Aspen and the Dream Walkers (23 page)

Once he was out of sight, Aspen wrapped her
arms around Dylan’s waist and let out a sigh of relief. Power
flowed from his body to hers, instantly calming her. He pressed his
chin onto her head and clasped her against his chest for a long
hug.

Making a Stand

“If a train is four point eight miles long and
traveling at a speed of seventy-five miles per hour, and you are
waiting at the railroad crossing for the train to pass,
approximately how many minutes will you wait from the time it
enters the crossing until it has completely passed?”

Dylan looked up from his textbook and stared
blankly at Aspen. He was so handsome with his strong jaw and
startling blue eyes that she had to remind herself to breathe.

Without a moment’s thought, he answered,
“Three point eight four minutes.”

Her mouth opened in shock as he lowered his
gaze and wrote something in a book. “How do you do that?” she
asked, and tapped her ankles together in the air.

The living room carpet was soft and they lay
on their stomachs while Aspen crossed her calves above her. The
bright yellow sundress she wore was tucked neatly under her body,
and her feet were bare.

When he looked at her again, he flashed a
smile that displayed his perfect white teeth. “Do what?” A grin
played across his lips.

“How do you know the answer to every one of
my math problems? It’s not fair.”

“If you remember the formulas, you can work
out most math problems.”

She sighed. “Tell that to my brain.”

It had been a week since the incident with
Miriam, and thankfully she’d been expelled from their school. Even
without her presence, Dylan had stuck to Aspen like glue and
followed her everywhere. He came home with her each day and helped
her with homework in the afternoon.

It was hard to tell if he was protecting her
because she was important to his clan, or if he really liked her.
The slightest brush of his hand against her arm and the way he
guided her with a palm in the small of her back when they walked
made her nerves sing, but whatever he felt was kept well hidden,
and she wasn’t about to question him about it.

Both of them turned to look up at Leeman as
he entered the room.

“Hey, kids.”

“Hey, Uncle Leeman.”

“Do you have a lot of homework left?” he
asked and collapsed into a comfortable couch next to them.

“Nah, I’ve got my own calculator here, and
he’s just finished my last problem.” Even though Dylan rolled his
eyes at her, she knew he liked her compliment.

The smell of fried chicken drifted into the
living room from the kitchen, and pots clanked noisily.

Leeman arched an eyebrow. “That’s good
because after dinner, I’m planning an attack on the castle.”

Dylan perked up and closed his books quickly.
“Wow, that’s amazing. Can we come along?”

After studying him for a second, Leeman
scratched his head and said, “I suppose that’ll be okay. I’m
getting the Fire Walker clan to go with us. We’re going to find out
if the Chancellors are holding any clan members in their
castle.”

“Ooh, that sounds exciting. How many people
will be coming along?” Aspen crawled in front of her uncle’s
chair.

“There will be about forty Power Walkers and
thirty Fire Walkers. Some Water Walkers want to come too.”

As Leeman spoke, Dylan packed his books away
and picked up Aspen’s homework as well.

“I’ve asked the Fire Walkers to create a
diversion while we enter the castle. I want to get as many
Chancellors away from the castle as possible. You can both come
along, but you’ll have to hide outside the castle. I don’t want you
inside.”

With pouty lips, Aspen frowned. “You know we
can help too.” Even though she was only five foot two and looked
fragile, she was still powerful. She knew she still needed
training, but once she was ready, not many Dream Walkers would
challenge her.

“I know, Princess, but just stay close to the
Fire Walkers and don’t enter the castle—under any circumstances. Am
I making myself clear?” Leeman stared at her with mock severity,
and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Yes, sir,” she said and gave him a mock
salute. A second later, she jumped up and sat in his lap, wrapping
her arms around his neck.

“Your mother is cooking chicken for dinner,
so put your books away and wash your hands and we’ll eat. Dylan,
you’re invited. You can leave with us afterward.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I’ll show you which bathroom to use if you’d
like to wash up,” Aspen told him as her uncle lifted her off the
chair and onto the floor. Her hair was loose, and she brushed it
over her shoulders and away from her face before leading him up the
staircase.

Once upstairs, she grabbed a towel from the
linen closet and handed it to Dylan. A gentle current flowed from
his skin into hers as their fingers touched, and he seemed to savor
the feeling. He breathed deeply and a strange look flashed briefly
over his face.

“I’ll be down soon.” His voice was gravelly
and lower than usual.

Reluctantly, she let go of the towel and
rushed to her room. She didn’t say much while they had dinner
later, and was relieved when Leeman said that it was time to
go.

The three Dream Walkers said good-bye to
Norma, then clutched their dream catchers as they disappeared in a
warm glow of light.

• • •

Lanta was bathed in pale yellow, and the whole
village was a hive of activity. The sweet sounds of a wooden flute
piped through the balmy air.

With a quick wave, Leeman strode off to his
house to get prepared. Ginny stood talking to a man Aspen hadn’t
met before, and she and Dylan walked over to greet them. Tracing
her hands along the seam of her jeans, Aspen was glad she’d changed
her clothing at her mom’s house.

Ginny dragged the man over by the arm to
introduce him. “This is my dad. Dad, this is Aspen, and you know
Dylan.”

Ginny’s father was tall and thin, and his
eyes glowed with pride as his arm circled Ginny’s shoulder and he
dipped his head in respect. He had shiny black hair like the rest
of the Power Walker men.

“Greetings, Princess. I’m honored to meet
you, and doubly so because I’ve been told that you helped save my
precious daughter’s life.” With that, he hugged Ginny close to his
side and shut his eyes.

“My life would be worthless if you didn’t
find her,” he went on. “I’m forever in your debt, and if you ever
need anything, no matter how small, please let me know. I’m your
loyal servant.”

Nothing could stop the rush of heat that
flooded Aspen’s cheeks, and she didn’t know what to say.

“Thank you, Arthur,” Dylan said on her
behalf. “I’m sure that the princess appreciates your kind
words.”

“It was my pleasure,” she managed to say.

Once Ginny and her dad had turned around to
leave, Aspen ducked behind Dylan’s back. “That was awkward,” she
whispered.

“Arthur loves his daughters more than he
loves himself. He’s a good dad.”

As she raised her eyes to look at him,
someone called his name.

“Dylan!”

He spun around. “Wait here,” he ordered, and
walked over to a man who bore an incredible resemblance to him.

Aha, Aspen thought. This had to be Dylan’s
dad. He had the same unruly dark hair and striking blue eyes. His
jaw was wide, and he was about six foot two with a broad chest and
long legs. He must have been just as handsome as Dylan when he was
younger. The two spoke for a bit and then walked toward Aspen.

People gathered in the area around them,
children ran past her, and raised voices could be heard everywhere.
Dogs barked, and men shouted orders as supplies were bundled up and
packed away. Excitement was almost tangible in the air, and she
took a deep breath to settle her nerves.

As soon as they reached her, Dylan made the
introductions. “Aspen, this is my dad. Dad, I’ve told you about
Aspen before.”

With a low bow, his father looked up at her
with twinkling eyes. “I’m David. I’m so glad to finally meet you,
Princess. My son can’t stop talking about you.”

A mortified look crossed Dylan’s face before
he clenched his jaw and stared into the distance.

Aspen smiled shyly. “It’s nice to meet you,
sir.”

“Dad, enough already.” Dylan’s eyes drilled
into his father’s.

Nothing could stop the smile on his dad’s
face, though, and he chuckled. “Are you two coming too? Leeman said
that we’re leaving soon.”

A group of clan members walked in front of
them, and Aspen stepped back to let them through. “Yes, Uncle
Leeman said that we could tag along.”

“Good. Demothi is rustling up some horses for
us, so I’ll see you both later.” He ruffled Dylan’s hair and then
walked away.

A lump rose up in Aspen’s throat as she
watched Dylan’s father leave. Meeting both the girls’ and Dylan’s
dads in one day reminded her of the father she would never have,
and she wished she’d known him too. She envied Dylan and Ginny and
Sandy. They were privileged to have spent so much time with their
dads. The love they shared was clearly visible, and her eyes filled
with tears. Life wasn’t always fair.

“Hey, are you okay?” Dylan trailed a finger
across her cheek.

She blinked. “Yes, I’m fine, thanks. Let’s
find Sandy.”

As she looked at the crowd, she saw Ray and
his sister arriving on horseback.

As soon as Ruby caught sight of them, she
maneuvered her horse in their direction. Ray waved wildly at Aspen
and with a jerk on the horse’s reins, he followed behind Ruby.

“Looks like you’ve got company.”

Aspen glanced up at Dylan as he spoke. His
eyes remained on Ray as he approached, and she wondered why Dylan
wasn’t looking at Ruby.

“Hey, Dylan.” Ruby’s smile was as bright as
her lips were red. Her green eyes lit up as she slipped from her
horse and rushed toward him. With a happy sigh, she wrapped her
arms around him and pressed her cheek against his chest.

Aspen forced herself to breathe normally as a
rush of jealousy swamped her, and she barely noticed Ray
dismounting.

Ruby nestled closer and spoke again. “I’m so
glad we caught you. Are you going with our party?”

A large group of riders chose that moment to
enter the village and she pointed at them. The Fire Walkers formed
part of the group, and Aspen saw Ginny waving at Ashley and Cole
while Caden followed closely behind. For some reason, Caden was
glaring at Dylan, and didn’t seem happy at all.

As soon as the riders dismounted their
horses, the noise in the village escalated and before she could
protest, Ray had scooped her up in a bear hug that left her
breathless. He planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

“Howdy, little darling. You’re as pretty as a
picture today.”

She blushed and peeked at Dylan. His lips
were pressed together tightly, and he looked really upset.

Ray dragged her by the arm. “They say
Demothi’s gettin’ more horses ready. I love to watch him. Come
on.”

Running with Ray proved to be a mission as
his legs were longer than hers, and she ended up being dragged
behind him. She squealed in protest and glanced back. Ruby was
still wrapped around Dylan, but he seemed to be more interested in
watching Ray tugging Aspen along.

Luckily, Ray didn’t run for long and stopped
in front of a huge bonfire. Heat from the flames warmed her cheeks
and smoke stung her eyes.

“Look.” He pointed to the left where Demothi,
the Power Walker’s magic man, chanted. A white robe covered his
short frame, and moccasin boots peeked out from under his pants.
Blue and red sparks flew from the long stick he held, and the
flames hissed loudly each time he raised it. His eyes were closed,
and the long braid of hair draped over his shoulder swayed from
side to side with each step he took.

It took a while, but Aspen finally heard the
words he was chanting.

“
Sun ka wa kan hiyu, sun ka wa kan hiyu
.”

Before she could move, Ray pulled her up
against his chest and rested his chin on her head. “Do ya hear
that?” he asked against her ear.

“I hear it, but I don’t understand what he’s
saying.”

“He’s calling to the horse spirits and asking
them to appear to us.”

Suddenly she was tugged out of Ray’s arms.
She spun around to find Dylan hauling her away with firm hands.

“Get away from the fire!” he yelled at Ray.
“The horses will be here any minute.”

Being pulled around like a rag doll was not
her idea of fun, and Aspen stamped her foot in the sand. Just as
she was about to shout at Dylan for being so rude, the ground shook
and a deep rumble filled the air. Huge horses hurtled out of the
flames and crashed to the ground next to her. Their whinnies and
snorts sounded like thunder, and she grabbed her ears in vain to
block out the noise. The white stallions barely missed her as they
jumped out of the fire, and their tails whipped her arms and drops
of saliva dotted her face.

Dylan grabbed Aspen and wrapped an arm around
her waist. With a jerk, the earth moved away from her feet and she
rose up in the air with him. Automatically she grabbed his neck and
hooked her calves around his hips to hold on for dear life.

After a few seconds, she dared to look down.
Dylan had aimed an electrical current at the ground and the force
was lifting the two of them up in the air. Power flowed from his
hand in a direct line to the soil. The stream was as thick as a
telephone pole, and it snaked toward the earth in neon-blue
sparks.

Horses continued to catapult from the flames,
but now she looked down at them instead of being trapped next to
them. She saw Ray as he waved his arms at them frantically from
below. He’d managed to move out of the horses’ path completely.