“I’ll be there right away.”
When he said good-bye, she replaced the receiver and walked to the park. The overcast sky reflected her mood as she strolled toward the recreational area. Huge oak trees shaded the road on both sides, and she stepped between cars that were situated tightly end to end in small parking spaces along the curb.
She felt Dylan’s eyes on her before she saw him. He paced in front of the green metal gates, and once he saw her, he marched over to her and grabbed her hands. A warm glow reached out from his palms and traveled through her body.
“What happened?” His concern was so genuine that she felt a tremor of emotion in her chest. Her mouth tilted downward and he pulled her against him gently. His jersey smelled of wood smoke and leather, and she relaxed her cheek on his chest as his power surged through her veins.
Aspen breathed deeply. “It’s my mother. She was crying when I got home.”
Dylan increased the pressure of his hug and then allowed her to step back with his hands still on her. Her hair stuck to his jersey, and she concentrated on pulling each strand free as she spoke.
“Stephan had a huge fight with her and she wants to leave him but she’s afraid that she’ll have nowhere to go and she doesn’t want us to be out on the streets but she can’t live like this anymore and I’m worried about her . . .” She looked up at him with luminous eyes as she babbled away.
“Whoa, whoa. Hold up there.” Dylan held her at arm’s length and searched her face. “Did he hit her?” he asked solemnly.
“Nope.”
“Did he hurt you?” His blue eyes glinted dangerously.
“No, I wasn’t there when it happened.”
Dylan relaxed slightly and breathed again. “So does your mother want to leave?”
“Yes. I didn’t realize it but she hates him as much as I do. We’re stuck and I don’t know who to turn to.” Her lip trembled.
Dylan kept quiet for a bit. Moments later, he tucked her under his arm and walked into the park. Aspen wondered if he knew how his touch affected her, but she didn’t say a thing.
“How long has he been treating you badly?”
Stray oak leaves on the ground formed a perfect target for her feet, and she kicked at them as she moved along the cobbled walkway.
“It’s been a while. He doesn’t hurt me physically, he hurts me with words. If he struck out at me I’d be able to hit back, but I can’t defend myself against words and feelings.”
She looked up at the pulse ticking at the base of his neck. Children screamed in delight on the playground equipment, and a dog barked excitedly near them. As soon as she saw her favorite garden shed, she headed straight toward it.
“I can’t tell anyone because he does look after me and my mom financially, but everything else that should be there in a family is missing—or at least I think it’s missing. I don’t know how it’s supposed to be, but this just doesn’t feel right.” She stopped in front of the metal door. “This is my special place. I come here to get away.” With a smile, she pointed at the shed.
Dylan stared at the rusty door in disbelief, but opened it for her as she stepped inside.
Once inside, she sat down on the bench and dusted a space for Dylan to sit. “Do you know what I can do to make my mom smile again?” Aspen looked up at him.
He sat down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ll make a plan. I’m going to speak to Leeman to see what can be done. There’s a place that you can go to, but your mother won’t be able to go there and you wouldn’t want that.”
“No, I won’t leave my mom,” Aspen exclaimed. Everything seemed hopeless and she drew her knees up to her chin and wrapped her legs with her arms.
Pulling his dream catcher out from beneath his T-shirt, he stared at her. The metal of the charm shone like spun gold in the light.
“There are things that you need to know, Princess. You’re not fully clan—your mother is Earthly. That means you have two ways to get to Lanta. If you sleep at night, you’ll dream and your dreams will take you to us. Your body still gets to sleep while you’re gone, and that’s the best way for you to travel.”
He tilted the dream catcher and its reflection sparkled in the small shed. “You can also travel with a dream catcher. Do you see the pattern over here?” The afternoon sunlight shone directly on the charm, and she bent her head to look at an indentation in the design.
“Yes.”
“Put your index finger on it and concentrate. You’ll need to send a small spark of power to it.” Reaching over, she touched the spot and thought about a blue bolt of electricity. Instantly, her arm tingled and a blast of air hit her face. The room became brighter, and in the next moment, she found herself sitting on the soft grass of Lanta. The river gurgled next to her and warm Lemona air filled her lungs.