Dreamwalker (15 page)

“
Everyone is looking for you. Finally, I find the infamous missing child of Jason and Rita Maristolla. For someone so green, you sure are hard to catch.”

I blanched at the mention of the oddly familiar name, but couldn’t quite place it. “How do you know they are my parents? My name is Noel Kennedy not Maristolla.”

“
It seems you have been left out of the loop. Oh Noel, I am the one who killed your parents Jason and Rita all those years ago. Not a hit and run from a drunk driver. Surprise!” he explained in feigned enthusiasm.

I was sobbing uncontrollably at this confession. How could he just toss it out like that? He ruined my whole life and it was nothing to him. All these years were so empty without them.

My thoughts continued. I always wanted to catch the bastard, not get caught by him. Scared didn’t even begin to describe what I was feeling now. It was more like shear panic.

“
What do you want from me?” I spat out.

“
We want you of course, isn’t it obvious? We bring you in, and you reach immortality. The untapped power you have would be incredibly prestigious to PLI and we are officially recruiting you.”

He had to be joking. It was a wonder they got any recruits with these tactics. At least this was something I could work with. It was a lot better than death.

“
We would have recruited you like normal if not for the rise of the new anti-PLI movement. They are proving to be quite troublesome. You see, I couldn’t take the chance you wouldn’t agree. I need you so this is more of a draft than a real recruitment.”

Knowing that I might just have a little leverage, I grew a little more confident.

“
Jared and Boone are no match for the superb Augustine Jordan? Tell me August, what is your ability? What have you sacrificed for a chance at immortality?

He seemed slightly taken aback by my new bravado. Good. If I could stall long enough, maybe I would wake up from this nightmare. That was the fleeting thought I had before my concern was renewed and the vile creatures hedged forward, grunting and licking their razor sharp teeth.

“
Hmm, it seems you don’t know too much. That is a pity, really. I expected the noble boy band would have told you more. I am in line to inherit the throne to these lovely goblins. I am sure if you know your lore, you are aware of the fey. I am one of said fey.”

He actually had the gall to look humble and cocky at the same time. What a jackass. I was also growing more confident now. What he didn’t know, is that I was obsessed with most things fey. I was well aware of the lore but didn’t intend on telling him that, so I just played the newbie on the block.

“
It rings a bell, vaguely. I wasn’t aware you could come out into the human world. Can’t you only come out at night? Oh wait, that is vampires. Howl by the moon? No, that is werewolves. Oh yeah, now I remember. Translucent and hates iron I think.”

Unfortunately, the witty banter was cut short by a new arrival. Wren stepped in front of me and the world froze. It was as if sheer heat was blazing through me, igniting a fire. It wasn’t the good kind either.

Wren turned her lecherous gaze on me and I cringed internally. The metallic taste of my sweat as it dripped was the least of my worries at the moment. I was about to beg for mercy when she turns her attention to August and the fire dissipated as quickly as it came.

After the initial relief, I strained to hear the conversation between them. I couldn’t make out words, but the tone was definitely heated. She looked frustrated with him and her hands were talking louder than her words. She has had enough of his play time. It was all business now.

The realization that this could get more serious sent me into a sheer panic attack. I went into rapid gasping and my vision turned into tiny black pinpricks. The all out panic finally won and everything turned to all black. Still, I could feel the scene swirl to dust as I exited it.

My vision didn’t return, yet I was definitely in a new dream. I know because sobbing was audible and coming from somewhere nearby. I blinked and tried to wipe away the blackness, but the inky dark remained.

“
Hello, anyone there?” I asked, tentatively testing this new dream.

I was just matched with broken sobs. “Wow, what a sparkling conversationalist you are. Wouldn’t want to miss this,” I input with dripping sarcasm.

I was about to add more witty commentary since I was over these dreams already and just wanted to wake up. Then, my vision started to clear and I was able to make out a pale waning moon from the far window.

There were bars on it and I realized this was a prisoner. My sarcasm instantly dwindled and my compassion was in full force. I winced at the thought about my earlier comment now.

“
Umm, I’m sorry. I am just really tired, even though that is no excuse for my rudeness. I am Noel,” I offered hoping to rectify my earlier comment.

It seemed like an eternity before the girl responded. She sat up and let out a strangled sob and an “I know,” before I saw who it was.

Sitting in front of me on a prison bed in the light of the moon was the girl from my visions. Her brown hair was tangled and her hazel eyes were puffy and filled with tears.

She was wearing simple blue scrubs and was huddled on a small bed with nothing but a pillow for comfort. The sad state she was in just sent a shiver through me and I was at a loss for words.

“
It is bad that you are in here with me,” she choked out.

Pity swelled in my heart and I was instantly at her side to comfort her. I was surprised when she didn’t pull away and only leaned into me.

As with Jared and Boone, I was all too aware of the innate connection I seem to have with her. It was like I had always known her. This revelation just added to my ever growing massive pile of confusion that lingered in the back of my mind all the time lately.

“
Why is that bad?” I asked curiously, trying to ignore the stench she was emitting.

“
It means they caught you and we failed,” she said.

I was about to interject but she continued. “Autumn and I failed. We tried so hard to keep you safe. It wasn’t enough and now you are here.”

She was sobbing again and I was too stunned to form any sort of response. If I could trust Autumn, then who was the mole? I was back to square one and more confused than ever. Then something had occurred to me. Who was this woman? I knew she was tangled in this and that I felt I could trust her, but who was she?

“
Who are you?” I blurted out with less grace than intended.

She flinched at the question.

“
Maybe I should know but I just don’t. I’m sorry.” I added trying to ease the tension.

Then she straightened up and put out her hand, “Samara Maristolla, your sister.”

I returned the handshake and she slid something into my palm. It was still too dark and I couldn’t see what it was never mind the fact that I was too shocked to register anything else. All I could do was study her in the soft glow of the moon. That name again, Maristolla. This was my sister, whom I didn’t remember until just this moment.

This time when the dream started to pixilate, I was definitely not ready and all I could say is “Wait!” before the dust of my surroundings settled around me and I felt the steady noise of the highway thrumming to life beneath me.

I bolted straight up in the back seat wasting no time shouting “Sam!!!! Wait, we have to save Sam!”

Everything I kept locked up tight either accidentally or on purpose was being released as if I was always the key. Memories flooded my mind like a film reel and tears sprang to life like crystal drops in my brilliant green eyes.

I saw Sam and me as children laying in our matching twin beds, giggling and looking up at the glow in the dark sky we hand arranged on our ceiling. We were wishing upon a star. We looked so happy and at peace. That memory faded to black and a new one cropped up.

We were eight and sitting in the library pretending to be doing homework. Instead, we were playing MASH and dreaming about the future. Her light brown hair was in braided pigtails and she was wearing the gold plaid dress that always brought out the fire in her hazel eyes.

All I heard through my haze was Autumn. “Boone, damn it, we have to pull over, NOW!”

He seemed to hesitate, his feelings warring with his desperation to keep going. Boone took one look at me then veered a hard right and slowed to a screeching halt. I thumped hard against my seat belt and a strangled “Oomph” escaped my startled lips.

Instantly it was Autumn who jumped into the back seat and wrapped her arms around me. She was back to herself and I took comfort enclosed in her arms as the past continued to flood back like rushing water over a broken damn.

Sam and I were laughing hysterically as we threw our very pissed off fluffy cat down the laundry shoot and onto a pile of dirty laundry. We ran down to recapture Smokey and raced back to go again, giggling all the way.

Sam and I hiding the hole we accidently made in the basement wall from our gymnastics escapades, and being sat in time out for an hour in separate corners as punishment.

Then it was me in the back yard cutting the grass around the deck with scissors as punishment for giving my sister a home haircut. She had only one pigtail and our mom was devastated.

I was somehow torn back to reality and my pleas by Boone who placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and looked into my tear strewn eyes.

It was Boone who finally spoke next in a somber tone. “Noel it isn’t that easy. We already made it halfway to Kansas City while you were asleep. PLI will be looking for us and trust me when I say they will capture and torture us if we give them the chance.”

“
But they have Sam and they are torturing her!” I retorted back in a spiteful tone.

“
That is because they want you, Nells honey,” Autumn said with visible tears in her blue eyes.

I was shocked to see that amount of compassion from her and winced at the thought of August. I had to tell her, even in this poorly timed discussion.

“
Autumn, I know who leaked Intel. It isn’t what we thought though.”

This just earned a wary eye from Boone and Autumn both.

“
Ok guys just hear me out,” I said as my voice trembled and I brushed the tears from my wet cheeks.

They nodded and I continued. “It is Autumn.”

I hurried to continue before she could get defensive. “Not intentionally though. Actually, it is August and he spelled you so you wouldn’t remember.”

A look of disbelief crossed her now splotchy face before she nodded for me to continue.

“
He is fey and he used his powers to disguise himself from all of your detection spells. You never really had an amazing night with him, but likely spent the night spelled by him. He probably got all his Intel then, no one else the wiser.”

I waited for them to digest this before I was attacked with another big hug from Autumn.

“
Nells, you are the best. I can’t believe you figured it out, but now it makes so much sense. Fey are tricky and manipulative beings. He probably dismantled my wards. Thank god he wasn’t after me, if I ate or drank anything; I would be bound to the fey courts. It gives me the creeps just thinking about it.”

Then she paused for a half beat before another thought occurred to her. “Why is August meddling in all this? He is already immortal.”

I was actually ready, relieved to know the answer to something this time. “He is moving to take over the goblin court. By aligning with a lower member of PLI, he has their backing to overthrow the current ruler. He and Wren are in this together and they have both Jared and Sam.”

Now it was Autumn’s turn to burst into tears. I consoled her as she lets out a few muffled sentences.

“
Not good. Have to get you far away. Need to stay safe. Hide.”

I was chilled by her fear but had no intention of hiding and leaving them for dead. “No. We can’t. I’m going back, with or without you.”

Boone must have heard the truth in my now steady voice because a change crossed his rugged face. His own clear blue eyes met mine and he just nodded.

Then, he looked at my hands and his eyes crinkled in confusion. “Your hands, they have sores from rope burn on them. Are you ok?” he asked with concern. I just shook it off and told him I was alright.

Then he pointed and asked, “Noel, what are you holding?”

All degrees of surprise crossed my face before I un-gripped my hand and released the object I forgot I was holding until now. A new interest took hold of me.

It was a tarot card, embellished at the corners. It was the ten of swords only upside down. The picture depicted a man with ten swords all gouged in his back. He looked to be in immense pain. I turned it over and all I saw was a name “property of Nan Day” amongst the flowery design covering it.

Just looking at the card brought on yet another poorly timed vision and I braced myself for what was sure to come next. My current location faded away and my eyes rolled back into the vision.

This time I was surprised. It was a vision of Samara and Autumn, only this time I was Sam, in the flesh. I was not here in third person, but an actually party to this particular vision.