Mayes blocked me. His hands covered my ears. I tried to shake him off, but he kept his hands in place. After a moment, I glanced up. His face was darkened by shadows, his expression fierce.
The physical contact brought him close to my face. “Baxley, block the drums,” he said. “You have the power. Don’t be lured by false pretenses. Hold fast to your reality.”
I shook my head like a dog shaking off river water, but Mayes stuck to me like a sandspur. Defeated, I resorted to the truth. “My reality? Are you kidding? My reality is meeting strange creatures on the Other Side. My reality is stopping killers from striking again. This place feels like the holiday I’ve been seeking, a place where I can kick back and forget my responsibilities.”
“If you follow this path, you will miss seeing your daughter grow up. You will not share the companionship of your parents’ golden years. Is that the future you want?”
The thought of missing so much of life stopped me cold. “No. I love Larissa.” Blocking the drums was my only hope of getting out of here. But how?
“Focus on your loved one,” Mayes said. “Visualize her face and keep it in the forefront of your thoughts while we are here.”
My thoughts must have spilled into his head inadvertently. Nevertheless, I did as he said. When I had the image of Larissa firmly in my thoughts, I nodded, and he slowly lowered his hands. I gave him a cautious thumbs-up.
“Do not lower your guard,” he cautioned. “They’re very curious about you, Walks With Ghosts.”
My thoughts drifted to Oliver, the ghost dog who’d attached himself to me. Was he here? In that instant, the drums boomed loud and clear in my head. I clapped my hands over my ears and summoned my daughter’s face until the din receded.
When I had a firm grip on my thoughts, I lowered my hands and locked eyes with Mayes. “They’re persistent.”
He nodded. “Hold that thought. They come.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
I wracked my brain for the meager information I’d gleaned about the Little People. They were thought to be the subject of tales the Scots had brought over from their homeland. They’d been likened to elves, dwarfs, and fairies. Experiencing their abilities firsthand, I believed they were more than that.
They’d somehow transported two vehicles and five people through the veil of life to their land of milk and honey. Did they have superpowers? Would they trap me here with them? I couldn’t allow that. I had to get us all safely home, and for that reason, I’d follow Mayes’ lead.
Instead of coming from the brightness of outside the cave, a host of glowing warriors walked from the depths of the tunnel to greet us. Three tall men clad in ceremonial Indian buckskins, their hair bound in long black braids, separated from the others and continued toward us. Each wore a round medallion with a cross bisecting the circle. They greeted Mayes like a long-lost brother.
My thoughts pinged like crazy. What were these people? They certainly weren’t little. Where was I? Had I lost my mind? This was no spirit realm, but it wasn’t my Earth either.
The most implacable of the three, the one Mayes addressed as Trahearn, stepped around Mayes to approach me. I was enveloped in the glow of his light. “We have long awaited your arrival, Spiritwalker.”
“My name’s Baxley, and I’m a dreamwalker. I have no Native American heritage.”
Trahearn pointed to my white forelock. “You wear the sign of power as prophesied.”
His buddies, who introduced themselves as Meuric and Arwel, joined him, nodding their approval. Meuric reached for my hair, and I instinctively retreated toward Gail’s Hummer. I didn’t like being hijacked, kidnapped, or whatever this was. One thing I was sure of: these fierce warriors wouldn’t respect weakness. I shot a glance at the Cherokee who knew them. “Mayes?”
“He meant no harm. They are in awe of your power.”
“Me? I’m as human as anyone.” Now that I’d started talking, I couldn’t seem to stop. “Why aren’t they little?”
“We have many guises, Dreamwalker.” Trahearn waved his companions to the other side of me. “This is how we appear to the Cherokee. Mayes has walked among us many times, so we sought to put him at ease. Forgive us for staring, but to us, you’re the stuff of myths and legends.”
I couldn’t help it. I snorted my disbelief. “What are you?”
“We are like you but not like you.” Trahearn made another motion with his hand, bowed, and took a few steps backward. Simultaneously, the men behind me crowded closer. I inched into the open space beside Mayes.
“You are strong,” Trahearn continued, “and according to Mayes, courageous.”
The men behind me were breathing on my neck. I shot them a glare and moved forward. “I believe the term he used was ‘reckless.’ Why have you brought us here? What do you want?”
“We seek to bring our friend Haney’s killer to justice.” Trahearn’s dark eyes gleamed with emotion.
Every nerve in my body strained to run out of this cave, but where would I go? These people had me surrounded, and I didn’t know the way back to my world. His words finally registered. My feet stopped. “You know something about Haney’s death?”
He backpedaled into the cave. The cluster of others melted to the side, forming a corridor for us. “We know who killed Haney. We saw it come to pass.”
His cavalier attitude about witnessing a brutal crime angered me. I followed him. “Why didn’t you stop the killer?”
“Why would we intervene? Human affairs are not our concern.”
But now they wanted his killer brought to justice? My hands fisted at his callous remark, but Mayes touched my arm until I glanced at him. “Let’s keep calm heads here,” Mayes said before he refocused on the spokesman. “We need your information. Tell us what you know.”
Trahearn smiled indulgently. “You used to have more patience, Raven. Your spirit is weakened by the white man’s ways. Honor your heritage. Listen with more than your ears.”
Mayes stiffened. “You’re wasting our time.”
“We have information you seek,” Trahearn insisted. “We wish to make a trade.”
Was it my eyes, or was the cave becoming brighter? Or was Trahearn’s glow dimmer? I really didn’t like feeling so helpless. We’d been guided away from our vehicles, separated from Charlotte, Gail, and Deputy Duncan. This was not good.
“No deals,” Mayes said. “We’ll catch Haney’s killer through solid detective work. Send us above ground.”
“You would deny us? We are linked, your people and mine. When the Nunne’hi leave the mountain, your people will cease to exist here. Do you want that on your soul?”
Mayes shrugged. “The old ways are dying out. My people leave the mountain every day and don’t come back.”
Trahearn bent forward, nearly touching me. I jumped back. “A thief from your world stole from us. The wrong must be avenged.”
I’d had enough of being pushed around, and it seemed I was trapped inside a mountain. There had to be a way out. If Mayes wasn’t willing to look, I’d do it myself. But first I’d try reason again. “We want to go home. Tell us the terms of your deal so that we may discuss it with the sheriff.”
Trahearn gave me a long, considering look. “You are also impatient, Dreamwalker, but your directness is commendable. Your time in this region is limited, so you wish to conclude the matter swiftly.”
So much for reason. We were getting the runaround. I turned to Mayes. “Can you get us out?”
He didn’t answer at first. His gaze slipped over to Trahearn’s then met mine again. “Depends.”
“On what?”
He nodded to the crowd of about thirty tall men surrounding us. “On whether they allow us to leave.”
“No one is leaving,” Trahearn said, walking away.
The knot of glowing people swept Mayes and me along in Trahearn’s direction. Now I knew how it felt to be a cow in a herd. It was either move or be trampled. I glanced over my shoulder, but there wasn’t even a hint o
f the vehicles or people we’d come with.
“Let’s rethink this,” I began slowly. “We want to go home. You have information for sale. We should be able to come to terms.”
Trahearn entered a large cavern and strode toward the center. “First, you must see what unfolded. Sit.” He gestured to the area around the cold fire pit. A flick of his wrist drew flames from the stones. A young boy’s face appeared amid the flames.
The face was familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I sat cross-legged beside Mayes and hoped this wouldn’t take long.
“Haney was our friend,” Trahearn insisted. “He walked with us many times throughout his short life. We accepted him among us because of his kind and gentle spirit. He could’ve stayed here forever, but he said this wasn’t his place. He made a friend in your world, but that friend betrayed Haney and stole from us.”
Mayes’ brow furrowed. “Who was his friend?”
“Haney called him Jonesy. We allowed Jonesy entrance to our land because we trusted Haney. But Jonesy had an ulterior motive. He discovered our wells of power and stole from us. Then he enslaved Haney and made him do terrible things. Jonesy is evil.”
“What does Jonesy look like?” I hoped they would describe Jonas so we could leave.
Trahearn shook his head. “He is a master of disguise. He deceived us by visiting here in the guise of Haney … and of others.”
An image of another boy’s face appeared in the flames. Scraggly dark hair framed a thin face and a strong nose. The dark eyes burned with hate.
I recognized the child. From Haney’s dreamscape. The first boy was Haney, when he was a kid. I understood now. Jonesy had befriended Haney all those years ago, earned his trust, and then used him to become powerful.
“I don’t recognize him,” Mayes said. “I’ve never seen that boy in our county.”
“He wears another appearance now. We know he’s still in the area because our power will only work near this mountain. That is why he cannot move out of range.”
Keeping my thoughts about Jonesy and Haney to myself, I asked about the stolen item. “What is this power you refer to?”
Trahearn blanched. He glanced to a tall, white-haired man who’d come into the cavern from the opposite side. Whatever he saw must have encouraged him. “A memory churner. We use it to recall events in our long lives, but in the wrong hands, the power can be harmful.”
“As in making people forget who they are and where they are because their memories are so vivid?” I asked, putting more of the case together in my head.
“The churner can have that effect,” Trahearn admitted. “But that was not its intent. We have no need to trap humans in their memories.”
“In that case, we already know who Jonesy is and where he lived. There’s no supernatural device in his house, or I would’ve sensed it.” I didn’t know if that was true or not, but I was on a roll. “The killer is in the wind with your superpower, but even so, we don’t have evidence to hold him accountable for the murder.”
“Proof is a construct. Jonesy is a thief and a murderer.”
“He kidnapped my boss and used the device on her,” Mayes said. “When we catch him, we can charge him with that crime.”
“We want our memory churner back,” Trahearn said.
“How?” I asked. “We don’t know what it looks like or where it is.”
“Your guide can retrieve it. Summon her.”
My guide. Who was he talking about? An awful feeling filled my gut. Dear God. He wanted Rose.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Not a good idea,” I stammered. “The one of whom you speak exacts payment for every favor she grants. She’s a wild card.”
My tattoos heated. The one on my back felt like it was burning into a shoulder blade. I chewed my lip to keep from crying out in pain. The tattoo on my hand out and out throbbed. I did not want to summon Rose. She already owned two hours of my life on Earth to use whenever she saw fit. I couldn’t afford to be any deeper in her debt.
“We are used to such demands,” Trahearn said. “Summon her.”
Dreamwalking here would be a bad idea, especially when I had no idea where here was. “No. If I decide to help you, I contact her on my terms, from my world.”
Muttering filled the cavern, rising and pulsing like a living, breathing creature. They weren’t happy with me? Well, I wasn’t happy with them either.
Mayes whispered in my ear, “Give them what they want.”
“Then I’ll lose any leverage I have to get us out of here,” I whispered back. “They kidnapped five of us, if you recall.”
“I’m aware of that, but I know these people. They do not tolerate defiance or insubordination.”
“I can’t risk a dreamwalk from wherever we are. It’s too risky.”
Mayes had the good grace to look troubled. About time he realized these strange folks didn’t rule the world. So what if they could bend reality somehow? They weren’t as fearsome as Rose.
Trahearn brought his arms up. “Silence!”
The cave quieted, though the mood of the place remained unsettled, and that discomfort wasn’t coming entirely from the humans in the room. I’d held my ground, but at what cost? Would I be trapped forever in their world?
“We have decided to grant your request,” Trahearn said. “Mayes knows the place. We will meet there at dusk today.”
I gulped. Had I just called their bluff? Was I a super negotiator or what?
“However, we have learned our lesson with humans, and as an incentive for you to follow through, your friends will remain with us in our world.”
My newfound confidence tanked. I scrambled to my feet, with Mayes following suit. “My word is good,” I said. “I’ll meet you and make the connection you seek. You don’t need to hold my friends hostage.”
The flames tripled in size, and in their midst, I saw Charlotte clinging to Deputy Duncan in what looked like a park. Gail stood nearby, chatting with a woman with long, dark hair. They were unharmed.
I gulped as the image faded from view. Charlotte, Deputy Duncan, and Gail would be held hostage somewhere in an illusion trap while we waited for dusk in the real world. “Why delay? Why don’t we go right back to my world and summon my guide?”
Mayes touched my arm. “Dusk is the gloaming time,” he said. “It is when the portal between worlds is easiest to access.”
His stony expression confused me. “You’re okay with this?”
“No harm will come to our friends and associates. They are safe with the Nunne’hi.”
“They’re hostages. We can’t leave them behind.”
Mayes’ face turned red. “Those are the terms we were offered. The Little People will honor their word. Our people will be returned to us after we have fulfilled our part of the bargain.”
“I’m not so trusting.”
Mayes’ cheek twitched. “I know.”
“Enough quibbling,” Trahearn said. “Do you accept the terms, Baxley Powell?”
“How about if I stay here until dusk, and everyone else goes free?”
Trahearn shook his head. “No change in terms. Besides, you are needed in your world.”
My heart jumped right into my throat. “My family? Are they okay?”
“Do you accept the terms?”
I pictured my family injured or dead by the roadside. I had to get back to them, even if it meant throwing the rest of our travel party under the bus. “Yes, I agree.”
The room grayed to black. Freefall started again. I hated this stomach-in-your-throat part of whole body transport. I affixed Larissa’s face on my mental chalkboard and stopped spinning. My thoughts narrowed to a pinpoint then expanded out in a bright kaleidoscope. I hoped my brain wasn’t exploding.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The sun blazed high overhead. Birds chirped in the nearby forest. All indications pointed to a normal day, but nothing had been normal about this morning.
My trembling legs could not support my weight
. I sank to the ground, hugging my middle as my abs tensed. Nausea overtook me, and I dry-heaved until the urge passed.
Natural sounds slowly overcame the thrumming of my pulse in my ears. Wind sighed in the pines and oaks, water lapped the nearby lakeshore, but nothing caught my attention like the cold knot of dread in my core as I processed what I’d been through.
I’d failed, and that failure ate at me. Poor Charlotte. Poor Gail and Duncan, too.
Granted, the circumstances were extreme, but I’d left my best friend behind. Would I ever see her again? The thought of such a terrible loss brought on a new wave of nausea. Sweat beaded in my scalp, dribbled down my spine. I clung to the ground for dear life.
The sound of retching nearby startled me. I shrunk into myself, not wanting anyone to see me in such a weakened condition. Then I realized the noise had come from Deputy Chief Mayes. He must be having the same visceral side effects from being transported body and soul.
Oddly, his distress cheered me. What do you know? Misery does love company. I began to take stock. I was alive and back in the world I knew and loved. My fingers and toes worked. My thoughts were my own. So far, so good.
I scrambled to my feet and glanced around. A police cruiser sat on the grassy lane that passed for a driveway on Annabelle’s property. Our camper was visible through the trees. I knew exactly where I was, but the sun’s position high in the sky told me I’d lost the morning.
As if on cue, my phone shrilled. My father. I answered the call.
“You all right?” he asked.
“Getting there.”
“I see.” Silence pinged. “Can you talk about it?”
“Not sure anyone would believe the tale, but I need something from you.”
“Oh?”
“Please make sure Larissa isn’t worried about me. Tell her I’m okay.”
“Rough dreamwalk?”
“You have no idea.”
“Should we meet you at the campsite?”
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