Chapter 212: Loneliness and Dreams
Book Six: Gatekeeper
There is nothing more frustrating than staring at a blinking cursor when you want it to move. I just wanted it to start flashing, the little pen to pop up so I would know the person on the other end was writing a message. Something. Anything.
I'd been spending a lot of time staring at the stupid thing lately. Too much, really. But it was a compulsion I couldn't shake. Not when there was a chance Quaid might finally contact me.
Pathetic, I know, I know. It's not like I was the kind of girl to hang on her boyfriend's every movement, word or contact. But the circumstances of our relationship were a little... odd to say the least. I was stuck here in Wilding Springs on pins and needles, safe and sound with my family and coven while he was out there, alone and vulnerable, playing a very dangerous game of cat and mouse with his birth family. And all because he had a score to settle.
Settling scores I understood intimately. I'd had my own to deal with in the last year since we moved to this quiet town in Pennsylvania. Things like having my demon stolen from me by a demented sorcerer who thought witches were evil, seeing my dad's life go from one of power as a Demon Lord to the life of a mere mortal. Living through the loss of our family magic to an evil witch it turned out wasn't out of our lives yet.
Speak of the devil herself, Batsheva Moromond was the very reason my boyfriend was off pretending to be a good little Dumont and not with me.
I sighed and rested my chin on my fist, swiveling back and forth on my chair, eyes locked on the screen as the time on the clock switched to 12:36am. As if my worry about him wasn't enough to deal with, I had school in the morning. The first day of grade twelve loomed. And though it had been a quiet summer, a whole month and a half that felt like years, since the Enforcers came to prevent Mom from destroying Odette Dumont and her whole crappy family, I couldn't help but spend every day waiting for the next shoe to drop. After all, my life hadn't exactly been peaceful for quite some time now, so as calm as things had been, my constant state of tension kind of killed the benefits.
My eyes glazed over as I pondered what this year would be like. Hopefully more relaxed than the last. I'd had just about enough of the Chosen of the Light trying to burn me at the stake, evil witches attacking my family, the Sidhe rising to destroy the world and ancient witches infected with two god complexes and a serious case of multiple personality disorder.
I was so wrapped up in my memories, I almost missed it when the pen popped up and began to bob up and down. The flickering of it finally jerked me alert and I sat, nose almost touching the screen, fingers drumming on the tabletop as I waited impatiently for Quaid to finish writing.
For one brief, horrible moment I panicked. What if it wasn't Quaid? What if the Dumonts found out he was using them as a means to get to his adoptive parents so he could destroy them? Heart in my throat, I squeaked a little as the message popped up at last.
What are you still doing up?
A giggle escaped. Definitely Quaid.
Wondering if you are going to finally get around to talking to me. Two could play the smartass game.
The pen bobbed. Desperate doesn't look good on you.
Jerk. So why did I catch myself grinning?
Pity, you mean. Figured you could use some normal company.
No pen. No pen. No pen. Where did he go?
When the pen finally moved again, it seemed like forever.
Syd, my love, you have no idea.
Okay, so now I was crying. No fair at all.
You can come back. He was right, damn him. Desperation struck me like a blow. We can do this together.
But it was an old argument already, one we had every time he contacted me. I'll be back soon.
We spent the next few minutes sparring, but my heart wasn't in it anymore and I could tell from the half-formed snarks he sent his wasn't either.
I can't talk long. A frowny face followed his words. But I wanted to warn you. Something big is coming.
What? I'd have to tell Mom, naturally. And Gram. Who still insisted I not trust Quaid despite the fact I knew he wasn't a real Dumont.
I'm not sure. When I know, you'll know. But tell your mother, this isn't over yet.
Not surprising. Odette had been holding a grudge since she and Gram were girls together. That kind of hate, over an entire lifetime, was bound to lead to more trouble.
Just be careful. I had to shake out my hands before I went on from the tension in them. And watch your back.
The pen was silent. And didn't return no matter how long I stared at it.
Which meant it was at least an hour before I went to bed and almost as long before I was able to sleep. There had to be a reason he logged off suddenly. I couldn't read too much into it. It happened before, when he had to shut down because someone was coming. But my mind loved to weave stories, dark and scary stories which either ended with Quaid dying or me unleashing all of my power, demon, witch and Sidhe, on the Dumonts.
I preferred the latter, but the former typically won.
Frustrated, afraid and caught up in my fear, I finally fell asleep.
***
The Gate awaits me, shining splendor glowing in the pale light. I look up, see the moon hanging over me, full and bloated, speaking a promise of freedom.
The Gate begins to hum a welcome as I move closer, calling me. But as I draw near, a great tension takes over, a suffocating terror growing, fed by the call of the Gate and the moon, until I cry out for it to end.
***
You'd think I'd be used to waking from bad dreams. Yeah, I wish. The cold sweat and panting wasn't fun, but at least it was familiar. It took about five full minutes for my heart to slow, my breathing to return to normal. Luckily I was alone, so no stupid questions to answer while I pulled myself together. I typically had two roommates, my silver Persian, Sassafras with his demon's soul and the Fey dog, Galleytrot. But I banished them the night before, knowing Quaid was due to contact me and not wanting a peanut gallery watching everything I wrote to him.
Shaylee, my Sidhe third, whispered to me, but I already knew it was her dream we just had. Despite my attempts to coax her to tell me what it was about and ask if I should worry, she fell silent and very still. And it's not like I'd ever been able to out and out talk to her like I did with my demon. Now we were all one person, their voices were mixed up with mine, making communication pretty tough. Still, she could have tried harder, in my opinion, instead of just ignoring me.
Okay then, princess. Have it your way.
The sun cleared the edge of my window and hit me right in the eyes, drawing out a groan. Morning, really? I decided to let the dream go for now. I had other things to worry about.
Hello, grade twelve. Please, don't suck.
***
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