Charade (Heven and Hell #2)(60)
Author: Cambria Hebert

“He hit you.” Sam’s eyes glittered with gold.

“Could you hear all of it?” Even the part where he threatened you and my entire family?

He nodded, his eyes turning to liquid honey. “Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not,” I lied.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to Italy and the Treasure Map will no longer be ours to worry about.”

I nodded. It was a relief to know that I was taking it far away, away from the people I love who are innocent in all of this. But I couldn’t help but worry about the trip. Something told me that getting that scroll where it needed to be was not going to be as easy as we might have believed.

“Hey,” Sam murmured, touching my cheek. “Does your head still hurt?”

I shook my head. “He’s gone.” What a relief it was to know. We lay back down in bed and I settled in Sam’s embrace, ready for a few hours of peaceful sleep and painless rest.

Just before I drifted to sleep, a tremor ripped through my body. Beneath my cheek Sam stiffened and his voice was heavy when he whispered, “Was that what I thought it was?”

“Yeah,” I said miserably as my temples started squeezing my brain.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” His lips brushed my forehead.

Was one night of peace so much to ask for? Another tremor began at my toes and traveled all the way up to my head. I pressed myself closer to Sam. The Dream Walker was gone and now my new ‘supernatural’ power was going to assert itself.

I couldn’t help but wonder what this one was going to be like.

Chapter Fourteen

Heven

It wasn’t even light out when Sam slid from the bed. I groaned and reached for him.

“I have to go,” he whispered, leaning down, his breath feathering against my skin. “I have to run home and get my suitcases and the truck. I’ll be back so Gran can drive us to the airport.”

Why did the plane have to leave so early? I pushed myself up too fast and the room tilted.

“Hey? You okay?” Sam slipped his arm around my waist for support. I let my head fall onto his shoulder.

“I’m all right,” I groaned.

“How’s the head?”

“Okay.” It wasn’t anything a few pain relievers wouldn’t take care of.

“I’ll be back soon.” He pressed a too-quick kiss to my lips and then disappeared out my window.

Rather than burrow back into the covers like I really wanted, I got up and headed for the shower, hoping it would wash away my grouchy mood. I slept without invasion from the Dream Walker and his sick games. I didn’t dream at all, but truly restful sleep still seemed just out of reach. Tremors kept me from completely relaxing and the worry of a new power crowded my head. What if it was something that would be hard to hide? What if it was something that was hard to use?

What if it was something stupid?

Having the ability to see people’s auras isn’t exactly what I would call a cool ‘supernatural’ power, so maybe this new one would be something silly too.

I took time to blow my hair out smooth and flat ironed it until it was straight and shiny. I didn’t bother with make-up, except for a little pink blush and some cherry lip gloss. I dressed comfortably for the long plane ride in wide-legged, black knit yoga pants, a white tank top and a blue cardigan. I added a few last-minute items to my suitcase and grabbed my bag from my desk. The scroll was sticking out of the top and I pulled it out and held it in my hand. As attached to it as I felt, I was somewhat relieved that it was time to take it home. This thing had brought a lot of trouble into my life. Gran called to me from downstairs, and I shoved the scroll back into my purse and took care to zip it closed. Before leaving my room, I stuck my hand beneath my mattress and pulled out the chain that I put the key on. I pulled it over my head and tucked the key under my tank and hurried from the room.

Sam wasn’t here yet and Gran was brewing a pot of coffee. The rich aroma filled the dim kitchen. “Are you ready for your trip?”

“Yes, although I’m not sure about the plane ride.” I’d never been on a plane before.

“You’ll do just fine,” Gran assured me. “Make sure you take lots of pictures.”

“I will.”

When she went out of the room for extra batteries, I hurried to the cabinet and got some pain reliever for my head and swallowed them down with a glass of orange juice. Gran came bustling back into the room and handed me a pack of batteries, which I shoved into the front pocket of my suitcase.

“I have something else for you as well,” Gran said, holding out a white envelope.

I took the envelope and turned it over in my hands. My name was scrawled across the front in beautiful script. My eyes seemed to focus in on the letters and take in every detail and curve. I blinked at the sudden focus I seemed to have.

“I thought you could use it on your trip,” Gran was saying.

I glanced inside and saw a neat row of twenty dollar bills. “Oh, Gran, you didn’t have to do this.”

“I know that. I wanted to. You and Sam help out around here so much and you work so hard in school and work. Get something nice to remember this trip, Sam too.”

As if the monetary gift wasn’t enough, she slid something else across the table as well, a small package wrapped in brown paper with a beautiful yellow ribbon tied around it. “What’s this?”

Gran motioned toward it, so I carefully ripped the paper and took the gift in my hands. It was a journal, brown and leather bound. It was soft against my fingers and I flipped through the blank, white pages.

“Keeping a diary of your trip and the things you see and do there will help you remember it years from now. I think you will find that as you grow older, memories are very important. When you are old like me, you will enjoy looking back on this and remembering.”

It was perfect. I threw my arms around her and hugged her tight. “Thank you so much! I love you, Gran.”

She laughed. “I love you, too.”

Suddenly, the horrible threat that the Dream Walker made whipped through my mind. No one I loved was safe. I swallowed and stepped back, feeling nauseated. My being here put Gran at risk.

Where was Sam? We needed to leave. The faster we got on that plane, the faster everyone here would be safe. Sam?

He knocked lightly on the back door and I ran to open it. He was there, suitcase in hand and a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He was wearing scuffed-up jeans and a gray and white striped T-shirt.