Sleepwalker

by Brandy L Rivers

  “This is Mircea. The good twin.” Ceridwen smirked. “Rather charming young man.”

  Mircea snorted. “I’m several hundred years old, as you well know. No one is calling me young.”

  “I have eons on you, dear.” She winked, then nodded at the girl. “This is Nadya. She’s here to help Savon learn to harness her abilities better than even Darron could manage.”

  “Better?”

  “Aye, better. Both Savon and Nadya have more talent than he ever could have dreamed. Which is why he refused to train her. He didn’t realize that the truly powerful usually learn discipline he sometimes forgot.”

  “How so?” Tremaine asked.

  Nadya’s eyes darkened. “We remember what abusing our power can do. I think it has more to do with being women.”

  Tremaine held up his hands. “I’m simply gathering information. I said nothing about gender, or age. Simply wanting to understand when I had always been told Darron was the strongest.”

  Mircea smirked. “Only because I keep Nadya in our encampment as much as possible. She tends to spook the most mundane human beings.”

  Bran’s brow pinched. “I hope that will help the rest of the situation. Seems we may have a coup brewing. But I’ll wait to explain that when they come down. I told them to hurry, but she’s been under for two days.”

  Preston shook his head. “They might need a reunion. You can’t tell me at least most of the people in this room haven’t been there.”

  Robert groaned. “Keep it to yourself.”

  Tremaine pulled back the smile. “How bad is this possible coup?”

  “I believe we can handle it,” Bran answered.

  “Oh, it will be handled,” Ceridwen answered. “Though you’ll have our help. We’re staying until we resolve all the problems revolving around Fawn’s meddling.”

  Tremaine shook his head. “So, you didn’t interfere?”

  She laughed. “I’ve always seen Nathan and Savon finding their way back to each other. They were destined for one another. No matter the path, they twined together eventually.”

  Bran huffed. “My mother planned all this somehow?”

  “She never had the gift of sight. I think she saw opportunity and sought revenge that would, in her mind, set everyone back on the right path.” Ceridwen glanced up the stairs. “Nate did well, bringing her so close to the surface. I honestly expected it to take her longer to come out of the sleep.”

  Evangeline rubbed her arm. “I’m glad. The pack is getting antsy to have someone in the Alpha role again. And I think they can all agree that Killian needs to go.”

  Savon came down the stairs, slower than her normal pace. She put on a good show of being a hundred percent. Nate followed, clearly tense.

  Tremaine lifted a single brow. “You’ll never change, will you?”

  Savon shot him a smirk. “You know me better than that.”

  He gave Nate a sympathetic smile. “Stubborn to the core.”

  “Wouldn’t have her any other way,” Nate answered.

  Her face lit up, but she took a seat on the couch. Nate sat beside her.

  Tremaine nodded at Ceridwen. “Best if this all comes from you.”

  Nodding, Ms. Murdock laid out everything she knew, adding a few details about the Sylvan Forest and how only a Sylvan Fae could lead someone there.

  “So, my mother is alive, and you need Bran or me to take everyone there?”

  Ceridwen looked around the room. “Maybe not everyone. Just those we need. I imagine Killian is in bad shape. He’ll need to be healed before you can challenge him, Nathan.”

  “I’d rather take him down when he’s healthy. He believes I’m weak. I want him to know I’m not when I crush him.”

  Bran snorted. “He doesn’t believe you’re weak. He thinks you’ll make his same mistakes. And the only mistake he admits to is loving my mother.”

  “To you, perhaps, but he’s called me weak all my life.”

  “Yeah, well, he told me a lot of things he didn’t tell you. At least where you’re concerned.”

  “Even when I came back he told me how much of a disappointment I was.”

  “He had his priorities screwed. He wanted power. That was all. And you were out following your dreams,” Bran pointed out.

  “Doesn’t make any of it right. The bastard has hurt too many people, torn others apart. How the hell he kept power so long is beyond me.” Nate stood and paced away. “I should have challenged him in the beginning. Then we wouldn’t be in this mess. I could have gone to get Savon, and none of this shit would have happened.”

  “Most of it would have found a way to happen. Unfortunately, you can alter a course slightly, but rarely completely. I’ve tried, but the best I can do is find the smoothest course, and that’s usually bumpy.” Ceridwen offered a smile and turned to Savon. “How are you handling the knowledge your mother is alive?”

  “Not really surprised. There were hints in the letters.” Savon sat back. “About the Branches, about you. About why she was here in the first place. It all sort of makes sense. I think she wants me to find her.”

  “Which fits with my theory.”

  “I came here to challenge my father,” Nate stated. “Jay got there first.”

  “Jay was tired of waiting for someone to step up.” Bran leaned against the wall. “He thought you were here to act as his second or maybe an enforcer. Figured you would fall in line with Killian.”

  “Yeah, I realize that, but it was never going to happen,” Nate muttered.

  Amused, Preston asked, “What was the theory for Jay not taking the Alpha position?”

  “That Killian had been cursed, poisoned, or the pack was so broken it had fallen apart,” Bran answered.

  “And I’ve managed to command a couple wolves since then. So some thought I had somehow beat my father out of the position, but I believe that was more dominance and lack of leader than anything else. My father sure as hell hadn’t passed any power onto me.”

  * * * *

  Savon didn’t like any of this. They had to go drag Killian back, make sure he was healthy, let Nate challenge him, and then force all the wolves to fall in line.

  Not to mention she was half surprised that Nikolai’s twin didn’t seem to hate her. And no one had told her exactly what happened to the bastard yet either. There were too damned many pieces to the puzzle and she needed answers in the worst way.

  “What’s our time frame looking like?” Savon blurted out while stopping the threads of conversation that circled around her.

  Nadya took a tentative step forward. “Hopefully I can have a day to help you before you travel to Faery. The entities there can prove troublesome. Most of them you can actually see, while no one else can.”

  “What?” Savon asked. There were only a few she’d ever seen almost ghostly images of. Things not of this world, and only in places where the veil was thinner.

  But Faery wasn’t Earth, and she’d never crossed over. Maybe there were spirits that drifted between this world and that? A sea of questions threatened to drown her. She preferred when she could focus on one thought, not a million.

  “We should go within a couple days,” Ceridwen offered. “Give you a chance to rest. And a day to learn from Nadya.”

  “Thank you.” She turned toward Mircea. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about your brother. If he had just let me go, and not come after me, I would have left him alone.”

  “He deserved to die. He’ll no longer be a threat to you or anyone else. There’s no love lost here.”

  That helped a tiny bit. “Two days? What happens until then?”

  “Today, you re-center yourself, however you need to. Tomorrow, Nadya will help you. The day after we’ll figure out how we want to deal with the Sylvan Forest. We can’t translocate all the way to your mother, but we can to the edge. We can take a portal back. Question is, will she let him go? If I’m wrong, she could be holding him
for a very different reason.”

  “Please don’t go there.” Bran scrubbed a hand over his face and nodded to Nate. “I already know my mom did his dad. I really don’t want to know.”

  Savon rolled her eyes. “We still have to find out and deal with him. Whether you like it or not. Look, if we aren’t doing this today, can we do this tomorrow? I need to go anywhere else. I feel like I’ve been trapped too long.”

  Tremaine smirked. “You need to stay safe. You realize that, don’t you? Nikolai didn’t know where to find you. He was working for Canagan. Which means, she wants you out of the way at the very least.”

  “I’m not worried about her. Her wolves don’t listen to her commands when I’m around. Makes me think none of the werewolves will either, if I have my way.”

  “Maybe not, but do you really want to wind up hurt, or worse, because you got too cocky? And don’t tell me you haven’t. I remember your date with an ancient vampire.”

  “I did leave him in a pile of ashes,” she protested.

  Tremaine’s eyes narrowed. He leaned forward. “You also wound up in the hospital for a transfusion. Just let me wind a spell so we know if you need us. That way, we don’t have to search.”

  “Fine.” She stood, walked over to Tremaine, and held out her arm. “I’m assuming it’s the same one you’ve used in the past.”

  He nodded. “Thank you. I’ll feel better knowing you’re not lost to us.” He wrapped her in a hug. “Let Nate take care of you. You’re still shaky.”

  She nodded. “I will. Promise.”

  He wove the spell around her and released her.

  Robert looked at Preston and Tremaine. “In that case, we’ll be nearby.”

  Preston gave her a smirk. “Keep him on his toes.”

  Robert shook his head before they disappeared.

  Chapter 34

  “You really want to leave town?” Evangeline demanded. “Now might be the worst possible time.”

  “Why?” Nate asked, seriously annoyed his judgment was being questioned. “I’m not the Alpha yet. The town needs to believe nothing has changed. I’m not going far. My retreat. The one only you and Bran know about. We’ll be close enough we can get back in a hurry.”

  Bran argued, “Might be good to train Savon out there as well. The wolves used to get antsy when my father worked with spirits.”

  Nate nodded and turned to the young woman. “Nadya, how do you feel about beaches and forests? Think you’d be okay to show Savon what she needs to know out there?”

  “I’d love to see the ocean up close.” She turned to her father. “Please.”

  He smiled down at her. “Of course, princess. We can head out there whenever we have word she’s ready.”

  Savon glanced at Ms. Murdock. “Will you have your phone, and actually answer it?”

  “Yes. The problem wasn’t that I didn’t have it last time, it was that I was in Faery, where there is no signal. Looking for your mother.”

  “All right. I’ll call once we’re ready. Now, I need to go put some stuff together so we can go.”

  Evangeline grabbed Savon’s arm as she hopped up. “Can we talk? You and me?”

  She dipped her head slowly. “Sure, one sec.” She turned back to Mircea. “Thank you, both of you.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m glad my brother didn’t persuade you to his side.”

  “Me too.”

  He took Nadya’s hand and stepped outside.

  “Be careful, Savon,” Ceridwen said.

  “Promise.” She gave Old Lady Murdock a hug. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “No doubt of that.” Ceridwen stepped out.

  Nate took Savon’s hands. “What are you packing?”

  “Sketchbook, pencils. Supplies. Not much. Relax.”

  He chuckled. “Can’t blame me for being curious.”

  Bran pulled Nate aside, and Savon started up the stairs.

  Evangeline followed and closed the door in her art room. “I don’t think you leaving here is wise right now. Look what happened last time you ventured from the house.”

  “I can’t stay. You don’t understand. I need to go. If I stay, I’m going to dwell and things will go nuts. This is the only way to ensure my sanity. Trust me.”

  “I’m worried. You didn’t see Nate every time he stepped out of your head the last couple days. You had us all worried, but he could hardly stand to be away from you. And he blames himself for your coma.”

  “Not his fault. And there wasn’t a better option. I wish there had been. I was going crazy when he wasn’t there with me. I couldn’t remember anything but how he makes me feel. Shit…that sounds desperate.” Savon turned and started to fill a bag with art supplies.

  “I realize that. And somewhere in there, he does too. That doesn’t change what he’s feeling. He has every reason to be paranoid.”

  “Damn it.” Savon spun to face Evangeline. “What do you want me to say? That I’ll stay locked up? I can’t. Shit, you don’t get it. Me staying here will not stop whatever is coming.”

  “Yeah, but the wolves we don’t want coming to your door can’t get here, right?”

  “I can do the same for this retreat.”

  “You were attacked on your property.”

  “That wasn’t my property, though I claimed the willow tree,” Savon argued. “I never warded Nate’s land.”

  “If something happens to you—”

  Savon lifted her hand and shook her head. “Don’t, just stop right there, please. I’m not in the mood to argue, and I need to get away from here. I have plenty of my own shit to sort out.”

  Evangeline flexed her hands and paced away. She wasn’t taking Savon’s needs into consideration. “Can I ask why you need to go?”

  “I feel boxed in right now, like the walls are closing in. And if I stay in this house, I’m going to lose my mind, and that means every entity anywhere near me will too. I’m not finding peace here, not right now.”

  “Okay, be careful. I don’t like seeing Nate worried.”

  “Neither do I, but I don’t know how to change that until this is all over.”

  “Call if you need someone.” Evangeline stepped out and leaned against the wall. The moment she closed the door, the air seemed to lighten. Breathing was even easier downstairs.

  Evangeline glanced up the stairs. Savon really did need to get away. “She always like this?” Evangeline asked.

  “What do you mean?” Nate growled, stalking closer.

  Evangeline huffed. “Need space from everything?”

  Bran shook his head. “She didn’t use to, but with her powers unlocked, it is very likely that she needs more space than she used to. Though she always loved to walk, to explore, to get away.”

  Nate rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “She’s still the same girl who stole my heart.”

  “Would you calm yourself? Seriously, Nate. I’m trying to understand. I wasn’t here when she was. And so far, trouble seems to follow her.”

  Bran shrugged. “Tremaine doesn’t seem worried. He’s been around her more than we have recently.”

  Evangeline dropped into a seat and crossed her legs. “It’s not so far Canagan and her hounds couldn’t show up.”

  “And we’ll keep an eye out for them.”

  Savon hurried down the stairs. “And I’ll ward the property when we get there.”

  Evangeline stood. “Enjoy yourselves then.”

  “We will.” Savon glanced over at Nate. “Need to grab anything?”

  “A few things. You ready?”

  “Yup, so you all get out.” She winked.

  Evangeline touched her shoulder. “I meant no offense. Honest.”

  “None taken. I’m glad you’re worried about him.” Savon turned, and Bran wrapped her in his arms.

  “Hey, take it easy out there. Come back whole, cuz this asshole keeps hogging all your time.” He shot Nate a glare.

&n
bsp; She ducked her gaze. “We’ll take a whole day together soon. All night too if you want. Okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  Evangeline chewed her lip, watching Bran. She’d spent so long ignoring what was growing, she hadn’t paid attention to the man. Every new facet pulled her closer. He wanted to wait until it was about them.

  “Come on, Bran. Let’s let them have some time.”

  “You got it. I need to get to work anyway.” He squeezed Savon. “Love ya, Sis.”

  “Stop moping,” Nate said. “She talked to you every couple days all these years.”

  “You saw her in dreams,” Bran pointed out, backing toward the door.

  “Promise I’ll bring her back.”

  “Better.” Bran ducked out the door, and Evangeline followed.

  “I hope this is over soon.”

  He looked over and grinned. “Me too. I’m looking forward to taking you out.”

  “And if I don’t need all that?”

  “But I may want all that.” He took her hand, looked into her eyes, and he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Let me show you what you’re missing, my way.” He backed down the front steps.

  She could only smile as she watched him go. He was so damned charming. More so than she ever expected.

  * * * *

  “What did she say while up there?” Nate asked.

  “I’m not telling. Don’t worry. We came to an understanding. That’s all you need to know.”

  “If she ever gives you shit, I’ll put a stop to it,” Nate promised.

  “Don’t need to. We’re not going to have a problem.” She pulled him out the door and locked up.

  “I’m driving, which means walking back to the house.” Nate pulled her toward his house.

  “I don’t mind your home. If you want us to stay there, we can.”

  He shook his head. “I’d rather be in your home, with you. Nothing but bad memories in mine.”

  “Then move in. I mean, if that’s what you want.”

  “Sav, it’s everything I want.” He hurried his pace.

  She kept up with a grin. “So where are you taking me?”