Charlie guided me to a table in the back corner, opposite the small arcade. He didn’t ask me right away why I needed to talk to him. Instead, he told me about his childhood with his only sister. While we ate, I laughed with him as he described his many adventures, including the time he was grounded for months when he’d painted the living room walls a florescent green while his mother had been out. This was the first time since I’d returned that Charlie reminded me of the man I’d met in the forest—happy and full of life.
“So tell me about the children at the Academy,” he said. “I’m curious to hear your experience.”
I told him everything about the special kids, how they made me feel, and how I felt I was growing in ways I still didn’t understand. Charlie listened carefully and seemed to be pleased with my progress. Eventually, though, the conversation died down, and I began to squirm in my seat.
“Maybe this would be easier if you just spit it out?” Charlie asked, seeming to sense my anxiety.
I smiled and on an exhale said, “I had a dream last night, but it wasn’t really a dream. It was three-dimensional, like I was really there. I could actually feel a spray of water and smell the sea.”
“What was the dream about?”
I explained the strange scene and the vampire on the dock. Charlie leaned back, brows furrowed.
“I was really there, Charlie.”
“Did it feel like the future?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. It felt like it was happening that very moment.”
“I’ve never heard of psychic abilities showing the present. It’s always the future or the past.”
“But why him? Why am I seeing him?”
“That’s a question only you can answer. There’s obviously a connection between you two, but you must be careful that it is a good one. Even evil can attract.”
I remembered Boaz, but gratefully I felt none of those negative emotions with the nameless vampire. “Have you spoken to Henry about giving me access to the records you told me about?”
“I have. Henry is very sensitive about who sees the Deific’s database, but I have reassured him. You should have it this week.” His gaze moved to the pile of torn napkins in front of me. “You think you can lighten up on the napkins?”
I looked down, stunned at how unaware I was of my hands. “Right. Bad habit.” I moved the pile to the side to join our half-eaten pizza.
Charlie stood suddenly. “I need to get back. There’s something I have to do.”
“Does this have anything to do with the vampire that escaped the house we raided?” I asked, standing to join him.
“Could be.” He took my elbow and guided me toward the front door. “I have to make a few calls first to confirm, but I sense that he’s in the north part of the city, in a club I’ve actually been to.”
“Did you just sense that?” I asked, trying hard to keep up with his fast pace.
He averted his eyes, his cheeks reddening. “I’ve been mentally searching for him for a long time, but all of a sudden he just appeared on my psychic radar.”
“Do you think that’s deliberate?”
“Possibly.” He opened the front door.
A cold wind lifted my hair when I stepped into the night. I wrapped my jacket tighter around me. “Can I help?”
“I’ll let you know what I find out.” He opened the passenger door of his SUV for me. After I slid in, he said, before closing the door, “When you go to sleep tonight, I want you to think of him—the vampire. If it is a connection thing, you may see him again.”
***
I was sitting on hard dirt. A few sparse trees stood tall around me, their limbs sagging and leafless. A strong breeze that smelled of fish and salt water cut through my thin pajamas, and I hugged myself tightly, trying to keep warm. I gritted my teeth.
Where am I?
From what I could see, it looked like a park. Not far away, swings creaked in a breeze beside a long slide. Large dirt patches littered the grass. It wasn’t a well-maintained park, which meant I was probably on the wrong side of town. But what town? The same thick fog surrounded the area, blocking my view to anything beyond it.
For some reason, my attention was drawn to the thickest tree in the park—a large maple tree. That’s when I saw Him. He was standing as still as the tree he stood behind, his gaze staring into the fog. For several minutes he remained in this state. I didn’t think he was even breathing.
Just then, a tall man stepped out of the mist, wearing a bulky coat that looked much too big for his skinny frame. He walked quickly with his head down, hands stuffed into his pockets. He passed the tall maple completely unaware of the vampire hiding behind it until it was too late. The man retrieved a handgun from his coat pocket, but in a move I almost missed, the vampire looped his left arm around the man’s right arm and jerked up, snapping the man’s arm at the elbow. The man opened his mouth to scream, but before any sound erupted, the vampire sunk his teeth into the man’s neck, seeming to paralyze him with fear. Seconds later, he fell face-first to the ground—dead.
I sucked in a shaky breath, my eyes wide and full of horror. How could I be drawn to this?