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“Cicely, sleep deep. Dream of the paths that are ruled by the Summer. Follow the sparkling lights, for they have much to teach you.”
Unable to tell whether it was my father’s voice or Ulean’s, or perhaps both in harmony, I finally let go of consciousness and slid into a slumber so hard and deep that it felt like I was melting into the earth.
Chapter 4
The path stretched out before me like a golden dream. Summer had come again, and I breathed in the warmth of the day as the drifting light rippled through the air. Reaching out, I caught a sunbeam, holding the yellow prism in the palm of my hand, close to my heart like a precious treasure. The drowsy sounds of bees lighting from flower to flower and the shriek of the Stellar’s jays echoed around me. As I closed my eyes for a moment, the safety of summer washed over me like a cleansing wave.
The prism radiated heat through my hand. As I gazed into the brilliant gem, I saw Rhiannon, standing brilliant and tall and terrifying. Older than now, but still unmarred by time, she looked far stronger than I’d ever seen her and her expression was set, determined and fierce. She was cloaked in a velvet green dress, and she held out her hand toward me—and from the palm sprang sparks, flaring into flames dancing on her skin.
“Cousin,” she whispered. “My moon-born twin. I need to wake up. You need to wake me up from my dark night’s dream.”
As I watched, transfixed by her image, Chatter stepped up behind her, wearing the green of summer, and he placed his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down to kiss her, and as I watched, the flames in her hand danced with joy, and the light around them grew so bright I had to look away.
The next moment, I was back on the path, heading into the woods. As I came to a huge, spreading cedar tree, I thought I recognized it but couldn’t place where I’d seen it before. And then Ulean rushed around me, dancing, and I could feel her joy in the whirl of leaves that went sailing around me.
Summer is rising again. Summer will not be lost…
I looked around for Lainule, but couldn’t see her. As I closed my eyes, letting the warmth rush around me like a welcoming shroud, something tapped me on the shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw a green light, floating in front of my eyes. A pale ball of energy, it bounced at eye level, then floated over to the roots of the tree. I followed, Ulean guarding my back.
I knelt and parted the fronds of the maidenhair ferns that surrounded the trunk, and a deep reverberation chimed from the base of the tree. It began with a faint thunder, echoing the beating of my heart, but then slowly began to rise. I cleared the ground directly in front of the cedar’s trunk. A trapdoor emerged. It reminded me of the one hiding the tunnel through which we’d journeyed to visit the Bat People.
A bronze handle glimmered, and the bubble of light gently rested on it.
“You want me to open this?”
The light bounced once…twice.
I reached out and the light moved to the side. As I grasped the handle, a shiver raced through my fingers, up my wrist and arm. I looked in, and there was a vortex of color, a whirlwind of green and gold and brilliant red. The spinning colors caught me up and sucked me in, and I began to fall, the ground disappearing beneath me. As I careened downward, I knew that I was on the right path…I was heading toward salvation and hope, and for the first time since I’d arrived home, the shadow of Myst could not follow me.
Cicely, wake—time to wake up. Ulean’s breath hit my face and I woke to the gentle touch of her breezes gliding across me.
Squinting in the dim light, I pushed myself to a sitting position and shivered. Disoriented, I looked around, confused. It had been a dream—only a dream, yet I looked at my hand in which I’d been holding the imprisoned fire, and it was warm, almost glowing. As I yawned and glanced at the clock—it was six A.M.—Rhiannon stirred and rolled up, leaning on one arm. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand and shook her head.
In my dream, she’d been so much more powerful, so much stronger.
She squinted at me, quirking her lips into a smile. “Morning. Do we have to get up now?”
“I think we’d better. Peyton’s father will be here in a couple of hours, and I want to contact Ysandra as soon as possible.” Pausing, I stared at her. “Did you dream—anything odd, by chance?”
She frowned as she huddled under the blanket. “I don’t know…maybe.” After a moment, she cocked her head. “I seem to remember dreaming about somewhere…somewhere I felt safe. And…Chatter was with me. But that’s all that I can recall.”
I debated telling her what I’d seen, but it might just have been wishful thinking, and until I had time to think more about it, I decided to keep my dreams to myself. I slowly stood and stretched, wincing. The cushions we’d slept on may have been soft, but they weren’t the same as a cushy bed, that was for sure. Rhiannon grumbled as she pushed herself to her feet.
As the bracing air hit me, I rubbed my hands on my arms. “Damn, it’s cold.” My teeth were chattering and I craved a cup of steaming coffee.
Peyton and Luna opened their eyes at my words. They yawned and then followed suit, dragging themselves reluctantly from beneath the covers. I sorted through the clothes till I found a fresh pair of jeans, along with a clean turtleneck and—best of all—clean underwear. At least we would have a few days’ worth of clean undies before having to do laundry in the sink.
Rhiannon wrapped a light throw around her shoulders. “I need to wash up.” She headed for the bathroom.
Peyton and Luna sorted through the clothes until they found their own things. Kaylin had no real sense of color or style coordination, but that didn’t matter right now. I shivered again and followed Rhia’s example, hugging one of the blankets around my shoulders.
“Are you ready to meet your father?” I glanced over at Peyton.
She shrugged. “Yes, though I’m so afraid things will go badly and then I’ll wish I’d never heard from him. I know everybody thinks it’s better to know than not know…but sometimes I wonder about that. Living in a fantasy land can be a lot easier than facing reality.”
“Especially with the reality we’re up against.” I gave her a soft smile. “I’m sure he’ll be wonderful. After all, look at Wrath. He’s not what I ever expected, but somehow…it fits my life that he’s my father.”
The werepuma/magic-born woman nodded. Peyton was tall and sturdy, muscled and with dark long hair and dark eyes. Her native heritage showed through her Caucasian side and she was a combination of the exotic and down-to-earth practicality.
