Aspen and the Dream Walkers (8 page)

“Ah yes, here they are.” She pointed to the
two boxes in her backpack, and Dylan set them down on the
table.

“Guys, you shouldn’t have. This is insane.”
Aspen beamed. “Which one should I open first?”

“Mine, mine!” Sandy exclaimed. She wiped her
sticky palms along her blue jeans and almost jumped in the seat
with excitement.

Aspen ripped the brightly colored paper from
the larger box and opened it slowly. She felt the energy of the
present before she removed it from its cover.

Dylan lifted a light brown leather strap from
the box and fastened it around her wrist. It had black markings
impressed on it and was tied with two leather thongs that threaded
into pressed silver grommets. He held her arm out and admired the
band. The static electricity that usually raced through her body
calmed instantly.

“Hmm, that feels nice,” she said with a
smile.

“Never take it off. You won’t shock anyone
unless you want to now. You’ll be able to control the power
completely with your mind after this. We all have them.” Dylan
lifted his hand to indicate the strap on his wrist.

Sandy lined her arm up next to his to show
her strap as well. “See, we all wear them.”

“That is so cool. I’ve seen them before, but
I’ve never asked about them. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” Dylan said with a smile.
“Open the next box.”

Aspen pulled apart the shiny red paper
carefully. Each gift was special, especially since she’d never had
so many presents before.

Her mouth fell open as she removed the box’s
lid and found a beautiful silver ring nestled inside. The most
stunning oval-shaped blue topaz set in intricate silver patterns
sparkled back at her, and she inhaled sharply.

“It’s so beautiful,” she said. “What does
this do?”

“Nothing,” Dylan said softly. “It matches the
color of your eyes.” He placed it carefully on the ring finger of
her right hand and smiled at her. Aspen’s heart fluttered and her
body sang as he held her carefully.

Sandy finished the last of her cake and
burped gently. “Wow, that was good!” she exclaimed. “Eat up,
lunchtime is nearly over.”

Aspen withdrew her hand and finished the cake
as soon as she could.

“Remember to go to sleep early tonight,”
Sandy told her. “Your coming-of-age ceremony is going to be
awesome.”

Aspen’s face glowed with pleasure as they
left the cafeteria.

Even though Stephan and Miriam didn’t wish
her a happy birthday when she got back home, she wasn’t worried.
She tried to get to bed as soon as possible and closed her eyes
tightly once her mother had tucked her in and turned out the
light.

Dream Catchers

The waters of the Dream Walker Lake lapped next to
Aspen’s head as she woke up from her sleep.

“Thank goodness, I thought you’d never get
here.” Sandy was waiting for her and helped her to stand up. A girl
with similar features stood next to her and waited patiently to be
introduced. “This is my sister, Ginny.”

The girl was just as small as Sandy, but her
hair was braided in coils that were wrapped around her head. She
had almond-shaped blue eyes and a long nose. Bowing her head
slightly, she greeted Aspen.

“Welcome, Princess,” she said.

“Huh?” Confused, Aspen stared at Ginny.

“Never mind,” Sandy said and pulled her
forward. “Time’s running out. We’ve got to get you dressed.”

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” She
pointed to her faded jeans.

“Come on.” Sandy rolled her eyes. “You can’t
wear that to a royal ceremony.”

“What’s royal about the ceremony?”

“Never mind, just hurry up.” Ginny grabbed
her other hand and dragged her along impatiently.

As they walked, Aspen saw a large group of
people next to the lake. Men with pitch-black hair hammered planks
of wood to form tables and piled logs into a campfire shape. Others
assembled wooden chairs and erected sails to create makeshift
tents. Women with long silver-blond hair basted pork hindquarters
on spits over large fires, occasionally turning the meat to
distribute the heat from the flames.

Small black cauldrons contained bread, which
baked next to the meat. The smell was incredible and her stomach
growled with hunger. Everyone smiled and bowed their heads as she
walked past them.

Aspen heard Goldilocks before she saw her.
The big bird waddled toward her and flapped her short wings in
excitement.

Dylan walked behind the goose, carrying
several pieces of firewood on his shoulder, and his muscles flexed
under the load. As soon as she saw him, her face lit up and her
stomach swirled with nerves.

“You’re here.” Blue eyes locked on hers,
causing a loud thumping to start up inside her chest.

“I made it, yeah.” She lifted her chin and
rubbed her fingers nervously behind her back.

“My house is ready for her.” He spoke to
Sandy but stared at Aspen. “She can use my room. Her clothes are
hanging on the closet door.”

“Thanks. See you later.” Sandy grabbed her
arm again and tugged her forward.

Even though they were out of earshot, Aspen
could still feel his eyes on her. She couldn’t help but exaggerate
the swing of her hips, knowing he was watching.

“Wow, he is so cute,” Ginny exclaimed.

“Who, Dylan?” A surge of jealousy rose so
quickly that Aspen missed a step and almost tripped.

“Who else?” Ginny sighed. “He’s so
dreamy.”

“He’s okay, if you like that kind of guy.”
Aspen spoke before she could stop herself.

Ginny looked at her in disbelief. “Don’t you
think he’s hot?”

“She does. Trust me, Gin, she’s told him to
his face already.” Sandy grinned broadly.

“Shut up. I didn’t!” Aspen swatted Sandy’s
arm and then grabbed her sleeve as her friend continued to tease
her.

“Forget about him, Gin, he’s a marked man.”
She raised her voice while Aspen tugged on her sweatshirt. The two
girls laughed as Aspen tried to hold her back. Sandy slipped out of
her grip and ran ahead of her.

“I’m so sorry, I . . . I didn’t
mean anything by it,” Ginny stuttered.

“Don’t be an ass, Sandy. He doesn’t belong to
me.”

Aspen stopped chasing Sandy and her friend
shouted back at her, “Trust me. You’re going to get a lot of
interest very soon. He’d better stake his claim.” Dodging a soccer
ball that bounced nearby, Sandy ran to kick it back to a small
group of children, and they cheered her on.

“Goal!” she shouted triumphantly, and then
dashed back to her sister and Aspen.

“Are all the people at the lake clan
members?” Aspen asked.

“Yes, and a lot more are on their way. We
have about four hundred members, so we’d better hurry.”

Once they reached Dylan’s house, Ginny opened
the front door. Molly greeted them with a bow and then led them to
a room that could only be his.

Aspen stood still and scanned the room,
taking in his personal space. The room was dominated with a large
bed that was neatly covered with a gray-and-white quilt. His fresh
fragrance seemed to hang in the air, and she reached out and lifted
a pillowcase to her nose to inhale his scent.

The curtains matched the bedding, and the
floor was made of pine and polished until it gleamed. A lacrosse
stick and several footballs were placed neatly in a red box behind
his door, and a damp towel hung from a hook above it. A small
bathroom adjoined his room, and she could see beads of water as
they clung to the glass door of the shower.

He’d just bathed! The thought of Dylan in the
shower made her breathing hitch, and Aspen turned around in a
hurry.

She cried out in surprise when she saw a
beautiful lacy dress embroidered in the palest gold hanging from
the closet door. Tiny onyx beads dotted the undulating ribbons, and
the material sparkled in the light.

“This is so beautiful.” Touching the material
softly, she sighed. “Is this for me?”

“Just for you,” Sandy said with a smile.
“It’s your coming-of-age outfit.”

“I thought you said jeans would do.”

Sandy grinned and pinched her arm. “Hurry up,
everyone will be here soon.”

Aspen removed the clothes she was wearing and
carefully lifted the delicate dress over her head. The fit was
perfect, and Ginny zipped the back closed. Then she stepped into a
pair of strappy gold shoes that sat on the floor next to the dress,
and twirled in front of a narrow mirror on the wall. The outfit was
incredible, and she looked even more dainty and fragile than
before.

Ginny grabbed a brush with nylon bristles and
pulled it through Aspen’s long hair in even strokes until it
shone.

“You look so pretty,” she said as she dropped
the brush on the bed.

“Thank you. The dress is lovely.”

“Here, use this lip gloss. It’s all you’ll
need.” Sandy handed her a cylinder of gloss.

Aspen ran the shiny finish over her lips and
as she did, the room darkened and she glanced out the window at the
sky. “Oh no, it’s Lavendula. We need to hide.”

Ginny walked over to where she stood. “Don’t
worry. The houses and the lake are safe zones.”

Aspen raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“It’s true. Our elders created potent spells
centuries ago, and they’ve been sheltering our houses and the lake
from invasion ever since. We’re not scared of Lavendula unless we
leave those areas.”

“What about the river? I was attacked by
spiders there, and it wasn’t safe at all. ”

“Nope, that’s not included in the spell.”

Aspen moved to the window and glanced at the
ominous sky.

“We’ll wait here until it passes,” Sandy told
her, “and then we can go back to the lake. Everyone should be there
by then.”

Aspen waited patiently by the window for
Lemona to begin. Ginny and Sandy dressed themselves in white
clothing and high heels while she stared at the scenery
outside.

After a while the sky lightened, and the
three girls left the safety of Dylan’s house and walked toward the
lake.

When they arrived, Aspen was shocked to see
how many people were crowded into the small entertainment area. The
lake was peaceful and ripple-free, reflecting the hills flanking
it. Small insects hummed and buzzed along its banks while the
smells of barbequed shank filtered through the air, making Aspen’s
mouth water.

Row upon row of chairs had been set up
audience style with an aisle that divided the two sides evenly. The
aisle led to a large fire pit stacked high with logs. A small table
covered in white muslin sat next to the pit.

As Aspen approached the chairs, she saw Dylan
leaning against a table. He’d changed into a pair of black pants
and a formal white shirt. He watched in silence as she walked up to
him.

“So, what do you think?” She smoothed the
dress against her hips nervously.

Dylan said nothing for a moment, merely
smiled at her, and then closed the distance between them until she
could feel the heat of his body against her chest.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured.

She drew a sharp breath as he lifted her hand
to his lips and pressed his mouth on the ring he’d given her.
Sparks skipped along the surface of her arm as he touched her.

He reached down to her wrist and gently
removed the brown leather strap she’d received for her birthday,
saying, “You’ll get it back soon.” Then he turned her toward the
aisle and nudged her forward with a warm hand on the small of her
back.

Crowds filled the seats around her. Every
person dipped their heads at her as she passed, in what seemed
suspiciously like respect. She nodded back, unsure of what was
expected of her.

Someone lit a fire in the pit, and the dry
wood crackled and hissed as it burned. Aspen watched as two men
dressed in white robes approached her.

The larger of the two men looked very
familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she’d seen him before. He
had shoulder-length black hair and a strong jaw. His nose was
slightly crooked, but his eyes twinkled like silvery-blue stars.
The second man was short and seemed to be of American Indian
descent.

“Aspen Walker,” the taller man boomed. She
shrank back as he reached out for her, but Dylan’s touch kept her
in place. The tall man’s calloused hands held her small ones as she
stared up at him.

“My beautiful niece.” He smiled broadly and
bent to kiss her on both cheeks.

“N-niece?” She stood back and stared into his
vivid blue eyes. He did look familiar, and then she realized that
he reminded her of her dad. She didn’t remember her father and only
knew him from the one photo of him that remained, and it was
dog-eared from wear. She kept it hidden in her clothing
drawer—where neither Stephan nor Miriam could find it.

“Yes, Aspen. You are the daughter of my
brother, Roman.”

Her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Are you
sure? I have a real uncle?”

The man lifted her feet off the ground and
hugged her to his chest. “Yes, little princess, you have a real
uncle. My name is Leeman, and I am the king of our clan.”

Aspen could hardly speak. Tears of joy slid
down her cheeks. “I’m so happy to meet you. I thought I was
alone—well, just my mom and me.”

He placed her back on the ground but kept
hold of her hand. “No, little princess. These people are all your
family. Look around you.” He pointed to the crowd. They all smiled
at her and clapped loudly. The sound overwhelmed her; the cheers
and applause enveloped her and her heart brimmed with emotion.

The applause died down and her uncle turned
her to face the fire pit. Flames of red, orange, and yellow licked
at the dry logs, and smoke filled the air.

“Demothi is our spell master. He will create
your own special dream catcher to protect you from harm.”