get her parents back as quickly as possible, and if sleeping in the better-off-condemned building in front of her would make it faster for her to get to them, then she’d do it.
When they’d finally checked in and were entering the two rooms they’d reserved, her fears were confirmed. Cassie covered her hand over her mouth and nose to keep from gagging at the smell.
“Let’s just get some sleep and then we can get out of here,” Trik told them as he grabbed Cassie’s hand and pulled her toward one of the empty beds. They’d divided up with Tamsin, Tony, and Rin sharing a room and she and Trik in another. She didn’t know why they were bothering to give them privacy; there was no way she would be taking her clothes off anywhere in this place.
The group dispersed and to Cassie’s surprise, as soon as Trik wrapped himself around her, she drifted off to sleep.
It felt like moments later when her eyes opened, only she knew immediately that she wasn’t really awake—it was a dream. A very real dream. She stood on the edge of a forest, but then quickly amended in her mind that it wasn’t a forest; it was most definitely a swamp. The trees were tall and thick, draped in moss and vines. Their trunks plunged down into murky water covered in a film of algae and other marshy plants. Cassie looked down at her feet, curious to see why she wasn’t knee deep in water. She stood on an old stump that stuck up about two feet from the muddy mess. The stump was about two feet in diameter giving her plenty of room to stand and not feel as though she would fall off at any moment. She turned in a slow circle taking in the area around her, and, though it was gloomy, it was also strangely beautiful.
“You being in great peril, Cassandra, queen of elves.”
Cassie’s head snapped back around to find the origin of the voice. About a dozen feet away sat an old woman floating on a crude raft. The raft consisted of logs lashed together by vines and it appeared to be steering itself. Despite the old woman’s age, she seemed quite comfortable sitting with her legs crossed on the rough vessel. Her skin was a soft, brown color and, though weathered looking, there were very few age lines. Her hair was covered with a purple scarf that she had tied in a knot at the base of her neck. Her clothes were loose, a multicolored tunic style top made out of a linen fabric and matching pants. Wrapped around her shoulders was a black shawl interwoven with various items including several small bones, a few claws that looked to be from different types of birds, and even some very small figurines―which appeared to be dolls of some sort. The shawl seemed to exude a darkness all its own, and Cassie was certain that she didn’t want to ever come in contact with that particular piece of material.
“How do you know my name?” Cassie asked looking back at the woman’s eyes.
“There be power in knowing de name,” she answered cryptically. Her accent was thick but Cassie couldn’t place it.
“Who are you?” Perhaps, she’d be kind enough to share her name. Cassie nearly laughed. Not likely , she thought.
“I be many things to many beings. But mostly I be a priestess—a conduit for de spirit world.” Cassie had heard such speech before on many a reality televisions show, so she recognized the woman’s thick Cajun accent.
Whatever the woman’s accent, she didn’t like the sound of her being a go between for the spirits. Cassie was convinced that once someone or something was dead, it was time to let them go. Nothing good could come from messing with spirits, and those spirits that wanted to be messed with were definitely up to no good.
“So what do you want with me?” If there entire conversation was going to continue in this manner, it was going to be a very long dream.
“There’s one who is being obsessed wit you. So enthralled he be, that he willingly sought me out. There not be many who are willing to pay de price of a Voodoo
When they’d finally checked in and were entering the two rooms they’d reserved, her fears were confirmed. Cassie covered her hand over her mouth and nose to keep from gagging at the smell.
“Let’s just get some sleep and then we can get out of here,” Trik told them as he grabbed Cassie’s hand and pulled her toward one of the empty beds. They’d divided up with Tamsin, Tony, and Rin sharing a room and she and Trik in another. She didn’t know why they were bothering to give them privacy; there was no way she would be taking her clothes off anywhere in this place.
The group dispersed and to Cassie’s surprise, as soon as Trik wrapped himself around her, she drifted off to sleep.
It felt like moments later when her eyes opened, only she knew immediately that she wasn’t really awake—it was a dream. A very real dream. She stood on the edge of a forest, but then quickly amended in her mind that it wasn’t a forest; it was most definitely a swamp. The trees were tall and thick, draped in moss and vines. Their trunks plunged down into murky water covered in a film of algae and other marshy plants. Cassie looked down at her feet, curious to see why she wasn’t knee deep in water. She stood on an old stump that stuck up about two feet from the muddy mess. The stump was about two feet in diameter giving her plenty of room to stand and not feel as though she would fall off at any moment. She turned in a slow circle taking in the area around her, and, though it was gloomy, it was also strangely beautiful.
“You being in great peril, Cassandra, queen of elves.”
Cassie’s head snapped back around to find the origin of the voice. About a dozen feet away sat an old woman floating on a crude raft. The raft consisted of logs lashed together by vines and it appeared to be steering itself. Despite the old woman’s age, she seemed quite comfortable sitting with her legs crossed on the rough vessel. Her skin was a soft, brown color and, though weathered looking, there were very few age lines. Her hair was covered with a purple scarf that she had tied in a knot at the base of her neck. Her clothes were loose, a multicolored tunic style top made out of a linen fabric and matching pants. Wrapped around her shoulders was a black shawl interwoven with various items including several small bones, a few claws that looked to be from different types of birds, and even some very small figurines―which appeared to be dolls of some sort. The shawl seemed to exude a darkness all its own, and Cassie was certain that she didn’t want to ever come in contact with that particular piece of material.
“How do you know my name?” Cassie asked looking back at the woman’s eyes.
“There be power in knowing de name,” she answered cryptically. Her accent was thick but Cassie couldn’t place it.
“Who are you?” Perhaps, she’d be kind enough to share her name. Cassie nearly laughed. Not likely , she thought.
“I be many things to many beings. But mostly I be a priestess—a conduit for de spirit world.” Cassie had heard such speech before on many a reality televisions show, so she recognized the woman’s thick Cajun accent.
Whatever the woman’s accent, she didn’t like the sound of her being a go between for the spirits. Cassie was convinced that once someone or something was dead, it was time to let them go. Nothing good could come from messing with spirits, and those spirits that wanted to be messed with were definitely up to no good.
“So what do you want with me?” If there entire conversation was going to continue in this manner, it was going to be a very long dream.
“There’s one who is being obsessed wit you. So enthralled he be, that he willingly sought me out. There not be many who are willing to pay de price of a Voodoo
Similar Books
