A Stitch on Time 5 (7 page)

“Why do you suppose Maya attacked her, anyway?” Lavie said, taking the seat next to mine. “I mean”—she licked her lips—“she focused on killing teenage girls before, and now she’s done the same to a spook catcher. It doesn’t make sense.”

“She was only hunting teenage girls because she was searching for Willow,” Papan said with a frown. “It seems like she’s always trying to get someone’s attention.”

My heart sank. I already knew whose attention she was trying to get.

“But what is she trying to achieve?” Lavie said, more to herself than anyone else.

“She wanted to get Sierra’s attention, of course.” Oren sipped at his tea, eyeing us vacantly. He was good at keeping his composure, but I could still read the pain.

“Oh!” Lavie’s eyes widened. “When she lured us into that dark circle, she was hell-bent on getting the best of you. I suppose this makes some sort of crazy sense.”

“Everything about this attack was a message—the location, Ebony, the way she killed her, hanging around so I would know she took my friend’s soul…” I trailed off. I’d promised myself that no one else would suffer because of me. Yet Ebony’s life had been split at the seams when Mace took her, and now she’d been killed by one of Mace’s accomplices.

I sucked at keeping people safe. I glared at the closed kitchen door. How long before Maya tried getting her hands on my sister again? Or worse, when would someone from the Alliance strike in the name of the order placed on my sister and me? It was supposed to go live by the end of this month. So when would one of the
good guys
try to kill us?

Willow had applied to several universities outside of Sydney and as much as I’d miss her, I thought she would be better off away from me.

“You can’t keep blaming yourself,” Papan whispered near my ear. When had he moved forward? “This isn’t your fault.”

“No, I suppose being born with a target on my head wasn’t my fault, but there’s no denying that all of this is happening because they want
me
.” I sucked in a breath and exhaled. “The
Obscurus
don’t seem to know I’ve already inherited this useless power. Well, at least Mace didn’t know.”

“You saw him?” Papan’s eyes flashed to amber for a split second.

“Hey, your power isn’t useless. You’ve already destroyed the shadow patch, and tonight you got rid of all those phantasms!” Lavie said beside me. “Just because you can’t use it for what
you
specifically want, doesn’t make it
useless
.”

Of course she was right, but I was pouting. I was tired and a little defeated.

“Wait a minute!” Papan pushed the chair back and strode across the kitchen, before returning to lean over my chair. “You’ve destroyed a patch? How and when? Just how long was I in a fucking coma?”

“This was the fourth day,” Saul answered. He was sitting back, quietly watching the exchange while tapping an unlit cigarette against the tabletop.

“Let me get this straight.” Papan’s green eyes were focused on me. “You’ve already inherited your granny’s power and can now destroy whole demonic patches?”

I nodded.

“And Mace set a bunch of spooks on the wolves?”

“He wanted to get rid of you.”

“When I get my hands on that guy, I’m going to tear him apart with my bare hands.”

“I’m curious,” Gareth said. “If you saw this Mace guy and even spoke to him, why didn’t he abduct you?”

I shrugged. “I don’t understand the game he’s playing, but he seems determined to have me give in to this ritual willingly. He actually told me that if I went with him, he wouldn’t hurt anyone else. He gave me the chance to keep all of you safe, and I turned him down.” I looked around at their faces—at the people I cared about—and it hit me, just how selfish my decision had been. “That was a mistake. By going with him, I could’ve saved all of you—”

“I doubt that’s true.” Oren stepped forward, eyes narrowed. “Mace must have a different agenda.” He headed for the same door Willow had used less than half an hour earlier.

“Where are you going?” I asked him.

“Let me see what I can find. I’ll also research the Lamia. There has to be a way of releasing the souls she took.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Good night,” he called, but I could see his mind was elsewhere.

Gareth stood. “I’m going to get going, I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said. Then quickly added, “All of you. I’m glad you got Jason back.”

“Thanks Gareth, and keep me posted, okay?” I made a mental note to speak to him about getting into the Spook Catcher Council soon. Now wasn’t the time.

He dipped his chin and left. The rest of us sat in silence, lost in our own personal thoughts.

Lavie jumped out of her chair. “Well, I’ve got some hunting to do!”

“Mind if I tag along?” Saul asked with a grin.

“I’d like that.” She strapped on her backpack. “Though it’s been a while since you’ve been out in the wild…sure you can handle it?”

“I can handle just about anything,” he said with a grin.

“Let’s see if that’s true, because tonight’s hunt is a doozy.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at their exchange.

“Let’s go, then.” Saul rose and followed her into the hallway.

Papan and I walked them to the front door. We said our goodbyes and watched the black van drive away with smoke puffing out the driver window.

“He should give up that gross habit,” I said.

“Are you talking about Saul smoking?” Papan asked with a curious grin.

I nodded.

“Well, it’s not like he’s going to get cancer or anything. Smoking actually helps him, being a demon and all,” he said with a wink.

“So, are they together, or what?” I asked, changing the subject.

Papan shrugged. “I’ve been dead to the world, and in the meantime my partner in crime has become some sort of patch destroyer, so I have no clue.”

“I guess now isn’t a good time to mention the Alliance target on my head, then?”

“You better be kidding because right now isn’t—”

“I wish I was.” Trying to be lighthearted wasn’t how I imagined opening up about this. But being so tired and having a head full of insane thoughts made it hard to figure out another way to broach the subject. “Why don’t we make a deal?”

He narrowed his eyes, as if suspicious. “What kind of deal?”

“Why don’t we stop talking and thinking about all this shit and instead go to bed?”

“I actually love the sounds of that.” He draped an arm over my shoulder and we headed up the stairs together. When we reached the bed, I wrapped my arms around his neck, to engage in a thought-erasing kiss.

I licked my lips when we finally drew apart. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Papan winked, and flopped onto the end of the bed.

I wandered into the bathroom. When I strolled back out, wearing nothing but my open robe, I stopped short.

Papan was lying on his side, face squashed against the pillow as he slept. I made my way towards him and placed a hand on his chest to make sure his heart was beating. I ran my fingertips along his face and over the blond whiskers on his cheeks and chin. Even wounded and exhausted, he looked beautiful.

“I promise I’ll never let anything happen to you again,” I whispered.

My chest constricted when I realized just how close I’d come to losing him.

I shook away the morbid thought and leaned over to kiss his cheek before making my way to the other side of the bed. I slid the robe off my shoulders and pulled one of Papan’s tees on. I lay my head on the pillow and closed my eyes, then whispered a soft chant to help me sleep. I didn’t want to have another turbulent night, especially since I couldn’t get the conversation with Lee out of my head. I wasn’t stupid enough to deny I needed help, but Papan and Oren wouldn’t approve of what I had planned.

There was only one other person left to ask, and he was just a dream away…

Chapter Four

“Well, why did you call me?”

I spun around to find Gareth standing near the window inside a room I’d visited once before. The last time, I’d been on my back in the midst of a sex dream involving the constable. The same bed sat to my left with red satin sheets in disarray, and at least six pillows propped against the headboard. I couldn’t look for long before memories of my encounter with Gareth tumbled into my brain.

“I didn’t call you,” I lied.

“Yes, you did, so what do you want?”

I turned my attention back to my friend. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and nothing else. I swept my gaze up his naked torso, admiring the muscled expanse of his abdomen and chest, but somehow managing to avoid the crusty scab on his gut. The stab wound I’d given him when he’d been possessed hadn’t fully healed. His brown skin and dark curls glistened in the moonlight streaming in. When I finally met his eyes, the intensity behind his stare made me look away.

“I pulled you into my dream, didn’t I?” I glanced down the length of my own body to find I was wearing Papan’s T-shirt, which reached just above my knees. It covered everything I didn’t want to flash at Gareth, but the fact I wasn’t wearing anything underneath made me squirm.

“Yes, you did.” Gareth didn’t move, but crossed his arms over his bare chest. “I was dreaming somewhere else until you dragged me here.”

“Where is
here
, by the way?”

He shrugged. “I guess it’s our meeting place.” His eyes scanned the bed quickly, before returning to me. “I’m not sure which one of us conjured this room, though.”

“This isn’t another sexy—”

“No.”

“Then why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”

“I don’t know. This is your dream, so why don’t you tell me?” He pushed off the windowsill and I took an instinctive step back.

“I’m going to pinch myself,” I said, lifting a hand. It was the only way I could think of to get out of this dream. Contacting him this way had been a mistake.

“Don’t!” Gareth yelled, raising a hand as he stepped closer. “If we’re here, it’s for a reason. You want to discuss something that’s on your mind, so you dragged in the person you need help from.”

“How do you figure that?”

“It’s an old Aboriginal myth,” he said with a grin. “Since the incident with the demon and it using my so-called dreamwalking against me, I’ve been doing some research. By studying the ways of my people, I’m hoping to find out how common this is.”

“And is it common?”

“I’m not sure, but I do know that people with a lot of magical power can dream about their problems and find solutions by being led to the one person they were seeking answers from. So it looks like I need to help you find the answer.”

“That’s amazing.”

Gareth ran a hand through his curls and turned enough that I could see the Australian Aboriginal flag tattooed on the back of his left shoulder—the yellow disc in the middle divided the flag in half, the top was colored black and the bottom red. He sat on the end of the bed, pressing both hands against his thighs.

“I’m still getting the hang of it.”

“Have you entered many dreams?”

He looked at me, his hazel eyes shiny. “I’ve managed to peek into other people’s dreams, but you’re the only one I’ve been able to interact with.”

I nodded, not knowing what else to say. Being alone with him—even in a dreamscape—made me slightly uncomfortable. What happened between us had been forced by a demon, but Gareth later admitted he was attracted to me on several levels. He claimed he would never act because he knew I was happy with someone else.

“So, what’s on your mind?”

I felt my cheeks heat at his question. “Nothing’s on my mind.”

“Then why are we here?” He patted the bed beside him. “Come and sit down so we can talk about this. You look so awkward standing over there, like you’re scared of me.”

“I’m not scared,” I lied, because for some reason I kinda was.

“Prove it.” He ran his right palm over the red sheets, smoothing them out in invitation. “Sit with me.”

I sighed and made my reluctant way towards him, making sure to tuck the hem of my tee over my butt before sitting down. The fabric rode up my thighs, but there wasn’t much I could do about that.

“What’s going on with you?” he asked. “Wait, before you answer that, I know there’s always something going on in your life. I’m really sorry about what happened with Ebony. And just so you know, Shapiro’s on the case and his interest was piqued when he found out the victim worked with you. I think you should expect a call from him in the future.”

“Thanks for the warning.” I pressed my hand over his, daring to leave it there as I turned my face enough to look at him. I was instantly distracted by the way his eyes were so focused on mine. His skin radiated heat, causing my heart to speed up.

Gareth focused on our hands. “Maybe we’re here because we both want a place where we can be together, away from all the distractions in our awakened life.”

I shook my head but couldn’t reply.

“No? I know I didn’t imagine you saying that our sexy dream was a problem because you enjoyed it.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Not in so many words,” he whispered.

I moved my hand and he placed his completely over mine. As much as I wanted to move, I just couldn’t. Something about Gareth’s friendly touch always warred inside me—it bothered me, yet I found it comforting.

“Gareth,” I said.

His eyes darkened as he looked at my mouth. “Don’t start on the ‘I’m with someone’ lecture, okay? I’ve already told you I won’t do anything to come between you and Jason.” He sighed. “But that’s in the awakened world. This is totally different.” His hand snaked up my forearm, caressing me enough to rouse a shiver and causing my nipples to harden. “While we’re asleep, we can do anything we want.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that we could be together, in dreams.” His hand caressed my jaw before he swiveled my chin until I was looking at him. “We can be dream lovers.” It was the tiniest of whispers, but enough to sober me up. His face inched closer, those luscious lips almost on mine and I couldn’t help but remember when we’d kissed in my bedroom…

No!
I jumped to my feet.

“Gareth, I don’t want to have this conversation with you every time we’re alone, okay?” I snapped, but he was at eye level with my breasts. “I need your help to sneak into the Spook Catcher Council.”

“Ah, so the truth finally comes out.” He rubbed his hands together and a mischievous grin curved the edges of his mouth. “I knew trying to seduce you would force the truth out.”

“What?” I couldn’t believe my ears. “You did that on purpose?”

He raised both palms into the air. “Guilty as charged.”

“So you weren’t serious about that whole dream-lovers thing?”

Gareth shook his head. “Nothing gets you more focused than someone trying to come between you and your boyfriend. Maybe you should learn to be more poker-faced, so your enemies don’t pick up on just how easy it is to bait you.”

As shocked as I was by his confession, he happened to be absolutely right. Mace had hurt me at the core by attempting to kill Papan.

I slapped his arm, hard. “You’re absolutely brilliant!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Ha! You really had me going for a while.”

He looked away. “Sierra, can I be frank with you?”

“You know you can.”

“This was all a ploy to help you focus, but if you’d consented…I wouldn’t have hesitated.” His gaze was back on my chest, and I damned my nipples for reacting.

I nodded, worrying my lip. I owed him my own honesty. After all, we were finally overcoming this uncomfortable hurdle between us. “Gareth, I want to tell you something.” I sucked in a quick breath and spoke before he could interrupt. “I, you…ah, this is harder to word than I expected.”

“Don’t sweat it. I know what you’re trying to say.” He stood in front of me and took a strand of my long hair between his fingers, but his focus was on my face. “You’re in love with someone else, and you’re happy with him. You also feel a connection to me, which I believe stems from our magical roots. But what you really can’t bring yourself to say—and maybe even admit—is that if circumstances were different, if we’d met some other time in some other place, maybe we…”

The truth hung in the air between us and I couldn’t respond either way.

“I can respect that.” He released my hair and leaned over to plant a kiss on my cheek. As he moved away he added, “I’d rather have you as a friend than as nothing.”

This time I nodded.

“Now, tell me more about the Council.”

I spilled all the details about my bizarre call with Lee.

“What did this Henry guy tell you, anyway?”

“He mentioned the spook energy levels were getting dangerously high inside the building. He was going to help me sneak in so I could take care of the problem.” I sighed. “That was before he was killed.”

Gareth was quiet for several moments. “So you want me to go to the Council and scope it out on an official level?”

“Yes.”

He strolled to the window as he spoke. “I think I can do that without rousing too much suspicion. The investigation is still open, no one has figured out who killed Henry Sallas yet.” He pressed both hands against the windowsill, causing the muscles of his back to contract. “As long as Shapiro doesn’t find out, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“Is he the only detective you guys have?”

Gareth spun around. “He’s not the only one, but he’s a good one. Do you know much about what’s been going on at the Council the last few months?”

“Just what Roe’s told me,” I said. And that wasn’t much.

“The place is a mess. The majority of outside businesses that were leasing office space have vacated the premises. When they were on lockdown, it affected everyone inside the Tower and none of the other organizations appreciated the negative impacts on their businesses, so many found other office space to lease. There’s only a handful left, and no one really knows what the hell’s going on behind those walls.” He paused to take a breath. “I know that when the investigation about the explosion was conducted, the councilors cooperated, and nothing awry was found. But one thing I’ve learned since I started hanging with you is that when magic, demons and spooks are concerned, nothing’s impossible, and a lot can be withheld.”

I hadn’t expected others to run as far and fast away from the Council’s troubles as they could, but it made sense. The Council ruined everything they come in contact with, and their organization was slowly crumbling.

I need to get inside that building ASAP.

“Sierra, what is it?” Gareth asked, grabbing my attention.

“I’m coming with you.”

“What? No. Let me scope it out tomorrow afternoon and I’ll get back to you.”

“Gareth, I have to go and see things for myself.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Yes—”

“Are you crazy? I’m not taking you into the den of danger. By the sounds of your phone conversation, there’s something really weird going on inside that building and I don’t think you should go anywhere near it.” He shook his head. “Besides, Jason would kill me. He’s already roughed me up once.”

“Gareth, I
have
to go with you. Lee’s in danger.” I didn’t know how to convince him, but I wasn’t taking no for an answer. Getting him to check out the area wouldn’t be enough. “I need to see just how serious the situation is. Everything Henry told me has to be true. Otherwise, Lee wouldn’t have helped him. She hated the councilors.”

“Did you stop long enough to consider this might be a trap?” His eyes were shiny with concern. “Did she mention the other councilors? Maybe they’re the ones setting the trap. Or worse, it could be that crazy Mace.”

“You could be right,” I said with a shrug. “But I have to go.”

“I don’t like this.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t like it either but we have no choice.”

“Sierra, let me go in first and then—”

“I’ve got spells at my disposal, remember? I can make myself invisible.”

He frowned.

“And don’t even think about spilling any of this to Oren or Papan in hopes of having them stop me.” I stepped up close, invading his personal space. “I need
your
help. I have to see what’s going on before I get anyone else involved.”

“I don’t know…”

“Please.”

“Sierra, this doesn’t feel right.”

Music echoed in the distance, it seemed to be weaving in from the window.

“Do you hear that?” I asked him.

He didn’t answer, actually wasn’t inside the room anymore. Where did he go?

The music became clearer and clearer, until I recognized it was my
Ghostbusters
ringtone.

The room swirled around me until I spun into darkness. My eyes snapped open and I sat up in bed. Sunlight slanted in from the windows, giving Papan’s hair a golden glow. He was asleep on his front, breathing evenly. He looked peaceful, as if he hadn’t almost died so many times in the past week.

My ringtone filled the room with its catchy tune, and I scrambled to pick up my phone before it woke my dreamy werewolf. “Hello?” I whispered.

“Oh, hey, it’s me.”

Gareth…

A shiver ran down my spine as the dream we’d shared filled my mind. We’d spoken about so much, settled our unspoken discomfort and formed a new kind of alliance that I had a feeling would now be fortified. I peeked to make sure Papan was still asleep.

“Why did you leave before me?”

“I needed a few minutes to think about what you asked.”

“What’s it going to be?”

A deep sigh echoed between us. “I’ll pick you up at six.”

“Thanks for doing this.”

“Yeah, yeah, you like to push the boundaries of friendship, don’t you?”

“You have no idea.”

“See you this arvo,” Gareth said, before hanging up.

I placed my mobile on the bedside table and thought about lying back in bed, but my mind was buzzing with thoughts that would keep me from further sleep.
I really need a cup of coffee.

Having decided my next move, I kissed Papan’s stubbly cheek on my way out. After closing the bedroom door behind me, I headed downstairs. The kitchen was empty so I prepared a cup of coffee and sat at the table, sipping on the much-needed caffeine.