Page 77 of Obsessed in Blood
Everyone was waiting for us, and Colantha gave Devon a stern look that rolled off him. We took our places, and I caught Lyra’s anxious smile. I nodded, returning my own, hoping this construct didn’t end badly. I slurped down the juice Jamison handed me and settled against the chair.
“The last meeting with Hamilton went well.” Colantha set down her empty juice glass and straightened her jacket. “I thought we’d need another session or two to convince him we were his best hope, but I was pleasantly surprised to find his sanity well intact. He has a quick wit, and it’s time for him to see Lyra.”
“Has he asked about me?” Lyra asked.
My heart ached at the brave face she tried so hard to hold onto.
“I need you to prepare yourself,” Colantha continued. “You must be ready with whatever honest emotion you feel for him. He hasn’t asked about you, but he did ask about your father. I believe he thinks you’re dead, and as long as he doesn’t ask, then whether you’re dead or not, you’re still alive in his heart.”
Lyra’s hand went to her mouth, and it was obvious she hadn’t considered Hamilton might think she’d died in the accident. I hadn’t been wrong. This was all so tragic.
“He needs to know you’re alive. From there, we’ll have to see how it unfolds. There’s no way to know how this news will affect him.”
Lyra nodded. “I’m ready.”
“I know you’ve been in constructs before, but you might not be aware of how fast a construct can change. I don’t expect that to happen tonight, but if it does, just relax into each one. Don’t focus on where we land. Keep all your attention on Hamilton.”
“Alright. Let’s do this.”
“Frederick. Please bring another chair for Lyra. And you might as well bring one for Devon.” She turned to him. “Cressa and I will complete the construct and bring Hamilton to it. If he has accepted what we’ve discussed, I’ll bring Lyra in. I don’t know if you’ll be needed, but I’d rather you be prepared. I might bring you in but give you a signal for silence. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Devon sat in the chair to the right of me with Lyra across from him.
Colantha’s gaze turned to me. “Are you ready?”
I bent my head to the left and then the right, like a boxer waiting for the bell. If I’d been standing, I’d be bouncing on my toes. “Let’s go.”
In an instant, the landscape changed to Guildford’s study.
“You’re becoming quite adept with accepting the change from reality to construct.”
“I don’t even have to think about it. It’s like one big puzzle. I might not know the individual pieces, but I can picture the full image. I have to focus harder on the individual pieces when it’s my construct.”
“That will change with time and practice.” She glanced around the room, seeming to make a decision about something. “Bring him to the chair across from us. Let him be comfortable.”
I was still learning the best way to bring someone to a construct. With Hamilton, he tugged at me, like he held one end of a long string, and I held the other. If he was stronger, he could probably pull me into a construct. Instead, I pictured him resting comfortably in one of the study chairs, then pulled the end of the string—hard.
Hamilton blinked and glanced around. He nodded to Colantha then set his hooded eyes on me. “I thought you’d call me to the construct sooner, but I appreciate the extra rest. I’m a bit out of practice.”
“I slept for four hours, and to be honest, I could use another six.”
He laughed, and the man in Lyra’s paintings came to life. His smile changed him. A man with a future and hope. A man who hadn’t been forgotten. And I understood why Lyra still loved him after all this time.
“How do you feel about what we’ve told you?” Colantha asked.
“I’m beginning to remember who I was before the accident.” He blew out a deep breath and ran his hands up and down his thighs. “It’s hard to explain. When I woke up after the crash, I only remembered bits and pieces of it. Over the years, chunks of memory returned, but others remained elusive, as if they’d been stripped from me. I was a dreamwalker but there were certain memories that slipped away.”
“Lorenzo must have mesmerized you.” I couldn’t believe it. He must do that with all his captives.
“I’d wondered, but it shouldn’t be surprising.” He hung his head.
Colantha clucked her tongue. “I’d like to move to the next stage now that you know your mind isn’t playing tricks on you.” She nodded to me, and I stood to move to a chair near the door.
“I don’t understand.” Hamilton’s expression changed, his gaze once again hooded as it darted between us.
“I want someone else to join us, and Cressa is simply giving up her chair. Is that alright?”
“Sure.” His knee began to bounce.
