AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her mind was blank.
No dreams. No nightmares. No images of any kind.
I double-checked her breath and pulse. Still good. Same as Cam.
I observed her, debating a couple options. I didn’t want to try this next move, but it seemed necessary. I slipped back inside her head and did what I did best.
Conjuring a nightmare was as simple as breathing. I tapped into the fears that lay dormant in her mind and created a story with them.
Unsurprisingly, Renee’s greatest fear involved her daughter.
Renee sat behind the wheel of a nondescript SUV with Alicia in the passenger seat. They rode along a scenic pass that reminded me of Route 1 that ran along coastal California. Renee’s husband had moved there. Maybe it was connected to him.
Renee lost control of the wheel and was ejected from the vehicle, leaving Alicia trapped inside as it spun toward the edge. Renee screamed, watching helplessly as the SUV teetered on the edge of the cliff with her daughter trapped inside.
I didn’t enjoy watching Alicia come to any harm, even when it wasn’t real. I intervened, dragging the car back from the cliff so it didn’t fall. The passenger door opened, and Alicia spilled to the ground.
Once she was safe on land, I exited the dream.
Renee’s eyes remained closed.
I rose to my feet, thinking. I could help her conjure a nightmare, but she wasn’t able to create her own. Hmm.
I considered calling Kane for the healer on his payroll at the club. In the end, I opted to contact Sage, the fae healer I met through the wolf pack. Even if she couldn’t revive Renee, she might have a sense of what was happening that would help both Renee and Camryn.
Sage was eager to assist me, if only for an insider look at the Castle. Even on the cusp of winter, the cheerful fae showed up in shorts and sandals, albeit with a patchwork sweater. Her blonde hair was streaked with pink, and her youthful face would keep you guessing her age for hours. She spent five minutes in the foyer, staring at each wall, the floor, and then the ceiling.
“Such great vibes,” she said in a quiet voice.
“There are even better vibes upstairs. Why don’t we go to my room and see?” I paused. “That sounded more appropriate in my head.”
I practically pushed her to the staircase.
Like Officer Leo, she paused to admire the woodwork of the banister. “This place is amazing. I can’t wait to see how it looks when you’re finished fixing it up.”
“You’ll be dead by then,” I quipped.
“Oh, you’d be surprised. We fae can live a long time.” She followed me upstairs to the master bedroom where I found Ray standing sentry over his daughter’s body.
His brow furrowed at the sight of Sage. “This is the healer?”
“Don’t judge a book by its cover, Ray.”
Sage’s face brightened like a pale star. “Oh, is your ghost here?”
“The ghost is this woman’s father, so he has a vested interest in the outcome.”
Sage sucked a breath between her teeth. “I’ll do my best, sir. No promises. I’ve heard about this sleep spell going around, but I haven’t had a chance to observe it firsthand until now.”
“West hasn’t asked you to treat the pack?” I asked.
“We spoke about the fatigue, but nobody’s unconscious over there that I know of.”
“They might be now.” I shot off a text to West while Sage set to work. If the people previously affected started to fall into comas, we’d have an even bigger problem on our hands.
Sage opened her canvas tote bag and removed a jar of herbs. “Do you mind if I rub this on her forehead?”
“He’s over there.” I pointed to the corner where Ray now hovered.
