Page 31 of Betrayed in Blood
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Lucas moved a few pieces of paper around, didn’t seem to find what he was looking for, then lifted a tome and pulled a sheet of paper out from under it. He pushed it toward her. “I think this is what you came for.”
I leaned over and picked it up. The sheet was full of symbols that were broken into sections I assumed were paragraphs. I’d never seen anything like it. If they were words, they meant nothing to me, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. It was like I should know what they said, but it was just beyond my grasp.
“These look like some type of Asian language or maybe Middle Eastern.”
“More like Ancient Egyptian or even Phoenician, but those languages are long dead. Though that would make sense if the dreamwalkers had been purged centuries ago. I emailed you an image of the same section of text so you can send it to Colantha.”
“Thank you for this.” I stood, still mesmerized by the symbols. “I’ll keep you posted.” I stopped at the doorway and turned back. “You really love this type of stuff.”
“Yeah, I do. It drove my father crazy. He said I’d never be cadre because I didn’t have the heart of a warrior.”
I glanced around the room and rubbed my shoulder from the last training session. “If you don’t mind me saying, your father is an ass. You have the heart and skill of a warrior and the brains of a scholar. Devon’s lucky to have you.”
When color suffused his cheeks, I winked and shut the door behind me. I’d just turned the corner, heading back to the stairs, and almost bumped into Ginger, who managed to save the tray she carried.
“Did you just see Lucas?” She repositioned the tray that held a coffee pot, a couple of mugs, and something savory hidden under silver domes.
I held up a page. “Yep. I’m on my way to contact Colantha. That vamp of yours needs a break.”
She lifted the tray. “I can’t get him to leave his office, but food usually does the trick.”
“I thought he finished the translation already.”
“It’s a rough draft. He wants to clean it up before Remus comes.”
“Will you have time for happy hour with Lyra?”
“Absolutely.”
We parted ways, and I took the stairs two at a time. Ever since I’d heard there was a second language in theDe første dage, there was no doubt it had to be a dreamwalker language. The only question was how to get the sample to her. Email was the most obvious, but how secure was that? I was probably being paranoid to think someone was hacking my email.
Devon had given me Colantha’s cell number, and I stared at it on my phone. I could text her a copy of the image. But there was another option. I wasn’t sure it would work, but no time like the present. I snorted. This could be better than a video call.
I went to the safe Devon had added after he’d seen my setup in the condo Ginger and I shared. And like that one, there was a secret panel built behind it where the real treasure lay. Yeah, I was paranoid. I grinned as I pulled out the tiny locked box that held my medallion.
Its instant warmth calmed me when it settled against my skin. I fingered it as I picked up the page of text and placed it on the table in front of the fireplace. I lit a candle on the mantel, then sat on the sofa, rolled my neck back and forth, took a deep breath, and focused on the candle’s flame.
I spent the first five minutes clearing my mind, then created a construct that looked just like my bedroom. It required less energy and something told me I’d need a lot to attempt what I was doing. Colantha, Hamilton, and I were both able to create constructs between the manor and Shadow Island, but those two points were maybe twenty miles apart as the crow flies.
I was going to attempt to contact Colantha at her sanctuary outside New Orleans. In theory, since she and I had dreamwalked many times before, and there was a high probability she’d be wearing her medallion, this might work.
When my mind was as clear, I called out, “Colantha.”
I stretched my mind, focusing on the room at the sanctuary where Colantha first tested my abilities. “Colantha?”
That was weak. I cleared my throat and gave a more authoritarian command. “Colantha. This is Cressa. I’m sorry for intruding.”
“I would hope so.”
I must have jumped a foot and turned around so fast that my feet tangled, and I fell off the couch. I pushed up, glancing around, unsure if this was still my construct or my real room. Maybe I should have built a different room, like the library.
“Behind you.”
I twisted back around and dropped onto the couch. I was giving myself whiplash. I glared up into Colantha’s smiling face. She was enjoying this.
“I take it this is now your construct.”
“From the minute you jumped in surprise. When you call out to a dreamwalker who is not expecting it, you need to control where they will appear in the construct as well as maintain control of it.” Her eyes narrowed. “Especially when they’re more powerful than you.”
