by Cate Tiernan
Morgan looked troubled. "There's something else that I just thought of," she said. "The walls with the writing on them, the symbols and runes-they remind me of Cal's seòmar-his secret room where he worked all that dark magick."
And where he had tried to kill her. My stomach knotted, and fury boiled up in me like lava. My half brother, Cal, was dead, yet it seemed Morgan would never be free of his influence, his corruption. He'd nearly seduced her, manipulated her, and tried to steal her power. For a minute I was so angry, my teeth clenched so tightly, that I couldn't speak. Then I spit out the obvious. "But Cal is dead."
"I know," Morgan said in frustration. "I don't understand any of it. All I know is that it's making me crazy, and now I'm actually sleepwalking. That's just too much for me to deal with." She put her elbows on the table and dropped her face into her hands.
"We have to sort this out quickly," I said to Alyce, surprising myself with the harshness of my voice. "Morgan's obviously in danger. We have to figure out where the threat is coming from and eliminate it."
"I agree," Alyce said, regarding me calmly. "But the 'threat' could be coming from Morgan herself. Her psyche could simply be using strong means to get a message across. The sooner we figure out that message, the sooner it can stop trying to make an impression on her."
"I don't believe that," I said, looking at Alyce evenly. "I know Morgan. I don't think her psyche would cause her to sleepwalk in the middle of the night to get its points across. I believe these dreams are magickal."
"I hate this," Morgan muttered, shaking her head. I stroked her hair down her back, smoothing the heavy strands.
"I know," Alyce said, patting Morgan's hand again. "I don't blame you. It's hard to sort out. But one thing is clear: These dreams might be serious, and we need to take action."
"On the chance that these dreams could be influenced or caused by an outside source, I'm going to research how one would do that," I said. "Maybe I can suss out some examples of cases where it was found that outside forces were influencing a person's dreams. And perhaps I'll talk to my father about otherworld influences acting in this world."
Like dead people, coming back to terrorize Morgan. Like Cal. Or maybe a living person, someone from Amyranth, someone who was possibly doing Ciaran's bidding. I nodded at Alyce, already considering how to go about it.
"Morgan, I'd like you to do some self-examination," Alyce said. "Meditate, think, work revealing spells-anything you can think of that might help explain what these dreams are about."
"You might want to do this when you feel safe, like when your parents are home or with me," I suggested. "Any other details that come to you, any snatches of memory or insights or fragments, write them down. Keep a record of everything."
"Okay," Morgan said, sounding glum.
"As for myself, I'll do more research into dream symbolism," Alyce said.
"I'm curious about what the fire-winged hawk might mean," I said, and she agreed.
"Also," Alyce said, "I'll make you a tisane today-a simple drink that will help you sleep and prevent you from dreaming further until we can get a handle on what's going on."
"That would be great," Morgan said in relief. "I'm afraid to go back to sleep after all of this."
Alyce clucked sympathetically, then got up and filled the copper teakettle with fresh water. "I'll fix you something that will help, at least for the next night or two. Just be sure to drink it at least ten hours before you have to get up the next day. If you have to get up at seven-thirty for school, drink it no later than nine-thirty the night before. Or else you'll be slow and sleepy at school."
"We don't want that," Morgan said dryly, and I laughed, despite my concern. A morning person, she wasn't.
"All right, then," Alyce said, bustling about, opening cupboards and taking out different herbs and oils. She put valerian, kava kava, and ginseng on the counter. "Morgan, why don't you and Hunter visit while I get this ready? It should take me about half an hour, forty minutes."
"Good idea," I said, standing and tugging on Morgan's hand. She got up.
"Thanks, Alyce," she said.
Alyce smiled at her. "My pleasure. We're both here for you-I'm really glad you came to us. You don't have to fight these battles alone. Not anymore."
Morgan smiled a bit, then we left the back room and headed to the new half of the store. Inside my little work area I closed the door and pulled Morgan onto my lap. She rested her head against my shoulder, and I felt her comfortable weight settle closer. I threw a quick 'delay' spell at the door. It wouldn't actually keep anyone out, but it would slow them down for a few seconds.
"Morgan, I wish you had told me," I murmured against her hair.
"I thought they were just ordinary dreams," she said. "But this morning when I realized I'd been outside-" Her fear was plain in her voice, and I held her closer.
"We'll take care of it," I promised her. "We'll figure it out, and you'll be fine again. At least tonight you know you're going to sleep really well."
"Mmm-hmm," she said.
For long minutes I held her on my lap, stroking her hair and gradually feeling the tension in her slender body uncoil. She relaxed so completely against me that I almost thought she had fallen asleep.
"Hunter?" she said.
"Hmm?"
"I'm tired of being afraid," she said. Her voice was very calm, almost matter-of-fact, but it struck a chord deep within me. Ever since she had realized she was a blood witch, her life had been a cascade of incredible highs and wretched lows. We both felt ready to have some smooth sailing for a while.
"I know, my love," I said, kissing her temple.
"I wish I could get out of here."
I'd never heard her say anything like that before. "You mean, like come to England with me this summer?"
I felt her smile. "I wish. No, I just feel like I need to get out of here for a while. Like I keep getting layers of bad emotions. All through the autumn and winter. Now through the spring. I need to go someplace else and start over. At least for a while."
"Let's think about it," I said. "Let's try to come up with a way to make that happen for you."
"Okay." She stifled a yawn.
It wasn't long before we felt Alyce approaching, and Morgan stood up to lean against my worktable. I heard Alyce reach for the doorknob a couple of time, apparently missing it, and I wondered if she sensed the delay spell. If she did, she didn't make any mention of it.
"Here you go," she said, coming into the room. She held out a small brown bottle with a screw-on lid and put it into a Practical Magick shopping bag. "Drink half of it tonight and save half for tomorrow. Don't mix it with anything else, and don't drink or eat anything else for two hours before or after you drink it."
"Okay," said Morgan, taking the bag. "And this will really keep me from sleepwalking?"
"It will," Alyce promised.
"Thanks," Morgan said. "Thanks so much. You don't know how much I've been dreading going back to sleep."
"Take care, and we'll talk tomorrow." Alyce gave Morgan one last smile and headed back to the shop.
"Do you think you'll be all right tonight?" I asked.
Morgan nodded. Her beautiful eyes were dark with worry and fatigue. "I'll be okay."
7
Morgan
Alyce's tisane didn't taste quite as bad as I thought it would. At nine that night I managed to get it down by holding my nose and swallowing it in two gulps.
Now it was ten, and I was distinctly woozy. I got off my mom's bed-we'd been watching her favorite cop show together-and told her goodnight. I got into a big T-shirt and brushed my teeth and fell into bed. Almost immediately, using his superkitty senses, Dagda knew it was bedtime and came trotting through the bathroom. Sleepily I patted the bed and he leaped up, making no sound and hardly any vibration.
With Dagda purring hard next to me, I went through some guided relaxation exercises, affirming that I felt safe, that I would sleep well, that everything was fine, that my
subconscious would reveal anything I needed to know. I pictured myself sleeping like a log until morning. I pictured myself safe and surrounded by protective white light. I pictured all my worries and fears floating away from me like helium balloons.
I got sleepier and sleepier until I realized I wasn't even thinking straight. Then I let go of the day and embraced sleep.
Why are you trying to avoid me? The words clawed their way into my brain as I struggled to wake up. Dimly I knew I was floating upward toward consciousness and felt a tinge of panic, as if I shouldn't be leaving this soon. Why are you trying to avoid me? Come join me. The words were white slashes against the dark backdrop of my sleep.
Suddenly, just as I was beginning to sense the sheet gripped in my hands, an image flashed: a dark-feathered hawk, streaking away. It was being chased by another hawk, rust colored and cruel eyed, who seemed terrible and strong and whose powerful wings were edged with flames.
I looked down, as if I were one of the hawks, and saw the ground far beneath me, grids of gold and green. With frighteningly clear hawk sight I saw a lone person standing in a field of wheat. Like a laser, my eyes zoomed in on the figure, and as I swooped closer, the person looked up and smiled.
At that moment I woke up and sat bolt upright in bed, my heart racing, clutching the sheet to my chest with fingers like claws.
It had been Cal.
"Will you stop?"
Robbie quit drumming his fingers on the lunch table and looked at me in hurt surprise. My heart sank. I was being a total bitch.
"I'm sorry," I said stiffly. "I'm having a bad day."
Understatement of the year. Ever since I had seen Cal in my dream last night, I'd felt like my whole world had shifted. Cal is dead. That was what I'd been telling myself for the past five months. But now he was trying to contact me when I was most vulnerably-while I slept. What did he want? Where, who, or what was he? I couldn't make sense of any of it. I was frightened, confused, horrified-and a small, terrible part of me was flattered. Maybe even happy. Cal had done horrible things, but he'd loved me, in his own twisted way. I loved Hunter now, but the thought that Cal might be trying to contact me from the dead was a sick kind of ego boost.
"You've been kind of off all week," Bree said, with typical best-friend frankness. "Are you and Hunter okay?"
I pushed my school lunch of clumpy mac and cheese away and grimaced. "Hunter's fine. School's fine. Folks are fine."
"Sister's fiiiiine," sang Mary K., dipping quickly to get that in as she passed by on her way to the May K. fan club table.
Bree giggled, watching Mary K. weave through the cafeteria, brown lunch bag swinging at her side. "So what isn't fine?" she asked, turning back to me.
I sighed heavily. How to put this? "I think my dead ex-boyfriend's spirit is trying to terrorize or even physically hurt me"? Why didn't I just call Jerry Springer now? "I've been having bad dreams," I said inadequately. "They've been keeping me up."
Bree and Robbie both looked unimpressed. I saw them glance quickly at each other and make a decision: Let's just walk on eggshells until she chills out.
As soon as I had cleared my tray, I called Hunter and asked him to pick me up after school.
Seeing a six-foot-plus length of blond, handsome witch leaning against his car and grinning did a lot to calm me down.
"Hi," I said, knowing I sounded pathetic. Hunter folded me in his arms, and I let my head sink against his chest. My whole life, I had been strong and self-sufficient. I'd always thought of those as good qualities. Now I was experimenting with relying on someone else. So far, it was going pretty well.
"I'm glad you called," Hunter said. "I was going to send you a message. I have to go and collect Sky at the airport. Can you go with me?"
"I think so. Let me call my mom." I borrowed Hunter's cell phone and dialed mu mom's office number. She said it was okay. With relief I made sure that Mary K. got a ride home, then I left Das Boot all by its lonesome in the parking lot and climbed into Hunter's anonymous green Honda.
"I'm so glad to see you," I said, turning to him and scooting as close as I could.
He leaned over and gave me a lingering kiss, then started the engine. "How did it go last night? I wanted to call you this morning to see but didn't know if it would be a good idea."
"I had a dream," I said, looking out the window.
"No," he said, frowning. "Even after taking Alyce's potion?"
I nodded. "I followed all her directions. I think for the most part, I didn't dream that much. But right before dawn I heard a voice."
Hunter looked at me, then pulled onto the entrance to the highway."What did it say?"
"It said, 'Why are you trying to avoid me?'" I repeated, trying not to let my remembered fear overcome me. "Twice."
"Goddess," Hunter said. He rubbed his chin with one hand, the way he did when he was thinking something through. "That isn't good."
"No, I didn't think so," I said wryly. "And I saw hawks again. Just for a second, but they were there. A dark hawk being chased by a fire-winged hawk. Then it looked like I was a hawk, flying overhead. I looked down and saw someone standing in a field."
"And?"
I couldn't help shuddering. "And it was Cal."
The car gave a sudden swerve, and I grabbed my door handle.
"Sorry," said Hunter. "I'm sorry, Morgan. So you saw Cal in your dream?" He was trying to sound casual, but I knew him, and his voice was tight. He had hated Cal to the very bone and still got tense at the mention of his name.
"Yes." I shook my head. "That's when I woke up. Maybe Alyce's drink wore off right before I was going to wake up, and that's why I suddenly had all these dream images."
"Maybe," said Hunter, sounding grim. "Well, we'll find out more tonight. I've arranged for us to meet with Alyce and Bethany tonight, at Bethany's apartment. Is eight o'clock okay?"
"Yeah, no problem. Did you tell Bethany what's going on?"
"Alyce did, and Bethany's concerned, like we all are."
I leaned my head against Hunter's shoulder, feeling the warmth of his skin through his thin jacket. I couldn't wait till it got really warm and Hunter would be wearing T-shirts and shorts. Thinking about that cheered me up a little.
"How did Sky sound when she called?" I asked.
"Ready to come home," Hunter said, and grinned.
We turned into the airport and Hunter pulled into the pickup spot he had arranged with Sky. We had been waiting only a few minutes when we spotted Sky's white-blond hair bobbing through the crowd. Soon her thin, black-clad body appeared, tugging a large green suitcase on wheels behind her. She spotted Hunter and waved. They were first cousins, but more important, they had grown up together, living like brother and sister since Hunter was eight.
"Sky! Over here!" Hunter called, and Sky's fine-boned face split into a grin.
"I'm back," she said, and then she and Hunter were hugging, and he lifted her off her feet. "Goddess, what did you do to your hair?" she said critically when they pulled apart. Since his hair looked exactly the same as it always had, I knew she was just teasing him.
"What?" said Hunter, running his hand over his short blond spikes. "What's wrong with it?"
Sky caught my eye and smirked, and I laughed. She swung her suitcase into the trunk with effort. "Hallo, Morgan," she said, somewhat formally but with a nod.
"Welcome back," I said, getting in the car next to Hunter. Sky got in the back. I half turned in my seat so I could see both of them at once.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Uncle Daniel," Sky said, watching Hunter carefully. "How's he been?"
"He's getting better, I think," said Hunter. "Healthier. He's giving talks about spellcrafting at covens around the area. He's not thrilled by my quitting the council."
"Have you heard from Kennet since you called to quit?"
"No."
Seeming to want to change the subject, Sky said, "Oh! I brought you some small tokens of my affection." she rummaged in her backpack and pulled
out various paper and plastic bags. Hunter sat up, interested, and I hoped he was paying attention to the road.
"A jar of Marmite," Sky said, holding up a smallish brown jar.
"Yes!" Hunter said enthusiastically. I'd never heard of Marmite and wondered if it was a jam or something.
"Some PG Tips tea, tea I'd peers," Sky continued, tossing a large yellow box into the front seat.
"Bless you," Hunter murmured.
"A package of actual crumpets, only slightly mashed."
"Crumpets," Hunter repeated, sounding blissful.
"McVitie's." Sky dropped a couple of round cookie packages over my shoulder. From the picture on the front, they looked like round graham crackers.
"And for Morgan, a lovely new tea towel featuring the family tree of Her Royal Majesty." She tossed a folded rectangle of linen into my lap.
Hunter cackled. "Too brilliant."
"Oh," I said, surprised. "Thank you. This was really nice of you." I shook it out and grinned. "This is great."
"Every home needs one." Sky sat back against her seat. "So, any news?"
"Um, Alisa's coming to terms with being half witch."
"Good. It might be rough for a while," said Sky.
"Dagda caught a vole in the yard." I was trying to think of more interesting things that didn't have to do with my nightmares but was running short.
"Stout lad," Sky approved. "And what news of your half brother?"
My jaw almost dropped. Killian was the only one of my three half siblings I had met, and I had mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, he was charming, funny, generous, and generally well meaning. On the other, he was irreverent, thoughtless, undependable, and somewhat amoral. One night Sky had gotten drunk and had ended up in a compromising position with him in his room. Raven and I had found them. Sky and Raven had just broken up. A nasty scene had ensued.
"He's doing fine. You know Killian," I said cautiously.
Sky looked nonchalantly out her window. I wondered if she'd wanted to ask about Raven but couldn't, so she'd asked about Killian instead. Hmmm.