Dreamless

by Jenniffer Wardell

  Some of this must have come through on his face, because Laurel’s brow lowered as she watched him. “Dad’s not trying to suck you in to the bodyguard routine full time, is he? I know he thinks the other guardsmen are idiots, but I’m sure you’re already getting bored.”

  “Nigel’s hired muscle was a decent distraction.” His mouth was working on auto-pilot, trying to give his brain time to recover. He could be okay with this. If they got Elena’s aunt back here fast enough, they could probably have all this done in a few weeks. He could go back to the border knowing she was fine. And it wasn’t like she didn’t know how to use a mirror. His parents considered her family—no one would think it was weird if they still talked.

  “Cam.” Laurel’s voice was firmer now, meant to get his attention. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”

  It was the perfect opening. “I need a favor, actually,” Cam said, pushing everything else aside. He’d deal with it later. “Have you guys finished cleaning up after that evil queen yet?”

  “We’ve got a couple units doing final sweeps, but most of us are heading back to main camp tomorrow morning. You need me and Mason to do something?”

  “More than that.” Not that his siblings weren’t the best at what they did, but they had no idea if the aunt would come willingly. He wanted them to have as much backup as possible. “As many people as you can convince your captain to let take a separate contract.”

  “You’re hiring us?” Now her eyes widened. “Cam, what in all the gods’ names have you gotten yourself in to?”

  He refused to even think the answer to that particular question. “I’m not hiring you, the princess is. We—” No, that wasn’t going to help. “She and the queen need you to bring in a sorceress who may or may not come quietly. There’s a full list of charges and a royal order, and I’ll send them both to you and Mason as soon as I get them.”

  Laurel just stared at him. “If the princess is hiring us, remind me again why you’re calling instead of one of her official minions?”

  “Because w—she needs this sorceress as quickly as possible, you guys are the best, and you’ll be able to talk the captain around a lot faster than the queen could.” He tried his best “you know you love me” grin. “And if I’d given out the code to your private mirror, even to royalty, you’d have killed me.”

  Now her eyes were narrowed like she was trying to see inside his head. “Get out of there,” she said, sounding deadly serious. It was the voice she used when telling someone what they needed to do to stay alive, and it was the only reason Cam knew she wasn’t joking. “I’ll get Mason to push through the paperwork while I talk to the captain and round up the rest of the men we’ll need. We’ll be on the road tomorrow to get your sorceress for you, but only if you promise me you’ll get out of there as soon as you can. I knew you were softhearted, but I had no idea this job would mess with you as much as it clearly has.”

  “Laurel.”

  “I mean it, Cam. Promise me.”

  “I’m fine.” He fought hard to not get angry. “Like you said, body guard duty is easy enough to make people drop dead of boredom. Dad’ll be back in a few weeks, and then there won’t be any reason for me not to go right back to the border guard. My supposedly soft heart has nothing to do with anything.”

  She swore, far more fluently than Cam could have managed. “You still think talking a lot about something else will make it so people don’t notice what you’re avoiding. Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t already care too much about this girl.”

  He held her glare for a moment, willing himself to lie. When he couldn’t make anything come, there was a rattling noise from the other end that suggested she’d hit the table. Oh, I am going to kill him.”

  “Laurel.” He gave up on resisting the glare, deciding it was better to focus his attention on not shouting. “It’s not a problem. I can handle this.”

  In the grand tradition of big sisters, Laurel chose to completely ignore him. “If I’d known this was going to happen, I would have made sure it was me. I like the kid fine, but—” She stopped herself from finishing the sentence, then shook her head. “You know how terrible an idea this is, right?”

  What was he supposed to say to this? “I am fine, Laurel. How many times do I have to say this?”

  She glared at him. “If she breaks your heart, I’m going to have to kill her. No matter what Mom or Dad think.”

  “Laurel.” He only barely remembered to keep his voice down. The last thing he wanted was for Elena to overhear the fact that his sister had completely lost her mind. “We’re not a couple, so there’s no chance of her breaking my heart. Now please go intimidate some big strong men and stop worrying about me. I’m not going anywhere, but I can promise you is that I will be totally, completely and one-hundred-percent fine.”

  Laurel kept glaring at him. “I’ll have Mason call you before we set out tomorrow. But I meant what I said—I have no trouble with beating up on princesses, curse or no curse.” She then cut the mirror connection.

  Cam closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead against the headache he’d magically developed in the last few minutes. Hopefully, Elena was having better luck relaxing than he was.

  Chapter 13

  Sunshine and Bluebirds

  “You look well rested, Elena,” Dr. Flyte said cheerfully, as if nothing had changed between their last appointment and this one. They’d already chatted politely about the fact that he’d brought a few of his magical books into the office as decoration, and she supposed he considered this to be a casual segue.“I take it you’ve been sleeping better.”

  Elena had been, but there wasn’t the slightest chance she’d admit the reason. She and Cam had switched beds for the last few nights, which was completely ridiculous but had given her some of the best sleep she’d had in weeks. She’s switched the blankets that morning, telling Cam that she wanted her very expensive bedding back. The truth was, though, that his bedding didn’t smell like him anymore. “Yes, thank you.” She gave the mirror her most polite smile. “It was simply the stress of the analysis that was keeping me awake.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Dr. Flyte’s tone made it clear that he didn’t believe a single word she said, but she hadn’t given him much of an opening to push. Not that she’d been able to close it completely. “How has Cameron been sleeping?”

  “I wouldn’t know.” Elena watched the mirror intently, trying to figure out where he was going with this. “He’s just outside, though. If you’re really interested, you can ask him as soon as the appointment’s over.”

  “I presumed he must be, but I didn’t see him when you came in.” The doctor’s tone now was pure therapeutic concern. “Is Cameron avoiding me?”

  The question seemed genuine, making it harder to tease him. “I think he’s afraid you’ll try to analyze him again,” she said carefully, deciding honesty was the kindest option. “I get the impression he’s not really comfortable getting too many details about his psyche.”

  Dr. Flyte huffed. “I was simply expounding on the traditional sibling dynamics that were occurring right in front of me.” He stopped himself, the projected image of his face bobbing a little in his frame like he was taking a cleansing breath. “Fair enough. All I can do is hope that his reluctance won’t hinder him from seeking help if he needs it.”

  Elena’s hands tightened on the armrests of her chair. “What does that mean?”

  The mirror looked almost kind, which didn’t help Elena’s peace of mind any. “While you undoubtedly bear the brunt of the stress in this situation, my dear, there are repercussions for all of us. Cam has had less time to come to terms with that fact.”

  It was a stab, right through her heart. She wondered if he’d meant to hit quite so directly. “If he ended up needing to talk to someone, his parents are right here. You know how close the Merricks are.” Not that she planned on dragging
him any further into this than he already was. After his siblings brought her aunt here, the problem would be strictly magical. Whatever happened, the worst of it would miss him.

  And if the worst didn’t miss her, he would still be able to move on with his life. They had become friends, which would be hard on him, and he had his father’s sense of responsibility. But Marie would help Alan, and they would both help Cam. All three of them were too strong for her to be able to break their hearts.

  Elena took a deep breath, giving herself a firm mental slap. If she kept thinking like this, she was going to start crying. That was the last thing any sane person wanted to do in front of her therapist. “Besides, I’m not sure Cam could afford you. Didn’t I hear you’re doing long-distance consultations for Elves now?”

  “It’s not therapy, precisely.” Dr. Flyte said lightly, giving her time to recover. Still, he watched her closely, as if waiting for any sign that her mind might wander off into dark places again. “Most Elves hate to talk about their feelings even more than Bishop, so the consultations actually fall closer to the realm of stress management. But you’re right, they do pay well.” He let just a hint of amusement creep into his voice. “I’ve been giving genuine thought to setting up a neat little blackmailing practice on the side. I haven’t done so in years, but with some of the information I’ve been receiving it’s a remarkably tempting thought.”

  Elena’s own lips quirked upward in genuine humor. If Braeth heard Dr. Flyte talk like this, she suspected he would find the mirror slightly less boring. “I would think your therapeutic ethics would get in the way of really enjoying yourself, there. You’re too good at what you do to muddy your reputation like that.”

  “It would, if I had a therapeutic relationship with any of them. But since I’m merely a consultant, taking advantage of a lucrative opportunity is simply good business practices.” Still, he gave a resigned sigh. “Of course, there’s always the possibility that one of my blackmail victims would send an assassin to shatter me. I would have to hire bodyguards, and it’s challenging to find ones who are willing to take me seriously.”

  “Turn them into frogs. I’m sure that would get their attention.” She felt the muscles easing in her shoulders as she teased him. It was possible he was helping her to relax simply out of kindness, but it was also entirely possible that he was trying to lull her into a false sense of security before springing some deeply probing question on her. With Dr. Flyte, the two impulses were far from mutually exclusive.

  Which meant that now was a good time for a distraction. “If we ever see Nigel again, I’ll have him specially brought over so you can do the same thing to him.”

  Dr. Flyte chuckled. “Speaking of your and Cameron’s pest, I was able to collect some of that information you were looking for. It seems that Prince Nigel is, in fact, the oldest son of the current king of Long Ago. According to the traditional rules of his country, he should be too busy learning how to run the kingdom to make trouble for us here.”

  “So what went wrong?” Elena tried to picture the scenario. “You said ‘current king,’ so it’s not as if his family’s been deposed or anything.”

  “No, but it appears Nigel himself has.” Dr. Flyte turned slightly, checking some stream of information he was accessing. “Apparently, his father realized that Nigel would be such as disaster as king that he attempted to have the rules of inheritance changed. When that didn’t work, he sent Nigel on a series of impossible tasks and named his younger brother regent until they could be fulfilled.”

  Elena snorted in disgust. “And let me guess—one of those tasks is to bring home an enchanted princess.”

  “I was unable to get confirmation on the specifics, since they mostly seem bent on pretending he doesn’t exist, but that would be my guess,” the mirror replied, voice thoughtful. “What I don’t understand is why he simply doesn’t move on and find a more willing princess. I suspect there are several who would be far easier to kiss awake, and at least a few desperate enough to accept him as the person doing the kissing.”

  She shook her head. “Most people arrange to get their sleeping curses in advance, and already have someone in mind to get them out of it. They and their families leak the information to the right people, the appropriate man or woman rides out, and as a result most sleeping curses are broken in about a week.” Elena had long ago stopped being bitter about that fact. It was simply the way things were. “I’m sure Nigel would hear about a princess, and by the time he got to her she’d already be awake and in someone else’s arms.”

  “True.” He didn’t sound happy about it, which she appreciated. “Still, I’m disturbed the fact that you’re not actually asleep yet doesn’t seem to bother him.”

  “Maybe he wants to be first in line.” She rubbed a hand across her eyes. “If we can’t turn him into a frog, maybe we can get my aunt to sleep-curse him when Cam’s siblings bring her in.”

  The mirror’s expression darkened. “Braeth should never have brought that up.”

  Her brow furrowed. She hadn’t been referring to the wraith’s suggestion at all, which made it all the more surprising that Dr. Flyte had immediately leapt there. “It was his version of being kind.”

  “Presenting that possibility to your mother wasn’t a kindness. He himself recognized that deciding to wield it could break her, and with your father gone I’m not certain how well I could repair the damage.” He sounded genuinely distressed, as if the thought had been weighing on him. “Braeth should have kept it to himself unless it became an absolute necessity.”

  Elena blinked, startled by the unexpected turn in the doctor’s complaint. “Did you just say ‘unless it became a necessity?’”

  Dr. Flyte hesitated. “Well, we wouldn’t want to eliminate any possible avenue of treatment, even one with as many negative effects as the one Braeth proposed. The psychological effect on your mother would be dramatic, but less harmful in the long run than to watch you fall to the curse.” His expression shifted, as if gearing up for a lecture. “Still, with the new information we’ve received I’m certain there are other alternatives.”

  “Dr. Flyte,” Elena interrupted, something heavy forming in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t rejected Braeth’s suggestion outright when they were all in the circle, but that was mostly so she wouldn’t hurt her mother. But if even the mirror was willing to consider something that could bring the council down on their heads “What Braeth suggested is probably a criminal act.” She could hear the emotion in her voice, no matter how hard she tried to hold it back. “I don’t want any of you to risk that kind of trouble for something that might not even work.”

  Now Dr. Flyte appeared startled, and he looked at her for a long, quiet moment. Elena hunched her shoulders slightly in an automatic protective gesture, not able to shake the feeling that he could see far too much.

  Finally, the doctor broke the silence. “Are you planning on presenting that argument to your mother?” he asked quietly.

  Elena lifted her chin, regathering her pride so she wouldn’t have to think about the rock in the center of her chest. “I’m not an idiot, Dr. Flyte, or cruel. But I have just as much right to feel protective as the rest of you do, and it is your job to listen to those feelings and take them into account.” It was a confession of sorts, true, but right now it was the only argument she had.

  “Yes.” Dr. Flyte’s sigh held the weight of years behind it. “I suppose it is.”

  ~

  When the appointment ended, Elena escaped as quickly as possible. Cam was just shutting down his mirror when he saw her, and something in her face had him standing and ushering her out the door without a word.

  Once they were safely out of the building, he moved close. “You usually have a weird half-satisfied, half-frustrated look when you come out of your appointments, like you’ve had a sparring match with someone who’s a little better than you’d like them to be. Now y
ou just look beat up.”

  She let out a long breath. “He went for more kill shots than usual. I should have kept my guard up.”

  “Want me to beat him up for you?” Cam held his arm out, and she slid her own arm through without hesitation. “Punching him would probably be fatal for at least one of us, but I’ll get some pages to carry him up and down a flight of stairs until he’s begging for mercy.”

  Elena laughed, the tightness in her chest easing. “I think we can spare him that particular torture, but thank you for that lovely thought.” She moved a little closer to him as they walked. “What you can do, though, is distract me. Has either your brother or sister called with an update yet?”

  “Laurel did. I was just on the mirror with her while you were at your appointment.” Something strange flickered across his face, disappearing before she could try to analyze what it was. “They’re finishing up recon now on the estate where your aunt’s living and expect to move in to pick her up in the morning.”

  “She’s on the run and still managed to get her hands on her own estate,” Elena said. “I know that sort of thing is supposed to be standard operating procedure for an evil sorceress, but it’s rather annoying.”

  “Technically, it’s not her estate. According to Mason, she married a widowed landowner with three grown sons. Your aunt’s got a place to stay, but unless she gets him to change his will she won’t inherit a thing.”

  “Maybe she wants gratitude money from us.” Even as she said it, Elena knew the explanation didn’t make sense. Anyone looking to get paid for a miracle would present his or her bill in advance. “Or maybe she’s simply looking for a hobby while she figures out how to talk her new husband out of his millions.”

  “Have I told you that you can be annoyingly cheerful sometimes?” Cam asked. “Seriously, all this sunshine and bluebirds stuff is driving me nuts.”