Dream Walker (The Coven, Book 3)

by Erica Stevens

  She glanced at the cluster of houses on the hill to her right. Although they weren’t all occupied by the coven, the lights shining from them made her feel safe. She was still wary about the coven, but over the past month, she’d come to realize only one of them was an enemy.

  Only one of them had taken the skull and released Regan. That meant there were eight others she could trust. Together, they would find the person who did this to them, and they would put an end to all this. She just wished she knew who she could trust.

  She shoved her hands into her pockets when the wind whipped off the sea and howled across the dunes. The ocean was relaxing, but it was also cold, and it was time to burrow into her warm bed. Shells crunched beneath her feet as she hurried forward with her shoulders hunched up against the wind.

  “Isla.”

  The whisper of her name froze her. Turning, she inspected the beach but didn’t see anyone there. She tilted her head to the side as she strained to hear the voice again, but all she heard was the wind and the waves lapping against the shore.

  “You’re hearing things,” she muttered, but she picked up her pace until she was practically jogging down the beach.

  “Isla,” the voice whispered again.

  She froze as chills raced up and down her spine. She hadn’t imagined that; the whisper was so close she felt the warm breath of it against her skin. The hair on her nape rose when another warm breath blew against her neck.

  Certain someone was behind her, she whirled to confront them, but no one stood there. Isla tried to control the riotous beat of her heart, but it pounded so loudly it drowned out the sound of the ocean.

  “Hello,” she whispered.

  She didn’t know if she was happy nothing responded or terrified. Turning back around, she was about to sprint home when she was brought up short. She stumbled back when she nearly smacked into Ben Walker. Standing before her, a cold smile twisted his mouth as he surveyed her.

  The look in his eyes unnerved her, but she didn’t cower from him. She had abilities he didn’t know about, and if he tried anything, she’d knock him on his ass without ever touching him. They weren’t supposed to use their powers against others, but she had a feeling he might end up deserving it.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

  He grinned as his eyes ran over her again. Isla took a couple of cautionary steps back to put more space between them. He prowled toward her.

  “Stay back!” she commanded.

  “Or what?” he asked.

  “Or I’m going to make you regret it.”

  “Oh, I doubt that, Isla.” The way he nearly purred the words made her nauseous. “I don’t think I’ll regret killing a witch at all.”

  Screw not harming another, he easily weighed a hundred pounds more than her, and maybe he hadn’t done anything to her yet, but she wasn’t going to give him a chance. If he got his hands on her, she’d never break free.

  Drawing in on herself, she pictured power bursting out of her, lifting him off his feet, and flinging him back before she released it. Isla felt the rush of it leaving her body; it should have knocked him on his ass and given her time to run. Instead, Ben remained standing as a sly smile curved his mouth and his blue eyes twinkled.

  Her mind spun as she tried to figure out what was wrong with her powers or how he could resist them.

  “Surprise, witch,” he murmured.

  Isla’s breath ran cold as he lunged for her. He was easily twice her size, but she was fast. Darting to the side, she dodged his hands as she bolted down the beach and toward a break in the dunes. If she could make it to the break, then it would be easier to get to the street and houses.

  She needed to get there, but the break seemed to get further away with every step she took. Why had she decided to go out alone after everything that happened tonight?

  Her feet slipped in the sand as she plunged onward. Her short legs ached, and her lungs burned, but she didn’t slow. She was as much of an athlete as a slug, but from somewhere deep inside, she found the strength to keep going.

  But running as fast as she could, and even with death breathing down her neck, his long legs were overpowering her shorter ones. Cursing her stupidity, and the genes that made her short, she pushed herself to move faster, and the break was finally getting closer.

  Only twenty more feet.

  Ten feet.

  She was almost there….

  A loud grunt sounded behind her, and a heavy weight hit her back. Knocked off her feet, she flew forward. Pain lanced through her wrists when she tried to break her fall, but her hands shot out from under her, and she faceplanted onto the beach.

  Sand clogged her mouth and nose; she spit it out as she clawed at the beach in a frantic attempt to wiggle out from under Ben’s crushing weight. Rough hands seized her shoulders, and for the first time, she screamed. The houses were still far away, but maybe someone would hear her.

  She kicked at him, but his hand gripped her braid, and he ripped her head back. “Witch!” he spat in her ear.

  She clawed at his hands and tore into the sweaty flesh holding her. He growled, and his weight eased off her back, but she had only a second for a reprieve before he pulled her to her feet by her hair. Isla kicked him in the knee, and his leg buckled, but he didn’t go down, and he didn’t release her. He jerked her angrily to the side and knocked her back to her knees. Tears of frustration and agony streamed down her face.

  If she didn’t get free, he was going to kill her. Then he used her hair to jerk her back to her feet. She felt and heard when her hair gave way and tore from her battered scalp.

  Jolting awake, Isla stared into the darkness as her heart thundered and blood rushed in her ears. Sweat coated her body and stuck her T-shirt to her. “What a nightmare,” she whispered.

  Her skull ached and she reached up to stroke her scalp. Dread filled her when strands of hair clung to her fingers and tickled her skin. She bolted upright and fumbled for the switch on the lamp beside her bed.

  Finally succeeding in turning it on, she gawked at the hair on her hand before turning her attention to her pillow. A clump of her hair, about enough to fill a fist, stuck to the pillow, and when she touched her scalp again, she found a bald spot there. Blood stained her fingers when she pulled them away.

  • • •

  Landon sipped her tea as she stared at one of her Books of Shadows, but she couldn’t make out the words. She was so exhausted her vision blurred. A glance at her phone told her it was only two thirty. She absently reached for the remote for her TV; maybe that would help keep her awake.

  She couldn’t sleep after her nightmare last night. A glance at her bandaged hands reinforced her conviction. She was never going to sleep again.

  • • •

  Rock blasted from Sandra’s earbuds, but she barely heard it as she clutched the mug of coffee in her hands and pondered the events of the night as she recalled the wolf perched on Avery’s car. Her nightmare had come alive and entered their world before vanishing.

  What was Regan up to? With the barrier between the living and dead the thinnest on Halloween, it would have been easy enough for someone as powerful as Regan to send one of his creations over to attack them, but why? And why had he taken the risk of hurting Avery when he’d made it clear he wanted her on his side?

  It was all so confusing, and she was too tired to sort through it, but she tried to keep herself occupied with the puzzle of Regan to stay awake.

  Her eyelids were so heavy; maybe if she closed them for a minute….

  A burning sensation jolted her awake, and she scowled at the coffee she’d spilled in her lap. Cursing herself, she slammed the mug onto her nightstand and stalked to the bathroom to get a towel.

  “You’ve got to stay awake, Sandra!” she berated herself.

  Grabbing a thick, white towel from the rack, she turned to look at her reflection over the sink. The pale, drawn face staring back caused a ripple of alarm to flow through her, but she
couldn’t do anything about it. Gripping her nightgown, she tugged the sleeve down and stared at the white bandage on her arm.

  “Wake up, or this could happen again. It could be worse next time!”

  CHAPTER 14

  Avery’s mind was groggy and confused when she woke the next morning. Every muscle and bone ached, and for a second, she didn’t know why. Then it all came rushing back to her.

  She bit back a groan and opened her eyes. She smiled when she spotted Reid lying beside her, sleeping soundly. His handsome face was lax in sleep, his mouth parted, and his hand rested on the pillow near her head. Her fingers itched to trace the contours of his cheeks and the straight blade of his nose, but she couldn’t disturb his sleep.

  Bracing her hands on the mattress, she pushed herself up and winced. Moving slowly, she swung her legs to the floor and stood. Her badly bruised leg protested the movement, but it didn’t give out.

  Tina and Lila lay on the floor a few feet away. They were on a couple of air mattresses and sleeping soundly. She felt a bolt of panic when she spotted Karen’s empty bed.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Avery jumped and turned to face Karen who stood in the doorway of the bathroom with her toothbrush in hand.

  “I’m okay,” Avery told her.

  Karen studied her before tears filled her eyes. “Sometimes I feel like the whole world is trying to take you from us.”

  Avery’s heart broke when those tears streaked down Karen’s face, and she wiped them away. She didn’t know what to say; Karen was the one who was good at handling situations like this. “Karen—”

  “Don’t let him take you from us, Avery. Promise me you won’t.”

  Tears clogged her eyes at Karen’s pleading, helpless tone. “I promise.”

  “Good.” Karen wiped away the rest of her tears and looked to the window before focusing on Avery again. “How about some breakfast?”

  Avery’s stomach rumbled in response. Though Mario offered her some of the pizza he salvaged from the wreck, she’d been too rattled to eat last night. “Breakfast sounds amazing.”

  Karen grinned at her. “I’ll go start it.”

  Avery admired the proud set of her shoulders and the determination in her eyes as Karen left the room. Nobody would make her give up her friends.

  Nobody.

  • • •

  “Wow, Karen, are you feeding an army?” Avery asked when she entered the kitchen twenty minutes later.

  Karen smiled as she flipped another pancake onto the growing mound sitting on plates on the counter. “I figured everyone will be up soon and wanted to prepare.”

  “You’ve made enough to feed the neighborhood.”

  Karen flipped three pancakes onto a plate and handed it to Avery. “Go eat.”

  She shooed Avery away with a wave of her hands. Avery laughed as she plodded over to the table and slid onto a chair. The sun shone on the ocean as the waves crashed against the shore. The tide was coming in, and usually, she found it calming, but she was still too rattled about being attacked by a Nightmare realm werewolf to be soothed by much.

  Avery glanced up when the chair scraped against the floor and Karen sat across from her. She set a plate before her and started dumping maple syrup onto her pancakes.

  “Have you talked to your dad?” Karen asked.

  “Not since last night. I told him to stay, but he was looking into catching a flight home today. I wouldn’t be surprised if he found one last night and is already at the airport.”

  “Is your mom still here?”

  “She’s in the guest room.”

  “Hmm,” Karen muttered as she shoved some pancakes in her mouth. “Delicious and I’m starving.”

  “Me too,” Avery said as she made herself eat, but she was still too uneasy about Regan to enjoy the food.

  “I take it you and Reid are back together,” Karen said.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “We didn’t discuss it.”

  “You are,” Karen said and smiled as she shoved pancakes into her mouth.

  “And what about you and Mario?”

  Karen choked on her pancake and coughed; she ducked her head and drank some of her juice as she stared out the window while her cheeks turned red. “I… uh… I’m not sure. He’s nice.”

  “Oh, come on. Give me more than that.”

  Karen laughed. “I like him, a lot. But….”

  “But there’s a lot to deal with, and Regan is back,” Avery said when Karen’s voice trailed off.

  “That doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for romance.”

  They ate in silence for a few minutes before Avery spoke again. “Karen—”

  “No,” Karen said.

  Avery blinked at her, and Karen laughed. “I don’t need magical powers to know you! Anyway, the answer is no; we’re not staying away from all of you.”

  Avery had expected that answer, but she couldn’t let it go without a fight. “It would be better if you did. Look at what happened to Tina last night. She could have been killed, and Regan is back. I have no idea what he’s up to, but what he did last night is only the beginning of something far worse.”

  “Nope, not going to happen,” Karen said. “Tina’s fine, and we’ve dealt with Regan twice already. We can handle him again.”

  “I don’t know what he’s doing, Karen. This is something entirely new. That thing was in our world last night, which means he’s getting stronger. I don’t think we can stop him without the skull.”

  “Any new ideas on who might have it?”

  Avery had been trying to figure that out for over a month. The coven had effectively managed to bind him to his skull after he brought Avery to his Nightmare realm. After they succeeded in escaping and binding him, Avery, Rosie, and Reid took the skull and buried it in sacred land. Unfortunately, they mistakenly believed they were done with Regan afterward.

  However, on the fall equinox, Regan reappeared and forced them into a maze of their nightmares. It was then they learned someone had uncovered his skull and released him. That someone had to be a member of the coven as they were the only ones who possessed the power to do it.

  “No,” she finally said. “I can’t picture anyone in the coven releasing him.”

  “Neither can I,” Karen said. “Are you sure no one else could have done it?”

  “Yes. Maybe someone randomly found it, but whoever set him free has to possess magic.”

  “What if some random witch found it?”

  “We made sure the ground was protected with spells and blessings after we buried the skull. If any other witches randomly stumbled across the island, they would have stayed away from the area without realizing it. Besides, what are the odds another witch stumbled across it so soon after we buried it?”

  “I don’t know, but stranger things have happened.”

  Avery would love it if that were a possibility but, in her heart, she knew it wasn’t. Someone she cared about was helping Regan.

  When the doorbell rang, Karen jumped to her feet. “I’ll get it.”

  Avery smiled as she turned her attention back to the window while she finished her breakfast. “I smell food!” Mario cried. “You are going to feed me, right?”

  “Do I look like your chef?” Karen asked.

  “You’re a woman, right? Ow!”

  “Keep it up, and I’ll hit you somewhere a lot more vulnerable next time.”

  “You’re a violent woman!”

  Karen came back into the kitchen with Mario grinning at her while Eric and Alex trailed them.

  “How’s our little chew toy?” Alex asked as he rested his hand on Avery’s shoulder.

  “Oh, you’re hilarious,” Avery retorted.

  “I know. How are you feeling?”

  “Good.”

  “You look awful,” Mario said. Avery gave him the finger when he ruffled her hair before turning to Karen. “So, can I have some food?”

  Karen smiled at him as she waved a hand at
the plates of pancakes still sitting on the counter. “They should probably be reheated.”

  “Oh, I’m not picky,” Mario assured her as he lifted a plate full of pancakes from the counter.

  “There are more plates in the cabinet,” Karen told him.

  Mario frowned at her. “For what?”

  Karen glanced at the mound of pancakes on the plate he held. “To put your pancakes on.”

  “This is enough for now,” he assured her.

  Karen blinked at him. “There is no way you’re going to eat all those.”

  “Challenge accepted.”

  Mario walked over to the table and set his plate down, turned a chair around, and sat. He poured some syrup onto his plate and didn’t bother with silverware as he dipped a pancake into it.

  “Good thing I made so much,” Karen muttered.

  “Very good thing,” Eric said. He removed a plate from the cabinet and dumped half a plate of pancakes onto it before joining Mario at the table. “Someone never got our pizza last night. Guess that’s the last time we send Avery on a simple errand.”

  “With friends like you, who needs enemies?” Avery asked.

  Eric smiled at her as he set a napkin in his lap, collected a fork and knife from the pile Karen had placed in the middle of the table, and lifted the butter dish.

  “You certainly don’t need any more,” Mario said around a mouthful of pancakes.

  Avery shot him a look as Reid entered the kitchen. Her heart leapt in her chest as she took in his disheveled hair, sleepy eyes, T-shirt, and baggy sweatpants. She gulped when his smile stole her breath. They hadn’t talked about where things stood between them, but he’d refused to leave her side last night, and she’d fallen asleep with his arms around her.

  She should keep her distance; Regan would go after him to get to her, but she couldn’t quite convince herself it was for the best anymore.

  And if Regan kills him?

  Avery tore her gaze away from Reid as guilt flared through her. If Regan killed him to get to her, she’d never forgive herself, but it probably didn’t matter to Regan if they were together or not. He would do whatever it took to get his way. But then, after last night, it didn’t seem as if he planned to keep her around either.