The Ring of Fire: The Dragon Dream: Book Two

by Robin Janney

  Time passed slowly as he brooded over the rise and fall of her voice on the other side of the door. But eventually the door opened, and his Angel came out. She gave him a wobbly smile, and it warmed his heart. Her smile eased his fears and renewed his patience with her. All was well in his world if she was smiling.

  “She wants me to go down to the lab and get blood drawn. And she wants to talk to you. So, I’ll meet you at the truck?”

  Rising, he planted a kiss on her forehead. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Stop that,” chided Angela, her smile less wobbly. “I’m too young to be a ma’am.”

  Smiling, Craig repeated himself, which earned him a playful swat on the arm. “Go ahead,” he told her. “I’ll meet you at the truck and then we’re going to Ajax’s for lunch.”

  Her smile widened for him. Craig waited for her to disappear around the corner before going through the still open door into Pat’s office. No doubt the psychiatrist had heard their exchange.

  “Come in, Craig. Please, have a seat.” Pat was behind her desk again, where she had been before the start of the session. She waved for Craig to sit across from her. He hadn’t even sat down when he the doctor began. “I haven’t seen Angela this argumentative since she started coming to me. Granted, it’s understandable. I’m limited in what I can tell you, Craig, but your wife had a rather…eventful trip. Is there any way you can postpone your trip to New York, even for a day?”

  He sighed as he leaned back in the cheap armchair. There was already so much going on for him, he couldn’t hear the warning bells going off inside. “No, I can’t. Can I ask you something?”

  “You can ask.”

  Craig hated it when she said that. “Why doesn’t she share stuff with me?”

  Pat sighed, setting her glasses on the desk. “Because she’s afraid, Craig. Of what exactly, I’m not sure. My best guess, and that’s all it is at this point, is that your wife has a deep underlying terror she’ll share something with you someday that will scare you away.”

  “Like what?” he asked. There was nothing in this world his wife could say or do to scare him away…why did she still think this way?

  “Even if I knew, I wouldn’t be able to share that. But I honestly don’t have a clue. Nothing she’s ever shared with me is anything I would consider relationship ending. Not even the things she shared today. I know you well enough to know how you’d react. Now, may I ask you something?”

  “Of course.”

  Pat leveled hazel eyes at him. “Why aren’t you taking her to New York with you? Your father, her father-in-law, is injured, and she wants to be with you.”

  Craig sighed. “Honestly? Confidentially?” He waited for the doctor to nod. “I don’t trust my stepmother and I feel the need to keep the two of them as far apart as possible.”

  “Veronica.” The doctor leaned back in her chair and rubbed at her forehead tiredly. “Forgive me. I’d forgotten about her. I guess I can’t argue too hard with your reasoning. I think it would be best for you to take your wife with you, but there’s nothing I can say that will convince you to change your mind if that’s your reason, is there?”

  “No, I’m going to stand firm in this decision.”

  “Do what you have to, Craig. Just understand your absence will upset your wife. The separation will make it harder for her to share the things she needs to with you. In the meantime, depending on her blood tests, I may raise her medication to the next level. I will keep you apprised while you’re away. Are you certain she takes her meds?”

  “She does.” He managed not to roll his eyes like he wanted to.

  The doctor sighed. “Is there anyone else you would like me to keep updated while you’re gone? I know you rely on your housekeeper when you’re away.”

  “No, just call or email me. I shouldn’t be gone long.” Craig checked the time. “Is there anything else?”

  Pat sighed as she pulled out a piece of paper from her pile. “In direct disregard to my advice to Angela about thinking too much about her dreams, I have a question to ask. I realize I’m not the artist you are, but does this creature look familiar?”

  Craig took the notebook paper, the artist in him cringing at the inferior paper. Then he registered the image she’d drawn. It was a crude drawing, though far from being a stick figure. But the Beast’s familiar features glared up at him from the paper. He looked at Pat firmly and tried his best to ignore the fear worming around inside.

  “It does.” He cleared his throat because it kept wanting to close on him. “How were you able to draw this? I’ve never drawn his image for my comic books. All the drawings I have of him are in a safe in my office.”

  Pat grimaced. “It was in my dream last night, and the night before. He is a very frightening character.”

  “In this shape, yes. I haven’t seen him like this in over four years. In my dream last night, he was the Little Beast that Angela shrank him down to in the vision we shared during her accident.”

  “I don’t believe in shared dreams,” commented the doctor, sounding as though she was trying to convince herself more than him. It was something the doctor had never admitted to, not even in the early interviews with them. They’d spoken in depth of the Dream in the beginning. “But just the same, how did you get him out of your dreams?”

  “Honestly, I have no idea. When I gave my life back to Christ, his torment of me just kind of stopped.” Craig shrugged and gave the paper back to her. Had it really? Last night’s dream could be considered tormenting. But he had sensed no malice from the small demon. Maybe a little too much interest in Angela, but nothing malicious.

  Pat shook her head. “Jesus. He did have authority over demons. I do not like being a messenger for demons, Craig, but he apparently feels that you’re too…”

  “Stupid?” asked Craig, with a ghost of a smile. “Can’t see the forest for the trees kind of stupid?”

  Pat chuckled weakly. “Those were his words, not mine. I’m to tell you the reason why ‘they’ are going to try to separate you and your wife is because the two of you are stronger together. While you do bring a good measure of stability to your wife’s life, a mild separation such as your trips to Tyler’s Grove aren’t harmful. I do wish you’d reconsider taking her to New York with you. However, if Angela were to allow it, it could benefit you both. She really should learn to depend on you less.”

  No sting there. Craig pursed his lips. “You only get her an hour every other week, Pat. I live with her and trust me when I say Angela is a very independent woman. I think we have a pretty good balance.”

  Pat wanted to argue, it was written on her face. But she just shook her head. “I have never met such a frustrating couple before. Do you know, she said very nearly the same thing to me?”

  “I had no idea, but I’m not surprised.”

  “Of course not. You can go now, Craig. Have a good afternoon and a speedy trip.” Pat crunched up the paper with the drawing on it and tossed it in her trash can without a second glance.

  “Thanks for the appointment on short notice.” At the door, Craig looked back at her. “What else did he say to you?”

  Pat’s face contorted in what looked like a mix of fear and frustration. “Many things. Most notably that I’m not to treat Angela as though she’s crazy. His words, not mine. I take care not to treat any of my patients as though they’re ‘crazy’. But I can’t ignore my training, and I will call a delusion for what it is. It’s the only way some of my patients can see it for what it is.”

  “You think Angela’s delusional?” asked Craig cautiously. Angela had said something similar to the doctor shortly before he’d been asked to leave the room, hadn’t she?

  “To a degree, yes. Her insistence that God is somehow trying to warn her through dreams is pushing things a bit.”

  Craig swore beneath his breath. No matter how convoluted his wife’s thinking could be sometimes, there was no way she was delusional. Pat had never had a problem with Angela’s belief system before
. Perhaps it was time to reevaluate his wife’s doctor? “I’ll deal with this when I get home.”

  He left without another word, his mind already refocusing. Take Angela to lunch. Meet with both Rick and Nan. Pack. The sooner he could get gone, the sooner he could get back.

  14

  A ngela watched in silence as her husband packed the duffle bag he had just unpacked from their trip to Tyler’s Grove. She sat perched on the edge of their king size bed, her fingers laced tightly together in her lap. Lunch had been quiet, and the quiet had continued after they’d returned home. Once home, he had spoken with both Nan and Rick about this trip behind the closed door of his office, then headed straight upstairs to start packing. As soon as the office door had opened, she had been his shadow.

  “You’ll call me when you land?” she asked now, her feet swinging against the side of the bed. Their dog Princess sat on the floor not far away, her tail swishing as she looked at her owners.

  “I’ll probably wait until I’m out of the airport and on my way to Dad’s, but yes. I’ll let you know I’ve landed safely.”

  She took a deep breath but managed not to release it as a sigh. Craig was in that mode again. The one where he was focused on the matter at hand and she was almost an afterthought. “What kind of security does your dad have?”

  He paused in his packing, a pair of jeans in his hands, to look at her. “Why do you ask?”

  She shrugged. If he didn’t believe the dream was a warning, he’d never believe her instincts now. “I’m just wondering. I remember you once saying that you inherited your need for security from him.”

  Craig chuckled as he resumed his packing, the jeans being followed by another pair. “As I recall, David said I was cautiously paranoid.”

  Smiling at him, hoping the good humor would last, she nodded. “I remember that too. Well?”

  “Honestly, Angel, I’m not sure. What exactly are you wondering about?”

  She tried not to bite her bottom lip and almost succeeded. “If there’s not a camera in your room, will you put one there?”

  Again, he paused in his packing, his eyes curious and cautious as he looked at her. “Why?”

  “Because I don’t trust your stepmother,” she said bluntly. She was surprised when his eyes avoided hers.

  “Angela,” her husband said with an exasperated sigh.

  She slid off the bed to her feet. “If you won’t do that much, then take me with you, Craig! Please!”

  “No,” he responded with a snap. “Angela, please, we’ve been over this.”

  “No!” she snapped back. “You made your decision without even talking to me and just delivered it like I’m back to being your employee! I deserve to have a say in my own life!”

  “I’m going to be busy enough dealing with my father! I don’t need you there complicating things!”

  That brought silence. Angela felt like she’d been slapped. She complicated his life?

  “Fine, whatever. I’ll just stay home and watch CSI: New York and pretend I’m there! That shouldn’t be too complicating.”

  “Angela…”

  But she didn’t give him a chance. She turned and stormed out of the bedroom, Princess on her heels.

  C raig sighed as his wife slammed the door behind her. He hadn’t meant it as it had sounded, how she had obviously taken it. He rubbed a hand over his face. It was true enough though, he was going to be busy enough dealing with his father. Not that Angela being there would be a complication, but if she was going to be in this kind of mood, she would be.

  It didn’t occur to him that her mood would change drastically should he reconsider and take her along.

  He finished packing and took his bag downstairs. Setting the bag outside his office door, he entered the spacious room. Although it wasn’t necessary with the afternoon light shining through the large windows, he flipped the desk light on as he sat behind the desk and woke his laptop. Opening his Network Connections, he made the necessary mouse clicks to activate the internal security cameras.

  It was something he only ever did when he left Angela here on her own, and without her knowledge. But it gave him peace of mind to be able to tap into the feed while away and make sure she was alright.

  And in this instance, it was only fair. If she expected him to wire his bedroom in New York, then this once he felt no guilt turning the internals on.

  It only took him a few extra minutes to find the equipment he needed to fulfill her request. Once satisfied, he soon had his laptop and other necessary equipment packed as well. Glancing at his watch, he left his office to search for his wife.

  And couldn’t find her.

  She wasn’t in her craft room, which was the first place he looked. Sighing, he looked in the other upstairs bedrooms, but Angela wasn’t in any of them. He even checked their basement gym, half expecting her to be in the middle of a karate kata trying to calm herself. Checking his watch again, he returned to the main level and looked in the kitchen where Nan stood near the refrigerator apparently reviewing a note on the refrigerator door.

  “Nan, have you seen Angela?” he asked, trying not to let his irritation show.

  “Yes, the last I saw she was headed down to the stables,” the older woman answered.

  “Thank you,” replied Craig. Sighing again, he returned to where his duffle bag rested on the floor. Pulling the strap over his shoulder, and gathering his laptop bag, he headed to the truck. He hit the button for the garage door without conscious thought as he placed his bags in the passenger side of the truck.

  Climbing in and starting the truck, the unease which begun to settle on him since his stepmother’s phone call increased. As he backed the truck out, he reconsidered his decision to leave Angela home. If it was a short stay like he was expecting, would there be any time for his stepmother to do anything to his wife? It wasn’t a question of whether Veronica would do anything, but a matter of when. He knew he wasn’t imagining things. He hadn’t been the only one to see the disdain in his stepmother’s eyes the day of his and Angela’s commitment ceremony at the farm, which his wife referred to as their second wedding. Angela had been the only one not to comment on Veronica’s behavior, so he assumed she’d been caught up with the rest of the family present then and had missed it, thankfully.

  But the thought of bringing Angela along caused him even more internal distress. Bringing the truck to a stop near the stables, he left the motor running as he climbed out. Jared was just coming out through the large doors, and he looked about as happy as his sister.

  “What’s this about you leaving for New York?” Jared asked him.

  “My father’s having emergency surgery,” explained Craig without going into the complicated details. While he had spoken to his two head staff since returning home, he hadn’t had a chance to talk to his brother-in-law. “I won’t be gone long. Rick promised he wouldn’t overwork you.”

  “What about Angela?”

  “She won’t overwork you either.” He managed a half smile at his joke, but his brother-in-law wasn’t having any of it.

  “Funny. No, is there anything I need to know? I know she’s on medication for stuff, but that’s about it.”

  Craig nodded. He should have expected Jared to question that. “When I’m not here, Nan keeps track of that. As well as her appointments. If there are any nightmares…” He hadn’t thought of the nightmares until now, and most likely there would be. He sighed. “Or panic attacks, you have to get her to focus on you. Get her to look you in the eyes and keep talking to her until she calms down. Short sentences, easy questions. If you can’t get her calmed down, call Nan; make sure you get her number from her before she leaves for the night.”

  Jared nodded. “Alright. Angie’s in with Belle.”

  “Thanks, Jared.” Craig patted his brother-in-law’s shoulder and set off in the direction of Belle’s stall; Princess sat outside the horse’s stall across the doorway, her tail swishing in agitation. Stopping at the chest high door, he saw
his wife leaning into her horse’s shoulder. Her arms embraced the horse and Belle’s head hung low, as if she were listening carefully to the distraught young woman. He couldn’t hear everything his wife was saying to the horse, but the bits and pieces he did hear only weighed on him further.

  “He doesn’t understand, Belle…I want to go…wouldn’t get in the way…I try so hard…a nuisance!”

  He cleared his throat lightly, just loud enough to be heard.

  Angela turned her head and looked at him. Belle looked his way and the horse’s eyes rolled at him. Even their dog was looking at him like she was upset with him.

  “I’m leaving now,” he said, feeling outnumbered.

  “Okay.” She sniffed.

  And that was it. His wife didn’t move to embrace him or kiss him goodbye. She only raised a hand to her face to wipe away tears. Why was she acting like this was any different from his trips to Tyler’s Grove? Because of her dream? It was nonsense; he wasn’t leaving her in danger here, she was safe here. Didn’t she understand that?

  “Alright,” he said after a moment. “I’ll be back in a week, two at the most.”

  “Okay,” she said again. Her breathing was ragged, but it was probably because she’d been crying.

  Running his hand through his short hair, he sighed. “I love you, Angela.”

  She smiled faintly at that. “I love you, too.”

  And Craig didn’t know what else to say. There was no pleasing her right now. Aside from taking her with him, which was out of the question. “Alright, bye. I’ll call you when I land.”

  He hated walking away from her, but Craig didn’t know what else to say or do. With a heavy heart, he climbed back in his truck and started down the driveway. About halfway to the end, something caused him to look in the rearview mirror. His beautiful wife was attempting to chase him down on foot, their dog racing alongside her. He slammed on the brakes, not caring if he tore up the tires on the gravel pavement and thrust the truck into Park.