“Will you stop saying that?” I sputtered. “I don’t want to be strong all the time.”
“I know, but it’s who you are. I may act like a bad bitch on the outside, but you have an inner strength that I couldn’t ever match. You can do this.”
I pursed my lips. “I think you’re mistaking weakness for emotional damage, Hal. The baggage you have doesn’t make you weak. It just changes where that strength lies. You’ll realize that about yourself one day.”
She smiled thinly. “Maybe.”
“I love you, Halle.”
“Love you too, let’s talk again soon. Okay?”
“Kay. Bye!”
“Bye.”
I waved and closed the chat window on my screen then breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like an enormous weight had been taken off my chest. Now, I just had to figure out what I was going to say to Michael and gather the courage to see him.
O n Sunday evening, I was finishing the grades for interim reports when Luna’s lullaby called to me from the fabric of my bag. I glanced up from my desk and frowned, not wanting to be bothered with my supernatural life right now. I had a hundred things going on in my personal life and was emotionally exhausted. I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of solving another person’s emotional baggage when I could barely manage my own. My sister couldn’t help me with the Shadow Demon, and I felt unbelievably alone.
Despite all this, I couldn’t even work. I love being a Dream Weaver, I love helping people, but I needed to work on my own life for a change.
“Come on, give me a break,” I groaned.
The song grew louder as I tried to ignore it until the sound was nearly deafening. I knew it would continue to do so until it received the answer it wanted. I also knew there was an innocent soul on the other side who needed me to rescue them.
Damn.
I slammed my pen on the desktop and removed my glasses.
Let’s get this over with.
Angry, I stormed over to the bag and removed my flute from its casing. The silver instrument felt cool against my hand as I brought it to my lips and began to play. Almost immediately, Luna shimmered into existence and flitted across my room before urging me to follow.
My glittering butterfly wings unfolded from my back and stretched wide across my bedroom. It was a shame they could only be summoned for this purpose, allowing me to fly unseen between realms. They were beautiful, and I would have loved to show them to Halle, maybe even Michael.
When the glowing Luna moth set out across the streets of San Diego, I followed her. We flew over different neighborhoods until arriving at a small collection of buildings I recognized as a group foster home.
Hmmm…this should be interesting.
Luna drifted through one of the exterior walls and took us into a shared bedroom. I glanced around casually at the Batman figurines and boy’s clothing on the floor until I recognized the face of the child I was summoned to attend.
Henry.
No, no, no. I can’t. That would be too weird.
He looked so peaceful lying against his pillow, with his arms wrapped around a stuffed animal, I couldn’t bear to wake him. Luna settled on his chest and flapped her wings patiently, waiting for me to continue.
I had to do it no matter how bizarre this felt—he was in danger.
With resignation, I lowered the flute and approached him cautiously. When I placed my hand against Henry's shoulder, I was struck by a sense of vertigo and was pulled into the Realm of Dreams. Henry’s dream.
It took a moment for my eyes to focus, but then I realized everything was dark. Henry was standing on a street corner, his back to me as we watched a young woman frantically shush her baby as she rocked it back and forth. She paced across the parking lot of a convenience store until a man arrived.
“Kendra, what are you doing out here? Why aren’t you at home?”
She cried. “Billy, there’s something wrong with it!”
“What?”
“His skin keeps changing color, and…look at those eyes!”
The man’s brow furrowed as he glanced down into the bundle of fabric, then he jumped back in surprise. “What the hell?”
“That’s what I’m telling you! Something’s wrong.”
“Then take him to a doctor or something.”
“I don’t have the money for that! We don’t have insurance,” she begged and shoved the mewling baby at him. “You need to do something about this, please!”
He backed away from her, saying, “I don’t want anything to do with it! You’re the one who decided to keep him.”
“I can’t do this on my own,” Kendra pleaded. “He’s your son…”
“No, this is your problem. I can’t be responsible for something like that. Don’t ever contact me about this again.”
He turned to storm away as Kendra cried out desperately. “Billy! Please, don’t leave…”
When he disappeared around the corner, her sobs grew louder. Henry and I watched this happening, and I had a sick feeling I knew what was going on.
“Henry?” I said quietly.
The boy turned to look at me. “Ms. Williams?”
I nodded. “Yes. Why did you bring me here, Sweetheart?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask for you to come. I just wanted to see my mom.”
My chest constricted as I stared at him in understanding. “Is that lady over there your mom?”
Henry nodded. “She’s pretty.”
“She is,” I agreed. “Was this the last time you saw her?”
The child gulped as his eyes misted over with tears. “Uh-huh. Everyone says I was too little to remember, but I do. You understand, right, Ms. Williams?”
I reached out to take his hand and smiled, looking back to see what Kendra was about to do. “Yes, Sweetheart, I do. Don’t worry. I’ll stay with you.”
He nodded gratefully and turned to watch as the woman placed her baby in an illuminated corner on the side of the building. She kissed him once on the side of his face, then walked away, leaving him crying for help to anyone that would listen. It didn’t take long before she disappeared as well, and the baby was alone.
I squeezed Henry’s hand and said, “I’m so sorry she left you.”
He didn’t respond at first but eventually looked up at me with tears streaming down his cheeks. “I’m sorry you had to see it.”
Suddenly, a wave of affection overwhelmed me, and I knelt, saying, “Oh, honey, you have nothing to apologize for.”
“You still promise that you’re going to keep my secret?” he asked me nervously. “People don’t like it when I show them. They think I’m…that there’s something wrong with me. I scare them. But if you understand, maybe I’m not so bad or scary.”
I smiled. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you, and what you can do doesn’t frighten me, Henry. I’m a lot like you actually, except my power is different.”
His eyes widened with interest. “Really? Like how?”
“Well, it allows me to enter people’s dreams and help them when they need it.”
“Is that why you’re here with me now?”
Nodding, I responded, “Yes. But if I’m going to help, then you have to tell me about what’s upsetting you and why the magic brought me here.”
He made a face. “I heard our group mom talking about me earlier, how I’ll never find a home. Mommies and daddies don’t want to adopt children when they get older, and I’m weird enough already.”
“That was wrong of her to say,” I told him firmly. “You’re a wonderful kid, and what happened with your mother is no reflection on you. Do you understand?”
He nodded. “Yes, Ms. Williams.”
“You’re a special boy with a lot of love in his heart and an extraordinary gift, even if people don’t understand it. I don’t want you thinking any less of yourself. Now, can I have a hug?”
He nodded eagerly and practically launched himself into my arms. I hugged Henry’s tiny frame an
d closed my eyes when his arms wrapped around my neck tightly as if I were his lifeline. I doubt anyone had held him with such acceptance in his life, and I didn’t want to let him go. Amid our embrace, I felt the chilling tendrils of the Shadow Demon and heard the wet smacking of its lips.
Oh crap…
Henry froze in my arms and looked over my shoulder. He must have felt the cold from the Shadow Demon too and pulled away from me in a panic. His eyes widened with fear. “Ms. Williams, what is that?”
The Shadow Demon’s harsh breathing sounded closer with each second, and I felt the danger coming toward us. Like hell I would let him take Henry from me. I shouted, “Run!”
We turned and took off through the city of Henry’s dream, racing beside each other. The streets were slick with rain that glittered in the light of the streetlamps above us, and puddles splashed loudly. I cursed under my breath, knowing we were giving away our location. With every step, I heard the wretched snarls and eerie, measured footsteps of the demon stalking us.
Why wasn’t the dream resolving? I thought Henry had accepted my words of comfort and believed that his life had meaning—that he was worth loving. Apparently, he didn’t, or the Dust would have started falling by now.
“Henry,” I told him urgently as we tore through the gloomy cityscape, “you need to believe me. I know that grown-ups have lied to you in the past and didn’t appreciate you for the wonderful kid you are, but I am telling you the truth.”
I heard a shift in his breathing as we ran, and I reached out to take his hand.
“Do you really mean that?”
“Yes! But we’ve got to get out of here before the Shadow Demon finds us.”
Suddenly, I saw an opening in the row of buildings. I yanked Henry by the arm into a side alley where we could hide. I placed a finger against my lips and gestured for him to be silent.
He pressed against my side, his thin body shaking with terror. I bit back my scream as the giant creature neared.
The putrid scent of decaying flesh tinged with hopelessness and fear wafted closer and closer. Henry held onto me with a crushing grip, and I silently willed him not to scream.
The Shadow Demon inched closer to the alley, and we held our breaths. It paused at the mouth of the lane, sniffing the air. Neither Henry nor I moved a muscle, and, after a long moment, it slithered into the night.
I exhaled quickly and glanced at Henry with a hint of a smile. “All clear,” I whispered.
Henry looked around me toward the only way out of our hiding place, and his shoulders sagged with relief as he confirmed the creature was indeed gone. He gave me a thumbs up and a smile of his own.
I knelt to look him in the eyes. “Listen, Henry. We can talk about this tomorrow. I know things have been hard up until now, but I’m always here for you.”
He wrapped his arms around me in another hug. This time, I could feel the acceptance and relief in his bony embrace.
“Thank you,” he whispered into my ear.
The Dust began falling from the sky like rain, and we both looked up at it in awe.
I grinned and gave him a high-five. “You did it, bud! I’m proud of you.”
I reached down to pull out my bag, then summoned the Dust to enter. It swirled around us like a whirlwind gaining speed, then disappeared into the vortex of my bottomless pouch.
Henry stared with wonder and breathed, “So cool, Ms. Williams. Can we do that again?”
“I think I’ve had enough scares for a while. Sleep well, Henry.”
Once the demon was gone, I squeezed his hand a final time, and my body turned to shimmer from the Realm of Dreams. I was sucked out of Henry’s consciousness. As I landed back on my feet, the real Henry—the one tucked under the blanket—snuggled with his stuffed animal, and a tiny smile appeared on his face.
I leaned down and pressed my lips to his forehead. I’d never been more grateful for my gift than now when I was able to save a little boy who needed me.
T he next morning, I couldn’t wait to get to school and drove there in a panic.
Though I didn’t need as much sleep like a regular person, last night’s adventure took a lot out of me. I compensated for the exhaustion by drinking too much coffee, and my hands were jittery. Megan and Alice both commented on how I seemed distracted, but I didn’t pay attention. I paced my small classroom, fidgeted with the displays, and drank yet another cup of coffee as I waited for the students to arrive. I wasn’t sure Henry would remember what happened, but that didn’t matter. I wanted to see him so badly, to hug him and let him know that everything would be all right.
Eventually, the students entered my class, their little faces still sleepy from the early start. I forced myself to smile as they filed into their seats. When the familiar blond hair of the shifter entered my room, he looked at me in wonder. He walked over as if in a daze and stared up at me.
“Was that real?” he whispered. “Did you see me last night?”
I glanced around the room and bent down to meet his eyes. “What do you think?”
He nodded. “I think you’re wonderful. You saved me.”
“No, buddy, you were the one who saved us.”
His eyes filled with tears, and he threw his arms around my neck, sobbing hysterically. “Thank you, Ms. Williams.”
I heard footsteps nearing my door, and Alice poked her head into the room.
“Is everything okay?”
I nodded through my own tears as I hugged Henry and said, “Yeah, everything is exactly how it should be.”
Always Been You
Chapter Thirteen
I t was an emotional day for me to teach after seeing Henry.
Somehow, I managed to pull myself together and make it through the lesson without falling to pieces. My head spun in circles, but I kept coming back to the same conclusion: I needed to see Michael.
The minute my afterschool obligations ended, I went over to his apartment. It was shortly after four o’clock, and I couldn’t wait another minute to let him know how I felt. I pulled into a parking spot in front of his townhouse and stepped onto the sidewalk. My heart was in my throat as I walked to his door and knocked.
In the thirty seconds it took for someone to respond, I came up with dozens of reasons why I should walk away and pretend this never happened, but I wouldn’t let myself. Something in my gut kept me rooted, and I knew I had to see this through.
Eventually, I heard movement and the door swung open with Michael’s roommate, Adam, on the other side.
“Hey, Cassandra. How’s it going?”
“Hi, Adam. I’m looking for Michael. Is he here?”
“Sure, come on inside. I’ll let him know you’re waiting.”
Adam stepped back to let me pass and held the door open as I entered their living room. When he closed the door behind me, Adam went to fetch Michael from his bedroom.
My stomach was full of butterflies as I paced and waited for them to come back. I glanced out the window and gripped the strap on my bag for courage. As my eyes rested on a songbird in the tree outside, Michael spoke behind me, saying, “Planning an exit strategy?”
I gasped at the sound of his voice, then whirled in surprise, bringing myself face to face with him. He had entered the room so quietly that I hadn’t realized he was watching me.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
My chest tightened. I looked up at him and smiled. “That’s okay. I, uh, I was hoping we could talk.”
“I’d like that. You weren’t returning my calls, and I wasn’t sure if I’d see you again you after the other day.”
“Right…” His roommate flopped down on the couch to watch a show on Netflix. “Um… maybe somewhere private?” I suggested.
Michael glanced at Adam with annoyance, clearly not thrilled by his presence either, and nodded in understanding. “Yeah, that would be good.” He tilted his head in the direction of the hall and said, “Come with me, we’ll talk in my room.”
Nod
ding, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and followed him. Adam winked at me before we disappeared around the corner, and I felt my cheeks get hot.
Damn it. Not now.
The fluttering in my stomach got worse with every step, and my neck and cheeks would be wholly flushed by the time we got there. Michael opened the door and waited for me to cross the threshold, turning to look me in the eyes. I swallowed hard and brushed past him before I lost my nerve. While I breathed out slowly through my nose, I heard the door close behind us and turned to look at him again.
“This is weird,” I told him. “I don’t know what to say, or what I’m doing here even. I just had to see you. Last time I was here…”
“You kissed me, and then ran away for three weeks without returning any of my calls.”
“Yeah, that.”
He and shoved his hands into his pockets, quietly waiting for me to continue. I loved that about him–he didn’t rush me. I should have been freaking out right now, my anxiety soaring and those awful red blotches breaking out across my skin but, when I glanced down, there was no evidence of my embarrassment.
I set my bag on the floor, then walked toward him, my eyes downcast. The silence between us filled the room with tension until I met his gaze at last. Neither of us spoke, but I placed my hand against his chest and wet my lips in longing.
Michael observed me, then moved slowly to put a hand around my waist. The gentle pressure of his hand, pulling me closer, caused my heart to skip a beat. One of his hands gently cradled the back of my neck, his fingers woven in my hair.
It was tender and sweet the way he touched me, exactly like I knew he would be. The moment was so perfect, so quiet. I swore I could hear our hearts beating.
Without saying a word, Michael brushed his finger across my lips and dipped his head to kiss me. I sighed as his lips touched mine and gripped the fabric of his shirt. His mouth was warm and soft, urging me to explore deeper with my tongue.
I would have, too, if Michael had not pulled away and broken our connection.
Chasing Starlight: Cassandra's Story (The Daughters of Night Chronicles) Page 15