2 Lady Luck Runs Out by Shannon Esposito Page B

herself. That was a good sign.
    After a torturously cold shower to speed up the wake-up process, I towel-dried my hair, threw on a silk robe and padded down the stairs, where I found Mallory sitting in the still-dark living room, practicing with a row of candles.
    "Hey, what are you doing up so early?" My voice disturbed the silence and startled Mallory. She jumped.  
    The candles all roared to life at once. "Couldn't sleep."
    Now I knew why Lucky ended up in my bed. "Any particular reason?"
    "Mm." She shrugged, her eyes never leaving the dancing flames. The middle one stretched up higher and higher, licking the air as if searching for something to consume. "Had a bad dream."
    I walked over to stand in front of her. She wouldn't meet my eyes. With her hair all piled on top her head, and wearing pink pajamas with butterflies, she looked much younger than her eighteen years. I felt deeply protective of her and had an urge to wrap my arms around her like I used to when she was little and would sneak into my room after a nightmare. "Want to talk about it?"
    "No. Not really."
    Lucky had made her way downstairs in stealth mode and used the chairs, bar and then end table to reach the back of the sofa. Okay, maybe not so much progress. Could cats get post traumatic stress syndrome? The flower essence wasn't helping her recover from her encounter with the rattlesnake. I'm sure she missed Rose, too. Maybe it was time to try something a bit more powerful. I thought about the chalice Mallory had brought to me. Did I really want to open that can of worms here?
     I watched Lucky curl up on the sofa between Mallory and a throw pillow.
    Feeling helpless, I decided to back off. "Okay. I'm going to make some tea. Want some?"
    "Sure."
    I paused and watched her for a moment as she grew each flame in turn, connecting the energy within her that was in tune with the sympathetic resonance of the fire. She made it seem effortless and a part of me yearned to stretch my own wings and practice.
    "Hey, Mal?"
    A tired sigh escaped her. "Yeah?"
    I shifted my feet. "Have you ever dreamed about Father?"
    She finally glanced up at me. Her eyes were puffy. They held a touch of surprise. We never talked about our father. She nodded. "Once, on my thirteenth birthday and then..." she looked away and the middle candle flame rose as the others went out."Then again on the night you left us." She glanced back up at me. "You?"
    I hugged my arms around my body and nodded. "Recently, when I was—" I stopped. Telling her I had been in the hospital after being mowed down by a car on purpose would not make her feel better about me leaving Savannah. "When I was really sick. Only, it didn't really seem like a dream. It seemed more like a visit." I smiled. "Except for the weird lady and wolf next to him and the fact that he was under water."
    "Really?" Mallory slid back into the sofa and turned her body toward me. "That's how it felt to me, too. In fact, we had this whole conversation and yes, he was under water." She shrugged. "No wolf, though. Or weird lady."
    This shocked me. "What did you talk about?"
    "Well, this last dream... or visit, whatever it was, I was so upset that you left and he kept telling me everything changes and I had to understand that. He also told me that I had to be strong because you would need me soon and I would know when the right time was to come to you."
    I stared at my little sister, trying to piece together this new information. Our father told her in a dream I would need her? "So, that's why you came here?"
    "Yes," she confessed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Her eyes were pleading with me not to be angry.  "I told Mom about the dream when I felt it was time for me to come here. That's why she let me. That's also why I don't know when I'm going back. I can't go back until whatever you need me for happens."
    A chill moved through my body. Was I in real danger?
     "Mom took the dream seriously, then?"
    "Yes."
    "Interesting." Did our