by Ripley, Meg
“I think we understand,” Cameron said gruffly, cutting him off. “Go up to your room and get cleaned up.” He waited until his son left before he began opening windows.
Samantha helped him, opening the wide patio doors. “I can’t believe he did this. He doesn’t ever act up—”
Cameron yanked up the sash and turned to her with angry eyes. “What I can’t believe is that you let this happen! He shouldn’t have shifted and he shouldn’t have tried to cook on his own, but where the hell were you? He says you were asleep?” He held his hands in the air helplessly, like he didn’t know what to do with them.
His words hit her like a blow, and she took a step backwards. “It’s not what it sounds like. We were watching TV, and I dozed off. I just woke up to all this.”
“You both could’ve been killed.” He marched across the kitchen toward her, a look on his face like she’d never seen before. “I trusted you, Samantha.”
“It wasn’t on purpose!” She took a slight step backwards, suddenly unsure of him. “It’s not like I was upstairs in my bed. I just happened to doze off on the couch!”
“In the middle of the morning?”
Tears of anger and frustration burned at the backs of her eyes, and Samantha knew it was mostly from being so tired. She just couldn’t be calm about this right now. “Yes! I haven’t been sleeping for shit, and I fell asleep. It’s not a crime, I didn’t mean to do it, and even if I did, I had no reason to believe Andy would do something like that. And yes, it’s the middle of the morning! You think I don’t know that?” Samantha covered her face with her hands and leaned against the table, not wanting to let him see her cry.
There was no response from him for a moment. “I came home because I forgot a few papers I needed,” he finally said quietly. Warm fingers tugged gently at her wrists as he pried her hands away from her face. “Tell me what’s going on. Why aren’t you sleeping?”
The smoke had mostly left the room now, leaving behind the scent of heavily burnt toast. Samantha lowered herself into a chair. “It’s the nightmares.”
He moved around to the other side of the table, but he didn’t sit. “If they’re that bad, then there must be something else going on.”
Her jaw tightened. “Why do you say that?”
Cameron took off his suit jacket and cast it over the back of a chair. “I’m no psychologist, Samantha, but a few bad dreams aren’t going to do this to you. Talk to me.”
The lump in her throat was so thick, she didn’t think she could speak around it. She tried to look at that as a blessing at first, because she just couldn’t tell him the truth. But his young son had just shifted into dragon form and practically set the kitchen on fire. He was no stranger to the unusual. “I’m a medium,” she finally strangled out. “Spirits have been talking to me my entire life.”
“All right. That’s a start.”
She looked up at him in surprise. “It doesn’t bother you?”
He lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “No. I wish I’d known, that’s all.”
“Well, I didn’t want to say anything because my ability didn’t go over so well in my hometown. Once everyone figured out that I was a bit different, they didn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore. The parents of my students wanted me fired because they thought I might be a bad influence on their kids. My fiancé couldn’t handle it, and he left me. I just needed to get out and start over.”
“I see.” Cameron sat down now, folding his hands on the table in front of him. “What does that have to do with the dreams?”
Her head throbbed. “They’re not really dreams. They’re more like visions. Some spirit is trying to get a hold of me. I don’t know what it wants or how to help it, or if I even can help it. But he’s terrifying, and he keeps bringing me to this huge battle and trying to get me to fight for him. It’s so confusing, and so terrifying, and I feel like all these people are dying around me because I don’t know what to do to stop it.” She couldn’t even try to stop the tears, and they made her vision blur as she recalled all the gruesome details.
“Is there anything you can do about this? Maybe there’s a more experienced medium you can talk to who can help you hone your skills.”
He was so calm and logical about it. Samantha wished she could be the same way. “I don’t know. Maybe, but there are so many people who pretend to be mediums just to make money. And then there’s the chance that word will get out, and before long, Los Angeles will be like Cooper City. I don’t want to walk down the street and have everyone pointing and staring at me all over again.” She folded her arms on the table and laid her head down, sobbing.
She didn’t hear him get up, but a warm hand was soon running slowly down her back, stroking her gently like a wild animal that needed taming. “I’m sure we can figure it out.”
“I don’t know. I’ve told myself time and time again that it’ll get better, but it never does.”
His breath was warm on her arm as he knelt next to her. “It will. Why don’t you start by telling me about these visions?”
Chapter Nine
The next day, Samantha felt like she was living in someone else’s body. She got up and did everything she needed to do in order to get Andy ready. She fed herself because she knew she had to, but not because she wanted to. Cameron had made her a special tea before bed the night before to help her sleep, but she still felt drained.
Samantha knew that it now had less to do with lack of sleep than feeling emotionally wrung-out. She’d sat at the kitchen table and told Cameron every detail of her visions. She talked of the blood and the pain, the shadow that kept her there, the dragon, the woman on the strange animal; all of it. He’d even asked her for more details. She didn’t know if he truly cared or if he thought it would make her feel better to get it out. Hell, maybe he was just looking for ideas for his next movie. It was a difficult thing to do, but she felt somewhat relieved to know she wasn’t the only one who knew what was going on. She felt just a little less alone.
As she wiped the table while Andy brushed his teeth, Cameron came into the kitchen. Instead of his usual attire for work, he wore an island shirt over a tank top and loose khakis.
She raised an eyebrow. “Shooting on the beach today?”
He rocked back on his heels and pressed his lips together. “I’m not shooting at all, actually.”
Samantha set down her dish rag, confused. “Why not?”
“I have other plans, and so do you, I hope.”
“What’s going on? Andy’s looking forward to his play date this afternoon. He was devastated after that fire, and he thought I wouldn’t let him go.”
“He’s going, all right. He’s going to play with Jonathan and Jessica over at Jackson’s house. I wanted to talk to you a little more about your visions, and I thought it’d be best if we had some time to talk about it alone.”
It was very sweet, but Samantha felt so embarrassed that he should take time out of his work day for her problem. “We could’ve done that in the evening.”
“No,” he insisted. “Not really. We need to get this figured out, and the sooner the better.”
* * *
An hour later, Cathy had picked up a very excited Andy, leaving the two of them alone. Cameron invited Samantha into the study, where he poured her a finger of bourbon, despite the early hour. “I feel like I’ve intruded into your private life by asking so many questions about your visions, but I’m glad I did.”
“Why’s that?” Samantha felt apprehensive about this discussion, mostly because she didn’t know what to expect from it. Now that they were getting started, her stomach rolled nervously inside her.
“You and I each have our demons. From what you told me yesterday, you’ve spent practically your entire life talking to and helping various spirits. What some might deem an advantage has been a bit of a curse for you. For me, I’ve been constantly haunted by the fate of my wife and what I’ve lost. It’s been a heavy weight on my soul that I haven’
t been able to shake.”
Samantha took a sip of the smoky liquid, too tired to feel guilty about having a drink so early. “What does one have to do with the other?”
“Nothing, for the most part. Or at least, that’s what I would’ve thought.” Cameron carried his glass with him as he walked to the window. “But you have quite a talent for detail. I don’t know if it’s because you see these visions so clearly, or if maybe you have a writer hiding inside of you, but I felt as though I were right there with you on that battlefield. And when I looked up and saw that red dragon in the sky, I knew it was Tess.”
Nearly dropping her glass, Samantha set it on the coffee table with a thunk. “Your wife?”
He nodded. “It sounds ridiculous, I know. But then when you told me about the other woman, the one who was trying to talk to you? I knew that was her as well. It was the way she looked, the way she acted, and even the way she dressed. Everything is all adding up in my mind, and I feel like there’s some sort of link, some connection that I don’t quite understand.”
Samantha braced her head against her hand, trying to make sense of this. “I’ve often wondered if the other people I’m seeing in those visions are real or just a figment the shadow is trying to show me.”
“It seems to me like at least she is, or maybe I’m just being hopeful. I don’t know.” He leaned against the window frame and sipped his drink, brooding.
A thought was creeping across the back of Samantha’s mind, forming and coalescing quickly. “Cameron, have you ever had any indication that Tess is still around? Like her spirit is lingering here for some reason?”
He bit his lower lip. “There’s no definitive evidence, no. But I keep trying to talk to her, asking her if I’m doing the right thing and if Andy will be okay. She never answers me.”
“Maybe she is.” With a new strength, Samantha pulled herself from the deep leather couch and went to him. “I could be completely off-base here, but the dragon and the woman were each trying to tell me something. If they’re in fact the same person, then maybe Tess has been trying to get a message to you—through me.” Her breath left her lungs at the excitement of the prospect. Samantha knew she couldn’t do anything for the shadow, but maybe she could help Cameron.
“Then why would she come to you in this horrific scene? Why not wait to have her own turn with you?”
She didn’t miss the flicker of hope in his eyes, and she fed off it. “I don’t know. These things don’t always make perfect sense. That’s part of what makes them so hard to deal with. But if my hunch turns out to be right, then I might be able to ease things a little for both of us.”
Cameron set his glass on the sill and turned to her, putting his hands on her upper arms and looking into her eyes. “I can see how it would help me, but how would it help you? I’d like to think Tess isn’t the one bringing you to that war zone. You’d still be caught up in the same mess.”
She shrugged, unsure. “It might not help me at all, but if Tess is trying to communicate, that would explain why this has been so hard on me. It’s tiring to be contacted by one spirit. If two of them are in my brain, that’s a lot to handle.”
“And what do you propose we do?”
A slow grin spread across her face, the first she’d felt in at least a week.
“Contact her.”
* * *
“Are you sure about this? Aren’t we supposed to be doing this at midnight during a full moon or something?” Cameron sat cross-legged on the floor across from her, his brow creased.
She poked him in the chest with her finger. “I’m not a witch, and that sort of stuff doesn’t really matter for this. If a spirit is out there, then I know how to make it find me. I’ve done this before, although it’s been a long time. The candles are enough.” She looked around at the room. They’d closed all the blinds to keep out the light of day, and he’d found enough candles to give a soft yellow glow to the study. “It warms it up in here a little, too.”
“Is there anything I need to do?”
“Mostly just be here for me. I summoned a spirit back when I was in high school. He wouldn’t come to me and just tell me what he needed, banging on the doors and windows all night instead. I thought I’d try to let him know I was here to help. It all worked out well enough, but it was kind of scary when I came to and there was no one around.”
“Came to? You think you’re going to pass out?” He reached a hand toward her like he would catch her even before she fell.
Samantha had to laugh. “For a powerful dragon, you sure look scared.”
He scowled at her. “I just want to know what to expect. I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“It’ll be fine. The worst thing that can happen is that we don’t reach anyone.” She hoped she was right about that. As soon as she’d suggested contacting Tess, Samantha wondered if the shadow would find her as well. He’d stayed away while she was awake so far, but she didn’t want to encourage him.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m right here for you. Just tell me if you need me to do anything.”
Samantha scooted forward on the rug so that their knees were touching. She reached out to take his hands and closed her eyes, pulling in a slow, deep breath. “Concentrate on her. Imagine that she’s here with us. Let me use your mind to understand what she looks like, what she sounds like, what her spirit feels like. Be a beacon for her to come to.” The warmth of the candles and Cameron’s hands were comforting, and Samantha felt her body relax as she concentrated on the right vibrations in the universe.
There were no magic spells she could do this with. Samantha had shoved her talent aside for most of her life, unhappy with the trouble it brought her, but now she needed it more than ever. She reached out with her mind, looking for the dragon she’d seen before.
It didn’t take long. Samantha’s body melted away, and she floated in deep, silent blackness. It was comfortable, peaceful, and she didn’t want to leave. But the black slowly evaporated, and Samantha found herself standing in a place that consisted of nothing but white fog. It was thick, clouding around her feet, and Samantha waited patiently.
“I thought you’d never show up.”
Samantha turned to see the great red dragon once again. Instead of flying overhead, she was standing on the ground, her long neck holding her head high as she looked down on the human. She was so massive, much bigger than Samantha thought any of the shifters were in real life. “I wasn’t sure if this would work.”
“I’d say it did.” The low rumble must have been a chuckle. “And I’m glad. I’ve been trying to talk to you for quite some time.”
“Are you…Tess?” She almost hated to ask the question, afraid the answer would be no. She knew Cameron was counting on this.
The dragon dipped her head. “I am. And you’re Samantha. You’ve been spending a lot of time with Cameron.”
Somehow, Samantha hadn’t thought about that. What if Tess was trying to reach her because she was angry? It was clear that Samantha wasn’t very strong in the spirit world, or else she would’ve been able to get away from the shadow a long time ago. A shudder made its way down her back. “I, um…”
“You don’t need to look at me like that. I’m not going to eat you.” With a flutter of her wings, the crimson dragon morphed to her alternate form. She tucked her wings and retracted her claws, changing and writhing until the same statuesque woman who’d visited Samantha on that battlefield stood before her. “As a matter of fact, I’d like you to give Cameron a message for me.”
Samantha’s breathing came a little easier. “I can do that.”
Tess smiled. “I know you can, and he definitely needs to hear it. Tell Cameron that he needs to move on. I can’t ask him to forget me, but I do want him to be happy. He deserves to find love again.”
“Okay. Is there anything else?” Samantha thought she might never blink again, wanting to absorb all of this. It was such a surreal experience, and she hoped she remembered it al
l once she returned to reality.
The other woman walked in a slow circle around her. “You’re quite remarkable, Samantha. You’ve been wonderful to my son, and I can’t thank you enough for that. If I can’t be there for him, I’m glad you can.”
“He’s a wonderful boy.” Samantha felt a flush of warmth as she thought of Andy, and she wished she could’ve brought him to see his mother. But it didn’t work like that. “It’s been a privilege to care for him.”
There was a knowing look in Tess’s eyes. “That’s good. Because you’ll make a wonderful mate for Cameron.”
“Oh, well, now…”
“Samantha, don’t forget that I’m a spirit. I know about these things.”
“Then can you tell me about that shadow? And the battlefield? Why did I keep seeing you there, and why do I keep going back there?” They were questions that burned in Samantha’s mind, but she was also grateful to change the subject from her and Cameron’s potential relationship.
Tess folded her hands in front of her, looking beatific. “The one you call the shadow creature is an old and broken spirit. He wants to cross over, but he’s conflicted. He’s fighting with himself over whether he should stay or go, but he doesn’t know which side is the right one. That’s why he wants you to fight for him. He thinks you can help him.”
“Can I?” Samantha couldn’t even be relieved at this news, since she was still so terrified of returning to that place.
“I don’t think so,” Tess replied with a shake of her silky hair. “But I might be able to.”
This confused Samantha. “But what about you? Why haven’t you moved on?”
“That’s very simple. I wanted to stay close so I could see Andy grow up and make sure Cameron was all right. I know the way to go, but I’m just not ready yet.” She looked completely comfortable, as though this was a decision she’d made purposely instead of most spirits.
