She’d fallen asleep minutes earlier and had woken up in Lanta. A week had passed since she’d last seen Dylan, and no matter where she’d searched, she couldn’t find him.
Even though she was burning to ask about his whereabouts, she didn’t want to raise Ginny or Sandy’s suspicions, but she was at her wit’s end. If only she could call his phone. The sound of his voice would make her feel better. She’d need a valid excuse to call him, though, and she couldn’t think of one. Texting wouldn’t help as she didn’t own a cell phone for fear of breaking it. The leather strap had stopped all that, but she would need to work during Spring Break in order to afford one now.
“Hey, Gin, how are you doing?”
The sisters were dressed in khaki pants and black T-shirts. Sandy’s fair hair was braided in cornrows, and both girls looked ready for battle. A group of five boys loitered around them in a circle. She recognized most of them; they were all Power clan members. The lake glistened invitingly next to them, and the trees swayed in the hot, dry air as butterflies danced on white daisies nearby. It was a perfect day.
She waved at the clan members.
“Hey, Aspen,” they said in a chorus.
“What are you guys doing?” she asked.
“We were just about to go hunting,” Sandy replied. “Wanna join us?”
“Yeah.” She laughed and rubbed her dream catcher. “I think that’s just what I need right now.”
“That’s great. Dylan couldn’t make it, so we’re a team member short.” Sandy didn’t elaborate, and Aspen refused to ask why he couldn’t be there.
He hadn’t called her the entire week, and she hadn’t seen him in Lanta at all. Ray still spent time with her at school and she’d seen Ruby once, although she wanted to avoid her as much as possible.
If Aspen could find out where Dylan was without asking directly, she would, but she kept quiet as the boys walked along the water’s edge. She tagged along with the girls behind them.
Sandy gave Aspen a band for her hair, and she swept it up in a ponytail high on her head as they walked. For once, she’d been transported in a pair of jeans and soft boots instead of the usual long skirt, and she felt ready for action.
The lake was fed from a river uphill, spilling into another smaller stream farther down the incline. They followed the water until it became choppy as it was forced by gravity through a narrow passage.
Aspen recognized the place she’d seen when she first arrived in Lanta. Willow trees draped over the gurgling water, and the pebbles looked like gemstones beneath the surface of the stream.
“I remember this place,” she said. A small rock on the ground caught her attention, and she bent to pick it up. The sky changed to lavender moments later, and her skin prickled from a fresh blast of cool air.
“That’s odd, this is a favorite Chancellor casting place. What were you doing here?” Ginny asked. Her blond braid whipped against her back as she walked up to her friend.
“I don’t know. I woke up near this place and had the worst experience ever.” Aspen sighed.
“I think something bad is going to happen again,” Sandy shouted from behind them. “Take cover, it’s a witch!”
Aspen ducked as a bolt blasted into the ground next to her feet. Soil shot up and gritted in her eyes, and she was blinded for a second. With a cry, she rubbed the sand from her face and spat out tiny particles of mud that had formed in her mouth. Turning around, she found an ugly old woman with pitted skin and a pointy black hat standing behind her. Matted hair hung limply on a cloak draped over her shoulders, and Aspen gasped to realize the woman was the embodiment of the witches she’d read about in fairy tales. Before she could move, the crone raised a bony arm to fire another blast at Aspen.
The bolt hit Aspen’s dream catcher with pinpoint accuracy, causing the string to snap and the necklace to fall to the ground next to her. A roar sounded above her as she bent to pick up the charm, and a rush of air streamed along her bare skin as something large flew over her.
She screamed as a monstrous lion jumped over her head and landed with a thud before her. It opened huge jaws and roared. Rancid breath hit her nostrils, and its amber eyes locked on her. Behind her, she could hear the screams and shouts of her friends as Chancellors spilled out—much like the spiders had done in her dream previously—along the raging river. The water was no longer calm, forming waves that hissed as they slammed against the rocks next to her.
The sky was really dark but she could only think of the angry beast that faced her. She had to ignore the witch to face the immediate threat. The lion’s eyes focused on her, and she sensed it was about to pounce. The mane around its neck was thick and matted, and the muscles in its hind legs bunched together as it crouched, ready to jump on her and rip her to shreds.