Luke swept past Megan. “I’m a friend of Eric’s, and she is no one.” He bent down, scooping the girl up in his arms, and whispered so softly that only Eric could hear him, “Ask her where she is. I’ll be back in a moment.” Luke met his eyes, staring at him intently for a moment, and then he left, taking the girl with him.
Once Luke was gone, Eric was sure Megan was going to yell at him. She looked like she wanted to, but she didn’t. She just stood there, with narrowed eyes, and her hands still on her hips, and that was even worse. He would have preferred to hear all the hateful things she was thinking. To know how badly he had messed up, even if he really hadn’t done anything. Instead, she just glared, and the silence between them was so thick that Eric could scarcely breathe.
Finally, after an eternally long moment, she sighed and shook her head. “Mr. Carter, why in the world are you chained to that wall again?”
“Like I said before, it’s your dream, you tell me,” he said hastily, frustrated. Eric had decided not to tell her the truth yet, and holding it back was brutal. He wanted to wait and tell her everything in person. In person, she would believe it, he was certain, but in a dream … he knew she wouldn’t.
Megan rolled her eyes. “Well, I guess I must fix it then.” She scanned the room, searching, and when she spotted the key ring hanging by the door, she walked over to it and lifted the keys off the hook. She turned back to him triumphantly, dangling the keys from a finger.
Megan took her time crossing the few steps to him, and her hand trembled slightly as she began unlocking the chains. Eric watched, mesmerized. He could hear her heartbeat and smell the sweetness of her skin. He knew she was an illusion, she wasn’t really there, but she was so real. And with her so close, leaning over him as she unlocked the shackles, he could even feel the heat from her skin. It was magic, plain and simple, magic.
“I was hoping I would dream of you again,” she murmured, as the last chain fell away.
Eric grinned, and he almost giggled—almost. “Really?” he asked, as a little voice in his head shouted, she wanted to see me again!
“Well, yes …” she blushed, and dropped her eyes. But then she screamed. It rang, shrill and sharp. And just as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone. Vanished without a trace, as if she had never been there to start with.
Megan screamed again, and a loud metallic clatter resonated around his brain. The sound was agony to his ears, and his heart skipped a beat. Eric gritted his teeth, fighting to block out Megan’s screams. He could feel her awake and sensed that she was running, fearing her life, and he had to keep her that way.
Awake and running.
Eric bolted towards the door, and a wave of fear hit him, knocking him off balance. He gripped onto it, the wood snapping within his hands, as he forced himself to stay awake, and keep her spirit in her body.
CHAPTER 10
Luke wasn’t happy. He stood in the doorway, blocking Eric’s exit, with his arms crossed and his jaw flexed. “Where did she go?” he asked coarsely, as Eric tried to get a grip on himself, and push Megan from his mind.
“She woke up,” Eric said through gasping breaths. “She’s running.” He leaned against the wall, slouched over with his hands on his bent knees, sucking in mouthfuls of air, as Megan’s panic flood through him. At times like this, when she was this scared, it felt as if her emotions were actually his. It was as if her terror was coursing through his body, and the urge to run and hide was overwhelming.
If Luke noticed how much Eric was struggling to keep control over his own reality, he didn’t let on. He walked into the room, slamming what was left of the splintered door shut, and grabbed Eric by the arm. He dragged Eric over to one of the chairs, and deposited him in it. “Did you ask her where she was this time?” he asked once he had taken a seat in a chair across from Eric. Luke hunched forwards, resting his elbows on his knees.
Eric shook his head from side to side. “No, there wasn’t enough time.” But then, there never was enough time. Since the so-called dreams started, Megan had never stayed with him long.
Luke nodded, just a slight dip of his head, and he waited, staring at Eric with those inquisitive hazel eyes. Eric didn’t know what Luke was waiting for, or what he was supposed to say. So instead of saying anything, he held Luke’s stare, and to Eric’s surprise, the staring contest helped. It gave him something to focus on, and made it easier to handle Megan’s racing heart, which had now become a permanent fixture in the back of his mind.
Luke blinked first. “You need to stop fighting with Mitchell.” There was a small curve to his lips, as if he knew how impossible that statement was.
“What do you care?” Eric challenged, confused by the look Luke was giving him. He leaned back in the uncomfortable wooden chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “He obviously doesn’t.”
Luke’s expression changed in a beat. He eyed Eric sternly, furrowing his brow. “Eric, you’re his first child. He’s trying.”
“He’s a monster!” Eric yelled, jumping to his feet, and started pacing. He clenched his fists, and heat rushed up his neck, settling into his cheeks. “He doesn’t give a crap about me, or anyone. He’s going to let Megan die!” Eric knew it wasn’t entirely true. He knew that Mitchell and Luke, and well, all of them, were just trying to help him. Racing out the door and searching for someone that could be anywhere wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but it was the only thing he could think of. It was as if his soul was begging him to find her. A constant tug at his body, urging him to abandon everything, and do nothing but search. Every fiber, every cell, every single piece of his body and mind longed for her.
“You’re wrong,” Luke said, not unkindly. “He does care. Look …” Luke ran his hand through his hair and scrubbed at his face. “You know that Lola is my soulmate, right?” he asked after a minute.
That threw Eric for a loop. “What?” he blurted, stopping his relentless pacing, and looked at Luke. He knew they were together. It wasn’t as if they had hid it, but he had never really considered that any of the others had found their soulmates. If they had, they would have understood that he couldn’t stay here. They would help him, not restrain him. They would let him search.
Luke’s eyebrows rose. “Come on, you must have noticed her mark. She’s my soulmate.”
Eric tried to remember if he had ever noticed Lola’s mark. She always had her hair down, covering her neck, and in all honesty, he couldn’t say if he had ever seen it. If he had, he was sure he would have asked about it. Wouldn’t I?
“Mitchell isn’t really the best at explain things,” Luke continued. “He’s locked you up here because he doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know how to make you understand what finding her means or what can happen when you do. And with you refusing to talk to him …” Luke smirked, and right then, Eric was pretty sure Luke knew just how infuriating Mitchell could be, “… and showing him you have no control over your emotions … well, you’ll be stuck here until you show him you’re ready for this.”
“Ready for what, exactly?” Eric asked. Maybe Luke wasn’t so bad. Maybe he actually wanted to help. He looked like he did, and he also looked like he knew exactly how Eric felt.
Luke smiled approvingly, and Eric figured that he had asked the right question. “Ready for the bond. It can change you; make you do things that you never would have thought possible. I’ve seen vampires take their own lives because of it. And Eric, there’s no coming back for a vampire.” Eric shuddered inwardly as he listened. There was an ominous tone to Luke’s timbre, as if he had harnessed a storm and channeled it into his voice, making his words sound harsh, and dangerously true. “You have, or could have, complete control over that girl. You could make her do things, control her every thought, every move. It can ruin you and ruin her.”
Eric stifled a groan. “You make just about as much sense as Mitchell. I would never try to control someone.”
“You say that now, but trust me, it will change.”
“Is there a point here?” Eric asked, plopping back down in his chair. He scratched at his head, trying to make sense out of what Luke was saying.
“Now,” Luke said, dropping his voice to a whisper so low, that Eric had to strain to hear. “If you are ready to pretend like you are not some psychopath on a mission, I believe I can convince Mitchell that you do not need to be kept down here.”
Eric scrunched his brow, confused. “Pretend?”
Luke put a finger to his lips and shushed him. Actually shushed him, and Eric almost laughed—almost. “Yes,” he whispered with a nod, and his eyes danced with amusement. When he continued, his voice was booming loud. “Didn’t you just say that you thought Mitchell was right and you were willing to wait?”
“Err … okay?” Eric said it as if it was a question, because, well, it kind of was. Talk about confusing. Eric wasn’t sure what to think. Was Luke really trying to break him out so he could search for Megan?
Luke winked, and rose from his chair. “Alright then, but I don’t want you sneaking out when we aren’t looking. Stick to what you just told me. You don’t want to put her in more danger by finding her.” Luke was practically shouting their conversation for Mitchell’s benefit, Eric figured, and it took everything Eric had in him not to burst out laughing.
To say Mitchell was relieved to see him was a definite understatement. As soon as Eric cleared the last step leading upstairs, he was wrapped in a bone-breaking bear hug.
Luke did most of the talking; reiterating the conversation, explaining how Eric finally understood, and he even apologized profusely on Eric’s behalf for worrying everyone. Each time Eric tried to say something, anything, Luke would just talk over him. In no time, Luke was ushering Eric up another flight of stairs, and pushing him down the hallway into Eric’s bedroom.
“Now, you remember what I said, no sneaking out,” Luke said, and then he pulled the door shut, leaving Eric alone.
CHAPTER 11
Eric stared at the ground so far below him. His heart was racing, and his hands began to sweat. Theoretically, he knew that the jump could not hurt him, but his brain was still stuck on being human. And this three-story jump would hurt a human.
Just jump, his brain commanded, but his feet didn’t listen, so he closed his eyes, figuring that if he couldn’t see the ground so far below, it may make it easier. It didn’t.
It wasn’t until he heard the shuffling outside his bedroom door that Eric flung himself through the open window. He hit the ground with a quiet thud, landing on his feet, and he took off running as fast as he could.
The sun was just starting to rise, soaking the cloud covered horizon with pinks and oranges. It was a cool morning, and flakes of snow fell all around him as he ran. He knew he needed to get as much distance between him and his family as fast as possible. If he didn’t, and they caught him, he was certain they would drag him back. Being the youngest had its downsides. They were all stronger than he was, and so much faster. His only hope was a head start.
Mitchell thought that Megan was close. He said that the dreams wouldn’t be happening so soon if she wasn’t. The problem was Mitchell thought it was better to wait, and try to get a lock on her location. But Eric just couldn’t sit back and wait. Not now. Not when he knew she was more than just a dream. And definitely not with her so scared. He had no choice. He had to find her. Even now, he could feel her fear. It was a constant tug, a pull on his essence, and it was a struggle to stay lucid.
He launched himself into the forest, heading east at full speed. Eric knew that Mitchell meant well, but he couldn’t stand by and wait. Mitchell was going on his own experience with Amelia. He had explained that she had been burned at the stake because of him, because of the dreams. That’s why she had been accused of witchcraft in the first place, but this … this was different. Eric was certain that Megan was being hunted. Why else would there be people chasing her with bows and arrows, if not to kill her?
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t so different. Technically, people had been hunting Amelia as a witch, and now Megan was being hunted …
Eric ran for two hours without even a glance over his shoulder before he allowed himself to stop. He scaled a tree, getting out of sight, and perched on the highest branch that would hold his weight. He scanned the forest below him for any sign of Mitchell. He scrutinized every whisper of wind that brushed through the dry, snowy branches, every crunch of snow, every squirrel and bird, until he was certain that none of the sounds came from his family and no one had followed him.
Exhaling a pent-up breath that he hadn’t even known he was holding in, Eric leaned back against the tree, his legs dangling on either side of the branch, and closed his eyes for just a moment.
The air was frigid and crisp. Eric sucked in a few deep breaths, watching his breath puff out in smoky clouds. He had never been much of a planner and now was no different, he guessed, since he really hadn’t thought of much more than getting out of the house undetected. He looked at the snow-covered ground shimmering below him under the brilliant sun, and raked his hands through his hair.
Plan … Plan … Plan … I need a plan. He knew he couldn’t just sit in a tree all day, but now that he was, he really didn’t know where to go from there. How do you find a dream? The whole idea seemed ridiculous, really. Because of some vengeful witch, his soul had been taken from him the moment he had become a vampire, and it had joined with his soulmate.
Soulmate. I like the sound of that, he thought, and felt his lips stretch into a wide smile. And because she had his soul, he was connected to her. I can call her to me … no, not her, her spirit …
Megan? Eric thought the question, feeling a little foolish. Megan, can you hear me? He had never really tried to call her before, it had just kind of happened, and he wasn’t entirely sure if it would work, even though Mitchell had told him he could do it.
He waited, holding his breath and keeping his eyes glued shut, for what felt like ages. It was then that he realized how quiet she had been over the last hour or so, and his heart twisted and squeezed. He had been so focused on out running his family, who Eric was confident were tracking him, that he hadn’t realized that Megan had stopped …
“Eric? Where am I?” Megan asked, her voice groggy, and then she shrieked, an ear-splitting sound, and Eric’s eyes flew open.
Megan straddled the tree branch directly in front of him. Her body was rigid; her white knuckled hands gripped the branch as if her life depended on holding on. Her stunning green eyes were wide with panic, and her beautiful heart was beating like a frenzied drum roll.
“Isn’t it obvious,” Eric said, and smirked. He reached out, prying her hands from the tree bark, and held them tightly. “You’re in a tree, of course.”
Megan laughed. It was forced, and it came out in a quick burst, but the sound sent waves of pleasure over his skin. “How did I get in a tree?” she asked, smiling. “And why is it that every time I close my eyes you magically appear?”
“You’re just lucky, I guess.” Eric’s voice was thick with emotion. She still thinks I’m a dream. The thought made his stomach sink. Maybe that was a good thing, he tried to convince himself, but it hurt all the same. He let go of one of her hands and brushed a loose curl from her forehead, letting his fingertips linger on her cheek. Megan blushed, a rosy pink, and a delicate giggle escaped her lips. He wanted to savor the moment, hold onto it, and never let it go. Too bad for him, his mouth didn’t feel the same. “Megan, who’s chasing you?”
“Excuse me?” Megan asked, looking surprised. She blinked, and lifted a questioning eyebrow.
For a split second, Eric considered telling her everything. About the curse, and the witch, and their entwined souls, but instead, he bit his tongue. She had enough to be scared of; she didn’t need to know that she was tied to a vampire—not yet. They could deal with that when he found her. “Who’s chasing you?” he asked again, softly, encouragingly.
“How … how … how …” she stammered. She scrunche
d her forehead and her little button nose, and she narrowed her eyes at him. She let go of his hand and started to cross her arms over her chest, but she teetered and slipped on the branch. Suddenly, her arms flew around his neck for support, and she pulled herself tightly against him.
Eric shook his head, trying not to grin at how adorable she looked right then, and sighed. He gently pushed her back, holding her shoulders tightly, and met her eyes. “I just know, okay?” he said, his tone pleading with her to accept it. “Tell me who and why.”
Megan watched him for a long moment, considering something, Eric assumed, although he didn’t have the slightest idea as to what. But then she shrugged, just a small lift of her tiny shoulders and sighed. “I don’t know who they are. They showed up a few weeks ago when this thing appeared on my neck,” she said with distain. She swiped her curls away from her neck and pointed at the soul’s mark inked on her skin. “They said it will lead them to a demon. A vampire. But that’s impossible. Vampires are not real.” She laughed awkwardly, dropping her eyes from his, and her face flushed cherry.
“Yes, impossible.” Eric cracked a one sided grin and nodded enthusiastically, hoping that it didn’t look fake. The grin felt fake, that was for sure. “If they’re waiting for the vampire, then why are they chasing you?” he pressed on, desperate for any piece of information that may help him save her. And he would save her, even if he died trying. Sitting with her, in that tree, right then, felt as if it was the most natural thing, as if it was something that they had done countless times before. It was as if he had always known her, and never known her all at the same time. And the thought of losing her before he actually met her, physically laid eyes upon her, was something that he just could not accept. Not now. Not ever.
“They said if they have to kill me to draw him out they will.” Megan sighed then, a long and gusty sound. “I’m losing my mind,” she muttered under her breath, before bringing her eyes back to him. “You seem so real … I’ve never had dreams like this before.” She reached up, entwining her fingers with his, which were still on her shoulders.