Sleepwalker

by Brandy L Rivers

  “And what was he hunting for?”

  “An artifact to help destroy this world and bring upon the Burning Dawn.”

  Mircea paced away with a string of Romani curses. He came back. “And she was opposed to his plan?”

  “Very. She thought she killed him a couple weeks ago. And he came for her, attacked her in a whole other state, attempted to force her into submission, but she fought and would have killed him if it weren’t for outside interference. Then he attacked her again, and she drowned him, only he held her down under the water with him. Someone saved her. I need to ensure her safety. Someone has to guard the artifact, and I’m afraid she’s the only one who can.”

  “What is she?”

  She tipped her head. “Her mother is Fawn. Her father Darron Roantree.”

  His eyes widened. “His little painter?”

  She nodded.

  “I understand she was quite powerful, and he loved her very much. Damned fool could never see that his side was the wrong one. Yes, I’ll help, no strings attached. What do you know of the curse?”

  “I suspect he trapped her within her mind. Since leaving Nikolai, she’s reunited with her soul mate. He’s a Dreamwalker and is trying to find her. They deserve happiness after all their parents have put them through.”

  “Their parents?” Mircea asked.

  “A long story. Though, if Nadya is still in your clan and willing to help a young sorceress rein in her power, I urge you to bring her to Silvertail Ridge with us.”

  “Savon hasn’t been trained? Her father was the most powerful sorcerer and he didn’t train her?”

  “My sentiment exactly.”

  He rubbed at his face. “Let me talk to my daughter. If she’s willing, we’ll bring her.”

  “Thank you. Savon could use a mentor who isn’t afraid of a hybrid.”

  “I’ve never met a pure-blooded sorcerer. Don’t believe they exist. Why are they afraid of her?”

  “Honestly? Because everyone she comes near loses their ability to control their familiars until she’s far enough away her own power doesn’t interfere.”

  His head cocked. “I’ll be sure to warn her first, but I believe she’ll find that an interesting challenge.”

  “I had hoped.”

  “Why not bring her sooner?”

  “She wasn’t ready. Now she is.”

  He rubbed at his neck. “Ensure she doesn’t attack me on sight, and I’ll do what I can to help.”

  “She won’t. I’ll make sure of that. And I’ll talk to her mate and the other wolves watching over her.”

  “Werewolves?” Mircea asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Interesting choice of company.” He shrugged. “Come, let me convince Nadya.”

  * * * *

  Tremaine hit the dash. “We’re not getting past Canagan’s wards,” Tremaine stated.

  “She’s in her home,” Preston answered. “Can’t Robert take us in?”

  “No, not beyond her wards,” he explained. “Magic is the same as Savon’s.”

  “But you got us there,” Preston argued.

  Robert leaned toward the front seat. “Yeah, because we had Tremaine with us, therefore she trusts us. Canagan doesn’t, so we can’t get past. I’m not sure the best way to explain it, but there are some wards I can’t pass. Liz does it all the time.”

  “You can get into hers,” Preston countered.

  “No one else can.” He shook his head. “We can check the rest of the town. See if we can glean anything. Nate said that a lot of the wolves hang out at Fang’n’Claw.”

  “You should change to fit in,” Preston pointed out.

  “Yeah, Tremaine can loan me something less formal.”

  * * * *

  While preparing for opening later, Jay sorted through his thoughts. He’d heard a lot. Seemed everyone was talking about Savon and Nate. And his missed chance with her.

  Yes, he craved her, but that faded quickly. Still, finding a potential second mate invoked hope he could find someone to fill the longing Savon inspired.

  Jay missed that connection to another person. He still found himself longing for May late at night when he was all alone. He didn’t mind being single. Most of the pain from losing her and his pack had faded, only haunting him when sleep evaded.

  There were things he heard. Bits of plans he could share with Bran. The wolves didn’t tell him anything directly, but they shared enough, assuming he bowed out of the fight.

  Wrong. He finally had enough reason to step away from Canagan. Luckily, the wolves who congregated at Fang’n’Claw trusted his judgment. Perhaps he could swing more wolves to Nate’s side.

  He grabbed his keys, locked up, and headed to the precinct. Least he could do was share information. He’d prefer to keep Savon as a friend. Something about her still soothed him.

  Damn, fucking sap.

  At the station, he walked in and found Bran sitting at his desk, going through a box of letters with a scowl. He lifted his head. “Hey.”

  It was better than the greeting Jay normally received. “Told you I’d bring any new information I learned. Some of the wolves are plotting something regarding Nate. As soon as I have details, you’ll have them. Then there’s the matter of Clay. They’re getting worried that you or Nate did something to him.”

  Bran snorted. “Oh, Nate did something all right. And I’m not releasing him. Bastard is in cahoots with Canagan. He’s got his head so far up her ass he can’t see the light of day.”

  “He wanted to hurt Savon. Bastard doesn’t need to be free. He needs to be dead. If Clay is around, you may want to do something to ensure he’s not ever released. Like end his life. I could see the wolves who aren’t on Nate’s side trying to release him, which would be bad, unless he’s willing to take a stand.”

  “He is. First, we need to find Killian. Seems Fawn is alive and took him away, somewhere we can’t easily get to.”

  His head tipped. “Don’t tell me the Sylvan Forest.”

  “Yeah. Still want to be part of this battle?”

  “Shit, as long as Killian isn’t Alpha, I don’t give a damn. This town was getting boring anyway. I’ve done the lone wolf thing. I miss it. If Nate takes the pack, I may stay to ensure the transition goes well, but sooner or later, I’m moving on. Especially if my reason for being here is over.”

  “Five years and all you wanted was revenge?”

  “Yeah, and I have no qualms with you or Nate, not now that I understand how you all were manipulated.” Jay leaned on the desk. “I’ll get word to you the moment I know more. And if you need me at your side, just give the word. I’ll be there.”

  “Shit, I’m sorry I didn’t give you the benefit of the doubt sooner,” Bran answered. “I took someone’s hatred for you and made assumptions I never should have. If I could go back, I’d change it all.”

  Jay chuckled. “Good luck with Evangeline. I never touched her. Honestly, I felt sorry for her. She didn’t know the monster her mate was, but she was so young.” Standing, he shrugged. “If you can get past her walls, treat her right. She deserves a good man.” He left before Bran responded.

  Chapter 31

  Evangeline stormed up the stairs of Savon’s home and sat down on the bed next to Nate. He curled around Savon, both deep under.

  Heartbreaking.

  And if he wasn’t careful, he’d lose himself in there, and she might not be able to pull either out. So she reached out, touched his shoulder, and found him, deeper than she had to go to find him before.

  She took his arm and yanked him out before he realized she was there.

  Nate rolled up and shot to his feet. “What the fuck! I almost had her!”

  Standing, Evangeline moved in front of him and took his shoulders. “You were way too deep for way too long. You want to get stuck there and not ever be able to come up? You were nearly there. You need food. I brought you something that will help. And ma
ybe it will make it easier to surface on your own.”

  “She’s lost. She doesn’t move. I see her eyes shining in the dark, deep down there. I almost had her.” He closed his eyes, his chest heaving. “She’s scaring me.”

  “That’s how you were. You came back, though. I reached you and brought you back. If you’re almost there, you can start working to pull her up before we hear from this Ms. Murdock.”

  He nodded. “A little longer. Please.”

  “Nope. No. Don’t fight me on this. I’ll force feed you if I have to. Besides, we should talk.”

  “About what?” he snapped.

  “What you’ll likely find when you do reach her.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Come eat. Now!” She grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the hall.

  He shook her off, muttering, “So fucking close.”

  “Yeah, but she may seem closer than she is.” She stopped at the counter and opened the bag. There was a thermos of Frannie’s soup.

  The woman could create potions that worked wonders. In fact, her mother supplied her with plenty of soups and warm drinks to keep her going while searching for Nate and helping him find his way. She filled a giant mug she brought and shoved it his way.

  When he stared at it, she said, “Drink.”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Why do you think this will work?”

  She didn’t want to point out it would ensure it would act as a magical alarm clock and make him get up to pee every few hours. “It will make it easier to find your way out. And trust me, you still need to surface from time to time.

  He grabbed the mug and chugged it down. His hand slammed on the table, the thud echoing through the home. “Shit, what is this?”

  Evangeline’s head tipped. “Soup. Frannie added some things to help.”

  “Too damned hot!”

  She couldn’t help laughing as he moved to the fridge with a snarl and pulled out the tea, drinking the rest from the pitcher.

  “Yeah, she just made it. Which is why I arrived later than planned. Well, that and I brought you some tea that should help you reach her more easily. Here’s the problem. You can start pulling her to the surface slowly, but there will be a point you won’t be able to take her farther. Not without removing the curse.”

  “Thought you didn’t know much about the curse,” Nate replied, less grumbly than before.

  “I called her friend Tremaine. Apparently, Ms. Murdock will be here tomorrow morning with someone who can help. Which means I’ll make sure you come out a few more times before they get here. And hopefully, you were as close as you thought. Should make pulling her the rest of the way out easier.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, but she’s not running from you now, and I don’t imagine she will. She’ll still feel your bond while asleep. You might be the only thing she’ll reach for. And she may not remember anything, not until you start bringing her up through levels of her memory.”

  “Which is what you’ve cautioned me about.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m not worried about that.”

  “Even if you see her with Tremaine?”

  “Tremaine? No. That I understand. It’s Nikolai I’ll have a problem with.”

  “Yeah, I can imagine. I’ll be back later to check on you. If I sense no sign you’ve recently been out of bed, I’ll pull you out, especially if you haven’t reached her. You really can get stuck in there, Nate. And this pack needs a true Alpha.”

  “I’ll be ready to deal with that after I have Savon back and awake.” He paused, then looked into her eyes. “Why tomorrow? Can’t Robert just grab them and bring them?”

  She shook her head. “They don’t want their location shared. So until they get to civilization, Robert won’t go to them, at Ms. Murdock’s request. They want to protect their clan.”

  “I can live with that.” He nodded at the thermos. “Thank you. Now, can I go up there and try to find her?”

  “Yeah.” She smiled as she backed to the door. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

  “Just put me in my place if I’m being stupid.”

  She couldn’t stop the laugh. “Normally, you aren’t. You have every reason to be now.”

  “I’ll see you later.” He started up the stairs.

  She let herself out and headed to the café.

  * * * *

  “Savon,” that voice called. “I’m coming, baby.”

  He sounded so worried. She longed for someone to need her that bad. She tried to look away, but her attention caught on the molten pools hovering before her.

  “Savon.” Long fingers reached out, sweeping across her cheek. His expression softened, a smile pulling at his lips.

  Her eyes fluttered shut as she leaned into his palm.

  “Sav, say something,” he whispered.

  “Who?”

  Tears welled up in his eyes. “I’m Nathan Taggert. Nate. I need you to come back to me, Savon. I need you to follow me, and maybe you’ll remember.”

  “Remember what?”

  “Follow me. Then you’ll see.”

  “You’ll show me who I am?”

  He nodded. “You’re my heart, my light, my everything. I need you. I can’t bring you all the way out yet, but soon. For now, I’ll show you as much of yourself as I can.”

  She stood, he pulled her into his arms, and she went. Her arms naturally wound around his waist as if they belonged. He held her so tight she felt at home in his embrace.

  “I remember this,” she whispered, feeling his love wind around her, pulling at her own. Leaning back, she captured his gaze. “Show me.”

  “Can you walk?” he asked.

  “Don’t know where I am,” she whispered.

  He threaded his fingers through hers. “I’ll lead.”

  She’d follow him anywhere and fell in step beside him.

  * * * *

  Relief flowed in. She didn’t resist. Nate led her the way he came, remembering every step. She hadn’t sunk farther than where she’d been. It only took moments to reach her, but maybe an hour to get her to focus on him.

  He wanted to get her somewhere familiar, somewhere in her memory that was easy to find. So many places they knew were tied up with sad memories. He planned to reclaim them with better, but it might take time.

  She leaned closer as they walked, climbing out of the lowest reaches of her mind.

  “Remember anything?”

  She shook her head. “Only that I trust you.”

  A smile broke loose. At least they weren’t back where they began when she first came home.

  “I love you, Savon. Always have. Ask me anything, and I’ll help you find the memories.”

  “Always?” she asked.

  He nodded, looking into her gorgeous face as he continued to lead them up. “You’re my first memory. I came over to your house to play with your brother when I was little. You were only a few days old. Even then I wanted to see you smile.”

  “Why do I feel like I spent too long without you?”

  Looking forward. “My father stood in our way, but never again.”

  “Is he gone?”

  He half-laughed. “At the moment. When he comes back, I’ll destroy him. It’s the only way.”

  “We could run away,” she offered. “You, me, wherever you want to go.”

  “No more running, Savon. That didn’t work so well for either of us.”

  “Who ran?”

  “You, because you didn’t understand. I finally got you to listen, but it was almost too late.”

  “Listening now,” she murmured, a smile on her lips.

  He felt Evangeline coming and steered Savon toward their tree. “I’m taking you to our place—well, within your memory. I want you to stay here until I come back. Might seem like forever, but I won’t be long. A friend of ours is making sure I take care of myself so I can bring you back.”

 
“You have to go?”

  He nodded. “Not for long. Stay here, and I’ll be back quickly. I swear on my life.” Nate helped her sit and kissed her softly. “I’ll be back as fast as I can be.”

  She held his face there, placing her forehead against his. “Hurry,” Savon whispered.

  Evangeline walked up to the edge of the willow. “Swear on my life I’ll be back in a few.” He gave Savon one last kiss before letting Evangeline drag him away.

  Chapter 32

  Bran dropped onto the couch next to Evangeline. They were camping out at Savon’s, making sure Nate woke up every few hours. Bastard was more of an ass every time they woke him up.

  Yeah, Bran worried about his sister, but he started to worry about his closest friend.

  Nate came down the stairs and went to the fridge. “I hate myself,” he muttered.

  “Why?” Bran asked.

  “Fuck, she keeps asking questions, and I’m answering, but I’m waiting for her to shut me out.”

  “She’s not going to. You’ve broken into her shell and are pulling her out bit by bit. She’ll remember that.”

  “And what if she remembers why she ran for so damned long?” Nate pulled out a beer and drank half of it. “I fucked up so many times I can’t count.”

  Evangeline followed Nate. “Hey, relax. Every time I’ve had to come in for you, you’re closer. Just have to make it until tomorrow. I’ll follow you in when I go to bed and make sure you don’t stay too long.”

  “I can’t stay until they get here tomorrow?”

  “No. Nate, I know it’s tempting, but you need to be healthy when she comes out. She may need your help at first. All of our help. As a wolf, you were weak when you first woke.”

  “Only difference, I was out two months. It’s only been a day.”

  “It will nearly be two days by the time she’s here, and it might not be as simple as pulling her the rest of the way. She’s still deep.”