The Forsaken Saga Complete Box Set (Books 1-4) Page 5

  “Hey,” she replied. Then, looking up to see that Mrs. Millburn wasn’t paying them much attention, she let the words burst out in a hushed whisper. “What you showed me today was amazing!”

  “I thought you might like it,” he said slyly.

  “Oh, absolutely! But…can I ask you something?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “The mind thing…can you do it whenever you want? I mean, does it happen whenever someone touches you?”

  “Yes and no.” He laughed. “I have to consciously decide to let people experience it before they make contact. So like, if someone brushes my hand accidentally…” He reached over to slide a finger over Nora’s arm. “Nothing happens. But if I want them to experience it, like I did with you, then I have to decide to let them in at the moment of contact.”

  “Wow. And did you always know you had that ability?”

  “The truth is, I didn’t always have it. It developed when I was very young, but I wasn’t born with it. Then again, maybe I just can’t remember back far enough. Everything from my childhood is a bit dark and blurry.” He lowered his voice. “There are not a lot of good memories from back then. Before I learned to control it, it happened every time somebody touched me, no matter how briefly. Most people just pulled away, thinking they experienced something like an electric shock…”

  “What about you? What’s it like for you when it happens? Like today, when I held your hand, what did you feel?”

  “Nothing,” he replied simply. “That’s why it took me so long to understand what people experienced when they made contact with me. In my earliest memories of it, I couldn’t figure out why adults were so frightened of me. Of course, it was because whenever they touched my skin, they experienced that…flood…of thoughts barraging through their heads. I can’t imagine what it’s like personally. But I’ve been told and pieced enough things together.”

  “So you’ve shown other people before, then?” A little bit of disappointment blossomed in Nora’s stomach, and she didn’t really know why.

  “Not many.” He shook his head. “There was one person, though, who I shared it all with, a long time ago. And they helped me learn to control it, taught me what it really was.”

  “Wow. Who was that person?”

  “I…can’t tell you. Something happened to them that I still…can’t…make myself talk about.” He sighed, and his eyes looked sad. “I’m sorry. I know I must be giving you more questions than answers. And I can imagine how overwhelming it must be for you.”

  “No, not at all.” Nora shook her head. “I didn’t want to pry.”

  “No, don’t worry about that. You didn’t pry at all. It’s my own demon I have to battle.” Suddenly his eyes lit up again, this time with concern. “You mustn’t worry, though. What happened to her had nothing to do with my ability. There’s no danger to you.”

  Nora caught something in what he said that stuck out immediately. Her. Meaning the person who helped him develop the ability had been female.

  She didn’t think Hunter meant to give away a detail like that.

  Instead of dwelling on it, Nora decided to change the subject. “You know what I think?” she said. “I think your gift is an angelic power.”

  To her surprise, he burst out laughing. It was a rich, booming laugh that caused Mrs. Millburn to look up. On seeing that, he quieted down, but inadvertent chuckles still escaped.

  “Hardly,” he scoffed. “That’s the furthest thing from the truth.”

  “No, I’m sure it is,” Nora persisted. “That’s the only explanation I could come up with.”

  “No, it definitely is not that. It’s a curse, if anything.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “There are still parts of me you don’t know, Nora.”

  “Like what?”

  “I…can’t tell you.”

  “So you do know more than me!”

  “About what?”

  “About your ability!”

  “Yes, a bit more,” he admitted reluctantly. “But it’s nothing you should worry over.”

  “You’ve shown me so much already,” Nora pouted. “It’s not fair for you to not tell me more!”

  “Nora, I wish I could, but I can’t.”

  “Why not?” She knew she was pressing the subject, but didn’t care. She had to know more.

  “Some things aren’t meant to be shared,” he said. Then, he added quietly, as if to himself, “Some things are burdens you must bear on your own.”

  “What was that?” Nora asked.

  He shook his head. “Nothing.” For a second, he appeared to be waging an internal battle over conflicting thoughts. He sighed. “Nora, I can’t tell you everything, but if you want…I can show you some of it.”

  “Show me? You mean something other than the mind thing?”

  “Yes.” He paused. “In a way.”

  She studied his serious expression. Did she trust him? She hesitated. “Ummm…okay. When?”

  “Today?” A glint lit his eyes. Excitement? Eagerness? Nerves?

  “Like, right now?”

  “No, not right now,” he laughed, “but after we’re done here.”

  “Oh.” Nora thought for a second. “My mom’s picking me up after. Because of the animal warning.”

  “Animal warning?”

  “Yeah, haven’t you heard?”

  “No…?”

  “How could you not know? Everyone’s talking about it. It’s been all over the news for the past few days and is pretty much the only thing on the community’s mind.”

  “Well, if you haven’t noticed,” he said drily, “I’m somewhat new here.”

  “Oh.” Nora blushed. “That’s right. Well, there was this murder last week, sometime Thursday evening, by the movie theater. A fight got out of hand between two men, and they took it outside. Apparently, one of them got knocked out, and the other left. But that wasn’t the lethal blow. When the police found the guy who was knocked out a few hours later, he had two inexplicable, large, like…teeth marks…on his neck. And his body had been drained completely of blood. They’re not sure what did it, but they think some type of animal was responsible. So they issued a warning for nobody to walk anywhere alone until they figure it all out.”

  “So that’s what they’re calling it,” he said quietly, half to himself. Nora was sure she wasn’t meant to hear. Then he looked up at her. “I have a car,” he said. “I can drive you after school.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, okay. I’ll text my mom then.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and switched it on. While she was typing, she spoke up again. “So what you want to show me… is it similar to the mind thing?”

  “You’ll see,” he said mysteriously.

  She laughed. “I can’t wait.”

  Chapter Eight

  ~At the Lake~

  When the clock hit 4:15, Nora and Hunter were dismissed from their afterschool detention. She’d already texted her mom, saying she was going out with a friend and she’d have a ride home.

  Hunter led her outside, where a few cars dotted the parking lot. He made his way over to one in the corner. It was an old gray Camaro, with a few dents along its outer body. The tires looked worn, and a bit of rust edged out from underneath the vehicle.

  “That’s your car?” Nora asked incredulously.

  “She’s old, but she’s trustworthy.” Hunter patted the car’s roof affectionately. “She’s been with me for a long time.”

  “Did you buy it yourself?”

  “I saved up for it, yeah. I know it might not look it, but the car’s safe, trust me. I do the maintenance.”

  That didn’t offer much reassurance to Nora.

  “Come on.” Hunter unlocked the car. “We don’t bite.”

  A light drizzle started to fall, and Nora shrugged. As long as the car worked, it would get them where they needed to go. Besides, she looked around the half-deserted parking lot, it would offe
r protection from any rabid animals, as well. She walked around the front and climbed in.

  As she closed the door and pulled her seatbelt on, Hunter inserted the key and started the engine. To her surprise, it started smoothly, rumbling like a caged animal as he shifted into gear. “See,” he smiled at her, “I told you it’s well maintained.”

  “I was expecting it to barely turn on.” Nora laughed.

  “Ah, come on, it doesn’t look that bad.” Hunter laughed as he released the clutch, hit the gas, and shot forward.

  “No, I guess not.” The start of a familiar song played from the speakers, and Nora listened for a second to catch it. Then she got it. “Bob Marley?”

  “It’s a classic, yeah.” He flashed her a grin and shifted. “A CD of his greatest hits.” He leaned forward to turn up the song.

  She laughed. “Nice. Where are we going?”

  “There’s a lake around here, isn’t there? Lake Vancouver?”

  “Yeah, there is.”

  “We need to go there.”

  “How come?”

  “For what I want to show you, we need to be somewhere calm…somewhere serene. I’m sure there’s a lookout point at the lake, right?”

  Nora watched the scenery blur by as she tried to remember. “Yeah, I think there is.”

  “Good. Do you know the way?”

  “Oh yeah, definitely.”

  A few minutes later, Nora spoke up. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

  Hunter took a left off the main road. “Sure.”

  “It’s kind of personal, and I don’t mean to pry, but I’ve been wondering this ever since last week.”

  “Yes?”

  “Um, when you took on the four guys in the school. You were like, amazing. Fast and agile, and you knew exactly what you were doing.”

  “You noticed,” he chuckled.

  “Well, I wanted to know, how’d you learn to fight like that?”

  Hunter spared a look over his shoulder at her. “That’s your question?”

  “Yes!” To her surprise, Hunter burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” Nora demanded, feeling her cheeks start to grow red.

  “It’s just the way you framed that,” Hunter said amidst his laughter. “Building up the question like that. Saying it was something personal. I was expecting something much worse.”

  “No, I…” Nora stumbled abashedly. It felt like he was laughing at her, and she began to feel awkward. “I just wanted to be polite!”

  “Well, after what I showed you this morning, I don’t think you need to worry about prying,” Hunter said lightheartedly. Then he smiled at her. “Ahh, come on, I’m not making fun of you. I’ll answer your question, don’t worry. How’d I learn to fight like that? Well, you don’t know this, but I alluded to it earlier, when I said things from my childhood were dark and foggy. The truth is, I don’t have much of a family. I don’t have a family at all, actually.” He paused, staring straight ahead out the windshield.

  “I grew up in an orphanage and moved around a whole lot. Doing that as a kid, especially without a real family to back you up, you learn to stick up for yourself. I guess I just learned on the streets.”

  “Wow.” Something tugged at Nora’s heart, not pity, but…sorrow. “I’m so sorry. About your family. It must be tough not knowing who they are.”

  “I don’t worry about it much.” Hunter shrugged it off. “It’s not like I haven’t gotten used to it by now, anyway.”

  “I guess,” Nora said. “But I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

  “Nor should you,” Hunter answered.

  They drove a bit farther in silence, the low rumble of the motor soothing in a way. Then Nora spoke up again. “Your ability,” she said, “you said you developed it when you were a kid. Have you ever met anybody else like you?”

  “No.”

  Just then, Nora recognized the area they were in. “Oh look, we’re very close,” she said. “Take a right at the next side-road, and I think there’s a little lookout at the end of the dirt road.”

  “K.”

  Nora looked out her window at the evergreens around her as they drove down the small road. She always found them beautiful. Clean, and pristine.

  Sure enough, after a minute or so, the road up ahead ended in a small, empty, dirt lot, right on the shore of the lake. Hunter parked the car and looked over to her. “Do you dream, Nora?”

  “Do I dream? Of course I do. Everybody does.”

  “No, no.” He shook his head. “I don’t mean dreams like dreams and hopes. I mean the journey you go on when you’re asleep.”

  “Um, same answer?” Nora frowned.

  “And do you ever believe in your dreams? Do you ever feel like they have something to reveal to you? Perhaps a truth about the world?”

  “Hmm…maybe. When I was younger. Not much, anymore, really.”

  “Well,” he said coyly, “how would you like to experience that feeling again?”

  “What, dreaming?”

  “Not just dreaming. Knowing your dreams. Knowing they signify more.”

  “How?” Nora lifted a brow in skepticism.

  The eagerness in his expression was contagious, and her heart rate kicked up as he leaned toward her. “I can take you there.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s another…ability…I have. It’s what I wanted to show you.”

  “Umm, okay.” No way would she back out now.

  He looked ahead at the lake, and when he moved his lips the words were barely distinguishable. “Look outside, Nora. Look at the calm of the lake. Feel the serenity of the water.” He rolled down his window a bit. “Breathe in the air, feel the freshness, the vibrancy of it all. Actually…” He paused, contemplating her. “This would work better outside.” He hopped out of the car. Nora didn’t have any choice but to follow.

  Hunter jumped up onto the hood of the Camaro and motioned for Nora to do the same. She climbed on and sat beside him, hands wrapped around her knees.

  “Breathe the air in, Nora. Take in the silence, the nature. Hear the sounds of the lapping water, the rustle of wind through the trees. Embrace it all.”

  “Okay…” she said uncertainly.

  “Now, I want you to focus on this very moment, the very spot you’re in right now. Feel the cool metal of the car beneath you, the breeze tugging at your clothes. Inhale the pristine smells of the trees all around you. Listen to the rhythmic lapping of the lake.”

  Nora listened to what he said and made her mind focus on each of the things he pointed out.

  “Now, I want you to give me your hand. But before you do, know that this is going to be different from last time.”

  “Different, how?”

  “I’ll show you what I know.”

  She looked deeply into his eyes, searching for…something. “Okay.” She reached over to take his hand, not knowing what to expect. When their fingers touched…there was nothing, no barrage of unwanted thoughts flooding into her mind. For some reason, she started to feel drowsy. Her eyes began to droop shut. Her focus wavered, and she had a hard time keeping her head up. She held his hand, though, and noticed it was icy cold, stealing her warmth.

  “This…will go the other way,” he told her gently. “You’re going to want to take a nap.”

  “I will?” Nora said drowsily.

  “Yes, you will.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “Do not be afraid, Nora. Relax your mind, and let go.”

  “...O…kay…” she drawled the word. Her eyes closed, and just before she fell asleep, she slumped heavily against Hunter.

  Chapter Nine

  ~Into the Dream~

  Nora opened her eyes. She was in exactly the same spot she remembered, sitting on the hood of the car. Nothing had changed. She looked up, realizing Hunter was holding her, looking down at her. His face looked a little…different. It was clearer than before. Or maybe everything else was a bit fuzzier.

  “There you are,” he said. “You took a
while.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He smiled. “Welcome to my world.” He leapt up off the car, but instead of landing on the ground, he just floated horizontally in the air. Nora gaped. He twisted back, hands behind his head, as if reclining on a couch.

  “How are you doing that?” she asked. “Is this another trick?”

  “No, no trick,” he promised. “You’re now in the dream world.”

  “The dream world? What do you mean? Am I asleep?”

  “That’s right. In fact, we’re both asleep, and you’re holding my hand.”

  Nora looked around her. Nothing looked different. She put a hand down to feel the metal of the car. It was cool to the touch, as before. And the small, lapping waves at the shoreline continued just as before. She spun around to look behind her. The same dirt road she remembered driving down was there, as were all the evergreens, swaying gently in the light wind.

  “How is it possible?” she asked. “I can see you just like I would in real life. Except, you know, for the fact that you’re floating in the air!”

  Hunter laughed lightly and touched down on the ground. He offered a hand to help her step down. She took it and then took her first step inside the dream world.

  The ground felt solid enough underneath her. But just then, as she took another step, reality blurred. It was only for an instant, but in that instant she felt like she lost all her coordination, all sense of where she was.

  She stumbled. Hunter caught her before she could fall.

  “Careful there,” he said. “On your first journey here, your body needs to get used to it.”

  “What do you mean? I don’t understand what this is. Get used to what? You need to explain everything!”

  “Everything?” Hunter mused.

  “Everything. And don’t you dare leave anything out! You brought me here, after all!”

  Hunter laughed. “In time, Nora, you’ll know more than you’d ever hoped. Explaining everything could take a very long time, though. Let’s start with the basics?”

  “Okay,” she reluctantly agreed.

  “All right, so the basics are…” He leapt in the air again to hover a few feet off the ground. “I can do this, and you cannot. Not yet, anyway.”