Find Me If You Dare (Dreamcatcher Book 2) Read online

  A Division of Whampa, LLC

  P.O. Box 2160

  Reston, VA 20195

  Tel/Fax: 800-998-2509

  http://curiosityquills.com

  © 2015 Vicki Leigh

  http://www.vleighwrites.com

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information about Subsidiary Rights, Bulk Purchases, Live Events, or any other questions - please contact Curiosity Quills Press at [email protected], or visit http://curiosityquills.com

  ISBN 978-1-62007-986-7 (ebook)

  ISBN 978-1-62007-987-4 (paperback)

  ISBN 978-1-62007-988-1 (hardcover)

  Start Reading

  About the Author

  More Books from Curiosity Quills Press

  Full Table of Contents

  For Jessica,

  Who I never would’ve made it through 2014 without,

  And who I’d choose as my partner in a battle against the Nightmares.

  ive weeks had passed since I slew another Protector, and Giovanni’s face still haunted my thoughts. In my position as a Dreamcatcher, I’d destroyed thousands of demonic creatures, but from the moment Giovanni had betrayed everything we stood for, black and red blood had stained my blade.

  And the fighting hadn’t yet stopped.

  The thump of Kayla’s fist hitting the dummy echoed off the stone walls of our new training room. Intensity flickered in her eyes. After her lesson with Trishna this morning, she’d wasted no time dragging me through our hidden camp to work on her combat skills. Though her tenacity impressed me, I had to admit I was beginning to worry about her state of mind. No one should be this anxious to kill.

  Again, Kayla swung at the mannequin, but the impact was weak.

  “Don’t forget to turn your hips,” I said, standing off to the side.

  Kayla wiped her brow with the back of her hand and jabbed her target in the face, aiming for the back of its head, like I’d taught her. Sweat rolled down the side of her neck, but her face was taut with determination. She swung, hard, at the dummy’s head. It shook violently.

  Kayla grunted and threw another punch, then another and another. She kicked and pummeled the dummy until her form broke, her cheeks red and jaw tight. She was getting angry. Without the proper stance or control, injury wouldn’t be far behind.

  “All right, stop. You’re going to hurt yourself.” I stepped forward.

  She kicked the dummy again, connecting with the object too high on her shin. A yelp escaped her lips. I grabbed her waist and pulled her away from the mannequin.

  “No, I’m not done,” she snapped.

  Kayla. I touched her cheek, speaking to her through our telepathic bond. Trishna had Unified the Protectors with her coven prior to the battle in Columbus, Ohio, and Kayla had been connected moments after waking from Richard’s spell. After five weeks of sharing thoughts this way, it’d become almost second-nature.

  She leaned into my hand, her chest rising and falling with exhaustion.

  I understood her need to end this war before her father caused more damage. The Nightmares under his control had destroyed not just her home, but mine, too. Rome was in worse shape than Columbus. But, while her abilities—both magical and physical—had grown, so had her paranoia. I needed to find something to preoccupy her thoughts—and soon.

  “I think we should call it a day,” I said. “Maybe grab some supper before the banquet hall fills up?”

  Kayla sighed, nodding, and I kissed the top of her head before grabbing a bottle of water from the floor and handing it to her. Hand-in-hand, we crossed through the large, stone cavern dedicated to combat practice. Small floating lanterns, spelled by one of Trishna’s witches, illuminated the dark gray floor, walls, and ceiling. The glow highlighted the tense lines around Kayla’s eyes. Her gaze was far away.

  “You haven’t gotten a hold of your mum yet, have you?” I asked. Every day for five weeks, Kayla had rung her mother’s mobile phone. But every day, the call went straight to voice mail. The city’s survivors had been evacuated. Meredith could be anywhere.

  “No. I tried earlier, but I had to leave another voice mail.”

  I squeezed her hand, my chest heavy. “And you’ve tried the rest of your family?”

  “Everyone. But no one’s seen or heard from her, and they’re all getting suspicious about why I can’t stay with any of them.” Her bottom lip trembled. She looked away from me, swallowing her emotion.

  After the first week of missed calls, I’d given in to Kayla’s begging to visit Columbus. Half her house had been ripped to pieces, its front yard littered with scraps like a tornado had blown through. There, she had collapsed in my arms, but since then, she hadn’t shed a single tear.

  Yet another reason I was worried about her.

  “Come on.” Frowning, I tugged her into the tunnel that led to the heart of our safe haven.

  Trishna’s coven had spent the past five weeks digging tunnels deep into the Allegheny Mountains and manipulating our hidden town into a place with a sense of normalcy. They named it Caelum—Latin for Heaven. We Protectors did what we could to help, but without abilities to move nature or create water or cast spells, we were pretty useless. Instead, those of us not in the field, shielding the living from Nightmares, focused on gathering intel on Richard’s whereabouts and teaching the less experienced how to fight.

  Caelum’s end result had been brilliant. A hidden gate in the Allegheny Tunnel led into our secret village—a circular plaza the size of a mini-Colosseum that reached higher than my eyes could see. Here, at least thirty single-story, two-bedroom “homes” had been dug into the walls of the mountain, and, reminiscent of Grand Central Station, wide tunnels branched from the city center in every direction, leading to large corridors for unique purposes—like our training room. A magically-constructed waterfall near the gate provided us with running water, and Trishna’s coven even had figured out how to run electricity through the town.

  God save the Magus.

  “Daniel!” Bartholomew, Keeper of the Protectors, shouted as soon as Kayla and I stepped foot in the central corridor.

  I let go of Kayla’s hand and touched the small of her back. Go relax. I’ll be there in a minute.

  She nodded before continuing toward the home we shared with Seth, Tabbi, and Samantha.

  All around us, Magus and Protectors carried furnishings to their homes. After five weeks of hard labor, we were finally putting on finishing touches. I waited for Bartholomew to catch up, then, when he reached my side, turned and walked with him.

  “Good news,” he said between shivers. After being outside in the August heat, Caelum often felt like an icebox. “Between Nolan and Sam, we have twenty more new recruits on our side. Five Protectors and fifteen Magus. They’re being briefed now and will be arriving shortly. Bad news: we’ll need you to take a small team into the city to gather more supplies. How soon do you think you’ll be ready?”

  Samantha and Nolan had spent the past five weeks in the field, searching for any Protector or Magus willing to join our cause against Richard. The first few weeks, they’d only managed to find five or six. Then it became ten. Now, including this new batch of twenty, they’d managed to unearth sixty people total to fight with us. With Richard’s spies everywhere, it had been a dangerous job, and they’d exceeded everyone’s expectations.

  But while new recruits meant more manpower, we were fast outgrowing our new living space, and our supply runs were nearing three times a week. Six people flying under Richard’s radar was difficult. I hated the increasing frequency of our trips, though we made a point not to visit the same store tw
ice.

  “I’ll grab the others,” I replied. “Should be ready in no more than half an hour.” We needed our new recruits to be comfortable, so what choice did I have?

  “Good. Stay in communication with Trishna, and make sure to report in if you think you’ve been spotted.”

  Nodding, I stopped at the home next to mine and knocked as Bartholomew continued on his way. Ivan answered from the other side. For so long, the dark-haired Russian and I had hated each other; it was still odd when I didn’t immediately get a scowl from my now-friend.

  “Supply run,” I said. “Grab Lian, Eric, and Chad. We leave in ten.”

  Eric was Trishna’s second, and Chad was a twenty-two-year-old, red-haired warlock with the power to make an ocean appear out of thin air. He’d developed our haven’s water system and had created the waterfall that seemed to originate from nowhere. But while he favored water, his abilities in the other elements were still powerful. I’d fought alongside him in the Columbus warehouse where we’d taken down Giovanni, former Leader of the Protectors, and several of his followers. Chad was fierce.

  After Ivan nodded and closed the door to his home, I entered the one next to it. Kayla, Tabbi, and Seth stared at a newscast from Rome. Richard had destroyed the city in his effort to capture the three Magus the Protectors had been harboring. My chest tightened—we’d never rescued Margaret or Alex.

  “Seth, grab your stuff. Trishna needs us to raid another store,” I said, avoiding the view of the TV. I didn’t want to see another clip of the demolished Colosseum or the flattened Pantheon, or hear a reporter say again that the city’s death toll had passed half a million. Just thinking about the devastation made me nauseous. For two hundred years, Rome had been my home, and now it was a wasteland. A gravesite.

  “Man, that’s three times this week. Who’s been eatin’ all the food?” Seth replied.

  “Sam and Nolan will be back tonight, and they’re bringing twenty with them this time.” I entered the bedroom I shared with Kayla and switched out of my workout gear into dark jeans and a short-sleeved, green, button-down shirt. Hidden under my trousers’ legs, I sheathed daggers around my calves, and on each hip, I holstered handguns, the tail of my shirt covering both. Satisfied that no one would spot my weapons and flip out, I returned to the living area.

  “Wish I could help,” Kayla said, “but I know Daniel won’t let me tag along.”

  I glared at her as the other eyes in the room looked elsewhere. You know I’m only trying to keep you safe, I said to her through our bond.

  Eyes glistening, she crossed her arms and flopped back onto the couch.

  I sighed. Every time, she fought me on staying behind, and it made me feel like an ass for saying no to joining us. But when the warlock threatening Kayla’s life had spies everywhere, searching for her day and night, I wasn’t going to let a supply run be the reason I put her in jeopardy.

  After kissing the top of her head, I followed Seth out our front door and met the rest of my team in the street.

  We picked the Walmart in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to hit this time. Hand-in-hand—Magus couldn’t evaporate without holding on to a Protector—the six of us nipped to the side of the building, four Protectors and two Magus. We never knew what kind of trouble we’d run into, and mixing our teams had a high success rate. The first time Richard’s Magus had shown up to take us down, they hadn’t expected to see witches and warlocks by our side. Confused, they’d scurried back to wherever Richard was hiding.

  “All right, you know the drill. Two carts each. We meet back here in half an hour,” I instructed.

  After everyone nodded, we entered the building, staggering our entrances and dispersing like we didn’t know one another. Grabbing two carts—pushing one and dragging the other behind me—I wandered the store, filling the baskets with toiletries and leisure items like DVDs and video games. I shook my head, thinking about how many of our coven members didn’t do well with downtime.

  After twenty minutes of silence from my team, I checked in. How are we doing? Like with Kayla, we were able to communicate telepathically because of Trishna’s Unity spell. Each of us was branded with a tattoo on the inside of our left wrists—a fancy letter T—and it was that tattoo which gave us the power. Only Bartholomew and Tabbi had opted out of the mark, not wanting dark magic coursing through their veins.

  We need to bring a girl next time. The ladies are givin’ me creeper eyes when I buy panties, Seth replied.

  Do I look like a man to you? said Lian, a forever-sixteen Dreamcatcher from China and the toughest martial artist I had ever seen. And, as Seth apparently forgot, a girl.

  You’re the one who offered, saying it was your “specialty,” she continued.

  Oh, yeah. Sorry. You want a thong or bikini-style? he joked.

  On you? A thong. Will hurt more when I yank it up your back.

  Smirking, I shook my head and grabbed a few more boxes of aspirin, leaving one behind in case someone in Albuquerque needed it. We were already stealing half the store’s supplies. We didn’t need to rid them of everything.

  Daniel, we have a problem, Eric’s voice filled my head.

  I stopped, pulling my carts to the end of an aisle so I could see out into the store. What’s wrong?

  I think I’m being followed.

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. Store clerk?

  No. Magus.

  Heat drained from my face. We’d gotten out of here undetected by store personnel before, even when they’d watched us like hawks. But the last time we’d been caught by Richard’s coven, we’d returned empty-handed—and one man down.

  Everybody out of the store. Take the carts, but get out now. Protectors, straight to Caelum. Eric and Chad, I’ll meet you around the side.

  Taking my carts with me, I tucked myself against a wall, away from camera lenses, and when no one watched, I evaporated.

  ome on, come on,” I repeated, waiting for Chad and Eric to round the corner of Walmart’s building, my hands tensed on the carts’ handles. If Richard’s coven knew we were here, they could ambush us at any moment.

  Someone really needed to give Magus the ability to teleport.

  Chad turned the corner, a cart in each hand, and jogged toward me. “Eric?” he asked when I was within hearing distance.

  “Not yet.”

  Chad parked his carts next to mine and watched for Eric’s arrival, his face tight. I glanced at my watch. We didn’t need mobile phones anymore, now that we were telepathically connected, and I’d become reliant on the timepiece. Five minutes had passed. He should’ve been here by now.

  Eric, are you coming? I said.

  Nothing.

  A loud boom shook the ground.

  Chad and I tipped to the side. People screamed, and the smell of smoke filled the air. Damn.

  Another boom rang out from inside Walmart. Chad waited for my direction, his face pale. We both knew we couldn’t leave Eric behind.

  Seth, I need you to retrieve the carts. Chad and I are going after Eric.

  “Let’s go,” I said, holding out a hand to my teammate. As soon as Chad took it, I went invisible—taking him with me—and evaporated into the store. As long as he didn’t let go of me, he’d stay invisible, too.

  The store was in chaos. Customers ran like mice from a sewer, trying to escape before they drowned in the violence. One sprinted through me, the tickling sensation forcing a grimace. I’d never get used to that violated feeling.

  Alarms sounded when another boom shook the store, but this time, the rapid pops of a machine gun followed it. The hair on the back of my neck bristled. Richard’s Magus had brought Protectors, too—men and women trained to kill. Given witches and warlocks couldn’t evaporate, it made sense. They’d stolen a trick from our playbook. Bloody bastards.

  From what I could tell by the noise they were making, Richard’s coven was near the back, close to the electronics section. Letting go of Chad’s hand and turning us visible, I pulled out a handgun. “Com
e on,” I said, leading us through the maze of aisles, trying to stay hidden from the eyes of Richard’s followers.

  Sweat dripped down the back of my neck. Trishna, we need backup, I called for help. Albuquerque Walmart.

  On our way, she replied.

  Another boom. The lights went out, and the flames at the back of the store grew brighter, filling the room with an orange glow.

  The sprinkler system flipped on. Lovely. Nothing was worse than fighting on slippery floors with cold, wet limbs.

  Brushing wet hair out of my face, I stopped at the end of the row closest to where the fight was taking place and motioned to Chad to stay behind me. I peeked around the corner, my heart pounding. Five rows of stock were destroyed. CDs, DVDs, and other merchandise littered the ground. Four individuals in solid black marched down the center aisle, dragging a bloodied, unconscious Eric behind them.

  I flattened myself against the shelves and turned to Chad. They have Eric, I said. Three Magus, one Protector. He’s the one with the machine gun. I called for backup, but if they’re not here in the next minute, Richard’s men will be gone.

  Chad’s gaze was unfaltering, determined. We have to save Eric.

  I ground my teeth, then nodded. Eric was Chad’s best friend; I wouldn’t leave Seth behind, either. I’ll take out the Protector from here. Go around me and hit the Magus with whatever you’ve got. Aim high, and you’ll miss Eric.

  Two balls of blue liquid formed in Chad’s hands, his natural element—water—ready to blast the Magus across the store. I raised my gun and turned, my pulse in my ears. Shielding half of my body with the corner of the shelving system, I fired. My bullet went straight through the Protector’s head.

  The three Magus dropped Eric, raising their hands to retaliate. Chad stepped around me, and a wave of water exploded from his hands as hard and fast as Niagara Falls. Two of Richard’s Magus flew backward down the aisle, but the third dropped to the ground just in time, missing Chad’s attack completely. A ball of fire soared from the warlock’s hands. Before I could pull my trigger, flames hit me in the chest. Shit. The blast knocked me into the shelves of candles behind me, and the entire unit toppled over. I fell to the ground with a shout, wood, plastic, and glass splintering and shattering beneath my back.