A Vial of Life(60)

The Sanctuary. That was where my aunt had been resting. My now human aunt, who had just recently given birth. If anyone was likely to be taking an afternoon nap right now on this island, it would be her. Plus, she also had psychic abilities. Maybe that would make it easier for me to get through to her. I changed course abruptly and ran headfirst through the door of the witch’s temple.

I hurried to the room where I had found Vivienne resting with her baby, but as I arrived outside, my heart already sank in disappointment. Two voices emanated from the bedroom—Vivienne’s, and that of my uncle. I pushed my head through the door all the same, to verify that yes, she was awake, sitting upright on the bed and feeding her beautiful baby, while Xavier sat by her side and they talked in hushed tones.

Dammit.

Still, although she wasn’t sleeping, Vivienne was prone to prophetic visions even when awake… Perhaps, just perhaps, she might sense me… I moved further into the room and spoke her name, walked up to her bed and tried to touch her arm; anything to get her attention. But she didn’t respond in the slightest.

I had to find someone else. And fast. I resumed my original plan—head to the Residences. I darted through the trees and, once I neared within twenty feet of the burnt wreck where my parents’—and my—penthouse had once been, I lowered myself to the ground in front of a tree and leaned my back against its thick trunk.

Then I took my thoughts back in time to when I had shared a dream with Ernest. I closed my eyes, as I had done then. Slowly, I cleared the debris from my mind, even as it felt like the most impossible task in the world. Ernest had been adamant about that—that my mind be relaxed and open, to make it receptive to the minds of others.

I wasn’t sure how close I had to be to a person to pick up on their dream, but as I kept my eyes sealed closed, forcing myself deeper and deeper into relaxation, I was relieved to find that it wasn’t long before I encountered my first dream.

The vision of a grand hall lit by flaming torchlight trickled into my mind’s eye. Its walls were covered with crimson draperies, and the chamber was bare except for a long table that ran down its center. Piled up on the table’s surface was enough food to feed an army. Despite row upon row of steaming pots, there was only one seat that was taken, at the head of the table—by an ogre. A female ogre… Bella. Although there appeared to be savories aplenty—I was certain that I even spotted some fried human toes—a towering cake was set in front of her. It looked like a wedding cake—with pure white and light pink icing—and it was so high that it reached the height of her chin.

Cupping her hands, she dug both of them into the sides of the cake at once, withdrawing two sticky handfuls. Raising one hand, she slapped its contents into her mouth…

I lifted my head and opened my eyes, shaking away the dream. What is it with me and ogres’ dreams? I’d thought to myself that absolutely anyone would do, but something told me that competing with that cake for Bella’s attention would be a losing battle.

No. I had to find someone else. But the fact that I had managed to intercept this first dream so quickly gave me hope that I wouldn’t have to wait too long before another one came along… and this time, hopefully not Brett’s.

I leaned my head against the bark and closed my eyes again.

My hope of finding another dream soon—and an ogre-free dream at that—was not dashed, but the second dream I came upon I spent even less time in than Bella’s. It must have been the dream of either Claudia or Yuri—since those were the two figures who’d been writhing around on a silk-adorned, four-poster bed. Reminding myself that Claudia was pregnant, I guessed that it was hers. It made sense for her to be taking an afternoon nap.

Trying to forget what had just blasted through my head, I settled myself against the tree and closed my eyes again for a third time. Hopefully, this time would be lucky.

I saw nothing but blackness for the next five minutes, or at least what felt like five minutes. I was beginning to feel tense, wondering if it had been a grave mistake to dismiss the previous two dreams so quickly. Perhaps I should have tried to communicate while I’d had the chance. I had just taken it for granted that a third one wouldn’t be far away… And then it arrived. A third vision took over my consciousness.

Stretching out all around me was a dark ocean, its waves glistening beneath a starry night sky. The moon was full, and roaming along the beach was a lone figure. It was our beach—The Shade’s beach, just near the port—and the figure… the figure was River.

Would she really be sleeping at this time? Last I knew, the humans were not aware of the devastation from last night. That would not have kept her up worrying. And the last time I had seen her, she had certainly looked worn out and tired.