Find Me If You Dare (Dreamcatcher Book 2)

by Vicki Leigh

  I squirmed when Trishna touched my broken arm. This was going to hurt—bad. My breathing quickened, but I nodded for her to do what she had to and squeezed my jaw shut. I groaned as she pushed my bone back into place beneath my skin, dark spots flashing in my vision.

  “Sorry,” she said.

  I smacked the back of my head against the seat as my arm repaired, letting out deep breaths while trying to keep myself alert. Passing out was not an option right now. Finally, my skin closed over the wound, and Trishna removed her hand. I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose, slowing my rapid pulse.

  Seconds later, Trishna asked, “What theory?”

  My heart stopped as Richard’s words came back to me. “Damn. You shouldn’t have touched me.”

  Trishna’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

  I rehashed everything that had happened in the short time I’d been Richard’s prisoner—excluding the part about the Nightmares torturing my mind to the point of breaking. Trishna rung her hands and rubbed her forehead, her cheeks pale. The van was so silent; the rumble of the tires on the road sounded as loud as an airplane engine.

  “All right. So, there’s a possibility I’ll get sick,” Trishna said. “At least it’ll prepare me for if I come across the disease again.”

  I raised an eyebrow. Most people would be freaking out, knowing they might fall under the spell of a demonic poison. I would be. Hell, my stomach squirmed now. If Trishna died, her death would be on me. Her strength was envious.

  “Wait,” Tabbi interrupted. “You said Margaret created the poison, yes?” When I nodded, she continued. “We thought the white rider was Conquest, but sometimes it’s also known by another name—Pestilence. Margaret’s the first Horseman.”

  “It makes sense,” Nolan said from the driver’s seat. “That was always Richard’s first step. Make sure only the strongest survive.”

  Trishna sat back in her seat with a frustrated sigh. “We are in deep shit.”

  I stared out the window, fighting the urge to punch my fist through the glass. We needed to kill Richard. Now.

  We were far into Delaware before Trishna felt we were safe to stop. After Tabbi’s theory, we’d consulted with Bartholomew—via a Protector-in-training still in Caelum; he still refused to be Unified—and he agreed. Richard was manipulating the parts of Revelation that met his needs, and whatever he’d done to convince Margaret to play her part, she’d finally conceded.

  Richard now knew her poison worked, so any day, the country—maybe the world, even—was going to turn into full-blown chaos. This disease would spread like wildfire, and thousands of people would die, people the Protectors were supposed to keep safe. And if we didn’t hurry, there could be a lot less of us to guard the living from Nightmares once this war was over.

  After renting three rooms—and convincing the front desk that I wasn’t in need of medical assistance—we rode the lift to the top floor. Kayla and I snagged a room with Ivan and Lian. The others dropped their things off in the rooms across the hall.

  “I need to get back to Caelum,” Trishna said once we’d settled and she’d put warding spells around our rooms to keep the Nightmares out.

  “I can take you,” Seth offered, but Trishna held up her hand.

  “We just drove all this way because everyone evaporated,” she said. “I know how to hotwire a car.”

  Somehow, that didn’t surprise me.

  “Stay in touch, and continue scouting.” Trishna placed a hand on Seth’s shoulder. “We can’t afford to give up hope, especially now.”

  We watched her safely snag a car and drive from the parking lot, then I slipped out of the room when my friends flicked on the TV. I could still hear Kayla’s cries, taste the dirt, feel the flames on my legs. I pressed the button for the main floor and hopped into the lift. The door dinged and closed. Not more than two seconds later, the walls spun, and I slammed myself against the paneling, unable to breathe. Tears sprung to my eyes as the feeling of being buried alive overtook me again. I pounded my fists against the metal wall of the lift, stifling a gag.

  Come on, Daniel. You’re stronger than this, I told myself.

  But was I? I’d spent the last two hundred years thinking that upon my second death, I’d just cease to exist—lost in a black void. But ever since I let myself be Unified with Trishna, I’d forfeited my right to a peaceful death. I’d taken the body the Angels had restored and filled it with magic. Would I end up in Hell? Would I burn again and again for eternity?

  The lift stopped, and the door opened. On shaky legs, I strode from the hotel to the parking lot outside. Hands on my head, I breathed through my teeth. This was insane; I couldn’t let the Nightmare’s torture get to me. That’s all it was: a bad dream.

  Closing my eyes, I let out one final, deep breath and dropped my arms to my sides.

  Jaw set, I popped my eyes open. I was a warrior, not a coward. God help me—a Nightmare wasn’t going to be my undoing.

  I took off. Across the property and through the streets I ran, listening to my feet pounding on the road and focusing on my breathing and the smell of the hot summer air. Sweat drenched my shirt, and I ripped it off over my head. Crickets chirped around me. Frogs bellowed in the distance. A single car passed me on the road, but it wasn’t until my calves burned that I allowed myself to slow. It’d been too long since I’d had a good run, and damn, it felt good.

  My chest rose and fell rapidly. I glanced at the nearest street sign. Williamsburg Circle. Where the hell was I?

  Hands on my hips, I turned, eyeing my surroundings. With a sigh, I spun around and jogged back the way I came, relaxing when the hotel popped up in the distance.

  Lian, Ivan, Samantha, Nolan, Seth, and Kayla sat in a circle on the floor when I entered the room, shot glasses in hand and two oversize bottles of light rum in the center. Lovely.

  Seth catcalled—I hadn’t bothered to put my shirt back on—as I strode past to dig fresh pajama bottoms and a clean shirt from my bag. I held up my middle finger, and he laughed.

  “Screw this Truth or Dare thing. Let’s play strip poker,” Nolan said, an arm draped over Kayla’s shoulders.

  I ground my teeth and tried to remember he wasn’t hitting on my girlfriend. But did he really have to pretend they were so chummy? Not to mention, I was a little creeped he’d mentioned playing strip poker with his sister. I’d never seen a guy go to such lengths to keep his identity a secret.

  “No!” half the group yelled, while Samantha and Seth agreed.

  “Don’t forget we have to get up early tomorrow,” I said, stepping into the loo and tugging on my clean bottoms. I’d shower in the morning.

  “Cities don’t really even come alive till ten, Daniel,” Samantha shouted from the bedroom. “Besides, how do you not want to drink? You got the shit kicked out of you.”

  I opened the bathroom door as I pulled my shirt on. “Because I have more important things to worry about.” Like finding Richard and ripping his goolies out through his mouth.

  Nolan pointed a thumb at me. “Are his panties always in a bunch?”

  “Pretty much,” Ivan replied.

  I rolled my eyes and stretched out on one of the beds, laying an arm over my face.

  “Whatever. It’s my turn,” Samantha said. “Never have I ever… wanted to sleep with anyone in this room but Daniel.”

  I groaned. Did she really have to say that in front of Kayla? It was twenty years ago for God’s sake.

  “That’s a lie,” Ivan said. “You mean to tell us you and Nolan shared hotel rooms for four weeks and never once had sex?”

  “Hey, I tried to get my mack on, but Sarah Connor over there threatened to cut my balls off,” Nolan said.

  “Drink up, Don Juan,” Samantha replied. “You too, Seth.”

  “Ah, hell,” Nolan said. “Well, then, White Russian and his lady friend, cheers.”

  “Call me that again, I will punch you,” Ivan said.

  Though I was exhausted and
wanted to scream at them to shut up, I had to smirk. They bickered like siblings.

  “Hey, I think I’m with Daniel, guys,” Kayla said. “I kind of just want to sleep.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure that’s what you want to do,” Seth commented.

  I snatched the pillow from the other side of the bed, cracking my eyelids open a bit, and threw it at his face. He laughed, and I dropped my arm back over my eyes.

  “Let’s go across the hall,” Lian said, rising to her feet.

  “Yeah, fine,” Samantha replied. “I’ll wake Tabbi and make her move.”

  I shook my head. Why couldn’t they call it a night?

  The door to the hall opened, and loud whispers followed them out of the room. A few moments later, the bed bounced, and the smell of strawberries filled my senses. Kayla laid her head on my pillow. She wrapped her arm around my stomach. “You okay?”

  “Yes. Just tired.” I kept my arm over my eyes. If I looked at her, she’d see I was lying.

  She was quiet for a few moments, and the silence was intoxicating. I started to drift asleep.

  “How many more times are we going to have to go through someone being taken or beaten? I mean, I’ve already lost—I think I’ve already lost—my mom. Someday, one of you might be next, and I don’t know how much more I can take. I want this to be over.”

  I sighed. Dropping my arm from my eyes, I wrapped it around her shoulders. “We all want this to be over.” I wasn’t going to tell her she didn’t have to worry about one of us dying, because it was a lie. Today was way too strong of a reminder. I flinched, remembering my nightmare.

  “You’re not okay,” Kayla said.

  Damn. That’s what I get for uncovering my face. No point in lying now. “All right, no. I’m not. But I will be, and I don’t want to worry you. I thought Richard was going to kill me, but he didn’t. That’s all you need to know.”

  She propped herself on her elbow and flicked her hazel gaze across my face. I kept mine devoid of emotion. Still, she shook her head.

  “The way you looked at me when you came back… Something else happened besides Richard testing to see if your blood still carried the poison, didn’t it?”

  “Kayla—”

  She forced herself out of my hold. “No. I’m tired of you always thinking I need to be shielded from everything. You hold me back from using my Spirit magic because you’re afraid I’ll faint. You never let me into your head. Would you please, for once, treat me like I’m not some breakable doll?”

  My chest constricted. The need to protect people—especially the girl I loved—was so ingrained into me. To turn it off would be like changing who I was. But she was right. She’d survived her father torturing her with Nightmares. What happened to me today had happened to her, too. She was strong, and I was pushing her away.

  “You’re right. Again. I’m sorry,” I said. “I don’t think you’re fragile. I simply…” I tucked hair behind her ear. “I love you. That’s all.”

  She put a hand back on my stomach. I tried not to focus on its proximity to the waistband of my trousers.

  “I love you, too. Please don’t shut me out,” she said.

  I nodded, and then she lay in my arms again. Nauseated, I told her what had happened with the Nightmares, what I had seen, and how I’d never experienced that kind of terror in my existence. Kayla’s eyes filled with tears, and when I finished my story, she kissed me with such compassion even my toes tingled.

  We fell asleep in each other’s arms, and a piece of my broken spirit mended with her love.

  here are we going today?” Lian asked as she stepped out of the bathroom.

  I shoved a small, sheathed blade into my boot. After what happened in Washington D.C., I wasn’t going anywhere unarmed again. We’d just have to be careful to avoid places with metal detectors.

  “Philadelphia. It’s closer. We’ll hit Baltimore tomorrow,” I replied.

  Lian nodded and joined Ivan on their bed to slip on her shoes. Kayla finished tying back her hair, then the four of us met the others in the parking lot. Seth, Samantha, and Nolan all wore sunglasses, and their cheeks were flushed. The corner of my mouth rose. They looked like they had terrible hangovers.

  “Good morning,” I said as loud as possible when we neared the vans. They flinched.

  “Good God. His mouth is like a foghorn,” Nolan said.

  “That’s what you get for drinking until four a.m. and making me sleep in the hall,” Tabbi replied.

  Shawn snatched the van’s keys out of Nolan’s hand. “Looks like Abigail and I are driving today.”

  “Hey, I am a good drunk driver. I’ve only gotten two tickets, and both were when I was sober,” Nolan said.

  “Oh, would you get in?” Samantha scolded. She climbed in after Seth, and Nolan followed.

  Not in the mood to deal with all the drunks, I hopped into Abigail’s van with Kayla, Tabbi, Lian, and Ivan. It was a blissful, quiet ride to Philadelphia.

  In the city, we found a central parking garage and separated in the same groups as last time, so one person could scout while the other protected them. Kayla and I first stopped for a bite to eat, her “feelers” on, and then we wandered the busy city at a slow pace until we reached the Philadelphia Art Museum.

  “Can we check it out?” she asked.

  “As much as I’d love to, we really aren’t on holiday.”

  “Oh, come on. We can’t visit places like Philadelphia and not sightsee a little. We didn’t really get to see anything in D.C., and there are hundreds of people in the museum. What’s the difference between going inside and waiting out here while they enter and exit?”

  I scratched the back of my neck. Could it be harmful to visit for an hour or so? And wasn’t I going to try to relax a bit when it came to Kayla? “All right,” I said after a sigh. “Let’s go.”

  Grinning, Kayla took my hand in hers, and we jogged up the massive staircase of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

  She giggled. “I feel like Rocky Balboa.”

  “Who?”

  Her mouth gaped. “Seriously? You’ve never seen a Rocky movie?”

  When I shrugged, she shook her head. “We’ve got to catch you up on pop culture.”

  We reached the top and entered the museum. The inside was incredible, with architecture that reminded me of Ancient Greece and beautiful paintings and sculptures on display across the foyer. I led Kayla to an information stand to grab a museum brochure.

  “Blast, this place is bigger than I thought,” I said, scanning the map as I stepped out of the way of traffic.

  Kayla peeked over my shoulder. “We don’t have to see everything.”

  “We won’t be able to. Pick your favorite exhibit, and we’ll get the tickets.”

  Deafening shots from multiple machine guns filled the room, each pop like an axe pick to my lungs. Screams echoed through the museum as visitors ran for the exits, tripping over people who had already fallen. Dozens of men and women, dressed in all black with their faces covered, marched in from every entrance, dropping body after body. My breath caught in my throat as alarms wailed through the building. I pulled Kayla into my arms, turning my back to the noise, and tried to evaporate. Screw throwing off Richard’s sensors. I’d rather spend tonight on the run again than risk getting shot by lunatics.

  We didn’t go anywhere.

  Bloody hell—this wasn’t just some random shooting. There were Magus involved, and my money was on Richard’s coven.

  I yanked Kayla to the floor, covering her body with mine, and went invisible, taking her with me. Hair lifted on my nape as bullets flew over us. Kayla flinched beneath me, squealing through closed lips.

  You’re okay, I said to her mind. No matter what you hear, don’t move and don’t scream.

  She whimpered but gave a curt nod.

  We need back up at the Art Museum, I called out to the rest of my team. Richard’s coven is here with machine guns. Forget about the no-evaporation rule. Grab your weapons and get
here immediately. Just know once you get in, you can’t evaporate out.

  Daniel, it’s happening everywhere, Samantha replied.

  We’re stuck, too, Lian said.

  “Attention citizens of Philadelphia,” one of the shooters shouted through a megaphone. “You are test city number one. The white horse rides tonight.”

  I peeked over my shoulder and watched as ten masked individuals with machine guns circled the remaining civilians, forcing them into a tighter group. Children clung to their parents. Couples shuffled to the center of the room, arms wrapped around each other. Their cries and whimpers were louder than my heartbeat.

  The largest man in the group turned his head to the shooter on his right and nodded. Weapons unloaded into every man, woman, and child. Eyes closed, I snapped my head toward Kayla as screams filled the museum once again and pressed my forehead against hers. I squeezed her tighter and covered her mouth with my hand when she whimpered. You’re all right. I won’t let anything happen to you. We couldn’t be discovered, not now—not ever. I was not going to let Kayla die. If a bullet hit me, fine. I’d take them all to keep her safe. Thank God we were far enough away from where people had been congregating, so no one knew we existed.

  Bullets stopped flying, and the sudden silence sent shivers down my spine. The scents of blood and gunpowder lingered in the dusty air. With my eyes still closed, not ready yet to witness the violence, I listened for the sounds of footsteps. At least twenty more people came from other parts of the building.

  Volcanic bile rose in my throat. How many people had they just murdered?

  “Anyone escape?” one of the men asked.

  “No. Not a single survivor.”

  My teeth ground.

  “Good. Check one of the bodies.”

  A few seconds passed. Someone ripped fabric. I opened one eye and peeked over my shoulder. Not a single inch of floor could be seen beneath all the corpses and blood. My throat ached. It was like a World War II concentration camp all over again.

  “It worked. Now what?” a woman asked. The hems of her light blue jeans were splashed with red. I snarled.