Aspen and the Dream Walkers (26 page)

Although she was tempted to leave everything
and transport to Lanta, she was still embarrassed about the
previous night. Dylan had seen her at her weakest, and probably
thought she was a poor excuse for a princess. No doubt he agreed
with Ruby about Aspen’s Halfling status. Nope, she could wait a
while before seeing him again.

She’d just completed her homework when Norma
called her downstairs to help with dinner, and she decided to wait
until bedtime to cross over.

“Can you set the table, sweetie?” Her mom
stirred a meaty stew that smelled delicious.

“Of course. It smells great.” Aspen sniffed
the air appreciatively.

“This was your dad’s favorite. He used to
sneak downstairs and heat up a bowl of the leftovers in the middle
of the night.” Norma placed the spoon back on the counter and
stared out the window. “He said the stew tasted better after
soaking for a while.” She smiled sadly.

Aspen walked over to her mother and hugged
her. “It’s okay, Mom. Things are getting better now.”

Holding her daughter against her chest, Norma
whispered, “I know. I just miss your dad sometimes.”

They heard the front door open and people
speaking in the living room. With a frown, her mother released her
and the two walked to the front of the house to see who’d come to
visit.

The prisoner from the night before stood with
Leeman in the living room. He’d obviously been cleaned up and his
clothes were new. Although he was painfully thin, he held his
shoulders back with pride, and Aspen was convinced that he was
someone important.

The man’s eyes made contact with her mother’s
and a huge smile broke out on his face. Norma shrieked and ran
across the room as fast as she could. Aspen watched in amazement as
her mother flung herself into the man’s open arms. She hugged him
tightly and burst into tears.

This was a shocking sight. Her mother had
never acted like this before. Who was this person? The stranger
closed his eyes and rested his chin on her mother’s head, seeming
to draw comfort from the fact that Norma was in his arms.

Gooseflesh prickled along Aspen’s skin as her
mother drew back and touched the man’s face reverently. “Roman,”
she whispered.

Aspen froze.

“Roman, you’re here. How is this possible?”
Norma pulled his face down and pressed kisses all over his cheeks.
The man lifted her up into the air so that her feet dangled, and
squeezed her as tightly as he could.

“Norma, my precious. I’ve missed you so
much.” His voice was gruff with emotion, and the two clung to each
other for a few moments.

Aspen stared at the man in a daze. This
couldn’t be true. She looked at Leeman for answers, but he was
beaming with joy.

Once Roman had placed Norma back on the
floor, he stoked her face tenderly, as if he wanted to memorize her
every feature. In a state of shock, Aspen cleared her throat, and
he glanced up and caught her eye.

“My princess.”

Stunned, Aspen stood where she was, her feet
practically glued to the floor.

Her mother looked back to stretch her hand
out to her. “Honey, come and say hello to your father.”

Aspen felt blood rush into her cheeks and she
swayed slightly. “My f-father,” she stuttered.

“I can’t believe how beautiful you are.”
Roman’s thin face broke into a smile and he stepped toward her.
“I’ve tried to imagine how you would look after all these years,
but you’ve left me speechless.”

She stood still as he approached her. Norma
clung to his arm and walked with him as he reached out to touch
Aspen’s face.

“Dad?” she said softly.

Her father pulled her against his chest and
wrapped both arms around her, hugging her tightly. “My sweet, sweet
princess. I thought I’d never get a chance to hold you again.”

Aspen’s throat closed up and her heart
swelled. A sob rushed through her chest, and she jerked as it hit
her airways. She bawled out loud as an old ache that had long been
suppressed beat against the walls of her heart and finally
exploded.

Roman hugged her even closer against his body
and rocked her from side to side. “Shh, my precious angel, my
little princess. I’ve got you. You don’t need to cry anymore.”

She couldn’t help herself as huge tears
spilled from her eyes to wet her father’s shirt.

Her father waited for the worst of her sobs
to subside before gently pulling her away. She tried to wipe her
face and runny nose, and sniffed loudly.

Leeman dug into his pocket and hauled out a
handkerchief, and she took the cloth gratefully.

“How did you survive?” Aspen asked when she
could finally speak. “We thought you were dead.”

Roman held both her hand and Norma’s, and led
them over to the sofa. “I have to sit down, I hope you don’t mind.
I need to build up some strength, and it’s going to take longer
than one day, I’m afraid.” He sank onto the soft cushion and
grimaced.

“Oh, my sweetheart, what can I get you? You
look so pale.” Norma’s face was pinched with worry.

“Sit down and relax, I’ll make everyone some
coffee. I think Roman has a lot to tell us.” Nothing could remove
Leeman’s smile, and he walked into the kitchen to make a pot.

Roman snuggled Aspen under his arm and looked
at Norma. He gripped her hand as though he couldn’t bear to let it
go again. “I’ve missed you so much. I still can’t believe you’re
with me.” With a sigh, he shut his eyes tightly.

Aspen could see tiny nicks under his chin
where he must have shaved in a rush. His skin was so pale that
small blood vessels were visible along his throat, and dark chest
hairs peeked out from beneath the collar of his shirt. She breathed
in his scent. It smelled so familiar and comforting.

His bright blue eyes snapped open and he
reached for Aspen’s watch. “You still wear this?” he asked.

“Yes, it’s all I had of yours,” she replied,
and he hugged her against his body for a second.

“What happened to you?” Norma lifted her hand
and touched his cheek. “They told me you were dead. They said your
body had been incinerated and there was nothing left.” Her lower
lip wobbled, and this time Roman pulled her against his chest.

“I didn’t wear my dream catcher to work. I
didn’t want to draw attention to myself because of you and Aspen.
The Chancellor Lord, Andreas, had been looking for me everywhere. I
wanted to bring you back to Lanta where I could protect you, but
our magician, Demothi, hadn’t completed the spell.”

He released his wife and looked into her
eyes. “You must believe me. I tried everything possible to bring
you over. I built a house for you and . . .” Tears welled
up in his eyes and he stopped talking for a few seconds.

Aspen wrapped her arm around his thin chest.
He must have borrowed Leeman’s clothes, because his shirt was
baggy, and she wondered when he’d last eaten a good meal.

“It’s okay, I know about the house, and so
much more. Oh, Roman, why didn’t you tell me about yourself? I’d
have followed you to the ends of the Earth,” Norma said
shakily.

“I wanted to. I hinted a few times, but I was
so happy when Aspen was born that I thought it could wait until
Demothi was ready, and I could surprise you with our new home.” He
sighed and then stared at the wall in front of him. “They attacked
when I was at work, and I was helpless without my dream catcher. I
could fight but I couldn’t heal myself, and they overpowered me.
Hundreds attacked me at once. I’d given the Gimler, our most
powerful weapon, to Leeman when I’d left, and handed my title to
him. I couldn’t lead my people and leave you behind.”

Aspen’s heart pounded as he told his story.
It must have been awful to make a decision like that, and she felt
so sorry for her dad.

“Andreas ordered his people to take me to the
castle and made them chain me up to a machine that drained my
power. It only worked because of my bloodline. There was enough
power in my body to conjure the most damaging nightmares. I’ve been
locked in that blasted machine ever since.” A single tear spilled
onto his cheek, and he wiped it away with a swipe of his large
hand. “The only thought that kept me going was seeing the two of
you again.”

His fingers dug into Aspen’s arm as he pulled
both her and her mother against his chest. He pressed a kiss on
Norma’s forehead and cast a troubled stare up at the ceiling.

Leeman entered the living room just then with
a tray of coffee cups. Once he’d placed the tray on the table, he
handed a cup to Roman, who disentangled himself from his daughter
and wife. Aspen leaned forward and snagged a cup for herself. The
coffee was hot and sweet, and it soothed her raw throat.

“Roman says that the Chancellors heard about
a very powerful Dream Walker girl,” Leeman said, looking at Aspen
as he spoke. “They couldn’t capture me because I’m always
surrounded by warriors and I have the Gimler, so they took Ginny
instead. They were actually after you, Aspen.”

“Yes,” Roman added. “Andreas used to taunt
me, saying I was going to get a companion. They built a new machine
especially for you . . .” He had to stop talking again
and bit his lip.

Leeman grinned smugly. “I destroyed both
machines before we left.”

After putting her cup back on the table,
Aspen dipped her head under her dad’s arm to snuggle back against
his chest. Norma took Roman’s cup so he could hug his daughter
again.

“It’s okay, Dad. It didn’t happen and I’m so,
so glad you’re back. I couldn’t have wished for anything more in my
entire life. It’s like this nightmare has finally come to an
end.”

Her father squeezed her shoulder. “Leeman
said you’ve been fixing the house. I can’t believe you finally got
to see it.”

Aspen grinned. “Yes, it’s looking so
good.”

“I can’t wait to see it again. This is the
happiest day of my life.”

Norma hugged her husband once more and then
jumped up. “I forgot—there’s stew in the pot and it’s your
favorite. Let me get the plates out and feed you. I’m sure you’re
hungry and exhausted.”

“That’s sounds so good,” Roman said, and
closed his eyes for a second. “I’ve been dreaming about coming home
for so long. I don’t think it could get much better than this.”

Norma pulled the large dream catcher out from
under her shirt and lifted it over her head. “I think you need
this,” she said softly.

Roman took the necklace from her and slipped
it over his neck. A golden glow emanated from the charm and washed
over his body. His skin seemed to regenerate wherever the light
touched, and Aspen gasped in surprise as the fine blood vessels
disappeared and his skin changed into a healthy blush. Almost
instantly, his frame filled out and the gaunt lines around his face
disappeared.

“Haven’t you been healed by a dream catcher
already?” she asked.

“I have, but each dream catcher is designed
individually with our essence. While any dream catcher will heal
you superficially, only your own dream catcher will restore you
completely.”

Norma was astounded and could only stare at
her husband. “Are you sure you need to rest?”

Roman’s eyes gleamed. “Yes, I could do with a
nap,” he teased.

Norma blushed and swatted his shoulder with
her hand. She squealed as he lifted her in the air and carried her
to the kitchen. “Feed me, woman.”

Leeman and Aspen laughed as they watched the
pair leave the room. She was so happy. This day was so unexpected
and absolutely incredible—it was almost too good to be true.

Now that her dad was home, she could show him
the house in Lanta. Would he like the changes she’d made, and would
he be able to take her mom to see the place too?

If only Dylan could be here to share her
happiness. She wondered if he’d be in Lanta when she went to sleep
later that night, and if he’d be as happy as she was about the
fantastic news. But mostly, she wondered where he was.

Leeman watched his niece thoughtfully. “He
won’t be visiting today.”

Revelation

“Huh?” Aspen turned to look at her uncle.

“I’ve sent him on an errand. He’ll be back
soon.”

“Who?” she asked, feigning ignorance.

“Dylan. He went to get something important
for me. Don’t wait up, he’ll be gone for a few days.”

A lump formed in her throat. “Okay,” she
mumbled, and stood up to join her parents in the kitchen.

For the next few days, Aspen basked in her
father’s attention and laughed at her parents’ antics. They were so
obviously in love; their faces glowed with happiness. She’d never
seen her mother so youthful and radiant, and her dad had said that
her mother wouldn’t age so quickly because her essence was tied to
his again.

She’d gone to Lanta with her father every day
after school and they’d worked on the house. Soon the house looked
like new, and every room was painted and cleaned. The furniture in
the living room was polished, and the curtains and linens smelled
like newly washed laundry. Roman had worked hard to transform the
front yard, and the outside of the house was neat and freshly
painted.

“I wish your mother could see the house now.”
Roman sighed and held his daughter’s hand as they stood back to
admire their handiwork.

“Demothi is busy with the spell. It shouldn’t
take much longer.”

“You’re right. I guess I’ll have to be
patient. Let’s get back to your mom, she’s making fried chicken
tonight.”

Aspen’s face lit up with delight. “Race you
back!” She chuckled and grabbed her dream catcher.

Within seconds the two had reappeared in
Leeman’s house, and Norma shooed them out of the kitchen.

“Wash up, both of you. I don’t know what you
were up to at the house today, but you need to freshen up.” She
pretended to wrinkle her nose.

Aspen laughed. “I’m going to have a quick
shower. Keep my food warm for a bit longer, please.”