Pulled to the Dark (The Siriena Series) (29 page)

I don't know how long I stayed there, kneeling on the floor, humming softly, but then I heard a voice. "What's going on?"

I opened my eyes. Karen was lying on the floor in front of me. I stopped humming.

"Don't stop!" Petra yelled. "Keep humming!"

I closed my eyes and began humming again, feeling the magic. I opened my eyes and Karen was still there. I kept humming but reached out and took her hand. She sat up and looked at me.

"Why am I naked?" she asked. She looked around. "Where am I?"

Petra and Andrea were both star
ing at me. I looked over to them for help. Beth and Erika were both gone. Petra picked up a blanket. She walked over and wrapped it around Karen. Then she turned to me and said, "You keep humming. I am so proud of you."

I focused on the magic, on holding Karen with us. Petra and Andrea knelt down in front of Karen.

"I've been here before," she said. She looked at Petra. "I remember you. I used to dream about you." She looked at Andrea. "You look so young. What's going on?"

And then she faded out.

I kept humming, trying to bring her back. Petra smiled. "You can stop. She woke up. I imagine she's at our door right about now."

She popped out. I immediately followed her.

Our bedroom was empty except for Petra and me. I looked at her. "I thought you said she couldn't come."

"I didn't think she could. I tried on and off for months."

We stepped out of the bedroom. Beth and Erika were sitting on the sofa. I heard noises from the bathroom,
then
Karen stepped out. Andrea exited her room at the same time. We all stared at each other.

"I just had the weirdest dream," Karen said. "You were in it, Felicia. You were kneeling over me, humming." She turned to Andrea. "You were there, too. You looked so young." She looked around. "There was a third woman. She looked a lot like you, Petra, but different."

"She was me," Petra said. "It wasn't a dream."

"That's why you didn't come back
right away
," said Beth.

"I summoned her," I said, still in a daze. "Petra said she couldn't, but I did it."

Petra turned around and kissed me. "Yes, Love, you did."

"Did someone put something in the brownies last night?" Karen asked.

"We didn't have brownies last night," Andrea said. "Might be the water."

"I think it's the clear,
Siriena
air," Beth said. She paused. "And Felicia, just so you have fair warning, Erika and I had a good thirty minutes to plan our revenge. I can't believe you tickled us while we were completely helpless."

"Just remember," I told her. "You're going to be helpless for a week or two. I am going to have unfettered access to your feet. You may want to manage how motivated you make me."

* * *

After that, we explained everything to Karen. "I remember," she said. She turned to Petra. "You kissed me. In my dreams."

"They weren't dreams," I told her. "But if you're wondering, you don't get her back. She's mine now."

"And then," she said. "At that party, we both got a little tipsy. We took a cab home. You walked me to my door, and I realized how sexy you were, so I asked you to kiss me. That was real."

"Yes," said Petra. "It ruined everything. I couldn't summon you after that."

"That's because I was afraid," she said. "I didn't want those dreams. I thought they were dreams, that I was having erotic dreams about my boss, about another woman." She paused. "You know what kind of upbringing I've had about that."

Petra looked away. "I know. I'm sorry."

"The thing is," said Karen. "I could feel you trying to enter my dreams again. Not every night like it had been, but once or twice a week. And then it stopped."

"I gave up," she said.

"It was months later, once I'd gotten to know you better," Karen said. "And I realized I wanted the dreams back. But then they didn't come. When I woke up this morning, I was expecting you. Imagine my surprise when I saw Felicia kneeling over me."

"Karen," I said. "For the record. There will be no kissing of Petra."

We answered all of Karen's questions. She was immediately on board. "Who
m
will she belong to?" I asked. "Petra or me?"

"I have no idea," Petra said. "I guess we'll find out." She paused. "We have something else to tell
all of you
."

"Actually," I said. "Petra and I will be right back." I turned to her. "My tower, if you please." And I popped out. Then I popped home to our apartment in Minneapolis, grabbed a bowl from the kitchen, and popped back to my tower.

Petra took a few minutes to get there. "Disappearing in front of Karen provided new questions."

"Will you send me to your place again?" I said. "I'm going to get some snow."

She smiled and I felt a push. I was back at the cabin. I collected a bowl full of snow from outside, then popped back to the apartment and then to the bungalow. I stepped out of the bedroom and set the bowl down.

"Oh," I said. "Headache." I waved away the concern. "Look what I found." I pointed to the bowl.

They all looked into the bowl. "Is that snow?" Andrea asked.

"Yes, it is," I said. I smiled. "From an isolated cabin in the mountains of Idaho."

We talked about it for a while. I eventually wandered into the kitchen and found something to eat.

* * *

The rest of the vacation was amazing.
Beautiful water
and
an amazing beach.
It was the
off season
, so there were no other tourists. And each night, we summoned our three new recruits and taught them what we could. By the time to fly home on Wednesday, Beth and Erika were both talking. Karen had a head start from her time three years ago with Petra, so she was learning to open the door.

She really hated it when I encased her in the wall.

It turned
out she was mine.

* * *

We all got home safe and sound. Karen had to fly home to Minneapolis by herself. We took the private charter back to Fort Lauderdale together, as it was easier than answering questions, but then Petra, Andrea and I went home the easy way.
Beth and Erika flew home to California and New York.

Thursday we were all back at work. It was strange to be home, but there was a ton of work waiting for Andrea. Petra waited for me so I wouldn't have to take the train.

"I can pop home," I said grinning.

"That's a trap," Petra told me. "It becomes too tempting. Eventually someone is going to notice."

I sighed.

During the car ride home, Erika called me. "Are you with Petra?"

"Yes."

"Put me on speaker, please." As soon as I had, she said, "Petra, please tell me you really offered me a job."

Petra laughed. "I really offered you a job."

"Good. I don't have the official letter
from
you
yet, but I gave notice today
anyway
. I'm driving to Minneapolis the week of Thanksgiving."

"Congratulations!" Petra said. "Everything here will be waiting for you."

We stopped for dinner on the way home and were sitting in the restaurant when my phone rang again. I glanced at it. "Beth," I said.

"Answer it," Petra told me.

"Are you with Petra?" she asked.

"I'll put you on speakerphone."

"Petra, please tell me that was a real job offer, because I gave notice today."

We laughed. "So did Erika," we told her.

"The moving van comes the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I'll need to know where to send them," she said. "I'm driving out, I should arrive by Monday
or Tuesday
. Do I have a place to stay?"

"Yes," I told her.

When we signed off with her, I told Petra, "Our circle is growing."

It was still dark when we entered the woods with our merry band. Andrea and Petra took point. Karen, Beth, Erika and I were spread out behind them. We were all wearing swords and dressed in black.

Vincent had basically taken over a small village three miles west of
Renea's
castle. Somehow he had taught Jeremy how to travel here, although he appeared to be more of a gopher than a right hand man. They were employing a few local men and a variety of mercenaries in the feud with
Renea
. We needed more information. Tonight we were out to collect it.

There was just enough light to see where we were going.

We each had a small backpack with water, food, a first aid kit, and binoculars. Nothing electrical worked in
Siriena
, but binoculars worked great.

We moved as quickly as we could without making noise, but it was over an hour before we reached the village. We approached through the woods and stopped just before stepping into a farmer's field on the east side of the village. We settled in to watch.

It took me ten minutes to get bored, and it only took that long because I found a mother bird feeding her babies in the nest. I could just see them sticking their noses in the air. What I could see was darned ugly.
Birds can be pretty, but baby birds are the
ugliest
babies anywhere, Earth or
Siriena
. The interesting thing about these birds is that their beaks were fourteen inches long.
The babies' beaks.

I crawled over to Petra. "Bored now."

"Go back to watching the birds," she said.

"What birds?" I asked her.

She sighed.
"What do you want to do about it?"

"Stir things up. We're here for information. Let me go collect some."

"That is remarkably foolish," she said.

"I know. They won't be expecting it from a general as brilliant as you. I'll catch them by complete surprise." I paused. "If I see my old boss, do I kill him?"

"That's awfully bloodthirsty of you," she said.

"It wouldn't be boring," I said. "Messy though. Messy is better than boring."

"Didn't you bring anything to read?"

"Yes," I said. "I did. It's all on my phone."

"You are such a smart ass."

I settled down in the grass next to Petra. Every few minutes I heaved a huge sigh.

"That's very irritating," she said after the third or fourth sigh.

"Maybe I should take a little walk. I could follow these woods to that little village over
there,
see if they have a penny arcade or something. Maybe get a
cappuccino
."

"Felicia," she said. "You aren't this stupid. What is wrong with you?"

"What is going to happen? I walk into the village. I'm noticed or I'm not. If I'm not, that tells us they aren't very observant. I look around, turn around and leave. If I'm noticed, they do something or they don't. If they don't, it tells us they don't really care. If they do, perhaps we get an idea on where in the village they're staying."

"What if what they do is kill you?"

"Do you think that's what they'd do? Or would they want to capture me? Or at least threaten me first?"

"Your martial arts aren't good enough to prevent capture."

"I wouldn't stick around. Pop goes the Felicia. I'd run to put on a little show and pop home."

"What if they manage to hit you over the head first?"

"You're full of what if. I'll be careful."

She sighed.

"Today we watch." She lowered her binoculars and looked over at me. "Do I need to find a way to enforce that?"

I thought about it. "No. I'll behave."

I watched the birds for a while. Then there was movement in the village, and I watched the local equivalent of a dog lope down the street and disappear from view. I kept quiet for at least thirty minutes. Well, fifteen anyway, before I laid the binoculars down and put my head in my arms. And sighed.

Petra didn't even look at me. She just reached over with a hand and made my body go limp.

"Hey!"

Then she touched my throat and I couldn't talk anymore either.

She waited ten or fifteen seconds before she said, "Ah, peace and quiet."

She left me like that until lunchtime. I fumed for about an hour of it then gave up and took a nap.

The next thing I knew, Petra was rolling me over. I still couldn't move, so I was a limp rag doll.

I opened my eyes and looked at her.

"Are you still sulking?"

I stared at her. I didn't even try talking.

She shook me a little. "Say something."

"Something," I said.

"Smart ass."