Between Two Realms: Awaken

by Amber Flora

  “I believe your words were ya threw yourself at him. And as for being an oinker, it just comes naturally I’m afraid. I don’t know how to turn it off.”

  I removed my high heels and unbraided my hair.

  “Here’s an idea just don’t talk at all and save women the trouble of verbally rejecting you.”

  He pretended to be wounded by my words.

  “Oh you don’t want that, I’m even sexier when I’m silent. Women love the mystery of an aloof man, it makes me irresistible.”

  I lay on the couch and put a pillow under my head.

  “I would be willing to take the risk,” I managed to get out in a yawn before drifting off to sleep.

  Mac watched Ashtyn sleep while he sorted through some files of Veronica Frost. He had searched high and low for the clairvoyant that drugged her on her first trip to Cardician but to no avail. He had to be missing something in these files, he could feel it. She was such a beautiful yet curious creature. She was a dreamwalker, there was no doubt about that, but then why did she sleep? He had never known the feeling of slumber, but it looked peaceful. He hoped Cody or Ben was watching over her in dream realm. Scratch that, he didn’t want Ben anywhere near her. He internally kicked himself for not telling her truth about Ben, but he knew how hardheaded she was and he knew even if he did reveal the truth she still wouldn’t have heeded his warning. When he stepped outside that club and saw Ashtyn's skewed shirt and swollen lips he wanted to tear Ben limb from limb. It wasn’t enough that he tried to claim her mother, he now wanted Ashtyn as well. Sick cod, the only thing that kept him from breaking every bone in his hands was the little fact that Ben was his boss. But if he ever tried it again, general or not, he was going to rip his balls off. He thought about checking on her in her dreams, but it was too dangerous for him to leave her alone in this realm, plus he enjoyed seeing her on this side of sleep. He liked the thought that maybe she was dreaming about him. He knew it was a long shot, but not entering her dreams left that possibility open.

  Hours had passed in Cardician since Ashtyn fell asleep. Mac rarely visited this realm but he was glad he purchased the small apartment for situations such as this. He owned property in all of the realms; one never knew when a hideaway would be handy. It had saved his arse on more than one occasion. He was still reading over documents one of his informants had given him about Frost’s years on the wizard council when he heard the sound of a door jiggling. He looked over at the brunette laying on his couch. If he were alone he would have just flashed out there, but he couldn’t leave her behind. How did he wake her without alerting the person on the other side of the door? He quickly turned one of the documents in his hand into a flying airplane and shot it toward her hitting her in the forehead. Her eyes blinked open. He made a shush sound with his finger on his lips before she could get out a yelp and pointed toward the door. He mouthed the word “Flash” and prayed she would flash to the same place he was thinking of.

  I was getting really sick of flashing between realms just to see angry men glaring at me on the other side.

  “What the hell is wrong with both of you?” Cody yelled shortly after we flashed into Mac’s loft.

  Mac and I looked at each other and shrugged nonchalantly.

  “It’s been two days since the two of you flashed out the club in front of a dozen humans.”

  I gasped. Two days? How the hell could immortals keep appointments if time had no bearing?

  “We didn’t even think you would notice, you seemed a little preoccupied,” I said accusingly. “Maybe I wouldn’t have been if you didn’t take a dreamwalker who had never been to the human realm to a nightclub and let some jackass try to slide his hand up her dress.”

  I was horrified. Had that nice-looking cowboy tried to take advantage of Kat?

  “Katrina, oh God, I’m so sorry. I never thought …”

  He cut me off by throwing his palm up. “That’s right! You didn’t think, you just did whatever you wanted with no thought of the consequence.”

  Mac stepped between Cody and me.

  “Cool it, lad.”

  I had to control myself. I couldn’t go flashing back to Cardician every time I got the slightest bit upset. Cody got in Mac’s face.

  “Or what?” he demanded through gritted teeth.

  “Did you ever stop to think she had her own shit going on? You think we just flashed out of the club for some alone time? She couldn’t help it. As for Katrina, it’s awful what happened to her, but she is a grown woman. She deserved a night out of your mother's shadow.”

  What was happening between these two? They were so close before; now they were acting more like enemies instead of friends.

  “Stop it, both of you! I’m sorry that happened to Kat. If I could take it all back I would, but you are done talking to me like I’m your child. If you don’t want me here I’ll leave, but if I am to stay you will treat me with respect. I screwed up, yes, but trust me when I say that wasn’t the first mistake I made and it won't be the last. If you can’t accept me for who I am then I’ll find another watchdog until this whole thing is over.”

  Cody took a step back, looking at me intently.

  “My apologies, you’re absolutely right. It’s been a long couple of days please forgive me.”

  I was a little taken back. He actually apologized? I didn’t want to keep arguing; it was pointless and I wasn’t going to pit friends against each other because of me.

  “Apology accepted. Who’s hungry? I’ll make dinner.”

  I saw the look between them as if they still wanted to rip into each other, but I knew the truth: If one of them were in trouble they would be there in an instant.

  I sat at the dinner table watching the two men devour my chicken pasta.

  “Who do you think it was?” Cody asked Mac after he told him about our unexpected visitor in Cardician.

  “Not sure, I don’t know if they were looking for something I had or knew Ashtyn and I were there, but I didn’t want to take the chance of them finding her. If they saw her in Cardician they might try to piece together why the dreamwalker priestess' daughter was in magic realm.”

  I snorted.

  “Good luck, I don’t even know the answer to that myself. We’re all just assuming my father is a wizard, but what if we're wrong? We have zero proof that we are on the right track.”

  Cody thought about it for a moment.

  “If that isn’t true then why do you keep flashing there? What other explanation could it be?”

  I took a bite of my food trying to eat like a lady. I hated that I actually took something away from my stay with Ben, but he was right, I ate like an animal.

  “I’m not sure, but I’m going back to the Archives tomorrow. If there is anything in those books about my father or Ser’ie I’ll find it.”

  Cody sat back and exhaled.

  “That reminds me, Lori, um, saw you flash.”

  I jumped up from the table.

  “She what?!”

  Cody rolled his eyes.

  “Calm down, Gloria talked to her about it. She didn’t go into detail, but she did relax her. She was a bit hysterical after you disappeared. I think you should tell her the truth.”

  I gave him a glacial stare.

  “Are you crazy? How do you suppose that conversation would go? Oh hey, Lori, by the way I’m not human, I’m a weird race called dreamwalkers and I can spy on you in your sleep. Isn’t that cool?”

  Mac belted out a laugh and Cody shot him a glance.

  “She loves you like a sister. I’m not saying it would be easy, but she would come to accept it.”

  I took my plate to the sink and washed it off.

  “Thanks for the advice, but I’ll decide when and if I ever tell my friend I’m an alien.”

  Mac looked at me with a serious expression.

  “There is no such thing as aliens, lass, now you’re just being ridiculous.”

  I hated to say it but I was glad to be back here. This place was
starting to feel like home and for the first time in a long time I felt like I had a family.

  Chapter 12

  I spent hours looking through the ancestry documents in the Archive. Gloria wasn’t upset with me in the least over the events that unfolded at the club. In fact I think I unleashed a monster; she was already asking when we were going to do it again. I still hadn’t had a chance to apologize to Katrina, but Gloria told me it wasn’t as bad as Cody made it out to be.

  “Between me and you I think he was little jealous,” Gloria whispered as if anyone were around to hear us.

  I don’t know why, but the thought of Cody being jealous over another woman made my own green little monster creep to the surface. I wondered if Kat had told Bonnie everything that transpired that night. I knew the girl couldn’t keep a secret and she was extremely close to Bonnie from what I gathered. I cringed thinking about what Bonnie would say about the turn of events. As if she didn’t already have a list of reasons to hate me, I just gave her another. I couldn’t find anything regarding my heritage, but I did stumble upon something of interest about Mac. I didn’t know what I was looking at, but it definitely gave me cause for hesitation. Mac had a pretty expansive family history that dated back well beyond any human family tree. When I got to the page that listed Mac’s name I paused. What the hell does it mean?

  Mac Donagh Family

  Mother: Catlin Mac Donagh Father: Impure

  Child: Brian Mac Donagh

  Mother: Fiona Allen Father: Brian Mac Donagh

  Child: Fintan Mac Donagh

  Why was Mac’s grandfather not listed? More importantly, why did his grandmother keep her last name and give it to her son? I knew some human women who didn’t have relationships with the father of their children kept their last name to be carried on through their children, but what did it take for a dreamwalker to make that kind of decision?

  “Gloria?” I said, calling her over to the table that was piled high with all the books I had been paging through.

  “Why would a person be listed as Impure in the ancestry documents?”

  She sat next to me glancing at the book I had in my hand.

  “Oh my, I had no idea,” she said just staring at the words on the page.

  “No idea of what, what does this mean?”

  She leaned back in her chair trying to put her thoughts into words.

  “Sometimes babies are born from different races. It’s very rare since different realms hardly communicate with each other, and it’s not as easy to conceive with another race, but every now and then it happens.”

  My jaw dropped. I don’t think I heard her correctly.

  Obviously I knew it was possible to produce a child born of two realms— I mean, I was one of them. But it never occurred to me that I wasn’t the only one. I mentally cursed my stupidity.

  “Are you saying Mac’s grandfather isn't a dreamwalker?” she nodded.

  “It appears so.”

  Mac’s father was like me? He had the blood of different races coursing through his veins, torn between one life or the other.

  “Does Mac know?” I asked, wondering how he would feel about this enormous piece of information.

  “I’m not sure, I wasn’t aware of it and I know his father wasn’t the friendliest of men. I doubt he ever told him.”

  I flipped through the book to see if I could find any more information.

  “If he isn’t from this realm, what realm could he be from?”

  She placed her finger on the tip of her chin patting it lightly.

  “He could be from any of them. A human, wizard or vampire.”

  I always forgot about the vampire realm since I had never met one or been there before.

  “Vampires can have children?” I asked, surprised.

  “Only the men and they can’t with their own kind or humans. A baby can be born from a male vampire and female wizard or dreamwalker but it’s very unlikely. I have only heard of a couple children like that in existence.”

  That got my mind racing.

  “If a child is born of two realms, what realm do they belong to?”

  She patted my back as if knowing I was thinking about my own circumstance.

  “They could live in any realm they chose, but typically a child will show signs that their body favors a particular realm. For instance, if a child was born of a vampire and dreamwalker but preferred the dark over dreams then he would thrive in the shadow realm.”

  A lightbulb went off in my head.

  “You said Mac’s father was an unlikable man?” Gloria sighed as if it hurt her to say her next words.

  “He drank a lot and was often mentally abusive to Mac. I don’t know if he ever physically hit him but there were not many people who were fond of the man.”

  I jumped up, embracing her in a hug.

  “Gloria, you are amazing,” I yelled, taking off toward the door.

  “Where are you going?” she called out to me from the doorway.

  “I know where to find Mac’s father,” I replied, running toward the direction of the council hall.

  I knew the where now, I just need the how.

  “She isn’t Deandra; the girl is reckless and argumentative,” Ben huffed.

  He had been on Ashtyn’s side in the beginning partly because of his feelings for her mother, but mostly he saw something in her, something fierce and determined. He knew kissing her was a mistake, and calling out her mother's name took the cake. He couldn’t help it, being around Ashtyn brought back all the memories he had tried to push away of his time with Deandra. He knew they weren’t the same people, but Ashtyn was more like her mother than anyone dared to admit. When he kissed her it was like taking his first breath in twenty-six years. His emotions poured through him and all that was on his mind were the sweet thoughts of his Deandra.

  “That sounds exactly like Deandra.”

  Roger knew her better than anyone. He spent many days trying to tame the fire that burned in her veins.

  “When the council discussed the possibility of Ashtyn being the Phoenix that was prior to our knowledge of her being a half-blood. Are we really prepared to allow an Impure to be the next High Priestess of the dreamwalkers?”

  Roger looked at his friend with understanding.

  While he was much older than Ben they had become close ever since he took Elias' seat on the council after his death. Ben proved himself a worthy candidate when he refused to betray his friends and in turn was tortured and forever scared for his loyalty.

  “Perhaps she is exactly what we need. Ser'ie wanted to eradicate the other races instead of uniting them. Who better to create an allegiance between the realms then a child born from them? Do not fear change, Benjamin. Change is growth, evolution and progress. Revolutions are spun from the hope of change. Ashtyn is young, she is still trying to find her place in this world. If she decides it is with us then I have no doubt she will be everything her mother prophesied.”

  Ben wanted to believe his friend. He hoped Roger’s faith would rub off on him, but he needed more than faith. He needed some kind of sign that Deandra’s prophecy and the birth of Ashtyn weren’t just mere coincidence.

  I found Ben in the council hall talking to Roger. He was surprised and I sensed a tinge of fear at my presence.

  “Ashtyn, what are you doing here?” he asked, trying not to look me in the eye but keeping his words light as not to tip off Roger that anything was askew.

  “I need to talk to you, in private.” I emphasized the last word to make sure he knew I didn’t come there for a fight.

  Ben shook Roger’s hand and exchanged goodbyes before Roger left the room and we were alone.

  “I need your help,” I said, almost telling him instead of asking.

  “I thought you would never want to see me again after …”

  I stopped him before he could finish his sentence.

  “Let’s not go there. I don’t think either of us is ready for that conversation. I need you to accompa
ny me to the shadow realm.”

  He laughed so hard he was grabbing at his side.

  I didn’t see the humor in it.

  “Are you mad? Why would you possibly think I would escort you to one of the most dangerous places imaginable?”

  I stood as straight as I could trying to not feel intimidated by his commanding size.

  “Because I know you are good at keeping secrets and I also have a feeling there are some secrets you wouldn’t want your friends on the council to get wind of.”

  Ben stepped closer, peering down at me.

  “Are you blackmailing me, Miss Lane?”

  I countered back standing my ground.

  “Call it what you like, but I think you owe me this small favor.”

  Ben ran his hand through his long blonde hair in frustration.

  “You didn’t even allow me to explain.”

  I raised my hand at him to stop talking.

  “Nothing you could say would ease my mind. What happened is done and I think it would benefit both of us to just move on.”

  Ben took a deep breath as if trying to contain a storm raging inside of him.

  “Why would you want me to take you? I’m sure Cody or Mac would be more than willing to be your lackeys.”

  I thought about it. I’m sure they would do just about anything I asked of them, but this little trip would not be with one of them.

  “They don’t need to be involved in all of my affairs. They are never to know about this, is that clear?” Ben pondered my offer.

  “If I do this are we even?”

  I laughed.

  “We will never be even, but if you help me I promise I will never tell Roger and your friends about your deepest desires.”

  He put his hand out for me to shake, I didn’t take it, I wanted to refrain from any contact with him. He pulled back, realizing his mistake.

  “Shadow realm is dangerous for any dreamwalker. For you the threat is even greater. Whatever happens don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  I held strong, not allowing my poker face to falter. Oh, I was scared all right, but I would be damned if I gave him the satisfaction of knowing.