Chapter 19
Clean House
"Helloooo?"
"I told you she's not here."
"I'm sure I heard a noise in the room."
"Whatever, you just want to go looking for her. There's plenty of work to be done. I finished the kitchen yesterday, but there's a lot of work left in the bedrooms."
A half smile played across Aspen's lips. Ginny and Sandy were in the house. She walked into the living room. "Here I am."
"Princess, you gave me heart failure," Sandy cried and clutched her chest.
"I'm so glad you're here," Ginny said with a grin. "Sandy wanted to start without you."
"Thank you, both of you." Aspen threw her arms around her friends and hugged them. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"The sooner we get your house livable, the better."
"Uh-huh, and I want to invite everyone over for a barbeque." Ginny gave a cheesy smile.
Aspen grinned back. "Well then, let's get on with it."
The three girls went to the kitchen to get the brooms, mops, dust cloths, and furniture polish that the store had sent over earlier. Sandy filled up a bucket of warm soapy water, and Ginny grabbed a bunch of towels.
They tackled the master bedroom first. Aspen's room had already been cleaned, but it needed new furniture. The crib wasn't going to stay.
Inside the master bedroom, Sandy grabbed the bedding and pulled it from the bed. Aspen dusted the top of the chest of drawers and the dressing table. Dragging the chair up against the window, Ginny tugged at the curtain.
"So, what happened when you were captured, Ginny? You haven't told me the whole story in detail." Dust drifted toward Aspen's nose, and she wrinkled it in annoyance.
"It was terrible." Speaking softly, Ginny unclipped the curtain. "The Chancellors dragged me down this awful tunnel, and I scraped myself on the rocks. They wouldn't let go. The hole was dark and damp, and they stink."
Sandy picked up the shirt and boots that lay on the floor, and added them to the pile of bedding outside the door.
"I know, they have a sickeningly sweet smell, right?" Aspen asked.
"Right, and their hands are as hard as handcuffs. It's like being held by strips of steel." She continued to pull down the material. "Anyway, then they forced nightmares into my mind."
Aspen stared at Ginny in horror. "No, they didn't."
"Yes, they did. The first one was of a lion and he chased me. I ran into a room and tried to close the door to shut the lion out, but I couldn't close the door properly. His giant paw was wrapped around the door frame, and it batted at me constantly." She climbed off the chair and carried the first curtain outside, then tossed it on the pile of dirty laundry outside the door.
"The second nightmare was when wild dogs were after me. They hunted me and I had nowhere to go. I climbed into a tree, but they made yipping noises and stood up on their hind legs and tried to reach me. The branch wasn't high enough and they nearly got me."
"Ginny, I'm so sorry. I didn't know that they could do that underground."
"Me neither, but apparently they follow the rules of Lemona and Lavendula there as well. My powers didn't work, though." Ginny moved the chair over and removed the second curtain. She didn't speak for a while.
Sandy walked over to her sister and put her hand against the small of her back. "It's okay, you don't need to talk about this if it's too difficult. We understand."
With a sad look, Ginny smiled down at her. "I think it's better for me to speak about it than to bottle it up. It's good that we're keeping busy as well. I just felt so helpless when I was there. They locked me in a closet, and it was so dark that I couldn't breathe."
Aspen was stunned. "In the tunnel?"
"No." A small smile flitted across Ginny's face. "In the nightmare. Each one lasted for about ten minutes, and then they would stop for a while. I don't know how long I was down there, but it felt like a few minutes in between nightmares before I was woken up and dragged through the cave again." She shivered.
"Let me make some hot chocolate, I think that will help," Aspen suggested, then dropped the dust cloth on the bare mattress and reached her hand out to help Ginny off the chair.
"That's a great idea." Gathering up the laundry, Sandy walked in front of the girls to the kitchen.
While Sandy loaded the washing machine, Aspen filled the kettle with water. The whir of the washing machine blended with the sound of the kettle as it heated up.
"Did the Chancellors tell you what they wanted from you?" Aspen asked as she spooned hot chocolate into mugs.
"They didn't speak to me, but I heard what they said to each other. They wanted to take me to their castle. Apparently their lord was looking for someone like me. They said I'd make a good match for the other Dream Walker they already have."
"Another Dream Walker?" Sandy asked.
"Yes. It seems I wasn't the only one they've captured." Ginny nodded her head in thanks as Aspen placed the mug in front of her.
"I wonder if Leeman knows they've got another Dream Walker in captivity."
"I can't think of any Dream Walkers that are missing. So far, they've only ever killed us. No one has been reported missing."
Aspen sighed. "I don't know whether to be happy about that or not." The fragrance of detergent made the kitchen smell like baby powder, and she leaned against the counter deep in thought.
A knock at the door startled them, and Aspen put her mug down and walked to the living room. Leeman barged inside and hugged her as soon as she opened the door.
"Hello, my little princess. How are you doing?" His hair was loose today, and hung to his shoulders.
"I'm good, thanks, and you?"
"Just stopped by to see how the house is progressing." He looked around in wonder. "You kids are doing a great job."
"Thanks. The kettle is still hot. We're having hot chocolate, would you like a cup?"
"That sounds incredible."
Aspen grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the kitchen. Once they'd entered the room, he moved to the window above the sink. The view of the lake was at its best from there, and he took a deep breath and sighed.
"The house is starting to take shape. I'm really proud of what you're doing."
Aspen stirred his hot drink and placed it on the table. "It's going to take some time, but I've got some willing slaves helping me." She winked at her friends.
Sandy laughed. "Yeah, wait until we give you the bill."
"And I thought this was all for free." Aspen grabbed a dishcloth and flicked it at her friend's leg.
Sandy yelped as she jumped out of the way and held on to her sister's shoulder. "Wait, Ginny needs to speak to your uncle about the prisoner."
"Prisoner, what prisoner?" Leeman asked.
"Tell him, Ginny." Sandy raced off safely behind the kitchen table, leaving her sister to face Leeman's intimidating stare.
"The Chancellors said they have another Dream Walker locked away in the castle." The words rushed out of Ginny's mouth and she sat down on one of the chairs.
"That's very interesting." Leeman's eyes glinted. "Are you sure that's what they said?"
She nodded. "Positive."
"In that case, I'll have to contact the clans and see if anyone is missing. There's been no talk of anyone being taken before. I'll have a meeting with my warriors and see if we can launch an attack on the castle. We haven't attacked them in years. It couldn't hurt for them to see how strong we are now." He stood suddenly, so large that his presence filled the kitchen. "Thanks. I'll discuss this with my warriors and get back to you."
The girls followed him to the door, and he bent to kiss Aspen on her forehead. "Take care, little one. I'll see you later when your mom is awake."
After waving good-bye, Sandy and Ginny returned to their work in the bedroom while Aspen stood and watched her uncle walk away. In the distance, she saw a figure on horseback. Ray whistled as his horse trotted toward her. He greeted Leeman as they passed and continued
on to the house.
"Aspen!" he shouted. As soon as he reached her, he dismounted. A pair of blue jeans and a dark green shirt made him look very handsome, and his chest seemed even broader than she remembered. If only his good looks could make her heart speed up like it did when she saw Dylan.
Ray sprinted up the wooden stairs and grabbed her small hand in his, looking down at her with excitement on his face. "There you are sugar. I wanted to thank you personally, but I couldn't find you anywhere."
"Thank me for what?"
"You saved my sister's life yesterday, and I'll always be in your debt."
"That was nothing. Don't even think about it." Aspen shrugged. "I'd have done it for anyone."
Ray looked crestfallen at her words and she tried to correct herself as she twined her fingers through his. "I mean, thanks. I'd have done that for Ruby anytime."
His eyes sparkled again. "You're something else, sugar." Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her against him. Her feet left the ground and his warm cheek pressed against her neck.
"Ruby says thank you, and I'll owe you forever."
With an effort, Aspen held on to him and put her arms around his neck to keep from falling. "You can't pick me up like this, Ray," she said with a chuckle.
"Who's gonna stop me?" He grinned and rubbed her cheek with his nose, and she felt his mouth smiling against her neck.
A sudden movement to the left caught her attention and she peered over his shoulder.
Her eyes widened. Dylan stood a few yards away, watching them intently. She tried to wiggle out of Ray's arms, but he held her tighter.
Dylan's fists balled against his sides and he didn't speak, but before Ray could release her, he turned and marched away in the opposite direction.
Aspen bit her lip as Ray lowered her slowly down his body and pressed a soft kiss next to her mouth.
"Tell Ruby I'm happy she's okay," she muttered, and left him standing there as she raced into the house.