glimpsed a springy curl as Amelie edged in
behind Jethro, shifting her weight, ready to react to the impending
explosion—an explosion over me, and I hadn’t the first clue
why.
“ Oh, but it does! She could lead us
to more … I need to bring her to the Council.”
“ And how do you suppose you’ll do
that?”
Jethro laughed wickedly. “Do you actually think
you’ll walk out of here alive with her?”
“ Do
you
?” Caden growled. He
leaned back to shield me with his body just as Jethro lunged
forward.
I didn’t see anything else. I curled up in my
hollow, my face buried in my shoulder. Growls and shrieks filled
the cave. Ghastly sounds—bones crunching, flesh tearing—sucked the
breath out of my lungs. Caden was no longer protecting me. Now,
exposed, I was an easy target. I winced, waiting for a hand to
wrench me out of my hiding place and rip my heart out.
But instead, the ferocious brawl died down to
an eerie silence and I heard Amelie’s voice murmuring in the
distance. Still afraid to breathe, I lifted my head to peek out
around the corner—in time to see a white object sail through the
air and land in the fire.
Jethro’s head.
Those alarming white eyes stared intently at me
from the flames as if still alive. A body followed, quivering
violently.
If anyone else remained in the cave, I didn’t
notice. Because, for the second time in one night, everything went
dark.
I woke up as my head slammed into something
hard. Cringing, I opened my eyes to see the legs of a white chaise
and a shaggy cream rug beside a fireplace. I recognized that
chaise, that fireplace. I had fallen out of bed in the guest room
at Viggo and Mortimer’s.
“ Oh, thank God!” I exclaimed,
crawling back into bed and dropping onto the plush pillows. I
winced in pain. Reaching up, I found a bump already forming on the
side of my head.
That was quick
. But even the throbbing
injury couldn’t outweigh my relief.
It was all just a
dream.
A horribly bad dream.
Something wet nuzzled against my ear. I turned
toward it and saw Max’s enormous black nose. I grinned, scratching
his chin. He proceeded to sniff me, head to toe. “Okay, enough
Max!” I giggled when he licked my feet.
Today was my birthday and I was in paradise.
This
, I knew, was real. A huge smile stretched across my
face.
The clock on the nightstand read ten–thirty.
I slept in!
I bolted out of bed and ran for the shower.
After all, Sofie had brought me to New York to work off my ten
thousand dollar debt to her and here I was, lazing
around.
As I stood in the giant tiled shower stall,
allowing the numerous jets to drench my body in warmth, my thoughts
wandered back to my dream. Oddly enough, I could recall every
moment with complete clarity—the forest … the laughter … rescuing
Amelie … Caden … Jethro’s head in the fire. I shuddered with that
last memory, swiftly replacing it with much more pleasant
thoughts—those few brief moments of closeness with Caden.
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I immediately felt ridiculous.
It’s not like he exists, you moron.
It wouldn’t matter if
he did. He had Rachel. Beautiful, seductive, confident Rachel. I
groaned, leaning my forehead against the iridescent cream tile.
Even my subconscious is against me.
A short time later I entered the kitchen to
find Sofie sitting gracefully on a stool in the kitchen, magazine
in hand. As usual, she looked impeccable in a pair of skinny blue
jeans and a patterned black and white shirt. In my new stylish gray
jeans and loose–fitting pink sweater, I didn’t feel completely
inadequate next to her. Only marginally.
“ I’m so sorry!” I blurted. “I never
sleep in—it must have been that comfy bed.”
Sofie looked up, relief flashing across her
face. “That’s quite alright.” Her eyes darted to Max.
“ He’s way smarter than I gave him
credit for.”
Max glared at me in response, as if
understanding.
“ Good dog,” I murmured, scratching
his
behind Jethro, shifting her weight, ready to react to the impending
explosion—an explosion over me, and I hadn’t the first clue
why.
“ Oh, but it does! She could lead us
to more … I need to bring her to the Council.”
“ And how do you suppose you’ll do
that?”
Jethro laughed wickedly. “Do you actually think
you’ll walk out of here alive with her?”
“ Do
you
?” Caden growled. He
leaned back to shield me with his body just as Jethro lunged
forward.
I didn’t see anything else. I curled up in my
hollow, my face buried in my shoulder. Growls and shrieks filled
the cave. Ghastly sounds—bones crunching, flesh tearing—sucked the
breath out of my lungs. Caden was no longer protecting me. Now,
exposed, I was an easy target. I winced, waiting for a hand to
wrench me out of my hiding place and rip my heart out.
But instead, the ferocious brawl died down to
an eerie silence and I heard Amelie’s voice murmuring in the
distance. Still afraid to breathe, I lifted my head to peek out
around the corner—in time to see a white object sail through the
air and land in the fire.
Jethro’s head.
Those alarming white eyes stared intently at me
from the flames as if still alive. A body followed, quivering
violently.
If anyone else remained in the cave, I didn’t
notice. Because, for the second time in one night, everything went
dark.
I woke up as my head slammed into something
hard. Cringing, I opened my eyes to see the legs of a white chaise
and a shaggy cream rug beside a fireplace. I recognized that
chaise, that fireplace. I had fallen out of bed in the guest room
at Viggo and Mortimer’s.
“ Oh, thank God!” I exclaimed,
crawling back into bed and dropping onto the plush pillows. I
winced in pain. Reaching up, I found a bump already forming on the
side of my head.
That was quick
. But even the throbbing
injury couldn’t outweigh my relief.
It was all just a
dream.
A horribly bad dream.
Something wet nuzzled against my ear. I turned
toward it and saw Max’s enormous black nose. I grinned, scratching
his chin. He proceeded to sniff me, head to toe. “Okay, enough
Max!” I giggled when he licked my feet.
Today was my birthday and I was in paradise.
This
, I knew, was real. A huge smile stretched across my
face.
The clock on the nightstand read ten–thirty.
I slept in!
I bolted out of bed and ran for the shower.
After all, Sofie had brought me to New York to work off my ten
thousand dollar debt to her and here I was, lazing
around.
As I stood in the giant tiled shower stall,
allowing the numerous jets to drench my body in warmth, my thoughts
wandered back to my dream. Oddly enough, I could recall every
moment with complete clarity—the forest … the laughter … rescuing
Amelie … Caden … Jethro’s head in the fire. I shuddered with that
last memory, swiftly replacing it with much more pleasant
thoughts—those few brief moments of closeness with Caden.
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I immediately felt ridiculous.
It’s not like he exists, you moron.
It wouldn’t matter if
he did. He had Rachel. Beautiful, seductive, confident Rachel. I
groaned, leaning my forehead against the iridescent cream tile.
Even my subconscious is against me.
A short time later I entered the kitchen to
find Sofie sitting gracefully on a stool in the kitchen, magazine
in hand. As usual, she looked impeccable in a pair of skinny blue
jeans and a patterned black and white shirt. In my new stylish gray
jeans and loose–fitting pink sweater, I didn’t feel completely
inadequate next to her. Only marginally.
“ I’m so sorry!” I blurted. “I never
sleep in—it must have been that comfy bed.”
Sofie looked up, relief flashing across her
face. “That’s quite alright.” Her eyes darted to Max.
“ He’s way smarter than I gave him
credit for.”
Max glared at me in response, as if
understanding.
“ Good dog,” I murmured, scratching
his
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