Destined for Dreams: Book One

by Ginna Moran

  Jacqueline turns to look, but she stops and stares at the wall. “I can’t look,” Jacqueline thinks. “The charm won’t let me.”

  I’m slightly annoyed because if Jacqueline can’t look, then it means that I don’t get to see either. And I want to see. I need to see. Something is happening to Nadia and it sends me into a cloud of tangible anxiety. I haven’t felt this anxious since losing my body.

  “Stay with me, Nadia. I’m going to find a volunteer. Jacqueline?”

  Jacqueline looks at Alyssa and tears blur her eyes. Nadia is lying on the floor with her knees curled to her chest. Her eyes are closed, her brows puckered, and her expression is one of unrelenting agony. It hurts just to see her like this.

  “Help me get her inside and watch her until I come back.”

  Jacqueline and Alyssa help Nadia into the apartment. It’s pretty spacious, much larger than the hole in the wall one we stayed at before going to the compound. It’s furnished with a worn couch, coffee table, and a few book shelves, but nothing much more that I can see.

  “Don’t touch or talk to her,” Alyssa says to Jacqueline. “Don’t even move. It’ll teach you to mess with my best friend and give you a taste of your own power. It’s not nice to keep souls hostage.”

  “I haven’t done anything. What is she talking about? I thought this was about the council.” Jacqueline’s thoughts are panicked and tears cloud our vision. She blinks, but it doesn’t help. She silently cries as she shuffles to the couch and sits down. “How does she even know about you?”

  I don’t answer her question. She deserves this. She deserves to have her lies unraveled, to be discovered for whom she really is, and to suffer the consequences of her decisions, even if she did it for self-preservation. It’s what I’m doing now. I’m not going to sit back and hope for the best. I’m fighting to get my body back—my life back.

  Alyssa props Nadia’s head on a pillow and glares at Jacqueline. “Tears aren’t going to make me feel sorry for you,” she says. “If Nadia dies because of that horrible nightmare catcher you set, your life is going to turn into a real nightmare.”

  “What? What is she talking about? I didn’t set a nightmare catcher. I’d never intentionally hurt Nadia.” Her thoughts are racing and it’s freaking me out a little.

  “Technically you did,” I say. “You knocked over the gift from Ryder and I’m guessing it wasn’t some fake little trinket.”

  “Oh, no! No! No! No! This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening, Hunter. They’re going to kill me. I know it.”

  Her emotions are clouding my own thoughts. “What happens to me if you die?” I need to know. It’s very possible that if Nadia doesn’t recover, Alyssa won’t give Jacqueline the opportunity to explain herself.

  “We die together.”

  19. FOREVER CHANGED

  NADIA

  “Hunter?” I call.

  I’m standing in the middle of a dark parking lot filled to capacity with hundreds of vehicles. The night sky sparkles with millions of stars and a low murmur of hushed voices swirl in a warm breeze. My hair tickles my cheeks as it blows in my face, and I tuck it behind my ears.

  “Hunter, are you here?”

  Something is different about this dream. The atmosphere feels unfamiliar and it clicks in my head that I’m not invading Jacqueline’s dream at all. I’ve never inflicted nightmares on this person before.

  “Come on, Jamie, it’ll be fun. You know it.”

  I’ve never heard the voice, but it’s the dreamer’s, and it triggers a hunger so overwhelming, I reach out and smack the side of the truck next to me. It explodes like a bomb, a boom loud enough to shake the ground, and fire and metal shrapnel crash around me.

  Chaos erupts in the parking lot and shadows shoot past me. Car alarms ring out in unison, people scream, metal rains from the sky and scrapes the asphalt, and I saunter forward, gliding to the cacophonous symphony of the delicious nightmare.

  I smack the hood of another car and it bursts into glorious red and orange flames that light the night. I breathe deeply, the taste of spicy chili powder and tangy mango fills my mouth.

  “We have to get out of here!” a man yells. I spot him in between cars the next row over. His muscular arms wrap around a woman’s shoulders and she stares in horror in my direction.

  Her short brown hair blows in the wind. “We’ll never make it, Eric,” she says.

  The woman darts away from Eric and his eyes widen as she runs straight in my direction. I grin at the imaginary woman’s sacrifice to protect the dreamer. I brace myself for the inevitable and hold my arms wide for her. She screams as she rushes me, and when she’s within reach, I wrap my arms around her and she disintegrates in my hug. Her dream essence is citrusy and I feel life and energy flow through my veins.

  “Jamie, no!” Eric yells before racing in my direction. There are two types of dreamers—the ones who will run from their worst nightmares and ones who face them head on. Eric’s boots echo as his feet pound the ground and he tackles me.

  I smile, seeing the fear in his eyes as he faces me, and then the world around us begins to crack. I suck in as much of the dream as I can and then Eric’s wild eyes disappear as I consume the rest of his nightmare.

  The world shifts. I’m confused and disoriented and anxious, but the burning in my soul has eased and I can feel my legs again.

  My vision is blurry and I lean over and grip my knees. “What happened? Where am I?” My voice is barely a whisper and my mouth is so dry is hurts to speak.

  “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”

  I want to believe Alyssa’s words, but the huge pit in my stomach is hard to ignore. I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay, but at least I’m alive. I’m so relieved to be alive.

  HUNTER

  Muffled voices come from the front door as Alyssa half carries Nadia back into the apartment. I’m so relieved that she’s alive. I desperately needed her to be okay. I would trade my soul for hers to guarantee it. Every time I see her, my feelings grow stronger and stronger. I’m falling in love with her and I can’t stop it.

  It’s strange. I’ve only spent a short amount of time with her, but I know her. I know the real her and no one will ever know her as the beautiful nightmare inflictor she is.

  Alyssa guides Nadia down a short hallway and disappears into a bedroom. Jacqueline shifts her feet and keeps her eyes trained on the door until Alyssa emerges alone.

  “Nadia will be okay,” Alyssa says. She strolls up to the couch and plops down next to Jacqueline. “As long as you don’t scream or try to run, you’re free to talk and move.”

  “What should I do, Hunter?” It’s unlike Jacqueline to rely on me to make decisions. She’s like a scared kid and I feel sort of bad for her. Just a little bit.

  “Maybe you should start by telling her that you didn’t plan on killing Nadia,” I say.

  Jacqueline clears her throat. “I didn’t try to kill Nadia, I swear.” She wrings her hands together. “The nightmare catcher was a gift from the boy I met yesterday, Alyssa. I didn’t even know what it was. You have to believe me.”

  “How am I supposed to believe someone who has told nothing but lies?” Alyssa asks.

  “I had to lie. I didn’t have a choice.” Jacqueline sits straighter. She thinks, “Please believe me, Alyssa, please. Please. Please. Please.” The words are chanted over and over again and I stay silent.

  “Don’t say that. You had a choice and you chose to lie. You chose to pretend to be something you weren’t,” Alyssa says. “Why? Why risk it?”

  “They’ll never understand. How could they?” Jacqueline thinks. She untwines her fingers and rests her hands on her knees, staring at the carpet. “I had nothing to lose. I admit I’ve made some bad choices, but I wasn’t ready to die. The council would’ve never considered me as a candidate. I had to lie.”

  Alyssa clucks her tongue. “If you want the ability to talk, stop skipping around the subject.”

  “What am I
supposed to say?” Jacqueline’s voice rises and she digs her nails into the skin on her knees. “You already know about Hunter and what I am. I have nothing else to say!”

  Jacqueline’s fear turns to anger and I say, “I think she’s expecting you to tell her why you’re holding me hostage.”

  “Oh, shut up, Hunter! You don’t know anything. Do you expect they’ll help you or something? You do realize that you’re the enemy, right?” Jacqueline’s shrill voice echoes through the room and she jerks her head up and stares at Alyssa. Panic rushes around me and Jacqueline’s voice echoes when she thinks, “Not again! Why do I keep doing that? What’s wrong with me?”

  Alyssa twists her lips to the side and lowers her eyebrows. “Actually, that is exactly why you’re here, Jacqueline, because of Hunter.”

  “His mother is on the board of the HPA. You don’t want anything to do with him. He’s bad, bad news,” Jacqueline sputters.

  “Nadia doesn’t think so.” Alyssa runs her hand through her hair. “All we want is for you to put him back into his body. If you do, we’ll forget about everything.”

  Jacqueline shakes her head and gets to her feet. “I can’t go back to the HPA. The only way I’d come out alive is if I give them the information they want about the council and I don’t have it yet. Would you really want me to do that? I’m only safe at the compound. I’d rather die than face the horrors the HPA will inflict on me.”

  NADIA

  I sit on the edge of the bed. The last few hours flood my mind and it’s a lot to take in. I’m drowning in an abyss of questions and what ifs, and uncertainty. I should regret kidnapping Jacqueline and for dragging her away from the compound, but I don’t. I can’t. Hunter deserves to have someone fight for him. I’d hope he’d do the same for me.

  And now my life is forever changed. I’m forever changed.

  I close my eyes and lean back. I imagine the heart-wrenching pain of being pulled into Jacqueline’s room by the nightmare catcher. I remember the vile taste of the black fog and how empty I felt. My skin crawls and I sit up. For a split second, I don’t see anything except the life sucking fog.

  I scream.

  When I open my eyes, the room is normal. I was hallucinating. My heart hammers and it takes me a second to catch my breath.

  The door bangs open and Alyssa rushes into the room. She stands in the doorway and searches my face. “You screamed.”

  I wipe my eyes. “I was imagining the nightmare catcher again. I can’t get the fear out of my head. I’m scared to face Jacqueline, Lys.”

  Her face falls. “I wish you never had to go through that. I should’ve seen it, but Jacqueline didn’t set the trap. It was an accident.”

  I rub my arms. “What do you mean?” My eyes flick from Alyssa’s to the open door behind her.

  Alyssa crosses her arms and nods. “The nightmare catcher was a gift from a boy she met at the club. She had no idea of its effects.”

  I frown. Why was it set up on her floor? Why didn’t Hunter say anything? It takes everything in me not to confront Jacqueline and accuse her of lying. I bet lying is so natural for her that even she believes her own lies.

  I blow a puff of air through my lips. “It doesn’t matter now.”

  “You’re absolutely sure?” she asks.

  I nod. “I have to help Hunter.”

  She bites her lower lip and drops her eyes to the carpet. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  My heart falls. “What have you seen?”

  Alyssa’s emerald eyes sparkle in the light. “A grave.”

  “Whose?”

  “I don’t know.” She rubs her arms. “I could be wrong and things could change. You know how that is.”

  I stand up and hug myself. The heavy silence between us makes withdrawing into my own morbid thoughts easy. I cross the room and touch Alyssa’s shoulder. “You don’t have to help me if you’re afraid.”

  She wraps her arms around me. “You’re my best friend. I’m not going to let you go on this crazy adventure without me.”

  I laugh and pull away. “I’m glad because I don’t think I can do it without you.”

  HUNTER

  Nadia steps into the living room. “I need to talk to you.” She folds her arms across her chest and glares in our direction. She looks human again. Her white hair is back to pale blond and her indigo eyes sparkle in the soft lighting.

  Jacqueline leans forward, clutching her knees. “I want to apologize for what you went through. I didn’t know what Ryder gave me was meant to hurt you.”

  Nadia fidgets. “You have bigger problems on your hands.”

  Jacqueline looks at the floor and fear sweeps over me. She knows exactly what Nadia wants and Jacqueline won’t give me up easily.

  “Why can’t you just work something out? I doubt they want to see you dead,” I say.

  Jacqueline sighs in her mind. “It doesn’t matter, Hunter. Just because they don’t want me to die doesn’t mean anything to the board. You remember what I have to give them if I return, right?”

  “You could always lie about the council. It’ll take them a while to figure it out,” I say.

  “Jacqueline? Hello? You need to focus.” Nadia shakes Jacqueline’s shoulders and she looks up to meet her gaze. “What’s Hunter saying? I see him in your eyes.”

  Jacqueline rubs her hand across her forehead.

  “Tell her,” I say.

  “I give up. Why don’t you ask him yourself? You have five minutes. It’s not like I can convince you to be on my side.”

  What? Suddenly I feel the pinch of Nadia’s fingers and how warm the room is. I’m no longer just hanging out in Jacqueline’s head. I have all my senses.

  I look down.

  I’m in control of her body. “How is this possible?” I say. When I speak, I sound like Jacqueline.

  “Haven’t you ever heard of possession? I’ve given you my body to use, but don’t enjoy it for too long.” Her presence is still powerful and it takes me a minute to realize that I can move her lips, blink her eyes, and even talk. It’s the strangest thing having control over a body that isn’t mine. She’s smaller framed, less muscular, and is, well, a girl. It’s kind of awesome.

  “Four minutes.”

  I smile and look at Nadia. “Nadia? It’s me, Hunter. Before you ask me a million questions to make sure it’s really me, just remember I kissed you outside of a burning house, okay?”

  Nadia’s eyes widen and she lets go of my shoulders. “Tell me how to help you.”

  “You need to find my body and make Jacqueline put it back,” I say.

  “You both lied to me about Nadia invading my dreams, Hunter. I’m not going to help you.”

  I grimace. I can’t force her. “I’m not apologizing for that, Jacqueline. It’s your own fault for taking my soul. It’s the only reason she did it,” I say out loud. I grip my knees and focus on Nadia. “You need to find a way to get me out of her without her cooperation. She’s kind of mad about the nightmare stuff.”

  Nadia presses her lips together. “Okay, I’ll figure something out, but where is your body?”

  I don’t know the answer to that. The HPA has affiliations at several hospitals all over the country and multiple labs, too. “You’ll have to call my brother, Mason. He’ll tell you.”

  “And what if he doesn’t?” Nadia’s eyes line with worry and she touches my knee—Jacqueline’s knee.

  Alyssa hands me a notebook and a pen from the cluttered shelf near the window. “Tell him that my mom, Dr. Sullivan, offered my life force to a super and that she’s been lying about everything all this time. Also, tell him to wait for me to wake up with my car keys, my wallet, and a bag of clothes.” I scribble down his cell phone number. “Don’t call from here though. It may not be safe.”

  “Time’s up.”

  It’s like the wind is knocked out of me when Jacqueline takes back control. I’m disappointed. I had a thousand things I wanted to say, to ask, to do, but now I’m back in my
mind prison.

  It sucks.

  “Hunter?” Nadia asks.

  “Sorry, it’s me,” Jacqueline says.

  Nadia frowns and tucks her hair behind her ear. “So are you sure you’re not going to cooperate? It’ll be so much easier.”

  Jacqueline turns away and leans back on the couch. “I—I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m sorry, too.”

  NADIA

  I look at Alyssa and shrug. “Any ideas?”

  Her lips twist to the side. “Sin-eaters aren’t the only soul manipulators out there. You can go up to The Haven and see if one will talk to you.”

  “Now’s a perfect time, too,” I say. All the night owls will be there, which means the chances of finding someone who deals with souls might be there. I lean closer to Alyssa and add, “See if you can get her to sleep. I need to talk to Hunter when I get back.”

  She nods. “I’ll see what I can do. Just be careful when you’re there. The night patrons are an interesting bunch.”

  20. WE'RE ONLY TWO PEOPLE

  NADIA

  Cian raises his eyebrows when he sees me enter the hall and I wave. I don’t know how much he knows, or if he even knows. I also forgot that he’s friends with my father and I regret coming up here.

  “Nadia, my dear, you’re looking lovely. I’m surprised to see you.” He takes my hand and kisses it. “Are you here with Alyssa?”

  I smile. “Yeah, it’s a spur of the moment kind of thing.”

  He grins. “I see. Well, if you need anything, you know where I am.” He opens the door and a rush of music pulses around me.

  I lean down and say, “Actually, if you could keep quiet about me being here, I’d appreciate it.”

  His brows knit together. “Are you in trouble?”

  “If the council doesn’t know, then no.”