“Hello?” I called out, my voice barely a whisper. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Hello? Is anybody out there?”
No answer. I didn’t really expect one. If I was stalking someone in the woods after dark, the last thing I would do is speak and alert them to my presence. The terror was so much more effective when there was no answer.
I fumbled in my pocket for my phone. My hands shook when I hit Galen’s name on my contact list. He picked up on the second ring, sounding cheerful.
“What’s up, Sugarpop?”
As far as nicknames go, that wasn’t a favorite. It was hardly worth worrying about now. “I think someone’s watching me.”
He was all business. “Where are you? Are you back in town?”
“I’m still on the highway, a few miles out. I heard a noise and I slowed down. I swear I saw someone.”
“What do you see now?” I heard him moving and starting to breathe heavier. It sounded as if he’d grabbed his keys.
“I don’t see anything, but I can’t make myself move. It’s as if something is stopping me.”
“Hold tight.” He was grim. “I’m on my way.”
“What if it attacks?”
“Then you’ll have to protect yourself. You shouldn’t have waited so long to leave Wesley’s. You know what time the sun sets.”
Agitation, hard and bright, rolled through me. “Is that really what you want your last words to me to be? A freaking admonishment? Thank you so much.”
“Calm down. I’m on my way. I’ll go with full lights and sirens. You’ll be on your own for a few minutes. You’ll have to fight if it comes to it.”
This was hardly the first time I’d been forced to use my magic. I was still getting used to it, of course, but the power had come through in a pinch more times than I could count. “Please hurry.”
“Keep the phone on. Keep the line open.”
“I can’t do that and have both of my hands free.”
“Put the phone on speaker and then place it on the passenger seat. Don’t drive unless you have no other choice. Your instincts are telling you something. If they don’t want you to move forward, there’s a reason for it.”
That sounded perfectly plausible. Still, my mouth was dry and my heart felt as if it was about to pull an Alien larva and split my chest. “Okay. I’m doing it.”
“I’ll be right there with you the entire way.” He sounded calmer than he probably felt. His truck roared to life on the other end of the call and momentarily drowned him out. When he returned, I knew he was already on the road and heading toward me. “Tell me what you see,” he instructed.
“I ... um ... .” I couldn’t see anything. I could feel something. Whoever had been near the trees to the front of me had somehow managed to circle back and was now behind me. “Oh, no.”
“Hadley, what?” Galen sounded as if he was about to have his own heart attack.
I wasn’t much of a fighter. Sure, I got into the occasional hair-pulling contest in high school. That was normal for females fighting over boys and status, though. This was something else entirely.
I sensed more than saw a weapon of some sort coming directly at me. My magic sprang to life even as I ducked, and a wall of some sort — teal and sparkling — popped into existence and cut off the weapon before it could strike me. The noise that followed was loud, as if two vehicles collided. The wall held true, though, and allowed me to suck in a breath and survey my surroundings.
Somehow, and I still wasn’t sure how, I’d erected some sort of force field that surrounded the entire cart. The shadow — and even though the force field was illuminated, I couldn’t make out a face — hammered away with what looked like a hatchet of sorts. The assault was relentless, but the shield held.
The noise was enough to make me sick to my stomach. With nothing better to do, I buried my face in my hands and attempted to block the unrelenting sound that sickened me to my very core.
GALEN GOT TO ME IN SEVEN minutes. That meant he probably ran both lights in town and broke every speed limit on the island. The shadow fled minutes before he arrived. I could see the lights coming in my direction. Apparently, so could my would-be assailant.
“Hadley!” He was mystified when he hopped out of the truck and approached me. He looked leery. “What is that?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I don’t know what it is. It just sort of happened.”
“Did you do that?”
“Yeah. When whoever it was jumped out from over there and tried to hack me to death.”
He worked his jaw. “Well ... that’s impressive.” He flashed a tight smile. “Can you make it go away?”
“I don’t even know how I put it up!”
“Take it down a notch.” He grinned despite the situation. We were separated by only a few feet, but the barrier glowed as bright as airport lights. It made me feel as if we were miles apart. “I think if you calm yourself, suck in a breath and do some of that yoga stuff you’ll calm down and the bubble will just kind of dissipate.”
That was easy for him to say. “What if it doesn’t? What if I have to live in here forever?”
“That won’t happen.”
“Will you wait for me?”
“Are you asking if I’ll date a woman who lives in a bubble? I’ll have to give it some thought.” His smile broadened. “You’re in control of this. All you have to do is take in a breath and ... exhale.” He moved his hands for emphasis. “So, exhale.”
I did as instructed, even though I felt ridiculous, and after a few minutes of steady breathing I closed my eyes. Just having Galen close was enough to calm me, and when I opened my eyes again the shield was gone. The only thing between us was his amusement.
“It’s not funny.” I slapped at him as he drew me close for a hug.
“It’s a little funny.” He stroked the back of my head and glanced around. “Which way did the guy run?”
“I’m not sure it was a guy. It was hard to tell in the light and ... well ... he or she wore some sort of mask, which is weird, because I couldn’t get Jason Voorhees out of my head right before it happened.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have let you watch those movies,” he grumbled, brushing his lips over my forehead before pulling away. “Stay here while I check things out.”
“Wait.” I stomped my foot as I climbed onto shaky legs. “You can’t just leave me. I’ve been through an ordeal.”
“I can’t take you into the ditch where I might fight your attacker.”
I jutted out my lower lip. “There’s strength in numbers.”
He cocked an eyebrow and then snickered. “Fine. You can come with me. If I tell you to run, you’d better run.”
“That won’t be necessary. We both know he’s already gone.”
“Probably.” Galen took the lead into the ditch. He spent a few minutes sniffing the air. He crouched and ran his hands over the trunks of a few trees. When he finished, he held his hands out and shook his head. “There’s no one here now. I can see a few footprints but they’re not good enough to identify the tread. Did he say anything?”
“No. He just came out of nowhere and started hacking.”
He closed the distance between us and gently slipped a strand of hair behind my ear. “You’re okay? Other than flipping out a bit, I mean? That’s pretty normal.”
I wanted to smack him around. “I’m fine. What happened was not normal. It was pretty far from normal.”
“Well, all that matters is you’re okay. Let’s get you home and we’ll talk about it some more there. I bought Chinese. We’ll probably have to heat it up, but we can eat it in bed. What’s better than that?”
He had a point. “I have pie.”
“You have pie?”
“Wesley sent me home with blueberry pie. We could eat that in bed.”
“Now you’re thinking.” He grinned at me, although danger lurked in the depths of his eyes. I understood he was putting on a brave front for my benefit. He was
furious someone would dare attack me. He would redouble his efforts the following day. This was personal to him.
“How are we going to get the cart home?” I asked. “Do you want me to drive in front of you?”
He looked amused at the prospect. “While that might be fun, I thought we would just tow it. I have some boards in the back. You can drive it right into the bed of the truck.”
“Oh, that’s a much better idea.”
10
Ten
I was confused when I woke. I remembered falling asleep, tucked in tight at Galen’s side. I was full from the Chinese food and the terror of being trapped on the road alone had faded. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to sleep, but I drifted off quickly. That’s why waking in an odd manner, standing in front of an open window and peering out, was so jarring.
“What the ... ?”
In my haste to escape from my surprise I smacked into something behind me. Thankfully it was Galen. He was shirtless and sleepy, but he also appeared concerned.
“What happened?” I asked, confused.
“I don’t know.” He brushed my hair out of my face. I often braid it before bed so it doesn’t get out of hand, but I’d forgotten this evening. “I didn’t even realize you were up until I felt the wind on me.”
“I ... .” I flicked my eyes to the window, confused. I had no idea what to say.
“It’s okay.” He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around my back. His heart was a steady thud against my cheek as I tried to make sense of what was happening. “You were just sleepwalking again.”
“Just?” My voice went unnaturally shrill. “Just? I’ve never done this before.”
“Calm down.” He rubbed soothing circles on my back as he swayed. “It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay.”
“I’ll make sure it’s okay.” He sounded so sure of himself there was no argument to be had. “Tell me what you were dreaming about right before you woke up.”
“I ... huh.” I searched my memory. “I was walking down a long corridor again. There were a lot of windows. It wasn’t here, I know that. I don’t know where I was. It was the same corridor from the first dream.”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Were you afraid in the dream?”
“No. I was curious. I could hear ... something.”
“What could you hear?”
“I don’t know. It sounded like whispers. I wanted to check it out.”
“And that’s why you were walking to the window in your dream?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, that’s interesting.” He studied the open window for a long time before closing it and latching the lock. “I think we should sleep with the window closed for a bit, just until you’re over your dream marathons.” He adopted a bright smile that didn’t make it all the way to his eyes. “Let’s get you back in bed.”
He was trying to be upbeat, but I could read what he didn’t say. He was worried.
“Do you think the sleepwalking has something to do with what’s going on?”
He opened his mouth and then shut it, his mind clearly busy. “I don’t know. I need to think about it. Right now, you need sleep.”
“What if I sleepwalk again?”
“I have it all under control.” He was calm as he pulled me back into bed, settling in the middle with his head on the pillows. He pulled me so I was practically on top of him and wrapped his arms around my back. My head nestled in the hollow between his neck and chest and his heart beat against my ear in a steady rhythm. “You’ll be safe here,” he whispered.
I wanted to believe him. I was still confused by the turn of events. “Galen, I think maybe something bad is going to happen, or at least try to happen.”
He exhaled heavily. “I do, too. I’ve got you covered, though. We’ll talk about everything in the morning.”
He didn’t sound happy at the prospect. “Okay. I just ... don’t let me wander around. I don’t want to fly out the window.”
He gripped me tighter. “You’re not going to fly anywhere. I promise you that. You’re going to stay right here, with me.”
There was no place I would rather be, so I did my part and focused on sleep. I managed to succumb twenty minutes later.
GALEN WAS STILL HOLDING me when I opened my eyes. I was happy to see the sunlight filtering through the window and I stretched long and hard — a few joints popping thanks to the awkward position I slept in — and when I raised my face I found Galen studying me with impassioned eyes.
“What?” Instinctively, I reached for my hair. I figured it was standing on end or something.
“Stop.” He pushed my hand back. “I like it when your hair is one big bird’s nest. It makes me laugh.”
That made one of us. “I’m not a big fan of bird nest hair,” I argued. “I prefer looking like a model when I wake.”
“A model, huh?” His lips quirked. “Who’s to say that models don’t have bedhead, too?”
He had a point. Still ... . “I didn’t try to sleepwalk again, did I?”
“Nope. You were quiet and down for the count. The thing is ... I was up for a bit after you fell asleep and I’ve been doing some thinking.”
Oh, I so didn’t like the sound of that. “Thinking?”
“I don’t think you’re having these dreams in a vacuum. I think someone is causing them.”
I furrowed my brow. “Oh, wow. I never would’ve guessed that myself.” The sarcasm slipped off my tongue before I thought better of it.
He poked my side to show his amusement. “Stop being a pain,” he chided. “I’m serious. I watched for a long time to see if I could see someone outside the window. I didn’t, but that doesn’t mean no one was out there.”
I was confused. “Who do you think was out there?”
“Well, I’ve given it some thought ... and I think it’s probably a cupid.”
“Why would a cupid be hanging outside my bedroom window?”
“Remember what I told you about cupids. They can make people do things if the individual is already predisposed to certain things.”
I didn’t like what he was getting at. “And you think I’m predisposed to certain things? Like what? I have no interest in flying out the window and killing myself.”
“I didn’t say you did.” He was calm as he rubbed at the knots forming in my shoulders. “I don’t think that whoever is doing this is whispering that you should kill yourself. Maybe that’s not what happened with David or Mark at all. Maybe they were compelled to do something dangerous because the voice made them think they were doing something else.”
That sounded ludicrous. “Like what?”
“Maybe they were telling you to come outside, and because you were asleep you didn’t register what that would entail. The window would be the easiest way outside. You have no compulsion to stay away from the outdoors, so it was easy to sway you to do that.”
What he said made sense. I remained uncomfortable with the entire scenario, though. “I don’t understand why anyone would fixate on me. I mean ... I don’t have anything to do with the cupids. Well, other than Booker. We’re just friends, and I’ve barely seen him since this all started.”
“I know. Calm down.” His hands were on my back as he steadfastly rubbed. “I don’t know why anyone would fixate on you either, but I have a few ideas.”
“What ideas?”
“Well, for starters, I think that Darlene already told you in a roundabout way that the cupids have pegged you as powerful. She said she hired a private investigator — when I find out who that is, by the way, they’re going to be sorry — and you were listed as one of the most powerful beings on the island. Perhaps someone has a plan and thinks you’ll be a detriment because of your status.”
“But ... I’m not powerful. Why would this cupid — and we’re not even sure it’s a cupid — believe something Darlene spouted? No one has proof that I’m powerful. It’s all just a hunch at this point.”
“It’s not
exactly a hunch.”
“No? How do you figure?”
“Honey, when I found you last night you’d managed to erect a magical protection bubble. I’ve never seen that before. I’ve never even heard of something like that. I’m thrilled you can do that because I won’t worry about you quite as much thanks to that handy contraption. I’m still amazed that you managed to pull it off. You’ve done no training whatsoever and you pulled off advanced magic. I would say you’re a natural.”
“And what if it was just a fluke?”
“I don’t think it was.”
“It could’ve been.”
“Maybe,” he conceded. “But I don’t think it was. We can’t test it right now anyway. We have to focus on the current problem, which is you sleepwalking. I can’t watch you every second of the day. I didn’t even feel you get out of bed last night. It’s lucky I woke up at all.”
“Wait ... .” Something occurred to me. “Did you wake me?”
He bobbed his head. “I did. I grabbed your arm right before it happened. I let it go because I remembered at the last second that it might not be safe to wake you that way. Thankfully you were only crabby when you woke and your brain didn’t implode.”
I shot him a dirty look. “Oh, you’re so funny.”
“I try.” He flicked the end of my nose and leaned down to kiss me. “You’re okay. That’s the most important thing.”
“You can’t just assume it’s a cupid without any proof,” I argued. “I mean ... I agree that it’s likely to be a cupid. Nothing like this has happened to me before and everyone on the island was acting fine until the cupids showed up. Still, we would be remiss to rule out everybody else without proof.”
“And we don’t want to be remiss.”
“Exactly.”
He scrubbed his scruffy chin. He was one of those men who grew half a beard overnight. Thankfully the stubble made him look even more attractive ... if that was even possible.
“I have an idea,” he said after a beat, beaming. “I think I know how we can prove if it’s a cupid.”
To Spell With It Page 9