Aspen and the Dream Walkers (21 page)

“I told you she’s not here.”

“I’m sure I heard a noise in the room.”

“Whatever, you just want to go looking for
her. There’s plenty of work to be done. I finished the kitchen
yesterday, but there’s a lot of work left in the bedrooms.”

A half smile played across Aspen’s lips.
Ginny and Sandy were in the house. She walked into the living room.
“Here I am.”

“Princess, you gave me heart failure,” Sandy
cried and clutched her chest.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Ginny said with a
grin. “Sandy wanted to start without you.”

“Thank you, both of you.” Aspen threw her
arms around her friends and hugged them. “I don’t know what I’d do
without you.”

“The sooner we get your house livable, the
better.”

“Uh-huh, and I want to invite everyone over
for a barbeque.” Ginny gave a cheesy smile.

Aspen grinned back. “Well then, let’s get on
with it.”

The three girls went to the kitchen to get
the brooms, mops, dust cloths, and furniture polish that the store
had sent over earlier. Sandy filled up a bucket of warm soapy
water, and Ginny grabbed a bunch of towels.

They tackled the master bedroom first.
Aspen’s room had already been cleaned, but it needed new furniture.
The crib wasn’t going to stay.

Inside the master bedroom, Sandy grabbed the
bedding and pulled it from the bed. Aspen dusted the top of the
chest of drawers and the dressing table. Dragging the chair up
against the window, Ginny tugged at the curtain.

“So, what happened when you were captured,
Ginny? You haven’t told me the whole story in detail.” Dust drifted
toward Aspen’s nose, and she wrinkled it in annoyance.

“It was terrible.” Speaking softly, Ginny
unclipped the curtain. “The Chancellors dragged me down this awful
tunnel, and I scraped myself on the rocks. They wouldn’t let go.
The hole was dark and damp, and they stink.”

Sandy picked up the shirt and boots that lay
on the floor, and added them to the pile of bedding outside the
door.

“I know, they have a sickeningly sweet smell,
right?” Aspen asked.

“Right, and their hands are as hard as
handcuffs. It’s like being held by strips of steel.” She continued
to pull down the material. “Anyway, then they forced nightmares
into my mind.”

Aspen stared at Ginny in horror. “No, they
didn’t.”

“Yes, they did. The first one was of a lion
and he chased me. I ran into a room and tried to close the door to
shut the lion out, but I couldn’t close the door properly. His
giant paw was wrapped around the door frame, and it batted at me
constantly.” She climbed off the chair and carried the first
curtain outside, then tossed it on the pile of dirty laundry
outside the door.

“The second nightmare was when wild dogs were
after me. They hunted me and I had nowhere to go. I climbed into a
tree, but they made yipping noises and stood up on their hind legs
and tried to reach me. The branch wasn’t high enough and they
nearly got me.”

“Ginny, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know that they
could do that underground.”

“Me neither, but apparently they follow the
rules of Lemona and Lavendula there as well. My powers didn’t work,
though.” Ginny moved the chair over and removed the second curtain.
She didn’t speak for a while.

Sandy walked over to her sister and put her
hand against the small of her back. “It’s okay, you don’t need to
talk about this if it’s too difficult. We understand.”

With a sad look, Ginny smiled down at her. “I
think it’s better for me to speak about it than to bottle it up.
It’s good that we’re keeping busy as well. I just felt so helpless
when I was there. They locked me in a closet, and it was so dark
that I couldn’t breathe.”

Aspen was stunned. “In the tunnel?”

“No.” A small smile flitted across Ginny’s
face. “In the nightmare. Each one lasted for about ten minutes, and
then they would stop for a while. I don’t know how long I was down
there, but it felt like a few minutes in between nightmares before
I was woken up and dragged through the cave again.” She
shivered.

“Let me make some hot chocolate, I think that
will help,” Aspen suggested, then dropped the dust cloth on the
bare mattress and reached her hand out to help Ginny off the
chair.

“That’s a great idea.” Gathering up the
laundry, Sandy walked in front of the girls to the kitchen.

While Sandy loaded the washing machine, Aspen
filled the kettle with water. The whir of the washing machine
blended with the sound of the kettle as it heated up.

“Did the Chancellors tell you what they
wanted from you?” Aspen asked as she spooned hot chocolate into
mugs.

“They didn’t speak to me, but I heard what
they said to each other. They wanted to take me to their castle.
Apparently their lord was looking for someone like me. They said
I’d make a good match for the other Dream Walker they already
have.”

“Another Dream Walker?” Sandy asked.

“Yes. It seems I wasn’t the only one they’ve
captured.” Ginny nodded her head in thanks as Aspen placed the mug
in front of her.

“I wonder if Leeman knows they’ve got another
Dream Walker in captivity.”

“I can’t think of any Dream Walkers that are
missing. So far, they’ve only ever killed us. No one has been
reported missing.”

Aspen sighed. “I don’t know whether to be
happy about that or not.” The fragrance of detergent made the
kitchen smell like baby powder, and she leaned against the counter
deep in thought.

A knock at the door startled them, and Aspen
put her mug down and walked to the living room. Leeman barged
inside and hugged her as soon as she opened the door.

“Hello, my little princess. How are you
doing?” His hair was loose today, and hung to his shoulders.

“I’m good, thanks, and you?”

“Just stopped by to see how the house is
progressing.” He looked around in wonder. “You kids are doing a
great job.”

“Thanks. The kettle is still hot. We’re
having hot chocolate, would you like a cup?”

“That sounds incredible.”

Aspen grabbed his hand and pulled him toward
the kitchen. Once they’d entered the room, he moved to the window
above the sink. The view of the lake was at its best from there,
and he took a deep breath and sighed.

“The house is starting to take shape. I’m
really proud of what you’re doing.”

Aspen stirred his hot drink and placed it on
the table. “It’s going to take some time, but I’ve got some willing
slaves helping me.” She winked at her friends.

Sandy laughed. “Yeah, wait until we give you
the bill.”

“And I thought this was all for free.” Aspen
grabbed a dishcloth and flicked it at her friend’s leg.

Sandy yelped as she jumped out of the way and
held on to her sister’s shoulder. “Wait, Ginny needs to speak to
your uncle about the prisoner.”

“Prisoner, what prisoner?” Leeman asked.

“Tell him, Ginny.” Sandy raced off safely
behind the kitchen table, leaving her sister to face Leeman’s
intimidating stare.

“The Chancellors said they have another Dream
Walker locked away in the castle.” The words rushed out of Ginny’s
mouth and she sat down on one of the chairs.

“That’s very interesting.” Leeman’s eyes
glinted. “Are you sure that’s what they said?”

She nodded. “Positive.”

“In that case, I’ll have to contact the clans
and see if anyone is missing. There’s been no talk of anyone being
taken before. I’ll have a meeting with my warriors and see if we
can launch an attack on the castle. We haven’t attacked them in
years. It couldn’t hurt for them to see how strong we are now.” He
stood suddenly, so large that his presence filled the kitchen.
“Thanks. I’ll discuss this with my warriors and get back to
you.”

The girls followed him to the door, and he
bent to kiss Aspen on her forehead. “Take care, little one. I’ll
see you later when your mom is awake.”

After waving good-bye, Sandy and Ginny
returned to their work in the bedroom while Aspen stood and watched
her uncle walk away. In the distance, she saw a figure on
horseback. Ray whistled as his horse trotted toward her. He greeted
Leeman as they passed and continued on to the house.

“Aspen!” he shouted. As soon as he reached
her, he dismounted. A pair of blue jeans and a dark green shirt
made him look very handsome, and his chest seemed even broader than
she remembered. If only his good looks could make her heart speed
up like it did when she saw Dylan.

Ray sprinted up the wooden stairs and grabbed
her small hand in his, looking down at her with excitement on his
face. “There you are sugar. I wanted to thank you personally, but I
couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“Thank me for what?”

“You saved my sister’s life yesterday, and
I’ll always be in your debt.”

“That was nothing. Don’t even think about
it.” Aspen shrugged. “I’d have done it for anyone.”

Ray looked crestfallen at her words and she
tried to correct herself as she twined her fingers through his. “I
mean, thanks. I’d have done that for Ruby anytime.”

His eyes sparkled again. “You’re something
else, sugar.” Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her waist
and lifted her against him. Her feet left the ground and his warm
cheek pressed against her neck.

“Ruby says thank you, and I’ll owe you
forever.”

With an effort, Aspen held on to him and put
her arms around his neck to keep from falling. “You can’t pick me
up like this, Ray,” she said with a chuckle.

“Who’s gonna stop me?” He grinned and rubbed
her cheek with his nose, and she felt his mouth smiling against her
neck.

A sudden movement to the left caught her
attention and she peered over his shoulder.

Her eyes widened. Dylan stood a few yards
away, watching them intently. She tried to wiggle out of Ray’s
arms, but he held her tighter.

Dylan’s fists balled against his sides and he
didn’t speak, but before Ray could release her, he turned and
marched away in the opposite direction.

Aspen bit her lip as Ray lowered her slowly
down his body and pressed a soft kiss next to her mouth.

“Tell Ruby I’m happy she’s okay,” she
muttered, and left him standing there as she raced into the
house.

Trouble at School

Norma parked the Honda outside the school and twisted
to face her daughter in the seat next to her.

“Did you ever think you’d see the day I’d be
doing this?” She reached out and pinched Aspen’s cheek lightly
between her thumb and forefinger.

With a smile, Aspen grabbed her backpack from
the backseat. “I think it’s about time.”

“Look after yourself at school today, young
lady. I made lunch for you, and packed a can of soda.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Don’t go near Miriam. Uncle Leeman got the
divorce papers and a restraining order against Stephan so he won’t
bother you. If he does, go straight to the office. Do you
understand?”

Norma tucked Aspen’s dream catcher back under
the neckline of her light blue summer dress, and combed her bangs
away from her face with her fingers.

“Mommm.” Aspen dragged out the word.

“Have a good day, honey. I love you.”

“Love you too,” she said as she climbed out
of the car.

“I’ll pick you up here after school.”

Before her mother could say anything else,
Aspen waved and sprinted toward the school building.

She raced into the first class of the day and
hesitated when as she spotted Dylan sitting in the chair behind her
desk, a vintage Led Zeppelin T-shirt stretched tightly across his
chest. He watched her carefully as she entered the room. Without
looking at him, she pulled her shoulders back and walked to her
desk.

So what if he’d seen her with Ray yesterday?
Dylan hadn’t stopped Ruby when she’d been holding on to him. It
wasn’t as if they were in a relationship anyway, and if he thought
that she was going to sit around and wait for him to make a move,
then he had it wrong. She puffed at a strand of hair that had
escaped her ponytail. Maybe it would do him good to see how she’d
felt last night.

Sitting still proved to be difficult, and she
moved forward in the seat. The longer she pictured the two of them
at the river, the more her temper flared, and soon her cheeks were
flushed. If Dylan poked her with his pen, she would grab it and
throw it on the floor. Her hair lifted on her arms, and she forced
herself to calm down and breathe slowly.

Dylan didn’t speak to her but she could feel
his presence, and his clean soapy fragrance enveloped her. After a
while, Aspen sat back in the desk, but his warm breath tickled her
neck. A rash of goose bumps erupted on her forearms, and she jerked
forward in the seat once more.

His deep voice chuckled behind her, but she
wouldn’t let him see how badly he affected her so she ignored him
completely. As soon as the bell sounded, Aspen sprang up, grabbed
her bag, and charged out of the classroom.

Time dragged after that, but once it was
lunchtime, she slipped into the bathroom, thankful that Dylan
hadn’t talked to her in any of her classes up till then.

After she’d checked out her reflection in the
floor-length mirror and smoothed her summer dress against her
thighs, she redid the elastic on her ponytail and washed her hands
in one of the sinks along the wall.

With a quick tug, she pulled a paper towel
from the dispenser and dried her hands. Miriam walked into the room
just as she was about to leave, and she froze instantly.

“You little twit. I hate you! Do you know
that?” Miriam sneered.

Aspen rolled her eyes. Nothing good ever
happened in this bathroom, and she would definitely use another
restroom in the future.

“You’re the cause of all my problems. I
absolutely
hate
you!” Miriam continued and advanced toward
her. “My dad is crying at home. He doesn’t eat and he can’t get
dressed in the morning, and it’s all because of you. I know you
told your mom to leave.”