Norma’s lips tightened, and Aspen could tell that her mother thought he was crazy.
“We’re the good guys.” He smiled. “Our mission is to stop nightmares before they start so children don’t suffer and Chancellors don’t multiply. We live amongst you, but we can live on both planes. Dream Walkers have different clans. We come from the Power clan, and live in the city of Lanta. There are other clans, because our magic alone is not always sufficient to stop the Chancellors. One of our close clans is the Fire clan in Vega, but we all have a common goal, and that is to stop the Chancellors. Roman was the leader of the Power clan.”
Norma pulled Aspen toward her and edged away from him.
“Wait, I’m telling the truth.” Leeman leaned forward. “Roman saw you and fell in love immediately. He wasn’t supposed to find an Earth girl, that’s not our way. Nothing that I said helped, he was determined to have you and he asked our magic man to find a spell to let you live in Lanta. We’ve had humans living there before, but that was centuries ago, and the spells have been forgotten.”
“Leeman, you’re not making sense, but it’s okay.” Norma stood up. She pulled Aspen up with her. “Thank you very much for your hospitality, but I think it’s best if Aspen and I leave now.”
“Mom, wait.” Aspen drew her dream catcher from underneath her T-shirt. “Uncle Leeman isn’t lying. Watch this.”
She pressed her finger into the indentation on the charm and concentrated hard. A burst of energy rushed through her body and she closed her eyes. Seconds later, she stood in her father’s house in Lanta.
Ginny held a broom and swept the floor. She blew a strand of fair hair from her forehead and looked at her suspiciously. “Hey, are you here for the day?” she asked.
“No, sorry. I’ll be back soon.” Touching the dream catcher again, Aspen felt herself transported through planes, and a feeling of warmth traveled through her body. Once she’d opened her eyes, she was back in Leeman’s kitchen.
Norma stared at Aspen in shock for a few seconds. Her eyelids flickered and she fell backward. Leeman caught her as her body crumpled, and he lifted her easily.
“Help me,” he said and strode through the kitchen into the living room.
Aspen ran in front of him and moved a cushion on the couch so that her mom’s head could rest on it. Leeman placed Norma carefully on the comfortable sofa.
She looked so pale against the dark brown fabric. One hand on the coffee table served to balance Aspen as she knelt next to her mother on a wool rug.
Leeman paced up to the stone fireplace and back, waiting for Norma to stir. After a while, she groaned and opened her eyes slowly.
“Mom, are you okay?”
Norma lifted a trembling hand to her cheek and said, “I think I’ve had enough surprises for one day.”
“I’m so sorry.” Leeman bent down and ran his finger lightly against her forehead. “I wish that it could be easier on you, but we had to tell you the truth.”
Aspen nodded. “Yes, Mom. It’ll be easier if you know what’s going on. Above all, we need you to keep wearing your dream catcher.”
Norma clutched her necklace and rubbed it gently.
“It’ll protect you from any Chancellors crossing into our plane. Daddy wasn’t wearing his when they came before . . .” Her voice trailed off.
Norma sat up slowly with her back against the arm of the sofa and spoke to Leeman. “Can you disappear just like Aspen did?”
“I’m the leader of the clan, Norma. Our family has been regarded as the most powerful Dream Walkers since the beginning of time. That’s why I’m in charge now that Roman is gone. Of course I can disappear.”
He held the dream catcher and was gone in an instant. Seconds later he reappeared with a handful of yellow flowers.
“These are for you—from Lanta.”
Norma buried her nose in the bright blooms and sniffed deeply. “Thank you. Roman would bring me the exact same flowers, but he wouldn’t tell me where he got them from.” She looked up at Leeman as he towered above her.
He gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry that we had to keep this secret from you. Aspen is special in more ways than you can imagine, and you’re under the protection of the clan from now on. You’ll never have to worry about being alone again.”
Norma smiled and stood up. Hugging her, Aspen smelled the fresh fragrance of daisies in her mother’s hands. The dull roar of a motorcycle outside didn’t make her mom tremble anymore.
Chapter 18
No School