Page 46 of Betrayed in Blood
“Colantha called you?”
“She texted.”
Who was that woman? I shouldn’t be surprised. Everyone texted. But somehow, the image of Colantha using a cell phone or texting wouldn’t solidify in my head. Weren’t dreamwalkers supposed to be, I don’t know, more mysterious?
Ginger changed the subject to the more critical topic of setting up a home shopping day. We’d gather around a big screen and watch the various shopping networks while we drank and shopped. Cook would keep the food coming. Since we were on lockdown, this was the closest to a girl’s day out we could get.
Once we’d selected a date, we packed everything up, dropped the basket in the kitchen, and headed for Devon’s office with five minutes to spare.
Simone met us at the door after arriving from Oasis. She wore her don’t-mess-with-me face. It didn’t have anything to do with us. She got that look whenever Colantha showed up, having never grown comfortable with the dreamwalker. They were both control freaks.
We were a boisterous group as we stormed into Devon’s office. Lyra and Simone stopped, and Ginger and I plowed into them, not expecting the pause.
Colantha, Devon, Sergi, and Decker were sitting in chairs positioned into a tight square so they were all facing each other. Frederick and Jamison stood guard over them as the four stared into space.
They were dreamwalking.
What the fuck?
ChapterThirteen
“What’s going on here?”Simone marched into Devon’s office but stopped when Frederick and Jamison took a step toward her.
I tugged on Simone’s caftan. Any other day, she’d spin around, fangs dropped, and if I was lucky, would only glare and not strike out. Today, she took it for the warning it was. Don’t mess with the dreamwalking. It was obvious by the way the chairs had been placed so the occupants faced each other that this was voluntary.
“Hey, there you are.” Lucas walked in with Bella at his side, each carrying a tray of food and a glass pitcher of what looked like sangria.
They set the trays on the table in the sitting area. Lucas had a book under his arm, and he dropped it next to the tray.
Simone turned on them, repeating her earlier question. “What’s going on here?”
Lucas glanced around the room and recognition blossomed in his gaze. “Oh, Colantha arrived early, just after Decker. Remus was becoming anxious waiting for news about the book. He wanted to talk to Devon, but since we want communication between them limited, Colantha suggested a dreamwalk. Decker texted Remus, and he agreed.” He glanced at the wall clock. “They shouldn’t be much longer. Colantha said ten minutes at the most.”
Simone glared at me.
“Don’t give me that look. I’m as surprised as you.”
“You knew nothing about this?” Simone asked.
“All I know is that Colantha scared the shit out of me when she woke me up in a construct, telling me to inform Devon she’d be arriving at two.” I replayed the memory. I’d still been a bit drowsy at the time.
“What?” Simone must have seen something change in my expression that made her hackles rise, and the tip of her fangs became visible.
“She winked at me.” I glanced to where Colantha sat. “She couldn’t have known that she’d need to dreamwalk right away. I’m sure the wink was just her way of teaching me another lesson.”
“And what lesson might that be.”
“Nothing that has anything to do with what’s going on here.”
“Simone. Everything is fine.” Devon’s voice silenced our conversation, and Simone spun toward him.
Every time she twirled, her bold red caftan—her power color—flowed around her like gossamer silk. I would have liked to watch her on a catwalk. She denied my every attempt to catch her admitting that she’d modeled. She’d lived in all the fashion capitals of the world, and not always as cadre. How could she not have walked one at least once? Of course, then she’d end up on the front page of every magazine in the world. That would have been too much human intervention for her.
“Perhaps some warning ahead of time.” Simone’s tone had mellowed to one of reverence, though she gave Colantha a glare or two.
“Didn’t Lucas tell you?” Devon glanced his way.
“Completely my fault.” Lucas didn’t sound apologetic. “Bella and I went to the kitchen to save Letty a trip and missed Simone’s arrival.”
