Find Me If You Dare (Dreamcatcher Book 2)

by Vicki Leigh

  “Their claws are at least six inches long. Right now, you’d be dead. Get up.”

  I stood and held out a hand. With a groan, he took it, and I pulled him to his feet. For a few seconds, I waited. When he appeared ready, I went at him full-speed. Open-handed—I didn’t really want to break any of his bones—I moved like a Nightmare would. My hits found his jaw, his chest, his arms, and a couple times I swiped past his throat, shouting, “You’d be dead.”

  Once he caught on to what I was doing and successfully blocked my passes, I changed it up and hit him in the gut instead. I used his gasp to my advantage and again punched him like I was jabbing claws into his chest.

  Finally, a spark of anger filled his eyes, like I wanted. He swung with fury at my face. I got my arm up just in time and, with the other fist, jabbed his shoulder. But before I could pull my limb back, his fist struck the inside of my elbow, hard. My arm flung to the side, and Nolan’s other fist hit me square in the chest.

  I grunted, faltering backward, and smiled. “About time.”

  The glower in Nolan’s eyes faded as I dropped my arms, having made my point. “Move fast, and fight on instinct. That’s how you’ll survive. And if you have Catcher blades in your hands, a stab like that to a Nightmare’s chest is a kill shot. Nice job.”

  “Hey, I was just testing you,” Nolan joked, wiping sweat from his forehead. But his slouched body language told me he was exhausted and embarrassed. In my experience, though, the best way to learn how to fight was to get your ass kicked. My mentor had done the same thing to me, and after a few times of being humiliated, I learned how to protect myself—and how to fight back and win.

  “Yeah, all right, mate,” I said. A lopsided grin split his face, and I turned to Kayla. She shot me an annoyed stare, but when I held out a hand to her, she took it.

  “What do you say we pick this up tomorrow? You both look tired,” I said.

  “Don’t have to tell me twice,” Nolan replied, rubbing his jaw as he headed in the direction of the barn.

  Samantha looked after him, the lines in her face deepening. Given our conversation before coming out here, I could guess what she was thinking about.

  Talk to him, I sent her. We’ll keep our distance.

  She shot me a glare, annoyed that I’d read her again, and stalked after Nolan.

  ayla tugged on my hand before I could take a step. “Wait, I’m not ready to be done, yet.”

  I narrowed my gaze. “You aren’t tired?”

  She shook her head. “You just gave me a twenty-minute break while you beat up my brother.” Her eyes sparkled at her choice of words to describe Nolan.

  Forcing Nolan to fess up: best decision I’d ever made.

  “All right. I could show you a few defensive moves.”

  She shook her head. “No, I want you to fight me, like you did Nolan.”

  I ran a hand down my face. “You know I can’t.”

  “Why? You fight Sam all the time. Don’t tell me you’re too ‘gentleman-like’ to hit a girl ‘cause it’s not true.”

  Ouch. “You’re not Sam. You’re the girl I love, and I don’t want to hurt you. Not even a little.”

  Her nostrils flared. “If I was your understudy, what would you do then?”

  “But you’re not.” I touched her cheek. “Please don’t be angry with me. I will do everything I can to train you. I will show you defensive moves, attacks… But I will not be the one to fight you. I love you too much to ever lay a hand on you.”

  She sighed, leaning into my touch. A bit of the fear I saw in her when the Nightmares attacked popped into her expression, and her eyes glistened. I dropped my hand from her cheek and stepped back. Her worry squeezed my heart. There was a way to practice without her getting hurt.

  “All right. Let’s go slow,” I said. “If I swing at your throat, what do you do?” I performed the action gently.

  Her face brightened. “I’d jump out of the way,” she said as she stepped backward.

  “Good. And then what?”

  She circled her arm around mine and lightly hit my forearm. “And then I’d chop your arm off.”

  I smiled. “Nice. But I’m a Nightmare, so that doesn’t slow me down. I screech, then swing at you with my other set of claws.” I brought that hand toward her.

  Kayla tapped the inside of my elbow. “But I have two blades, so I slice that arm off, too.”

  “Good. But I also have fangs, and I really want to kill you. So, I’m going to try to bite you. Now, what?”

  She brought her fist up under my jaw as if she were stabbing me in the throat.

  My smile widened. “Excellent.”

  “Told you I’m a quick learner. Now, faster. Nightmares don’t move like old men.” She winked.

  I shook my head and chuckled. “Nolan’s a terrible influence on you.”

  Again, she stepped back, waving me forward with her fingertips, like we were in a kung fu movie. I laughed then “attacked,” quicker but careful to avoid hitting her.

  Even at the rapid speed, Kayla got her arms up in time, “chopping” mine off like she’d said she could. I lunged at her, as if I were a Nightmare biting for her throat, and she tackled me to the ground like a linebacker in an American football game. Straddling me, she held her fist to my throat, like she had a knife in her hand.

  I hadn’t grinned this big in a long time.

  “I win,” she said, her eyes sparkling.

  I chuckled. “That was brilliant.” I tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. “I’m really proud of how far you’ve come.”

  Kayla’s cheeks glowed as her gaze flicked across my face, from my eyes to my lips and back again. Her flushed skin left me breathless. I ran my fingertips along her jawline, then slid my hand behind her neck, drawing her mouth to mine. A soft whimper slipped between her lips, and she fell against me, an arm on either side of my head.

  From where our bodies met, shock waves of shivers sent my heart pounding. She had gotten so strong, so fierce. I enveloped her in my arms and held her tight. Each kiss grew stronger, more feverish, and my pulse began to sprint. Every nerve throbbed to touch her and feel her. I traced my hands down her back and bum to the sides of her exposed thighs. Her breaths hastened, and our kisses were hungry, yearning, like one of us would fall to our death if the other let go.

  Kayla’s hips dug into mine, and a loud moan jolted through my body. My heartbeat in my stomach, I tore her tank top over her head. I kissed the crook of her neck, savoring the taste of her, and trailed my fingertips up her arms, over her shoulders, and down her spine. Goose pimples rose on her warm skin as she shivered against my touch.

  In just a few days, we could be facing down the most ruthless warlock in history. I wanted to drink her in, to pretend that we could stay in this field forever. No matter what our future held, I was going to make damn sure this moment was remembered until the day we took our final breaths—whether it be tomorrow or in fifty years.

  Carefully, I rolled so she lay on her back, my body positioned between her legs. I took a second to drink in the sight of her curves, shaped and toned by our weeks of exercise. God, she was beautiful. A question of whether this would be our last chance to be together flickered through my mind, and I pushed it aside with a quiet growl.

  After tearing my shirt off, I trailed my hands up the insides of her thighs, beneath her shorts, and to her hips. She quivered with every stroke, then took my face in her hands and brought my lips back to hers. Sliding my T-shirt beneath her bum to protect her from the earth, I stripped her shorts and underwear free in one quick movement, my pulse in my throat.

  Her gaze locked with mine, reading deep into my soul, and I lost myself in her as the sun dipped in the evening sky.

  I stood in a cornfield that stretched as far as I could see. The sky was black, the color of impenetrable darkness, but the stars had lost their shine. The air was thick and hazy. And as my vision adjusted to the shadowy world, the stalks wilted before my eyes, each leaf
and kernel wrinkling as if their souls were sucked from their bodies.

  Where the hell was I?

  Flames shot up from the dried ground, circling me and reaching as high as the corn. I shielded my eyes from the sudden brightness. The grass beneath my feet was nothing more than ashes. Slowly lowering my hand, I turned, surveying the world around me. To my left, a burned skeleton lay on the ground, reaching for freedom as if it had been trying to crawl away when fire scorched its bones. My stomach rolled.

  A voice called out from behind me, a voice I knew better than my own. “Hello, Daniel.”

  I spun, my fingers cold. Kayla glared at me through eyes the color of liquid gold, her dark hair fanning behind her like a wicked fan blew in her face. She wore a black, lacy gown that hugged her curves and reached the ground. Flames lined the hem of her dress, as if sewn into the seam. Her skin was the color of pearls, and the sinister look on her face sent chills down my spine.

  Something was desperately wrong. This couldn’t be her.

  The corner of her mouth twitched as she snapped her fingers. Two Nightmares appeared at her sides, like pets told to heel. A cold sweat painted my skin as I patted my waist, searching for my blades. But I wore no weapon belt. A sour taste built in my mouth, and I stared at Kayla, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

  She stepped toward me, seeming to glide as she walked. Two small balls of fire formed in her palms. She spun them in her hands as if they were nothing more than toys.

  And her cold, dead stare nearly brought me to my knees.

  “Did you do this?” I asked, my eyes locking on her. I lifted onto the balls of my feet, every muscle in my legs tightening. I honed my senses for the sound of someone else moving, but only the crackling of the fire echoed in the humid air.

  A bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face. Kayla wasn’t evil. Someone had to be controlling her, and I’d bet my eternal life it was Richard. I needed to figure out how to get to him through her.

  She laughed, her voice maniacal. “Always the naïve one, so trusting, so loving. Even now, I recognize that look in your eyes. You think you can save me.”

  By now, she was within an arm’s reach of me, her pet Nightmares still by her side. My legs weakened, but I held my ground, my fists clenched at my sides.

  Kayla ran a fingertip across my chest as she circled me. “But you don’t get it. This is me. I’ve just finally realized who I was meant to be.”

  “No, Kayla, listen to me.” Though every inch of me trembled, my voice was strong. “This isn’t you.”

  I clutched her wrist, and the Nightmares at her sides snarled. Kayla snatched my arm with her other hand as her nostrils flared. Her palm scorched my skin. I bent over with a yelp and dropped my grip from her wrist. But she didn’t let go. I ground my teeth and groaned through my clenched jaw as my flesh sizzled beneath her fingers.

  “Have you ever watched a friend, a loved one, turn to ash in front of your eyes, Daniel? It’s intoxicating.” She let go of me, and I dropped to my knees. A scorch mark remained in the shape of her hand.

  My eyes burned as I clutched my charred, bloodied arm to my stomach. This wasn’t her. It couldn’t be her. I swallowed and stared deep into her vicious gaze. “Kayla, rosa mia, I know you’re in there. Snap out of this. Come back to me, please.”

  Kayla’s nostrils flared, and then she slammed her hand into my chest.

  Bone broke.

  Flesh tore.

  A loud, uncontrollable gasp exploded from inside me, and then Kayla gripped my heart, and breath caught in my throat.

  A tear broke free. I’d failed as her anchor. I’d really lost her. Kayla, forgive me…

  Her mouth curled into a sneer as her stare turned feverish. “The world is dead, Daniel. It’s time for my people to rise. Soon, the red horse will ride. Welcome to Hell.”

  Heat like volcanic acid roasted me from inside. Agony like I’d never experienced rolled through every muscle, every bone. Violent tremors overtook my body. I closed my eyes and screamed, gurgling on my own blood as the woman I loved turned me to ash.

  Daniel, wake up! Kayla screamed in my head.

  Another tear fell from my eye as the world around me began to fade, my flesh melting like hot wax. This was it. I could almost smell the sulfur of Hell rising up to meet me.

  Something hit my chest so hard it knocked the wind out of me. The scorching heat that had claimed every cell cooled instantly, like I’d been dropped in a tub full of ice. My eyes snapped open.

  I was in the barn, lying on my back, staring at the rafters above, shivering though the air was humid. Kayla was half-poised over me, her hand on my cheek. Her irises were no longer liquid gold but their normal shade of hazel. Yet, they were filled with tears. And her face was too pale. She dug fingernails into my wrist.

  My hand was around her throat.

  “Fuck!” I ripped my hand off her skin. She fell against me, clutching my shirt in her fists and gasping for air.

  I pressed fists to my stinging eyes. “Oh, God, Kayla, I’m so sorry. I didn’t—”

  She put a finger on my lips and coughed into my shoulder.

  I wrapped my arms around her and pressed my cheek to the top of her head. How the bloody hell had I had a nightmare again? It all had felt so real. I’d thought…

  God, what was wrong with me? I should’ve known better.

  I clenched my jaw and blinked rapidly, kissing the top of her head, fighting the burning in my eyes.

  Her arms wrapped around me. “Daniel, it’s okay. I know what it’s like to have a nightmare, remember? I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”

  I shook my head, not trusting my voice to stay calm.

  Kayla pushed herself out of my hold and placed a hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes, afraid to look at her for fear that I’d break, afraid to let her see how terrified I was by what I had done.

  A few more agonizing moments passed, my heart heavy, my breathing sluggish, my stomach churning.

  Kayla tilted my head toward her. “Please look at me.”

  I swallowed the pain in my throat and opened my eyes to look into hers. Her gentle gaze flicked across my face, and her hand moved to rest on my chest, right over my heart.

  “It was an accident,” she said, her voice firm. “And it’s over now.”

  I covered her hand with mine and shook my head. “Had I known I was capable of that… Kayla, forgive me. I never meant to hurt you.”

  “I know.” She stroked my chest with her thumb. “It happened once before, back when you were sick. I should’ve known better than to try to wake you.”

  “What?” I snapped into an upright position, my body turning to ice. I dug my fingers into my hair as my stomach fell to my knees. What was happening to me?

  Kayla’s hands found my shoulders. “Calm down. It’s a side effect of the poison. Everyone’s had scary dreams, even without the Nightmares. Apparently Sam attacked Nolan once, too.”

  “But my fever broke over a week ago. And now you’re telling me I hurt you then, too? Damn it!” Never before had I been unable to control my thoughts and my actions. I trembled. I was a threat to everyone I cared about, the girl I loved.

  “Daniel…” Kayla wrapped her arms around my neck, dropping my forehead to hers.

  I found her lower back with my hands, and, for a few moments, we sat, not speaking. She stroked the hair at my nape, and with each soothing touch, my heartbeat slowed.

  A rustling caught my ear. I peeked out the corner of my eye. Trishna crouched next to us. “I apologize for eavesdropping,” she said. “But I need to ask: these nightmares, how real do they feel?”

  I swallowed deeply, not moving, afraid to let Kayla go. “Like reality. Heat on my face, pain, fear…” I quivered. “It felt no less lifelike than right now.”

  Trishna frowned. “I was afraid you’d say that. I’ve been having nightmares, too, but they haven’t felt like dreams, either. I thought maybe it was just me, but now… Now, I fear they’re not dreams at all
.”

  Kayla pulled back, and we both stared at Trishna with narrowed eyes.

  Kayla turned in my embrace to face her. “Wait, do you think they’re visions?”

  Trishna shook her head. “God, I hope not. No, I think they’re a side effect of Margaret’s poison. I think it gave Richard access to our fears, and he’s exploiting them without the Nightmares.”

  I closed my eyes and sighed, my shoulders drooping. Were the blows never going to end?

  “But if he doesn’t need the Nightmares to scare us, then what does he need them for?” Kayla asked.

  Our conversation stalled. What would Richard use them for? He’d asked Apollyon for control of them, but they were merely dark spirits. Unless you were a ghost or a close relative of the phantom world, like Protectors—or, well, Kayla—you couldn’t even see them or interact with them. They had no command over the physical world, just the spiritual, psychological one.

  I froze. Or did they? The Nightmares had destroyed the mansion in Rome and killed Magus in Caelum. One had even snatched Kayla by the ankle and dragged her across the floor. They’d demolished buildings and attacked innocent people in Columbus. They hadn’t gone after them just to fill their minds with evil thoughts. They’d struck them, sliced them, murdered them.

  At Richard’s order.

  They were his army. And I’d bet any of his remaining “Horsemen” could control them, too.

  “Daniel?” Kayla touched my arm. “What are you thinking?”

  I ran my hand down my face. Blast, this was bad.

  “War,” I said.

  Their eyes narrowed, and Trishna tilted her head.

  “In my dream just now, Kay”—I caught myself, clearing my throat—“my attacker said, ‘Soon, the red horse rides.’ We’d heard something similar in Philadelphia, except then they’d referred to a white horse. Right before ‘Pestilence’ spread.”

  “So, wait, you think either Adelynn or Alex is the second horseman, and they’re going to use the Nightmares as soldiers?” Trishna asked.

  I nodded. “I read through the whole passage the night Eric came back. Revelation referred to a second rider on a red horse with a sword, and it would make men slay each other. We know Richard’s manipulating the verses to fit whatever he’s got planned.”