The Girl In Between series: Books 1-4

by Laekan Zea Kemp

  “So you do know how to summarize,” Valentina said.

  “When I’m not talking about myself I can pretty much summarize anything.”

  “How do you know all of this?” Vogle asked.

  Every time Michael answered one of our questions his voice wavered between weariness and panic and I couldn’t tell which one I should feel first or if this was all just a bunch of bullshit, some kind of trap meant to expose us. But for what purpose? I wasn’t sure what made sense anymore. All I knew was that I was tired of sitting in that house in the middle of nowhere instead of being with Bryn. Because if things really were as dangerous as Michael was making them seem then that was exactly where I needed to be.

  “Michael gave you his origin story,” Valentina said, “but there’s another one that’s even more important.”

  “And a lot more interesting,” Charles added.

  Valentina locked eyes with me as she said, “Ours. I have to warn you, it’s vague and every culture in every corner of the earth seems to have its own spin on it. But in essence, a long time ago there was only one Dreamer, one girl who was able to manipulate her surroundings as she slept, everything from the weather, to the color of the grass, to the thoughts and desires of other people. But this is exactly what made her so dangerous.”

  “People are always afraid of things they don’t understand,” Andre grunted.

  “And when people are afraid,” Valentina continued, “they become just as dangerous as the thing they fear. The story goes that the girl was a bit mad, which meant that she was unpredictable. Not a good combination when you have the power to literally shift the planets out of orbit. Her father was afraid that’s exactly what she would do, or something worse, and he decided to destroy her.”

  “You mean kill her?” I said.

  Valentina shook her head. “Apparently killing her was impossible. She was too powerful. So her father, with the help of some really powerful witch doctors, decided to bury her alive instead. In pieces.”

  “How…?”

  “I told you the story was a little vague. Somehow they were able to sever her essence, rendering her helpless, and then they scattered those pieces of her across the universe. Except they didn’t disappear. Even with her body underground and those ephemeral pieces of her drifting somewhere in the Ether, they couldn’t keep her from waking. And that’s exactly what she did.” Valentina leaned in close, making sure I understood every word. “Bryn and Darina and all of the other Dreamers, they are those pieces.”

  For a while I just sat there, each word a piece of thread tangled in a million knots. My mind was racing and my skin felt sick, the chains around me so much heavier.

  “Bryn…” It fell out of me, helpless. “What does all of this mean?”

  “It means that Bryn’s a Dreamer,” Valentina said, “and that she can do strange things when she’s dreaming, alter things, affect things in the real world.”

  Michael leaned forward. “That’s where we come in.”

  “We?” My voice cracked.

  “Someone has to protect the body while the Dreamer’s sleeping.”

  I thought about the last five months, all of those nights when Bryn was seven hundred miles away because of my lie, my mistake. Bryn could have died and without her I could have died too. Or worse I could have been stuck here without her, another Rogue on a relentless suicide mission.

  “But Darina,” Vogle started. “You made it sound like she could control the weather. Is that what they’re all meant to do?”

  Michael shook his head. “They’re all different. What Darina could do was as unique to her as her thumbprint but she was still a Dreamer.”

  “A Dreamer,” I repeated, thinking of Bryn’s dream-state, of the place we’d met and how it was the reason we were here in the first place. She’d travelled all this way to Germany to find a way to break the cycle of her episodes but what if what Michael and Valentina had just said meant that she never would?

  “And you call yourselves…us,” Vogle finally relented, “Rogues?”

  Andre cut in. “Lathan used the term Rogue as more of a disturbing yet affectionate pet name to refer to those of us separated from our Dreamers. But it fits. We were all just sort of wandering and alone when he found us.”

  “I was a Rogue before I even knew who he was.” I looked back at the young girl gripping the side of the couch, the one with the strange utility belt slung around her hips. She had stringy blonde hair that was chopped to her shoulders and her cheeks were burned pink, though I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or what she’d just said.

  “He…” I said. “Like me?”

  She shook her head, raising a hand. It was glowing. “Like Bryn.”

  “And there are more out there just like Shay,” Michael said, nodding to her before hanging his head. “And they’re all running out of time, which is why we have to find them.”

  “We will,” Andre said.

  We. “Is that what you want? Our help or something?” I asked.

  “Your help?” Michael hissed. “This isn’t just about us, it’s about you too. It’s your responsibility unless you want one of these.” He clenched his fist, warping the infinity tattoo as he held it up for me to see. “Because the less there are of us the more likely they’ll come after you next.”

  “Or Bryn?” I said.

  “Or Bryn.”

  Vogle shook his head. “But—”

  “No.” I cut him off. “Bryn’s in danger.” He turned to me but I was staring up at Michael. “What do you need me to do?”

  33

  Bryn

  Twelve hours. That’s how long Roman had been gone. Dr. Banz and I took turns pacing the floor in his office as the shrill incessant ring of Vogle’s cell phone bled through the tiny speaker.

  “Why aren’t they answering?”

  “I’ve called them a dozen times,” Dr. Banz said. “I’m not sure what else to do.”

  “Did he tell you where they were going last night?”

  Dr. Banz shook his head.

  There was a knock on the door and my mom stepped inside. “You ready to go, Bryn? Their plane should be landing soon.”

  Dani, my aunt, and my grandmother would be arriving at the airport any minute, another distraction I didn’t need right now, despite how relieved I was to be able to tell Dani everything that had been going on.

  “I—” I was paralyzed in the center of the room.

  “I’ll keep looking into it, Bryn,” Dr. Banz said.

  “Is everything okay?” my mom asked.

  “Fine,” I said, trying to bite back the panic.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Did something happen?”

  “No, no.” I drudged up something like a smile before my mom could examine my face any further. “I’m ready. Let’s go.” I forced myself out of the room one step at a time but not before shooting another look at Dr. Banz.

  We took a taxi back to the hotel and met my uncle in the lobby as we all waited for the shuttle to the airport.

  “Everything going okay?” my mom asked. “Dr. Banz seemed really adamant about you staying at the hospital over night.”

  “He’d just had a breakthrough with one of his other patients,” I lied. “I guess he was a little overexcited.”

  “Well, that’s great news,” my uncle said.

  “I’m so relieved,” my mom added. “What sort of breakthrough?”

  “Bryn!” I heard my name and luckily I didn’t have time to answer my mom’s question before I was whipped in the face by a thick black ponytail, Dani’s arms strangling me.

  But the moment she latched onto me the lobby around us disappeared, the people and the sounds torn away like they were nothing but a thin curtain. My eyes adjusted and so did Dani’s—cold, black, totally unaware that I was even there. I startled, still feeling her grip on me and trying to fight free despite the fact that she was standing apart from me now, shivering.

  She looked lost and afraid, more than just a chill
separating us. Trees sprung up in a circle, trapping us inside. The cold sharpened until my breath swirled around my face, Dani’s screams turned to fog. I couldn’t hear her but I could see her straining and in pain, the sight of her taut veins and moist eyes pinning me in place. I watched, deaf and still, trying to remember to breathe. Dani fell, clutching herself, but before I could take a step or call her name the weight of her arms around me fell away and I blinked, the sounds and sights of the lobby filtering back into view.

  “Bryn?” Dani shook me, her touch making me flinch but not riling anything more. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

  I pulled away, staring her dead in the eye. “No…” I brushed my hair back, taking a deep breath, but when I realized my mom was too close for comfort I knew I’d have to lie for the time being. “You just surprised me, that’s all. We were just about to head to the airport.”

  My aunt and my grandmother were heaving their bags through the sliding glass doors.

  “We found an earlier flight out of New York; thought we’d surprise you guys.” Dani lowered her voice. “Uh, so is your mom still, you know, pissed off about the whole kitchen catching on fire thing?”

  “Is it fixed yet?” I asked.

  “Your uncle finished putting all the new cabinetry back in and we’ve got the painting done.”

  “What about her china? Was any of it salvageable?”

  “All safe.”

  “I’m sure she’ll be fine. Luckily, my uncle being here has helped to take her mind off of it.”

  “Good because grandma and my mom have been driving me crazy,” she hissed under her breath.

  “What are you saying about me?” My aunt reached an arm around my waist, hugging me.

  “Nothing.”

  “She said grandma’s been driving her crazy,” I said.

  “What are you two saying about me?” My grandmother pinched my cheeks, kissing me on the forehead.

  “They said you’re driving them crazy,” my aunt said.

  “Oh really? Because I’ve been in this Godforsaken country for less than an hour.”

  My aunt rolled her eyes. “Well, apparently that’s long enough.”

  “Come on, you guys,” my mom said. “You just got here. You’re supposed to be on vacation.”

  “Oh, I am most definitely on vacation,” Dani said, raising a hand. “One week away from Felix is so not enough.” She dug around in her purse. “What time is it?”

  I glanced at my cell phone. “Almost three.”

  She finally found her phone, pulling it out. “I was supposed to let Felix know when we landed.” By the tone of her voice I could tell she wasn’t really looking forward to it.

  “You two have a fight or something?”

  “Oh…um no.”

  The second she dropped her phone back into her bag it started ringing. I glanced at the screen and saw that it was Felix.

  She’d ignored three of his calls by the time the waiter seated us at a restaurant near the hotel for dinner. Everyone was still adjusting to the time change and we decided to eat at four o’clock in the afternoon.

  “Dani, either turn that thing off or tell Felix you’re having dinner,” my aunt said. “You two must be out of your minds if you think I’m paying for all of these international calls.”

  Dani finally answered on the sixth ring. “My mom says I’m having dinner.”

  I wrinkled my nose as I heard him say, “What the hell? No hello?”

  “Hi,” she said. “Sorry, I just got a little tied up after we landed.”

  I gave her a look. Why was she lying? His voice fell on the other end of the phone and I couldn’t make out the words anymore.

  “Well, I don’t know, I haven’t looked at the menu yet,” Dani said. She turned, searching the restaurant. “I think it’s Italian.”

  “It’s a pub,” I said.

  “Oh,” Dani spoke into the phone. “It’s a pub.” She furrowed her brow. “I am not going to get drunk.” The buzz of Felix’s voice rose into static. “What is that supposed to mean? You don’t trust me?”

  “Dani, are you out of your mind?” My aunt shot her a look. “You hang up this second! You’re costing me a fortune.”

  “My mom says I have to go.” She chewed on her lip, listening. “I don’t know. She looks mad.” More buzzing. “Okay, okay. I’ll text you later.” She twirled a piece of hair. “Felix! I have to go.” Then without another word she hung up.

  I rested my chin in my hand, staring at her.

  “What?” she said, avoiding eye contact.

  “Nothing,” I said, still staring.

  Dani looked down at her menu. “Look, I just didn’t feel like talking to him right now, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “So stop looking at me like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like, I don’t know, like I’m a total bitch or something.”

  “I never said that.”

  She set her menu down, meeting my eyes. “Maybe I just need some space.”

  “Space,” I repeated. “That can be healthy, I guess.”

  Dani rolled her eyes before lowering her voice. “Felix asked me to move in with him.”

  “What?” I laughed. “Wait. Move in where? His closet?”

  “He’s looking for his own apartment.”

  “Oh. Well, wow.” I sat back. “I mean that’s a big deal.”

  Dani looked back down at her menu. “I know. That’s kind of why I need the space. To…think about it.” But her voice was flat, something about the way she said it making me think that maybe she’d already made her decision.

  I almost said something else but decided against it, checking my phone again instead. I’d sent Roman a hundred messages and had snuck away to call him at least twenty times since noon. But there was still nothing.

  I stared across the river from my seat by the window and I could just barely make out the place where he and I had sat that day in the park.

  Where are you?

  “Everything okay with you?” Dani asked.

  I waited until the rest of the table was heavy in conversation and then I said, “Not really. I can’t find Roman.”

  “What do you mean you can’t find him?”

  I lowered my voice, hoping she would do the same. “My mom and uncle think he’s at the hospital.”

  “What for?”

  “We had to come up with a cover story for why he was spending so much time there so we said that one of Dr. Banz’s colleagues has taken over some of his rehab while he’s here.”

  “So what happened?”

  “I don’t know. I spent last night at the hospital and he went with Vogle.”

  “Vogle. Dr. Banz’s creepy assistant?”

  “He’s not really his assistant.” I sighed. “And he’s not that creepy.”

  “Where did they go?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “So they’ve been gone since last night?”

  “Nineteen hours.” I glanced down at my phone. “Shit. Nineteen and a half. I just have this feeling, I don’t know, like something’s really wrong. I have to find him.”

  “But where would you even start? We’re in a foreign country and—”

  “I don’t know but I have to try.”

  Halfway through dinner Dani glanced in my direction. I gave a slight nod.

  “Man, this time change,” she said, yawning. “I’m beat.”

  “I told you to sleep on the plane,” my aunt said.

  “I tried.”

  “Well, you should have tried harder.”

  Dani rested her head in her hand, eyes wafting dramatically from opened to closed.

  My mom was watching her from the other side of the table. “You girls want to turn in early? You can walk back to the hotel if you want.”

  “Yes!” I looked to Dani. “I mean, yes. Dani, you look exhausted. I’ll show her where our room is.”

  We’d rearranged the rooms before everyone else
had arrived, my mom trading her bed to Dani so that she and I could share a room for the week. When we made it back to the hotel, Dani sat on the bed while I paced.

  “So, what now?” she asked.

  “I don’t know.” I stopped, gripping my scalp. “Shit. I don’t know.”

  “The sun’s starting to go down,” she said, nodding to the window. “They’ll be back soon.”

  “I’m thinking…”

  “Are you thinking about sneaking out?” she asked.

  “You have a better plan?”

  “Other than wait around for him to call you back? No.”

  “So…” I said.

  “So…?”

  I sat. A few seconds later someone knocked and then the door pushed open. It was my mom.

  “Everyone’s already done with dinner?” I asked, panicked.

  “They’re tired too,” my mom said, nodding to the door across the hall. “I think we’ll all turn in early tonight. You girls getting ready for bed?”

  “Yeah,” Dani said. “I just got a little distracted with the view. It’s gorgeous here.”

  “Well, you make sure the two of you enjoy it.” My mom gave Dani a look. “Even if you have to drag Bryn out by her hair. I want the two of you to have some fun this week.”

  “We will.” Dani smiled. “I’ll make sure of it. We’ll barely see this hotel room.”

  “Good, well, if you need anything…” She fidgeted. “Brian and I will be right across the hall. Goodnight.”

  I was stunned in the center of the room but before any of us could say another word she closed the door.

  “Whoa,” Dani said. “Look who’s suddenly coming out of her shell.”

  I went back to pacing. “I don’t have time for this.”

  “Well, what now?” Dani asked, changing the subject back to Roman.

  The door swung open again, my grandmother dragging in her suitcase. “I’m not staying with that woman for one more second.”

  Dani stood. “What happened?”

  “Your mom is impossible. She fought me for the thermostat and look…” She held up her thumb. “She chipped my nail. She’s an animal.”