us but got scared off by the water trickling to the floor. She darted into the living room and hid under the couch.
Lilura had just hobbled downstairs and met us with narrowed eyes. “Unless you plan on refinishing that floor, get yourselves off my hardwood.”
“Sorry,” we all mumbled.
“I’ll get some towels,” Chase said.
I watched Lilura carefully as she dropped into a chair at the table. Her breathing was raspy, as if she was trying to pull air through liquid in her lungs. Her pale face sagged, the dark circles almost purple under her eyes. If Lilura had pneumonia, she should really get to a hospital. I wasn’t a hundred percent convinced Chase’s medicine was the way to go.
“Lilura….” My mouth hung open. I willed myself to form a coherent sentence, but it was as if I was struck silent.
Lilura scowled at me. “What is it?”
Chase stepped into the room, handing me a towel. There was a warning look in his eyes that seemed out of place. He put a hand on my shoulder for a second.
Clinging to the towel, I swallowed and faced Lilura. “I’ve been walking in my sleep.”
Chapter Seven
I swallowed, wringing my hands as I waited for Lilura to digest what I’d just told her. The rest of us remained silent as we listened to the loud ticking of the clock and the raspy gurgle of Lilura’s strained breathing. She regarded me with pursed lips.
“Either your subconscious is making you sleepwalk, or there’s a Reaper out there with your name on it.”
I slipped into the chair next to Mara. She reached for me and squeezed my hand, most likely feeling the same thing I was. Like our worst fear was just realized.
Lilura waved a hand at us, clearing her throat. “If it’s just sleepwalking, Chase can probably help.”
“Yeah, I could brew something up.” Chase rubbed his chin, his eyes moving between Lilura and me. “Something that would keep you from wandering. But it might not work against Reaper powers.”
I swallowed back the sand that coated my throat. “I’ll give it a try anyway.”
“It takes a few days to prepare.” Without another word, Chase stood and marched into the kitchen.
I leaned forward, eyes locked with Lilura’s. “And if it is a Reaper?”
Lilura sighed. “Until I can figure out a better plan, Mara will have to keep an eye on you. Like you had to keep an eye on Mara when a Reaper was after her.”
“Not that I can stop her from doing anything if she’s under its spell,” Mara said.
Chase came back into the room with his alchemy kit. He opened the wooden box and sifted through the vials. “We could always tie her up.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Ha ha.”
“We discussed watching her.” Running a hand through his hair, Gavin paced. “But what should we do if she… you know?”
I cringed, wondering what it was I might do. Something horrible, maybe. Something unthinkable. A shiver crawled up my spine and stabbed fear into my skull.
Lilura placed her hands flat on the table. “Then I think Mara’s powers came back just in time.”
Mara squeezed my hand again. A few months ago, she was haunted and I trained to save her life. Now we’d switched places. Great.
“Okay.” Mara straightened in her chair. “I can do it. Let’s start.”
Naomi and Gavin said quick goodbyes to us. Gavin kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear that he’d call me later. Naomi practically sang that she’d rush home to grab an overnight bag and would see me at my house. Momentarily abandoning his alchemy kit, Chase took three candles off a side table and placed them in front of Mara.
I had to laugh. I remembered trying to extinguish the candles and being extremely frustrated when I couldn’t do it right the first time. I was much quicker now. Could Mara master control of the fire element faster than I could?
Chase leaned over the table with his lighter, attempting to light the first candle. But no flame came. He shook his lighter and grumbled.
“It’s wet from the
Lilura had just hobbled downstairs and met us with narrowed eyes. “Unless you plan on refinishing that floor, get yourselves off my hardwood.”
“Sorry,” we all mumbled.
“I’ll get some towels,” Chase said.
I watched Lilura carefully as she dropped into a chair at the table. Her breathing was raspy, as if she was trying to pull air through liquid in her lungs. Her pale face sagged, the dark circles almost purple under her eyes. If Lilura had pneumonia, she should really get to a hospital. I wasn’t a hundred percent convinced Chase’s medicine was the way to go.
“Lilura….” My mouth hung open. I willed myself to form a coherent sentence, but it was as if I was struck silent.
Lilura scowled at me. “What is it?”
Chase stepped into the room, handing me a towel. There was a warning look in his eyes that seemed out of place. He put a hand on my shoulder for a second.
Clinging to the towel, I swallowed and faced Lilura. “I’ve been walking in my sleep.”
Chapter Seven
I swallowed, wringing my hands as I waited for Lilura to digest what I’d just told her. The rest of us remained silent as we listened to the loud ticking of the clock and the raspy gurgle of Lilura’s strained breathing. She regarded me with pursed lips.
“Either your subconscious is making you sleepwalk, or there’s a Reaper out there with your name on it.”
I slipped into the chair next to Mara. She reached for me and squeezed my hand, most likely feeling the same thing I was. Like our worst fear was just realized.
Lilura waved a hand at us, clearing her throat. “If it’s just sleepwalking, Chase can probably help.”
“Yeah, I could brew something up.” Chase rubbed his chin, his eyes moving between Lilura and me. “Something that would keep you from wandering. But it might not work against Reaper powers.”
I swallowed back the sand that coated my throat. “I’ll give it a try anyway.”
“It takes a few days to prepare.” Without another word, Chase stood and marched into the kitchen.
I leaned forward, eyes locked with Lilura’s. “And if it is a Reaper?”
Lilura sighed. “Until I can figure out a better plan, Mara will have to keep an eye on you. Like you had to keep an eye on Mara when a Reaper was after her.”
“Not that I can stop her from doing anything if she’s under its spell,” Mara said.
Chase came back into the room with his alchemy kit. He opened the wooden box and sifted through the vials. “We could always tie her up.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Ha ha.”
“We discussed watching her.” Running a hand through his hair, Gavin paced. “But what should we do if she… you know?”
I cringed, wondering what it was I might do. Something horrible, maybe. Something unthinkable. A shiver crawled up my spine and stabbed fear into my skull.
Lilura placed her hands flat on the table. “Then I think Mara’s powers came back just in time.”
Mara squeezed my hand again. A few months ago, she was haunted and I trained to save her life. Now we’d switched places. Great.
“Okay.” Mara straightened in her chair. “I can do it. Let’s start.”
Naomi and Gavin said quick goodbyes to us. Gavin kissed my cheek and whispered in my ear that he’d call me later. Naomi practically sang that she’d rush home to grab an overnight bag and would see me at my house. Momentarily abandoning his alchemy kit, Chase took three candles off a side table and placed them in front of Mara.
I had to laugh. I remembered trying to extinguish the candles and being extremely frustrated when I couldn’t do it right the first time. I was much quicker now. Could Mara master control of the fire element faster than I could?
Chase leaned over the table with his lighter, attempting to light the first candle. But no flame came. He shook his lighter and grumbled.
“It’s wet from the
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