Sweet Dreams (Sweetwater Book 2)

by Rivi Jacks

  I’m not sure how safe we’ll be in the woods, but if we can make it to an old hay barn that I know sits in a field beyond this stretch of timber, maybe it will give us a place to hide and buy a little time in hopes of a rescue.

  We tear through the woods not caring how much noise we now make. I stop at one point to make sure we’re all still together.

  “Everyone okay?” I pant as we take a moment to catch our breath.

  “Listen,” Diane says. We stand motionless as we hear the sound of fighting in the distance. “The guys are here,” Diane exclaims and turns to go back.

  “Wait!” Maryanne says. “Something is coming—”

  I grab Diane’s arm. “Let’s go!” I don’t give her or the others time to think differently as I push on through the brush. I trip over a downed tree and fall flat on my face, nearly taking Diane down with me, before scrambling back up with her help. We can hear are pursuers now and it motivates us to run with wild abandon through the woods. At least this area is clear of a lot of the brush. These woods are on land owned by the Reynolds family, and they run goats that eat most anything they can reach.

  We break into the open and head across the field for the old barn. I’m really disappointed, once we reach it to find that the barn door is no more. It’s just a big gaping hole where the double doors used to hang. We hurry inside, and the immediate loss of moonlight pulls us up short.

  “What now?” Emma Rae gasps.

  “There’s a ladder to our right—near the back,” Maryanne says. “It looks like there’s an opening above it.”

  I look in the direction where I think she’s standing, my eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness enough to see her dark shape. “How the hell—” I shake my head. This is not the time to ask questions. “Lead the way,” I whisper.

  She does, and we climb the rickety ladder with trepidation. But what else can we do?

  Once we reach the loft, there are rays of moonlight shining through the skeleton of rafters in areas where the tin roof has blown off. We can see better, but I’m not certain that’s a good thing since what I can now see gives me reason to really worry about our safety in this dilapidated old barn.

  “Sofie,” Emma Rae whispers, and I look over where she’s standing near the hay door opening. I cross the loft and join her to look down below. Just coming out of the woods into the clearing of the field are three large Kihn. They’re moving with caution, looking around as they slowly head toward the barn.

  “Do you think we can pick them off from up here?” she whispers.

  I shake my head. “I don’t know.” I look back toward the entry hole to the loft. “We may be able to take them out as they come up the ladder.” I have serious doubts about the ladder being able to hold a Kihn’s weight, though.

  Emma Rae and I position ourselves at the opening looking down below and wait. Diane and Maryanne keep watch from the hay door, making sure we don’t miss any more visitors that might come our way. When the Kihn reach the barn, Diane makes a soft noise alerting us that they’ve arrived just as I finish reloading the shotgun. I decided that the Dragon’s Breath ammo I had loaded might not be such a good thing to use in this old barn.

  My heart is in my throat as I watch below, my shotgun held at the ready, tight against my shoulder.

  And we wait.

  I think I see the dark shape of a Kihn as he assesses the ladder. I can’t be sure because it’s dark below, but it can see us, and we hear it alert the others.

  Emma Rae swears softly under her breath, before she says, “I wonder what the hell they’re saying.”

  I look over at her and notice her hands shaking as she holds the small crossbow. I look down at my own hands to discover I’m not holding the shotgun very steady either. I take a deep breath, straightening my spine willing myself to calm. Mostly you just aim a shotgun toward what you want to shoot, but if you need to take down a danger, you need to be fairly accurate in your aim, so the target takes the full spray of pellets or at least as much as possible. I know being this close to the Kihn as he comes up the ladder is not going to fare well for him.

  “Wait,” I breathe.

  When I hear the creak and groan of the ladder, my thumb releases the safety, and I rack the slide, the sound echoing ominously. I put my finger on the trigger, brace myself for the recoil and squeeze—the sound is deafening.

  The roar in my ears deafens me to any additional sound, but I can imagine the response below. I immediately rack the shotgun again but the next Kihn moves faster than what we’re prepared for, and he’s up the ladder and practically on us before the next shell is loaded into the chamber.

  Emma Rae releases the arrow from the mini crossbow just as the Kihn emerges through the floor hole, and the arrow makes a thick thud sound as it enters his neck. We can see his features up here, and his odd goat eyes widen in surprise for a split second before he’s gone, falling back to the ground below.

  He’s dead. I’m certain of that kill, but I know by now the one I shot is probably on his way to being good as new or at least good enough to do us bodily harm. A shotgun can do a hell of a lot of damage, but I would have had to blow the Kihn’s heart completely out of his chest to have eliminated him.

  Emma Rae has already reloaded, and we both wait for the next one but in the next instant, the whole floor of the loft shakes, and Diane lets out a little screech.

  I drop to my knees as Emma Rae grabs hold of a support beam near her, which isn’t a good idea as that’s the one the Kihn are hell-bent on removing.

  “Sofie!” Emma Rae yells as the loft floor under her gives way. I slide the shotgun away from me and reach for her as she fights to grab hold of something stable. My hand clamps onto her wrist knowing I won’t be able to hold her.

  “Someone’s coming,” Diane yells just as I see Maryanne crawling toward us across the sagging floor.

  They better hurry is my last thought before Emma Rae falls, taking me with her.

  We both scream.

  How we manage to land and not break our necks, I’ll never know, but we lie on the hard dirt floor of the barn for a split second before we both scramble for cover. We find that cover behind a large, dark shape in the opposite corner. I discover it’s an old hay trailer as we hurry behind it to put something between us and the Kihn. But that’s a futile thought as one of the Kihn, the one I shot, comes right after me—and he’s pissed. I imagine being shot with double-aught buckshot would ruin anyone’s day.

  He bares his sharp, pointed teeth at me before grabbing a handful of my hair and begins dragging me toward the entrance of the barn. My hearing has returned somewhat, and I hear him telling the other Kihn that he has me. There’s nothing I can do but claw at the Kihn’s hand. I’m not doing any damage to his tough skin, but he’s decided he really doesn’t like me, hauling me up to my feet. We’re at the entrance now so I can see as he raises his arm and then his fist is coming toward my face.

  I squeeze my eyes closed tightly.

  It seems like an eternity waiting for the pain. When the Kihn’s hurtful grip on my hair eases up, I slowly open my eyes. His fist is still poised to strike, but now there’s a much more horrifying sight before me.

  The Kihn’s arm and neck are now in the grip of a monster I once prayed to never encounter again. I only know him as Cardwell, and I have a moment to wonder if my circumstances have changed for the better or worse as I gaze into his terrifying eyes.

  I have another thought of how someone as emaciated looking as he is has the strength to hold a huge Kihn in his grasp. As if he knows my thoughts, he releases the arm he’s holding to shove his hand into the chest of the Kihn, pulling out the heart before leveling his disturbingly vile smile on me.

  I faintly hear someone call my name as I watch the vampire, who exudes pure evil, toss heart and Kihn in opposite directions. The buz
zing in my ears intensifies and I know I’m going to faint in response to my system shutting down in the aftermath of what I’ve just gone through, culminating in one of the most brutal killings I could ever imagine.

  I sway on my feet, and Cardwell’s bloody hand now grasps my neck. “Oh, no you don’t,” he hisses, making my skin crawl as he shakes me. I feel like a rag doll in his firm grip. “You owe me, princess. Don’t forget it,” —he snarls in my face— “because I won’t.” He licks his lips in a manner that reminds me of a snake. I hear someone call his name and he releases me with a slight shove. I stagger backward before losing my balance and fall.

  Before I can hit the ground though, strong hands grip my upper arms from behind and put me back on my feet before releasing me.

  “Let’s go,” a rough voice growls near my ear, and at first I think he’s talking to me. The same man that was with Cardwell at Lucas’ house the first time I saw either of them, steps around from behind me, moving closer to Cardwell. He’s a big man with a hard look about him. “Let’s move,” he calls out, and two more men step out of the darkness. I recognize them too from that day at Lucas’.

  “The Kihn are dead,” the big guy says as he steps in front of me. “You need to stay here until daylight or Taylor finds you.” He makes eye contact with me for just a moment and then the four of them head out the open door into the night. Cardwell hangs back, and at the last moment, he turns and points his finger at me in a menacing manner.

  “Emma Rae!”

  I scramble back, stumbling in my haste to get to her. I have a horrible feeling about her silence as I hear Diane call out my name.

  “What’s happening down there? Are you two okay?” she cries.

  “I can’t find Emma Rae,” I answer, panic in my voice.

  “I’m over here, Sofie.”

  I turn toward the direction of Emma Rae’s voice, but I can’t see anything other than dark shapes. The sudden ball of light that emerges from the direction of the loft opening illuminates the back part of the barn, enabling me to quickly find her. I look up at the opening in the ceiling to see Maryanne looking down. I don’t know how she’s doing it, but I know she’s responsible for the light.

  I find Emma Rae lying between the old wagon and some of the loft floor that is now resting on the barn floor. One of the beams that helped to hold the structure up has her leg pinned beneath it. I drop to my knees beside her.

  “How did this happen?”

  “I’m not sure,” she says. “It was too dark and too many things going on.” I push against the beam, but it’s too heavy for me to do much good. “Someone—or something—pushed me and I fell down just about the time more of the loft floor fell.”

  “Why didn’t you call out for help?” I ask as I give the next push everything I have.

  “I was embarrassed.” I give her a look. “I’m not hurt” —she helps by pushing against the beam with her free leg— “just trapped.”

  “It’s too heavy.” I glance around us, hoping to see something I can use as a lever.

  “Sofie.” My eyes meet hers. “Who were those men?” she asks softly. “Where did they come from?”

  I hesitate before answering. I’m not sure about telling anyone what Cardwell said to me. I need to think on what he said for a bit first. “I’m not sure exactly who they are. I had a—run-in with one of them a while back at Lucas’ place. I have no idea how they happened to turn up here.”

  She gives me a skeptical look. “Uh-huh. I’m not sure that’s all there was to them being here, but my questions will wait for another time.” She pushes against the heavy beam, making a frustrated sound before lying flat on her back. “Get me free of this shit!”

  “Hold on.” I stand and walk around looking at the fallen lumber from the loft area, bending down to pick up Emma Rae’s crossbow pistol that fell with her. It’s history, too broken to even fix. I toss it aside and continue with my search, shuddering when I almost fall over the bodies of the dead Kihn. They’re laid out side by side on the opposite side of the hay trailer.

  “Is she okay?” Maryanne asks, still looking down from above as I search the area under the loft opening.

  I look up. “She is, but her leg is trapped. You two okay?”

  “Yes. We’re a little trapped too.”

  I glance at what remains of the ladder. “Just don’t move around too much up there. I’ll get Emma Rae free, and then we’ll work at getting you two down from there.”

  I finally find an old metal fence post hiding under the hay wagon. Using it and a block of wood I’m able to lift the beam just enough that Emma Rae can pull her leg out from under her heavy trap.

  “Free at last,” she jokes as I give her a hand to her feet. “Sofie—” Emma Rae gasps and then she grabs my arm. “Sofie, you’re hurt!”

  I shake my head, at first not knowing what she means and then my hand lifts to my neck. “I’m okay—”

  “You’re not okay, you have blood all over your neck—all over you!”

  Crap. “It’s not my blood, Emma Rae. It’s from one of the Kihn.”

  “Are you sure?” She leans close to get a better look. I can only imagine what my neck looks like after Cardwell put his bloody hand on me.

  “I’m positive.”

  “Hey, everything okay?” Maryanne calls down to us.

  “We need to concentrate on getting them down from up there before that whole loft collapses,” I tell Emma Rae.

  We try, unsuccessfully, to get Diane and Maryanne down using the old trailer and what’s left of the ladder, but the ladder won’t hold my weight when I give it a try. It’s just too far gone.

  I can’t begin to explain the fear and frustration we feel having them stranded in such precarious circumstances or the unparalleled elation we feel when Taylor and my cousins show up with several of the Guard.

  It doesn’t take long to get the same reaction I received from Emma Rae when the guys see the blood on me, leading to a round of explanations of our altercation with the Kihn and subsequent rescue involving Cardwell and his men. Taylor listens intently, eyeing me with quiet speculation as I attempt to describe what happened without revealing my exchange with Cardwell. I know there will be more questions later.

  Taylor then explains how they arrived where the Kihn had blocked the road, about the time we were making our way through the woods. That was the fighting we heard. They managed to subdue the Kihn that were there with no problem, but the next batch of Kihn that arrived and the ones after that were the reason they were just now finding us. Sam was the one who suggested looking here. It’s a good thing my cousins and I know each other so well.

  I’m relieved when I ask about Cal and Stevie, and Taylor lets us know that they’re fine and already back at the compound. The Kihn managed to disable their SUV by placing a spike strip on the road. They had just called Max to let him know of the situation when they were attacked by several Kihn. Neither of them was hurt, thank goodness. Taylor gives me a wide grin when I ask how the Kihn fared.

  I don’t say anything, but it’s more than a little disturbing to me the way the whole ambush episode was carried out. It was well planned, and they even prepared for the expected response of my rescuers by keeping them busy fighting along with a small unit to follow me in the event I ran. It seems that the Kihn had a plan for however the night played out. They’re definitely stepping up their game.

  We girls are tired and grateful when Andy shows up in one of the armored vehicles to take us home. Sawyer and Sam are going to go back through the woods with a couple of the Guard to get my Jeep and drive it to Lucas’. As we load up, Taylor comes out of the barn carrying my shotgun. When he hands it to me, he shakes his head.

  “What?” I ask at his expression.

  “You need a bath.”

  I huff a soft breath.
“I’m fix’n to do just that if you ever stop piddlin’ around and get me home.” It’s hard to keep a straight face.

  He laughs. “Yes, ma’am.”

  We drop Diane off at her house, and Emma Rae and Andy off at Ben and Lucy’s where she left her car earlier in the day.

  As we near the compound, Taylor tells me he’s been in touch with Lucas throughout the night from the moment Cal first called Max. When I ask where Max is, all Taylor will say is that Max is preparing for an out of town trip.

  Once we arrive home, we make our way toward the house, both Maryanne and I dead tired. Nothing like a little monster interaction to tucker a girl out. I wait inside, sitting at the bottom of the stairs as Maryanne and Taylor talk outside on the porch.

  The house is quiet. No sign of the Scotts or Max. Taylor calls good night through the front door when Maryanne comes in. I follow her up the stairs to the room she’s going to sleep in.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course,” she says.

  “How did you—do all that tonight? You knew something was following us out there on the road and then you were able to see where things were in the barn—in the dark. And that thing you did with the ball of light—”

  She stops on the step and turns to smile at me. “Just a little something I inherited from my mother.”

  My brow lifts. “Well—” I’m suddenly certain that there’s more to Maryanne being a witch than she led me to believe the night she told me she was one. “I guess those little tricks would be a mighty good thing to inherit.”