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I could add another check to my long list of sins. Sneaking out? Check. Manipulating Raquel? Check. Lying to all my friends and family? Check. The list went on.
“Okay...I guess.” She looked over her shoulder at the manor again. “But don’t be too late. I won’t be able to sleep until I know you’re safe.”
“Deal!”
I ran off into the depths of the forest before Raquel could change her mind. No more time to feel guilty. I had to concentrate. Ferals were around here somewhere. I could practically feel them on the edge of my consciousness.
This was the action I’d been waiting for all day.
Sure enough, half a mile from the manor, a twig snapped behind me. Out from the shadows of the ponderosa pine stepped a woman about my height, her eyes flashing red. I couldn’t help the smile that grew on my face. It was going to be a good night.
“Come on, demon.” I licked my lips and tightened my grip on the dagger. “I’m ready for you.”
Chapter Five
A voice rang out across the manor grounds, sweet and pure like an angel. I paused to listen. The wet grass tickled my bare feet and welcomed me with the warm embrace of a parent.
“Lizzy...”
There it was again. The voice sounded so familiar, yet I couldn’t place it.
“Lizzy, come to me.”
I knew this was a dream. Everything was so surreal and beautiful it hurt. Without hesitating, my feet moved forward. All around me, the manor grounds glistened like teardrops. A haze had settled on the early morning lawn. It grew thicker, until I couldn’t see much more than a few yards in front of me. Still, my feet moved forward with a purpose, as if they knew exactly where to go.
My heart thumped with anticipation. The owner of the voice was out there, waiting for me. She knew me. All I had to do was find her.
As if on cue, the haze lifted. It was nighttime now and dark, without a
speck of light from above. But it didn’t matter, I could still see everything as clear as day. A woman appeared at the edge of the forest. Although we stood at least a dozen yards away from each other, I could feel the loving warmth in her smile as she gazed at me.
Long blonde hair curled gently over her shoulders and onto a flowing white blouse. Her petite figure moved with the grace of a woman rocking her newborn baby. I found myself staring into her dark brown eyes that held a familiarity that I just couldn’t place.
“My dear.”
It was that same voice I’d heard only moments ago. It came from this woman.
“My dear, come to me.” She extended a hand. “I’ve been waiting for you. Prove to me you are worthy.”
I wanted to move forward. Every fiber of my being longed to run toward this stranger in the woods. But something in my heart held back.
I didn’t even know this woman. She didn’t know me. This was absurd. Why was she in my dream?
As if she could read my mind, the beautiful woman frowned and took a step back into the darkness of the forest. “Not yet. You are not yet ready. But soon, my dear. Very soon.”
“Wait! Who are you?” I lunged forward to stop her, but tripped over my feet, landing hard on the ground.
The jolt of the fall pulled me out of the dream faster than any bucket of water could do. I lifted my head to find the manor grounds cold and empty, the sun just rising over the eastern horizon. It had to be very early in the morning. Not even the stables were lit up. I must’ve been sleep walking.
Cold dampness seeped through my thin pajama pants, so I leapt from the ground to stop the wet grass from doing any more damage. Still, the fall had left me cold and shivering. I hugged my arms around my camisole, but that didn’t seem to help.
I’d been having the same dream for the past three weeks, ever since Manuel took over my training and started teaching me to quiet my mind. But, they’d never ended up like this. Usually, I woke up in bed, warm and safe under my blankets and listening to Raquel snore softly on the other side of the room. This was a major escalation and not one that I was excited about.
Maybe the lack of sleep was to blame. So far, I’d ventured out into the forest every night and managed to find plenty of demons to fight. I could feel myself getting quicker and stronger. Even if Manuel’s training was a waste of time, I’d been able to make up for it with my nightly outings. No one was the wiser. No one suspected.
With another training session scheduled with Manuel for this morning, I needed to get back into bed. My bare feet slipped on the wet grass as I jogged toward the manor. My body ached for a nap. Or a shower. Either one sounded great right now.
“Lizzy?” Gabe appeared out of the woods to my right. Confusion clouded his face.
