Emerald Dreams (The Dream Traveler Series)

by Nicole Knight

I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, but I had to tell someone. Madison would think I was crazy, and Mom would faint.

  Grandma already knew about this world and didn’t think I was nuts. We were in on this together, so she is the only one I can tell. Now that I had this stone, it should be safe for me to work magic in Arlington again.

  I concentrated on manipulating the air in the attic. I moved the apple using the air surrounding my hand; I felt it leave my palm. I heard the gasp that confirmed Grandmother saw the apple floating.

  I opened my eyes, and I concentrated on moving it to her hand. When it rested in her palm, she looked up at me. I was having fun with this.

  I picked up a sheet with my magic and made it float in the air. I made the air currents under the sheet continuously ripple. It almost looked like it was a flag flapping in the wind.

  “Is this because of that place?” she asked me.

  I let my control of the air falter, and the sheet fell to the ground. I walked over to it and shook off the dirt from the floor. I placed it back over the chair it had previously been covering.

  “No, it’s in my blood,” I told her.

  “What do they call you in that world again? With your abilities, I mean.”

  “They call us magic workers.”

  “I feel better knowing you have a secret way to defend yourself in case you ever get into trouble. You need to be careful, though,” she warned.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “It is okay to practice here, but I wouldn’t recommend using this out in public. This could bring much-unwanted attention to you. You don’t need any more enemies,” she said.

  “This isn’t remotely close to normal. I am afraid others may try to lock you away, like they did my mother,” she said sadly.

  “I’ll be careful Grandma, I promise.”

  I cleared my throat. Her words had choked me up with emotion.

  “Now, let’s go before Mom starts looking for us,” I told her.

  Grandma did her best to hold back the snort she’s known for. We walked back down the attic stairs and down to the kitchen.

  “Is everything okay?” Mom asked.

  “Yes dear, she just found something Victoria related she wanted me to see, that’s all.” Grandma lied.

  I was surprised, she never really lies to anyone.

  “Oh okay, so what are your plans for tonight?” Mom looked at me and asked.

  It’s like she knew something big was happening to me, and she was going to get it from me one way or the other. I’d rather just peacefully give up the information than make it into a mother-daughter battle.

  Mom and I don’t fight too often, but when we do, its world war three. Before I could answer her, Grandmother chimed in.

  “I plan on just laying around waiting to win the lottery,” she looked serious as she said it.

  Anyone who knows my Grandma knows that she doesn’t gamble, so this was her attempt at a joke.

  “I was talking to my daughter,” she said, with a smug little smile.

  I knew she liked it when Grandmother was like this. It meant she had her mother here. This was the woman who had raised her, not the one who could barely remember her.

  “I’m going to a party tonight with Madison,” I told her.

  Please don’t freak out.

  “Oh, a party? Oh my gosh, your first high school party, did a boy ask you?” Mom actually sounded excited for me.

  I felt terrible letting her down.

  “No, I’m third-wheeling it with Mads,” I replied lamely.

  “Okay, cool. You will be safe, right?” she asked.

  I guess it is that motherly instinct to ask.

  “Yes Mom,” I answered her as I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I went upstairs to waste time on the internet.

  ◆◆◆

  The rest of the day went by in a blur. After wasting a few hours on my computer, I helped my Mom and Grandmother around the house. Before I knew it, it was six in the evening, and I had to get ready.

  I put on my dress and the leather jacket. I slipped on some flats and sprayed my hair with the saltwater I mixed to make my hair wavy.

  Ten minutes later, I had beach waves.

  When seven rolled around, I sat on the front porch waiting for my ride.

  A red truck rolled up the driveway, and Madison stepped out.

  “You don’t look horrible, thank god,” she replied.

  She actually wore a look of relief, like she expected to see me with my hair up and wearing sweats.

  I was almost insulted but knew not to take it to heart.

  “Good to see you too, and thanks.”

  I could already tell tonight was going to be one of the weirdest experiences I’d ever have.

  She climbed back in the truck to sit next to Tommy in the one bench seat. I sat in the bigger passenger seat.

  “Hi Tommy,” I said, leaning forward, so Mads wasn’t blocking my face.

  “Hey Violet,” Tommy said, leaning around Mads as well.

  He shifted the truck in reverse and backed out of the driveway. It was a short drive to Lacey’s since I could see her house from my bedroom window.

  Tommy parked in a section of the yard close to the end of the driveway. We got out of the truck and walked through the grass up to the mansion. I was lucky I was wearing flats, or else my heel might have gotten stuck in some holes in the ground.

  As we approached, the music blasting out of the house continued to grow louder as teenagers littered the yard. I could hear screaming and see girls falling over. Most of the teenagers out here were already drunk.

  We walked into the enormous house and went looking for Tommy’s friends. I looked all around me as we searched for the boys’ soccer team.

  The floors were a beautiful black marble; the walls were painted a pristine white. There was a large amount of expensive items decorating the walls. Knowing this family, each painting was probably worth thousands of dollars.

  We found the team by the heated pool. Once we found them I was mostly ignored by everyone including Madison. I looked around to see if there were any other scholarship kids. I could quickly tell there was no one else here that would approach me. I was the outcast that had dared to come to Lacey’s party. No one was going to risk social suicide to come keep me company.

  Half naked teens splashed around in the pool and were pulling each other under. I barely backed away in time to avoid being splashed by the guy who just cannonballed near me.

  A pool was a luxury we couldn’t afford, so I only swam when Mads and I went to the public pool in town.

  Mads was still ignoring me. She was pretending to be super absorbed in a conversation with Tommy and one of his friends. I should have known this was going to happen. She had a shot at being cool, I didn’t.

  One person didn’t ignore me though, Lacey and her brainwashed followers. They started whispering and pointing at me, and guys started looking at me in a weird way. It was starting to freak me out. All around me, I heard the giggles, each one making me feel more self-conscious.

  We had been there for only half an hour before I started getting super uncomfortable. It was impossible to ignore all the giggles and whispers. I took a few steps closer to Mads and tugged on her shirt.

  “What?” she asked her tone harsh.

  I was a little taken aback at her rudeness.

  “Can you get Tommy to take me home? I’m uncomfortable. I don’t fit in here, I should have never come.” I tried to make myself sound small, so she would feel sorry for me.

  “No, he isn’t going to want to leave yet. Go find someone to talk to,” she said harshly.

  If I could find someone who wanted to speak to me, I wouldn’t be having this problem. Seriously though, why is she such a bitch? I thought we were friends.

  I didn’t say anything as I walked away. I walked back inside the house and went into the kitchen. I took in my surroundings as I poured myself a drink from the keg. It was some che
ap beer, but I nursed it.

  The kitchen counters matched the floors, and the outside kitchen wall was mostly made of windows. In the day time, I’m sure they had a lot of beautiful light pouring through. The kitchen had the best appliances available. They looked like they hadn’t even been touched yet.

  There were no adults around. Lacey’s parents were out on some nice vacation, I’m sure.

  I wonder how they feel about all these teenagers using their house to get trashed. They probably didn’t even care.

  “Hey there.”

  I think someone is trying to talking to me.

  I turned around to see who it was. It was a massive guy who was probably on the football team. He had light orange hair that was pretty clean cut. He had some acne and didn’t smell very nice. His breath reeked of alcohol.

  All of his weight was positioned on his hand that was rested on the counter. Could he really not hold himself up straight?

  “Hi,” I responded.

  I didn’t want to be rude to the only person here interested in talking to me.

  Maybe I could make a friend, even if he is drunk.

  “Can I interest you in a trip to the closet?” he asked me.

  The left side of his mouth curved up, in what I thought was an attempt at being seductive. It was far from that. It looked a little sinister and creepy. His words had slurred, so it took me a second longer to process his offer. He sounded ridiculous; offering me a trip to the closet like it was a luxurious holiday resort.

  No way was I going to go with this guy. Hell would have to freeze over first. Plus, I would feel like I was cheating on Axel even if we aren’t dating yet.

  “I’m good, thanks,” I turned my back to him, hoping he would go away.

  “What’s wrong, are you playing hard to get? Last time I checked, you aren’t anywhere good enough to play that game with me. You are just a scholarship kid. You should be thanking me for this golden opportunity,” he said.

  He put his hand on my shoulder and gripped tightly, and it hurt.

  I turned around, “Leave me alone, there are plenty of girls around here that will give you what you want.”

  I punched his arm in warning and started walking away. I would walk home rather than stand here and deal with this. My best friend was ignoring me because I wasn’t cool enough to associate with here.

  Hello? She brought me here; I didn’t even want to come. What a waste of time and dignity.

  The guy was persistent, and he came up behind me and grabbed my waist. He whispered in my ear. “Look here, bitch, you will go to the back room with me. I don’t like it when a girl plays hard to get. Stop fighting it.”

  I was now furious.

  How dare he talk to me like that? I am a person attending a party, not his property.

  Before I could stop myself, I reached behind me and grabbed his arm. I pulled him over my head and flipped him onto the ground hard. The wind had been knocked out of him.

  He laid there gasping for breath while everyone around me was staring, including Lacey and her minions. Madison and Tommy had their eyes glued on me as well. I could hear the whispers already. I caught the words, “what a freak.”

  This was ridiculous.

  I felt the desperate urge to puke, but I felt the urge to defend myself more. I needed to say something, anything.

  “You think you are on top of the world, and you might be right now. What decides that? It’s the money in your parent’s bank account. If it weren’t for that, you would be in public school,” some girl actually gasped.

  I ignored it and continued.

  “But when we graduate this year, you will all be in for a rude awakening. High school might be your kingdom now, but when you actually leave this place, the real world will eat you alive. Do any of you even know what it’s like to take a bus?”

  A few of the drunker girls shook their heads like I was personally asking them.

  “This guy, lying on the floor, is insecure. He thought he could intimidate me. No sober woman would actually give herself to him. If you did, then you should probably go get tested. He preys on the girls he thinks are weak and then takes advantage. He thought he was entitled to my body because he thought he was better than me. The only one that gets to decide what I do with my body is me.

  I don’t need fake boobs or bleached hair to get people to notice me. Lacey, you are the prime example.”

  I was on a high telling everyone off, and I couldn’t bring myself to stop. My mouth was going to get me in some trouble, but I lost myself in the moment.

  “In all seriousness though, everyone keep her away from a needle it would be a shame for one of those puppies to pop. You all know she is a fake bitch, when are you going to wake up and realize she isn’t worth your time? Look at the beer, she couldn’t even buy you all the good kind. What kind of hostess is that?”

  I had gotten myself so worked up and angry; my hands were balled into fists. I could feel all of the tension and anger in my body, just burning for me to release it. The lights in the house started flickering, and everyone looked around. One girl even shrieked when the power went completely out.

  With that said, I stormed out of the house and started walking back home. Tears were blurring my eyes.

  Why did I agree to come to this party? Why did this stuff have to happen to me? Maybe part of me was hoping for something good to happen, like possibly fitting in with a group. Perhaps I could have outdrank someone and won someone’s respect. Now I realized how stupid that hope was.

  I just want to go home and never leave the house again. Monday would be a nightmare. The following week was winter break, maybe it would all blow over after that.

  Then from behind me, I heard some shouting.

  I turned around, and a bunch of big guys were shouting and looking around, and then I saw them point to me across the yard.

  Oh no.

  I took off running. This was like Deja vu. I was again pushing myself to my limit. I wasn’t physically fit in this world either, so this was going to be a struggle.

  I turned my head to look back, and the guys were gaining a lot of ground fast. At this rate, they were going to catch me. I could hear them panting behind me.

  Think fast, think fast. What if I used my magic?

  I thought about Grandmother’s warning, but there was no other choice.

  I saw low hanging branches in the direction I was running. I forced the wind to whip forcefully past them, snapping them from the trees. I then let the air hover the branches two inches off the ground. It took a lot of concentration to do this quickly while keeping my pace.

  Hopefully, the branches were low enough they would think they were on the ground in the dark, but high enough to trip them.

  A few seconds later, I heard the four guys tumble to the ground. It was a minor win and would only stop them for a moment.

  They were football players used to hitting the ground.

  My lungs were burning, and my legs shaking, but I couldn’t stop like I did last time.

  How could I continue to slow these guys down?

  Just then, I heard sirens coming from the next street over. I hoped they were on the way to bust Lacey’s party. If I could get these clowns into police custody, I would be safe.

  I created more wind to take down another branch. This one was slightly bigger. The branch fell on top of the guys. Quickly I forced the wind to take down another branch from one of the adjacent trees. The branch was even heavier than the first. I brought down another branch with the wind, and then another.

  To make sure these guys were found, I needed to do something clever.

  I screamed at the top of my lungs for help. I took off towards my house. I could hear the guys struggling to move the branches without poking out their eyes.

  When I got further into the woods and out of sight, I slowed my pace a little, my lungs and legs were screaming at me.

  I didn’t see any surfaced roots, but my feet found them. I fell over one, an
d rocks dug into my stomach as I landed. That was going to bruise. I picked myself up and kept going.

  Ten minutes later, I ended up at my house. I was cold, bruised, and wheezing.

  Mom would freak out if she saw me like this, so I couldn’t walk through the front door.

  I climbed up the front porch rail and used it to boost me up onto the front porch awning. From there, I climbed to my bedroom window and used the air on the inside of my window to flip the switch. When I heard it unlatch, I pushed it open and climbed inside. I quietly closed it behind me and locked it. I made it to my bed before I collapsed.

  After a minute, I felt a shock run through my whole body. It was like being struck by lightning.

  My necklace started burning my skin. I had a feeling something was wrong with me back in Morthshadow, and I needed to get back.

  I climbed into bed.

  I didn’t bother to change or even kick off my shoes. I waited for sleep to take me as I calmed down my racing heart.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I woke up with Wisdom's hands on me. One hand was on my chest right above my heart. With his other hand, he had two fingers pressed up against the side of my throat. There was a glowing blue light appearing from the hand over my heart, and it was shocking me.

  I grimaced through the pain.

  Axel had my head propped up on his knees. He was bent over me, trying to blow air into my open mouth. I coughed, hoping they would realize I was awake.

  Everyone backed off of me and stared.

  "I take it the gem didn't work?" I tried to joke.

  "No why do you look so bad?" Axel asked me.

  I tried not to be hurt by the comment. Axel was a blunt observer and wouldn't sugar coat it for me. He was trying to figure out what happened to me so he could solve the problem.

  "Because something bad happened," I said quietly.

  I couldn't help it, but tears came to my eyes, remembering what had happened. I barely got myself out of a bad situation. I could have been beaten up or taken advantage of.

  I could have maybe even died.

  "Is that why you had to use so much magic?" Wisdom asked clearly, catching on that there was a problem back home.