Dream Walker (The Coven, Book 3)

by Erica Stevens

  “I’ll gulp you right down,” the clown promised as he took another step toward her.

  “Oh!” Avery said. “Let me see that trick.”

  Karen scowled at her before turning and bolting away from the picnic table. The grass crunched beneath her feet, and for the first time, she realized she was barefoot as she ran for her porch.

  “Don’t go, Karen! We’re having fun!” Tina yelled after her.

  Karen contemplated slapping her friends upside their decaying heads, but she didn’t dare turn back. The porch was just before her; maybe if she got up the stairs and inside, she would wake up. She clung to that hope as laughter followed her. That laughter sent a spurt of adrenaline through her, and she somehow got her legs to move faster.

  The steps were right there. She miscalculated the stairs and hit her knees when her bare foot caught on one of the steps.

  “Why run?” the clown grated from behind her. “I’m only going to get you.”

  When a white-gloved hand fell on her shoulder, she screamed and tried to rip herself away from it. Jagged splinters bit into her fingers when she clawed at the porch, but she couldn’t pull herself away from the iron-tight hold on her shoulder.

  The clown jerked her around and shoved her onto her back. Bits of rotting flesh dangled from its teeth, and she caught a whiff of its fetid breath.

  “Swallow you whole,” it hissed.

  Clawing into its face, Karen tore away layers of paint to reveal a hideous, muscle-covered skull. She gagged when her fingers sank into the bloody, red tissue. When the clown laughed and shoved her backward, her head banged off the porch. Karen’s head swam, and the clown’s teeth gleamed in the sunlight when it reared back before lurching down and sinking its teeth into her shoulder.

  Karen screamed and bolted upright. She swung out to batter the clown before realizing she was fighting air. Her hands fell as she took in her surroundings. The nightlight by her door illuminated some of her furniture and reassured her that she was safely in her room.

  Despite the reassurance, uncontrollable tremors racked her as tears streaked her face; she tried to shake off the remnants of the worst nightmare she ever had. She sat there for a few minutes before realizing something sticky was running down her aching arm.

  Frowning, she tossed aside her covers and rose, but before she could make it three steps, realization settled over her. Her teeth chattered as blood ran down her back and she sank to the floor.

  • • •

  Isla sipped her coffee while she mindlessly watched the TV. She’d also taken some caffeine pills, and so far, they were working. She was a little jittery, but awake.

  • • •

  Rosie paced as she impatiently waited for her coffee to finish brewing. She couldn’t sit down; she was too tired. If she sat, she’d fall asleep, and she could not do that. She’d be fine while she stayed awake.

  • • •

  Landon’s eyelids drooped as she worked the crochet hook and yarn. She felt the enticing pull of sleep, and then her head popped up. She was so tired she couldn’t see straight, and her head throbbed. This was awful and ridiculous. One stupid nightmare didn’t mean she would have another one.

  She narrowed her eyes and threaded the yarn. She’d stay up tonight and sleep tomorrow. Yes, that’s what she’d do.

  • • •

  “Ow, damn it!” Sandra cried.

  She jerked up to stare around her room. The thumbtacks were still on her pillow, and effective at keeping her awake she decided as she pulled one out of her cheek.

  CHAPTER 17

  Reid opened the door for Avery, and she slid out of the car.

  “You’re adorable,” he said as he kissed the tip of her nose and smiled at her.

  “I’m a limping, bruised disaster.”

  He clasped a strand of her loose hair and slid it between his fingers. “You’re beautiful.”

  Unexpected tears bloomed in her eyes. “I never wanted to hurt you; I was trying to protect you.”

  “You have to realize you can’t protect me from him.”

  “I know.” She rested her head against his chest, and he hugged her.

  “Good, because I’m never letting you go again.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  He released her and clasped her hand. “We should get to class.”

  “You know I love you, right?”

  His silver eyes twinkled in the morning sun filtering through the bare trees. “I’ve always known.”

  “What about Talia?” she asked as she recalled watching them dance the other night.

  “What about her?”

  “Are you two… did you… do you two have something going?”

  “No. Why would you think that?”

  “You looked awfully close at the dance the other night.”

  He rested his hand against her cheek. “There was never anything between us. There never will be.”

  Avery bit her lip before glancing at the building and nodding.

  “Avery.” She turned her attention back to him. “I’m in love with you; you’re it for me.”

  She smiled at him as he bent to kiss her. When his lips touched hers, all the laughter and chatter of the students milling around the lot vanished. She forgot all her doubts and concerns when his tongue entwined with hers.

  A blaring car alarm pulled her from her euphoric haze, and she blinked up at him. His silver eyes were intense as he searched her face. “Only you,” he murmured.

  “Only you,” she said as she rose on her toes to kiss him again.

  She smiled at him when he took her hand. His hand fit perfectly into hers, and she’d missed the feel of his callouses against her skin. She walked with him across the campus and toward the coven’s pavilion. They hadn’t met there in over a month, but Avery knew they would be there now.

  “Reid!” a voice called. “Reid, wait up!”

  Avery looked over her shoulder and watched in dismay as Talia rushed toward them. “Hey,” she greeted as she fell in next to Reid. Talia couldn’t have missed Avery standing beside him, holding his hand, but she didn’t acknowledge her. “Where are you going?”

  “To meet the coven,” Reid replied.

  “Really?” Talia asked. “I thought most of you weren’t talking.”

  “Things have changed,” Avery said.

  She purposely swung her and Reid’s hands forward so Talia could see they were joined together. Talia didn’t glance at their hands as she focused on Avery and her eyes widened.

  “What happened to you?”

  “It’s a long story,” Avery replied.

  “You look awful.”

  Avery buried her anger as she resisted touching the large bruise on her temple. She’d considered Talia a friend and brought her into her life. She hadn’t seen the girl was only using her to get closer to Reid, but Sandra and Rosie had. Avery would never forgive the betrayal.

  Talia turned dismissively away from her and linked her arm through Reid’s free one. She fluttered her lashes as she gazed at him. He stared in disbelief at her before removing his arm from hers.

  “What’s the matter, Reid?” Talia’s voice cracked when she spoke.

  “You shouldn’t do stuff like that, Talia. We’re not together. Avery and I are,” he said.

  “But what about us?” she whined.

  Avery winced at the sound of her tone, but for the first time, she realized there was something wrong with Talia. Her obsession with Reid was too much. She glanced nervously at Reid who was gazing at Talia with a baffled expression.

  “There is no us. There never was an us.”

  “But you said you loved me!” she cried.

  An invisible fist hammered Avery’s chest and knocked the breath from her. He wouldn’t say that to Talia of all people! Would he?

  “I never said that!” he grated through his teeth.

  “Yes, you did!” Talia cried, and tears streaked her face. “You did!”

  Reid gla
nced helplessly at Avery before focusing on Talia again. Avery wanted to melt into the ground to get away from this, but she was a little concerned about what Talia might do to Reid. She believed Reid, which meant Talia’s crush had turned into a frightening obsession.

  “No, I did not,” Reid said.

  “Yes, you did!” Talia whirled on Avery. “You’re not as special as you think you are!”

  Before Avery could reply, Talia spun away and stormed across the campus.

  “It’s not true, Avery. I never said anything like that to her. I’ve made it clear I don’t want to date her. I shouldn’t have danced with her; it’s obviously fueled her… her…”

  “Obsession,” Avery suggested.

  “Yeah,” he muttered and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “I did it to make you jealous. It wasn’t my best moment, and I shouldn’t have used her, but I didn’t realize she was so… so… unbalanced.”

  Unbalanced was an understatement, and for the first time, Avery was afraid of the girl and what she might do.

  “You believe me, don’t you?” he asked.

  Gulping, she lifted her head to meet his stormy eyes. She searched them for some sign he was lying. All she saw was confusion, love, and desperate hope. “Yes,” she managed to say. “I believe you.”

  His shoulders slumped as he drew her closer and hugged her. A bell rang in the distance. “Come on,” he said as he steered her toward the school doors. “We’ll see everyone at lunch.”

  “Okay,” Avery said, but she couldn’t shake her lingering distress over Talia’s bizarre behavior.

  • • •

  Between the students packing the cafeteria and the loud din of clattering plates, laughter, and shouts, Avery felt like she was suffocating. The people surrounding her disliked and distrusted her. She shifted uncomfortably and glanced around the room. It was too cold to eat outside like they used to, but Avery wished she’d skipped lunch, especially when she looked at the miserable faces of the coven.

  Sandra and Landon looked like a Mac truck ran them over before leaving them for roadkill. Circles shadowed their half-closed eyes, and neither of them had spoken since muttering hellos when they sat.

  Sandra hadn’t stopped yawning. Landon’s head kept dropping before rising again; her usually shiny hair hung limply around her face. Rosie absently played with her food as she sat with her shoulders slumped. Avery had never seen her sit so still before.

  Sitting beside her, Isla jumped at the slightest sound. Mario sat beside Isla with his lips pursed and a bruise on his face. His hands clutched the edge of the table, and he hadn’t touched his lunch. Avery was more concerned about Mario’s lack of appetite than his bruise. Eric was sitting beside him and staring at his plate. Every few minutes, he would look up to stare accusingly at the people surrounding him before focusing on his plate again.

  “Are you guys okay?” Avery asked. They’d been sitting here for ten minutes without speaking.

  “Fine,” Landon mumbled.

  “Did you get any sleep last night?” Reid asked her.

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe you should go home and get some more. Are you feeling okay?” Alex asked and rested his hand over hers.

  Landon stared at it before pulling her hand away. “I feel fine.”

  Alex couldn’t hide his hurt as his hands fell into his lap. Avery had to stop herself from comforting him; their relationship was none of her business, but Alex looked like Landon had torn out his heart.

  “It’s been a rough couple of days,” Landon said.

  “Yeah,” Sandra agreed as she stifled another yawn.

  “It would be better if you got some sleep,” Shawn said.

  “I already have parents,” Sandra said.

  “I was trying to be helpful,” Shawn said.

  Landon stood so abruptly her chair skittered across the floor and hit another girl. “Sorry,” Landon muttered to her as she put the chair back. “I have to go.”

  She didn’t wait for a reply before she turned and walked away. Avery turned her attention back to the others. “What is going on?” she asked.

  “I’ve got to get to class,” Sandra said and rose.

  Sandra vanished before her words registered in Avery’s confused mind.

  “I guess the rest of you aren’t going to tell us,” Alex muttered. “I’ll see you later.”

  Despair crept into Avery as Alex stood up and walked away. Despite the events of the other night, she’d felt so much promise in this day. For the first time in over a month, the coven had all been together again. She’d succeeded in uniting them, but they still didn’t trust each other, and something was wrong.

  Unfortunately, they seemed determined not to reveal what it was.

  CHAPTER 18

  Lila sat frozen in the awful metal wheelchair that looked like it rolled straight out of a nineteen fifties’ horror movie. She hadn’t seen a chair like this since Regan made her face her nightmare in his realm. She never thought she’d see it again.

  Yellow light shone down on her and the tiled floor beneath her. Gripping the arms, she tried to lift her legs, but they remained where they were, and she realized she couldn’t feel them. She couldn’t feel anything beneath her waist. Sweat beaded her brow as the realization she was once again paralyzed sank in.

  No! No! No! NO!

  In a desperate attempt to break free of the confining chair, she rocked her upper body to the side until the chair swayed beneath her. When she lurched to the side, the chair teetered on its thin wheel.

  She held her breath as she waited to see if the chair would tip over or right itself again. And then it swayed further to the side, and the floor rushed up to meet her. Lila threw her hands up to protect her head as she crashed onto the tiled floor.

  Lila moaned as she woke. The floor beneath her was cold and hard, and when she saw the colorful quilt covering her bed, she realized she’d fallen out of bed. Her elbow and hip ached from the impact, but at least her legs were working again.

  Lifting herself off the floor, she flopped onto her bed and gazed at the glow-in-the-dark stars decorating her ceiling.

  • • •

  Tina screamed as she clawed desperately at the vine encompassing her arm and burrowing into her flesh. When her fingers dug into the thick green mass, her blood oozed out of it and slid between her fingers. She yanked at it, but it cleaved to her while sucking her blood.

  She screamed again and woke with a start.

  Shuddering from her lingering fear, she reached for her lamp. The motion caused her arm to ache, and she felt something warm trickling down her skin. Her fingers fumbled with the switch before she finally succeeded in turning it on.

  She gasped when the lamp revealed the skin pushed back on her arm and the blood oozing freely from the wound. Lurching out of bed, she tore away the gray comforter as she searched for whatever could have caused the injury. She tore the sheets off the mattress and threw them on the floor but discovered nothing. There was nothing that could have cut her.

  • • •

  Rage thrummed through Talia as she ran at Avery; she was going to kill her. Leaping over the headstone, she slammed into the bitch and knocked her to the ground. Talia barely registered the disbelief on Avery’s face as she lifted her head and bashed it against the gravestone. Avery went limp beneath her, but Talia continued to pummel her.

  “Die!” Talia cried as she yanked out handfuls of Avery’s hair and flung it aside before clawing at her face.

  It wasn’t fair; she’d seen Reid first. He was hers. And this bitch… this bitch had taken him from her. He was never supposed to have gone back to her. He was supposed to be with her now, but Avery had used her powers to steal him. However, she couldn’t keep him if she was dead.

  A gleeful, manic joy suffused Talia as pieces of scalp came away with Avery’s hair, and blood ran down her face as Talia bashed it off the headstone again.

  “Not so pretty now.” She laughed as she punched her unti
l blood flowed from her broken skin and welts formed across her cheekbones.

  Talia beat her until Avery’s face was unrecognizable and her chest stopped rising and falling. Sitting back, Talia ignored the blood coating her hands as she tried to catch her breath. Joy suffused her when she saw what she’d done. Now, she could comfort Reid if he required it, but Avery wouldn’t be able to steal him away again.

  She started to wipe the blood from her hands before realizing she enjoyed having it on her skin. She grinned as she rose and started across the cemetery. Avery was dead; Reid was hers, and she was going to love him forever. There would never be anything separating them again, and she’d kill anyone else who tried to get in her way.

  When Talia stumbled over an open grave, a hand captured her leg and jerked her back. Her breath exploded from her when she hit the ground. She dug her fingers into the grass and dirt as she writhed to break free of the grasp, but the dead man wouldn’t release her.

  “No!” she screamed as terror clawed at her insides.

  The hand jerked down, and her nails tore away as she scrambled to find purchase, but there was nothing for her to grasp. Her heart beat so fast she thought it might explode.

  “Please, no, no, no,” she pleaded as she wiggled to break free of the grasp, but another hand wrapped around her other leg and yanked her back.

  With a shriek, she lost her fragile grip on the earth and plunged into the open grave. Her back crashed against the casket and pain radiated throughout her body. She thought she tasted blood on her lips but couldn’t be sure as she wheezed for air; every breath caused fire to race across her injured ribs.

  Dirt and rocks fell around her and thumped off the open coffin. She moaned and rolled to the side, but before she could rise, hands wrapped around her and the smell of rancid flesh enshrouded her as the hands enclosed over her forehead and mouth.

  A choked cry escaped her, and she grabbed the arms to yank them away, but they were like steel bands holding her in place. Beneath the mush of the dead flesh, bugs squirmed and broke free of the creature when she tore its skin away.

  The hand over her mouth slid down to encircle her throat. She flailed against the creature as she strained to get some air into her tortured lungs, but white stars began to swim before her eyes. She was going to pass out, and then she would die and become one of these things.