by Vicki Leigh
Trishna’s tanned face paled. “If one of those kids are able to control the Nightmares and plans to use them like an army to destroy everything—and everyone—in their paths, we are in more trouble than we thought.” She looked at Kayla. “How soon until you’re able to do a locator spell?”
Kayla stuttered. “Um, a couple days, maybe?”
Trishna nodded. “Good. By then, the rest of the coven should be recovered, and we can all rejoin forces. Then, when we find Richard, we can strike him. Let’s just hope we’re not too late this time.”
never went back to sleep. Instead, as soon as the sky turned a lighter shade of blue, I broke for the field and did as many exercises as I could—pushups, sprints, sit-ups, lunges…even those little things people these days called “burpies.” By the time the others joined me, I was shirtless—I hated working out with a T-shirt clinging to me—and drenched with sweat from the early August heat.
A few coven members I didn’t know followed my usual team. After Seth, Samantha, Kayla, Nolan, Lian, and Ivan, there were four others—all Magus. They introduced themselves as Vinny, Bernice, Ashleigh, and Alice.
“Trishna’s instructions are to train us all like new Protector recruits,” Alice said.
“We already know how to fight with magic, but we don’t know how to fight without it,” Ashleigh added.
Bernice agreed, “Or alongside your kind.”
I nodded. “Sounds like a good plan. Stay close to the Protectors in this group. We’re going to train hard, and I know you all aren’t used to it. So, if you need a break, take one. If you need help, grab one of us. That goes for you two, also.” I tipped my head toward Kayla and Nolan. “I don’t know what your schedule’s like, but don’t let me wear you out.”
“We’re with you all day,” Kayla said.
“Even though I haven’t had my caffeine,” Nolan added. “Which is bullshit, by the way. Trishna should at least have someone take me to a gas station.”
I shook my head. “All right, then. Here’s how I train my new recruits: Run until I tell you to stop. Drop when I tell you to drop. Do whatever I say when I tell you to do it. Last one standing gets a free pass on the first round of the tournament.”
Ivan, Lian, Seth, and Samantha’s faces lit up.
“Wait, we’re doing a tournament?” Samantha asked. “Like, an actual Catcher tournament?”
I nodded once. Usually, the Catcher Tournaments took place after twenty years of training. All the Dreamcatchers who were recruited the same year battled for their positions—the best got the toughest cases, the ones with more prestige. They advanced in the ranks quicker, became mentors faster, and eventually “retired,” coordinating the Protector soldiers versus actually being one. I’d been on my way to “retirement” when all of this happened.
Now, a tournament would have zero significance. But to a true warrior, like my fellow Catchers, winning was a prize in and of itself. To the others, it’d at least be good practice. And the best part—the part that would train them for a battle—was that they’d experience what it truly felt like to get hit. No gloves, no tape. No kill shots, but there’d be blood. Lots of it. Maybe some broken bones. But they’d be ready and learn how to recover when stars popped into their vision. Trishna would be here to heal them immediately afterward, anyway. I wasn’t worried.
“And what about you?” Ivan asked. “You fighting, tovarishch?”
Once upon a time, he would’ve called me a derogatory term instead of “comrade.”
“Hell yeah, mate.” I smiled.
In a typical Catcher tournament, contestants had to go through a “preliminary round” for warm-up and to offer the victor a chance to bypass the first round. After giving them a few basic instructions—like what to do when I called “blades out”—I shouted “run” and joined them as we sprinted in snakelike patterns through the field. Usually, we would’ve been racing through rough terrain, invisible so the rest of the world couldn’t see us dashing around like crazed lunatics, but we didn’t have the luxury to choose a different location.
Again and again, I’d shout directions to them, and after an hour of running, my legs burned. I pushed through it, unwilling to admit I wasn’t the strongest in the pack. Twenty minutes later, the only ones standing were me, Lian, and—to my surprise—one of the four Magus who’d joined us: the warlock from Mexico, Vinny.
Finally, Vinny dropped out, and I shouted at Lian, “First one to the woods wins.” We were maybe a quarter mile away.
She grinned, and the two of us took off, sprinting as hard as we could. My lungs were ready to explode, but I struggled onward, nudging Lian out of the way when she closed in on me. She swore at me in Mandarin, falling a few steps behind.
I turned my head to hound her to move faster, but my stamina faltered, a cramp forming in my left hamstring. “Shit!” I shouted, stumbling.
Lian pushed me as she sprinted past. I tipped sideways and landed hard, laughing with my face in the dirt. Knowing she’d won, Lian stopped and returned to where I lay trying to catch my breath. She put her foot on my back. The others laughed, and I imagined her putting her hands on her hips, like a child playing “King of the Mountain.” With a smirk, I flipped onto my back, grabbed her ankle, and pulled her to the ground. She squealed and landed on her bum, laughing as she backhanded my bare chest.
“Dude, you are getting old,” Nolan joked when he and the others caught up to us.
I pointed at him and kept smiling. “Hey, I can still kick your ass.”
Above us, the sun was high in the sky, and no clouds filled the bright blue backdrop. An airplane soared, its soft hum a familiar sound. It flew lower than usual, but not to the point that it would cause concern. We weren’t too far from Yangzhou, after all. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if a Nightmare got hold of a plane.
“All right. I think it’s time for a break,” I called as I pushed my aching body off the ground.
Ivan pulled Lian to her feet as Seth asked her, “Think you can score us some Chinese food?”
“We are in China,” Nolan replied.
“And maybe some clothes, soap, and shampoo. There’s got to be a lake or river around here somewhere,” Samantha said.
“Yes, through the trees that way.” Lian pointed off to my left. “A small waterfall with a pond. My brother and I used to swim there all the time.”
I nodded, remembering the sound of running water when Samantha and I hiked through the woods. I turned to Nolan. “Was Trishna right about Richard not being able to sense when we evaporate around here? Is it safe to make a supply run?”
He nodded. “Unless he’s found Chinese followers in the few weeks since I left. In which case, we have bigger problems.”
Nothing like stating the obvious. “All right, then. I’ll go with Sam and Lian for food, clothes, and toiletries. Nolan, that should give you time to work with Kayla. The rest of you, take a break or work out on your own. Whatever you want. We’ll start preparing for tomorrow’s tournament after lunch.”
When the group dispersed, I linked hands with Lian and Samantha. Lian took the lead, and we popped into the busy streets of Yangzhou. Hundreds of people hurried past tall, white buildings with coned roofs. The sweet-yet-spicy-and-sour smells of soy sauce and fish oil hit my nose. My stomach grumbled as my mouth watered; I was hungrier than I thought. Loud chatter bounced off the shops, and children played in the dirty streets. Invisible, we hurried through the massive crowd past food, clothing, and souvenir vendors to a small, red-roofed convenience store.
Together, we walked through the wall and went corporeal when no one watched. We filled baskets to the brim with small containers of shampoo, bars of soap, and bottles of water. Being to the point where we had to steal to survive again made my stomach churn, but it was our only option. When we were out of the sight of cameras, we went invisible, taking all the goods with us.
A few more times we stopped at various shops, filling bags with clothes and nabbing tak
e-out orders before cooks and customers realized what happened. Twice, Samantha returned to the barn to drop off our loot, and when we were satisfied that we’d taken more than we needed, we returned to our team.
The twelve of us who weren’t unconscious ate fast. It was our first hot meal in days. Laughter filled the barn as people swapped stories, and for an hour, we forgot about how miserable our lives had become—and the possibility of the world ending. It’d been a long time since I smiled for this long at one time.
Samantha stood and lifted two of the plastic bags we’d filled as Seth gathered the now-empty containers.
“Who wants to go swimming?” she asked.
“Are we seriously going skinny dipping?” Bernice asked.
“Hey, take your clothes off when you’re already in the water, and nobody sees anything,” Vinny replied.
“Until you get out. I make no promises on keepin’ my eyes closed,” Seth replied.
Nolan laughed and whistled as Bernice blushed.
I grabbed one of the bags from Samantha. “We brought bathing suits, you dimwits.” Snatching swim shorts from the bag, I threw them in Seth’s face.
“Aw, man,” he said.
Kayla rose to her feet, taking the other bag from Samantha. “Then what are we waiting for? Boys, go change outside, and we’ll meet you when we’re ready.”
“I’m so peeking through the door,” Nolan said as he rose to his feet and dug red shorts from the bag. I smacked him upside the head. He grinned.
Outside, we tossed our dirty clothes into piles on the ground and dressed. When the girls met us, most of them carrying their shirts and wearing nothing but bikini tops and shorts, Vinny, Seth, and Nolan wasted no time catcalling.
“Oh, shut up,” Samantha said, pushing Nolan as she strutted past him.
I shook my head but had to agree: Kayla was freaking hot. Her hips swayed with every step, and the top of her bathing suit revealed more skin than a sports bra. An image of her naked, wet chest pressed against mine flashed through my mind. My cheeks baked. I took Kayla’s hand and started weaving through the trees before I could talk the others into staying behind.
Don’t pretend you weren’t staring at my boobs, she said.
My cheeks burned hotter. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
She smiled. Maybe we can come back later, just the two of us? Her voice was so seductive; I could feel her curves in the palms of my hands.
My pants tightened. Know a spell to make everyone pass out?
She chuckled. The sound fluttered in my chest. I’m sure I can come up with something, she said.
As we neared our destination, I let Lian take the lead. Samantha and I hadn’t strayed from the path before; only Lian knew where we were going. She picked up the pace as the sound of running water grew louder. Soon, my nerves were bouncing at a speed to match. This was going to feel incredible. The damp smell hit me shortly thereafter, and the trees began to thin.
Like a piece of fantasy art, a cliff maybe two-stories high stood in front of us. Sunlight bounced off a little waterfall running into a small, deep lake the color of sapphire. Kayla squeezed my hand. Shale, river rocks, and large boulders covered in moss lined the shore. Bright green trees surrounded us in a near-perfect circle, providing patches of shade in an otherwise sunny slice of Heaven.
My jaw dropped. This place couldn’t belong to Earth.
Seth slugged my shoulder before peeling off his shirt and shoes. “I’m jumpin’ in.”
Lian smiled. “It’s fun. Just be careful. The rock up there is slippery.”
He grinned and hiked up the small cliff, raising his hands when he reached the top. “I’m king of the world!” As everyone chuckled, he leaped off and splashed into the water below.
“Shit, man, it’s freezin’!” he said as soon as his head popped through the surface of the water.
“Yeah, I don’t care how cold it is. I’m totally doing that, too.” Nolan stripped down to his trunks and began climbing the side of the rocky wall.
When the others followed, I turned to Kayla. She stared at the cliff, biting her lip. “Want to give it a go?” I asked.
A squeal followed Ashleigh all the way to the surface of the water.
Kayla slipped her hand out of mine and crossed her arms over her stomach. “No, you go ahead. I’m just going to get in.”
I tipped my head. She flinched when another person plopped into the lake. I forced myself not to smile and put a hand on each of her arms. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re afraid of heights?”
She snapped her gaze to mine, her cheeks blushing. “I’m not afraid of heights. I didn’t freak out on that rooftop in Paris, did I? I just don’t see the point of climbing a tall rock when you could easily fall to your death.”
I couldn’t keep the corner of my mouth from raising this time. “It’s really not as high as you think it is.” I tucked hair behind her ear. “We can jump at the same time, if you want.”
She pressed her lips together. “You promise you won’t let go?”
I nodded. “And I’ll even climb up behind you in case you do slip.”
Sighing, she stepped out of her shoes and began to unbutton her shorts.
I slid my shirt over my head and unlaced my sneakers. “Besides, it’ll be a nice view.”
She smirked and smacked my arm. “Boy, you’re cheeky today.”
Laughing, I grabbed her hand, leading her to the cliff. “We’re all entitled to a good mood once in a while, yeah?”
At the rock’s base, Kayla turned me around. Her smile met her ears. “It does look really attractive on you.”
A pang shocked my heart. It probably had been a long time since she’d seen me truly happy.
My hands on her lower back, I drew her close, pressing my lips to hers. Kayla’s palms rested on my bare chest as she deepened the kiss, and the warmth shot tingles into my toes.
“Come on, you two!” Nolan shouted. “We don’t want to smell your stinky asses all night.”
I sighed against her mouth and reluctantly pulled away. The absence of her lips on mine stung. Kayla’s hands lingered a moment longer on my chest, and then she stepped back and started to climb.
At the top of the cliff, I took her hand. It shook. “Hey, just hold tight to me and jump out from the rock when I say ‘three.’ Okay?”
She nodded.
I started the countdown, and when I hit “three,” we leaped into the air. For only seconds, we were suspended in time, and for each moment, Kayla’s fingers were like nails in my hand. My stomach flew out the top of my skull, and then we hit the water, and it took everything I had not to gasp at the chill. Kayla’s hand freed itself from mine, and I kicked until my head broke the surface.
Cheers filled the air as Kayla tipped back, floating, and let out a giddy laugh. I smiled till my face hurt and reveled in the chill of the water, letting it soak my hair and deep into my bones, cooling my sore muscles. What a holiday it would be if we could stay here forever.
I caught the shampoo and soap Seth tossed my way and scrubbed every inch of my body until it hurt. After Margaret’s brutal death, sweating in the August heat, and sleeping on a barn floor for two days, cleanliness was intoxicating, as was my friends’ happiness. I joined in as they swam and splashed one another, laughter filling the air around us. For God knows how long, we dunked one another, leaped off the cliff, and watched Samantha beat the crap out of Nolan when he untied her top.
When the sun reached the top of the trees, I reminded everyone that it was only late afternoon and there were still hours of sunlight. Moping, the eleven of us climbed out of the swimming hole and shivered as we wrapped ourselves with towels.
“We have got to do that again,” Ivan said, running a comb through his dark hair.
“Maybe tomorrow after Daniel puts us through tournament hell,” Samantha joked.
“Can I just back out now and pretend I got my ass kicked?” Ashleigh asked.
“If you don’t want
to participate, that’s fine,” I answered. “I do ask you at least practice while I beat everyone else senseless.”
“Oh, look, he’s still cocky, even after I won today’s race,” Lian replied.
I gently punched her arm.
After tossing what was left of our toiletries into bags and throwing on our dry clothes over our swimsuits, we stepped into the trees, heading for the field to prepare for tomorrow’s battle.
ven as we crossed the field, our laughter was so loud; I was sure the Angels could hear us thousands of miles above. For how shitty our lives had become, today was going to go down as one of the best I’d had in a long time.
“So, what’s the plan, boss?” Nolan joked.
I half-smirked. “I’m going to pair everyone into twos, except for Lian, of course.”
“That’s right,” she said. “While you break noses, I’m going to work on my tan.”
“Wait a minute,” Ivan said, holding up a hand. “Do you hear that?”
We all froze, silencing.
In the distance, a siren screeched. I’d heard several like them, years ago. Not quite a fire alarm; not quite a tornado warning. I closed my eyes and listened harder, trying to place the noise.
World War II. Right before bombs dropped from the sky.
My eyes snapped open as my pulse raced.
The ground began to shake. From above, a loud roar split the silence as a plane fell from the clouds, its tail on fire.
“Oh my God,” Samantha whispered.
We watched it fall toward the east of Yangzhou—and explode before it even touched the tops of the trees. My knees wavered. What the hell was happening?
“Daniel, we need to get back to the barn,” Vinny said.
I nodded and reached out my hand for Kayla.
A loud crack split the air. I spun on my heels as the trees to our west fell in rapid succession, like a giant bulldozer snapped them from their roots. Every hair on my body stood on end, and a nauseatingly strong scent of sulfur slapped me across the face.