Page 42 of Obsessed in Blood
Four seats had been moved to the center of the room, all facing each other around a coffee table. Lyra, Ginger, and Devon, dressed in comfortable clothes, nestled into the padded chairs. Colantha couldn’t predict how long the dreamwalk might take and didn’t want anything interfering once they got started. Everyone would remain in their position, eyes closed. It didn’t matter if they napped or meditated, Colantha would bring them forward when needed.
She drank a full glass of juice, touched her medallion, then closed her eyes.
Devon glanced around. He wore a dark charcoal suit with a gray shirt and silver tie. It was one of Cressa’s favorite color combinations. Ginger’s dress was a bold pink with short sleeves. Her hair had been fluffed into wavy curls, and she appeared ready for a date with Lucas. She sat with Colantha at a table near the window. They each had a foamy drink in front of them.
They were in a San Francisco coffeehouse that Ginger and Cressa always stopped at when they went to the city. Ginger said it made them both feel as if they’d made it. Not rich, but comfortable enough to head down to the city when the mood struck just to have a latte and do some window shopping. Colantha had brought Cressa to this same place during her training session, and they’d decided it wouldn’t hurt to have two different memories collide.
He had been positioned across the coffeehouse in an old leather chair. A demitasse cup of espresso rested on a side table, and a tablet lay in his lap. He was far enough away for no one to notice him, and Colantha assured him he would hear everything even through the crowded room.
A few seconds later, Cressa appeared at the table, sitting between the two women. She jumped, and when she saw Ginger she almost flew across the table to hug her. Then she fell back into her chair and held her hands in front of her face. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I—” She scanned the room, her eyes widened, and her lips curved into a grin, but then she frowned when her gaze landed on Colantha. “This is weird. Am I dreaming?” She waved her hand as if she could erase the image. “Never mind. That was stupid. Of course, I am. Either that, or I’ve finally snapped.”
Ginger grabbed her wrist. “You’re not dreaming. This is real. Can you feel the warmth of my hand?”
Cressa shrank back.
“We’re here to bring you home. Or at least, try to help in some way. But you need to know what Lorenzo is doing to you.”
Shock replaced the uncertainty. She turned to Colantha. “Who are you?”
The room shifted, and they were in a dark room where only a single candle glowed.
Colantha and Cressa sat cross-legged in the training pit, their knees touching. Cressa sprang back until her back hit the wall of the pit. Devon stood in the deep shadows of the room, once again, a silent observer.
“Where am I?” Cressa asked, squinting as she scanned the room, looking over both shoulders before completing the circle. She stared at Colantha. “You again. Do I know you?”
“Of course, you do. I’m the one who told you the mysteries of what you are?”
Cressa rubbed her face and wiped hard at her eyes. When she opened them, her shoulders dropped. Her head snapped up. “Wait. You said what I am, not who I am.” When Colantha just smiled, Cressa’s fierce face appeared. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Devon stood in front of a fountain in Newberry Park. Sounds of splashing came from a fountain where water flowed from a sculpted mermaid. The sun was warm and the sky a brilliant blue, a typical day once the fog lifted.
Cressa sat at the edge of the fountain, wearing blue jeans and a soft white shirt that showed off her golden skin. The short tresses of her sable-colored hair rustled in the breeze. He walked up to her, and when his shadow crossed over the water, she looked up and lifted her hand to cover her eyes.
“Hello.” Her voice was light, her mouth soft, but her forehead wrinkled. “Do I know you?” She laughed. “It seems I’ve been saying that a lot recently.”
He considered the question. “May I sit?” He pointed to a spot on the fountain next to her. When she nodded, he sat facing the park, deciding on the best way to answer. “You do know me. My name is Devon.”
The lines on her forehead increased. “I know that name. But I don’t remember you.”
“I know. It’s there. It’s being blocked.”
“Says you.” Her head dropped as she turned to stare at the water.
He chuckled and should have anticipated her stubbornness. He ran a hand through the water, cupping a small amount that he dribbled back into the pond. “Do you know where we are?”
Her head lifted, and she glanced around. At first, he didn’t see any recognition, then he caught the exact moment she remembered.
“Newberry Park.” She turned to the fountain and the water spurting from the mermaid. “And my favorite fountain.”
“You shared this place with me only a few nights ago.”
“I was running away.”
The change of subject threw him. “You were in a car accident. You were on the way to the manor.”
She shook her head. “I was beaten.”
“No, Cressa. There was an accident and then a fire.”
