college, stood up in each other’s weddings, and bought houses in the same city. We barbecued, went on vacation, and celebrated holidays together. We were so intertwined that I had grown up thinking of Trevor’s parents as a second set of my own. There wasn’t a childhood memory that didn’t have him in it.

“I’m so sorry, Brynn.”

I knew this was a defining, pivotal moment in our relationship. I knew nothing would ever be the same between us.

“Me too, Trevor,” I whispered.

• • •

After Trevor broke up with me, the dream returned less often, even though I willed it to come every night. On the rare times it came, I could get no closer than standing within feet of the guy before I was sucked away. I still wasn’t connecting something…crucial. At first he was pleased with my progress. But impatience replaced his sense of pride after my failed attempts to approach him. His frustration permeated the space and I added my own. Why didn’t he meet me halfway? Or tell me what I had to do?

When the dream started again, I fast-forwarded my location to the closest I’d ever gotten to him. If I only had a limited amount of time with him, I wasn’t going to waste it by doing the same thing every night. I needed to ask a question—okay, more than one—and I didn’t want to disappear right before I heard the response.

He was shocked but pleased when I suddenly stood in front of him. I felt smug, but I was here to accomplish more. He stood in the shadows, too far back for me to make out any features.

“Who are you?”

Silence.

“What do you want?”

He held out his hand. It was the only part of him I could see in the moonlight.

I looked to where I estimated his face to be. “I’m not going to touch you until you explain this,” I said, throwing my hands up. No way was he dragging me into the dark. “Why are you haunting me?”

If I could hear his voice, it would give me confidence. Maybe it was a false confidence, but I was the only one making the effort so far. I was worried that he would pull me back into the shadows and I wouldn’t be able to see anything. Were there others hiding in the dark? I knew it was only a dream, but yet it wasn’t.

I waited.

He waited, a hand outstretched.

I huffed a sigh.

“Tell me why first.”

He stretched his hand closer to mine, emphasizing that he wanted me to take it. I nearly expected him to grab my hand. I felt annoyance rolling off him, and I had a flash of the dreams to come—getting to this point and not going further until I connected with him. Must I be the one to do this? I had made so much effort already. For whatever reason, he would not, or could not, talk or show himself. Maybe he needed me to free him, and contact was my only logical solution.

“Fine,” I said, and I connected my hand with his. The contact sent a pulse of energy through my body, breaking chains I hadn’t known I had. I felt free, weightless.

“Finally,” he said.

I woke up.

I
was anxious to go to Trevor’s parent’s house for their end-of-the-summer party. I tagged along with my parents, secretly hoping he would be there. We hadn’t talked since the breakup. If only I could spend a few minutes around him, I would know he was all right. Not knowing distracted me. He crept into my thoughts too often.

He snuck out as soon as we arrived, and I tried not to show my disappointment. I overheard his parents saying they didn’t know where he went. Not surprisingly, that made me feel even worse. I was sure I was the reason for his sudden disappearance.

They were embarrassed yet protective of their son, while mine were suspicious. Our parents played it off, but I could feel the tension throughout the evening. The very last thing I wanted was for this to be a source of friction between them. That might be inevitable, but the possibility of it just compounded my sadness.

I didn’t want or need anyone’s pity, so I put on a genuine smile and mingled. We stayed longer than almost any other guests. It was fully dark, but the gazebo lanterns lit up a portion of the yard. The citronella candles were scattered over the tables to provide light and bug protection. It was like it used to be. Almost.

I didn’t have to imagine his surprise when he slid the door open and walked out onto the patio. The weasel obviously didn’t have a surveillance team and figured we’d be long gone by now.

My eyes were drawn to him. I went perfectly still as I measured his reaction. I stared at him with what I hoped was a blank expression. He scanned the small group and paused when he met my eyes. My heart pounded. He let out a tiny sigh and drummed his fingers on the cup he held. He made his way over, briefly greeting others but not lingering to chat.