Viator (The Viator Chronicles Book 1) (19 page)

“I’ll recover, I’m sure,” Michael said. He rubbed his throat again. “If I had known you’d never met another viator, I would have been more careful. I wonder why you don’t remember more.” He paused and looked at her. “But don’t underestimate our enemies. They are smart and dangerous enough.”

Erin grimaced as she thought about the threats the shadows had made.

Michael continued, “As long as there have been people dreaming, there have been viators. We don’t meet each other very often during the day, so I also was surprised when I discovered that you, the pretty young woman who threw her coffee on me, was fighting shadows in people’s dreams.”

She felt her face grow warm. “I can’t believe I did that.”

“You’re out to torment me, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m really not.”

He laughed. “You don’t remember these dreams after waking, do you?”

Erin shook her head. “Do you?”

“Every minute.”

She felt herself grow dizzy and set her goblet down on a table. “I’m fading. I’ve been gone a long time. Where are we now, anyway?”

“This is my cabin. It was my safe place until you showed up.”

“What is Domus? Bruce mentioned Domus, too.”

“I’ll take you there sometime.”

Erin stood up and faded from Michael’s cabin.

Chapter 28

Michael shut down his laptop and reached his arms forward, stretching the muscles of his back and shoulders. He bent his head down and rolled it around a couple of times, flipped off the lamp, and walked into the darkness downstairs. The sun was setting, and he’d been writing all day. He turned on the kitchen light and pulled out a bottle of cabernet and poured a full glass. The taste reminded him of Erin in his cabin, and he raised his glass in a silent toast to her. His new book was progressing well, and he had no doubt his new surroundings in general, and Erin in particular, were contributing a great deal to his story, which promised to be faster and darker than any yet.

He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, so he dug through the refrigerator and found some leftover spaghetti. He took his food out to the front porch.

The sun was down, and the sky was clear and red. He watched for the first stars and listened to the sounds of the birds, the nearby traffic, and the children playing down the road as he ate. His own son would be about the age of those boys by now. He watched them play ball in the street, trying to ignore the heavy sadness that threatened to wash over him. The boys soon went inside, and Michael took a drink of his wine. After he’d scraped the last of the Italian sausage and cheese off the plate, he felt much better. He sat back and put his feet up.

He gazed out toward Puget Sound. A ferry lumbered through the water, heading to the San Juan Islands and Victoria. He thought about his little excursion to Orcas Island and how Erin had bumped into him. He was glad she finally knew who he was in their dreams, although he doubted she remembered anything about him in waking life. He hoped her memories would grow stronger over time and wondered why she didn’t remember them now—could she be blocking the memories for some reason? He was shocked she had distrusted him so much, but he was more concerned that she had ended up in Gary Arthur’s dream. Arthur and Erin had recognized each other. And it was obvious he didn’t know she was a viator—every time he had looked at her she had lost her strength and even changed to day clothes. That was dangerous for Erin and could have had terrible consequences if Arthur hadn’t lost his focus long enough to allow her to do her job. She had done one hell of a good job, too. He had really enjoyed seeing the look on that giant brute’s face when Erin had gotten him in the throat.

A car turned onto his street, and Michael leaned forward to look—it was Bruce. He pulled into the driveway, and Michael could see his cheerful face even from a distance.

“I think the whole world is on their way to the San Juans for the weekend,” Bruce said as he got out of the car.

“Traffic’s always bad on Fridays. It’s better to wait till Saturday to come up here,” Michael said.

“I couldn’t do that.” Bruce pulled his suitcase from the trunk. “I want to see Aleesha tonight.”

Michael laughed at him. “You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”

Bruce walked up the steps to the porch.“Yeah, I admit it. I’m in love.”

“You’ve been in love a hundred times.”

They walked into the house, and Bruce put his suitcase down. His grin dropped from his face. “This is different. Aleesha’s very different.”

Michael looked at his brother for several seconds. “It’s a good thing—I wouldn’t want you to hurt her.”

“Hurt her? When have I ever hurt anyone? I’m the one who always gets hurt.”

“True. But I happen to know that she feels much the same about you. And she’s not the type to fall in love every day. She’s not the type to fall in love, period. So, be careful with her.”

“You don’t have to tell me that. I’d never do anything to hurt her.”

“Good. Glass of wine?”

“Yeah.”

Bruce poured a glass and asked, “How’s the book coming?”

Michael raised his eyebrows. “Halfway there.”

“I think this place agrees with you.” Bruce took a large swallow of his wine. “I know it agrees with me. How about the dreams? Have you run across Erin again?”

“I have. We had our formal introductions just the other night. She tried to slit my throat.”

“What? How did that happen?” Bruce sat down.

“She didn’t know what I was. In fact, she thought I was evil.”

“Hah. I’m not surprised. You scare me sometimes too.”

Michael scowled. “Yeah. Erin was afraid of me. But she followed me all along the trail through the forest to my cabin, and I didn’t even know she was there. I don’t know how she was able to do that—that’s my cabin. You can’t even get to it unless I let you.”

Bruce shook his head. “No, I can’t even find the trail.”

“Hmm.” Michael thought a moment. “She’s talented.”

Bruce walked to the window and glanced back at him. “You’re interested in her.”

Michael shook his head. “You’re mistaken. I’m only interested in what she does as a viator—it affects us all.”

Bruce studied him for a moment, and then he carried his glass into the kitchen. “It’s been fun, but I’ve got a lady to visit tonight.”

They both went out the front door, and Bruce got into his car and drove away. Michael sat on his porch in the darkness, an ache in his stomach as he remembered how Erin had pulled a knife on him. She had been afraid of him, thinking he might be evil. If she had felt that way in her dreams, how did she feel about him during the day?

Chapter 29

Gwen rummaged through Erin’s closet and pulled out a red sundress. She held it up to herself and looked in the full-length mirror on the closet door, swirling to the right and to the left.

“Wear this one,” she said.

“You like this red dress, don’t you?” Erin asked.

Gwen held the dress up against her mother. “Uh huh. Can I have it when you’re done with it?”

“Maybe. Let me try it on and see if it still fits.”

She slipped the dress over her head and studied her reflection in the mirror. It fit very well, and she was surprised at the stunning reflection looking back at her. It had been a long time since she had felt so attractive.

“Okay, I’ll wear this dress tonight. It’s a good dress for dancing, don’t you think?”

“Oh, yes.” Gwen twirled around, then plopped onto the floor where she sat cross-legged, looking up at her mother.

“You goofy girl.” Erin tousled Gwen’s hair.

The doorbell rang. Matt answered it while they walked down the stairs, and Edna came in.

“Hello, Matt,” she said. “Are you ready for me to beat you at checkers tonight?” Gwen ran to her and gave her a hug. “Hi, Gwen. How’s my favorite ballerina?”

Erin walked down the rest of the steps. “Thank you so much for coming over tonight.”

“It’s my pleasure. You go out and have a good time.”

The doorbell rang again, and Matt swung the door open. Gary stood on the step holding a large bouquet of red roses. He scanned the group in the entry hall.

“Perfect timing—come in.” Erin reached out and pulled him inside by his elbow.

“Lovely roses,” said Edna.

He handed the flowers to Erin. “For you.”

“Thank you, they’re beautiful.” She went into the kitchen to put the roses in a vase; everyone followed her.

“How’s the arm?” Gary asked Matt.

Matt lifted up his cast. “It itches. But it’s okay.”

“And how are you, sweetheart?” he asked Gwen.

Gwen leaned against him. “I’m fine.”

Erin finished with the flowers. “Should we get going?”

Gwen hugged her, and Matt said, “Don’t stay out late.”

“You two behave yourselves,” Erin said. “Thanks again, Edna.”

“Have a good time.” Edna gave Erin a quick hug.

Gary opened the car door for her and then climbed in himself. He stopped the car at the end of the driveway.

“I like your dress,” he said, facing her. “And you smell irresistible.”

“Thank you. So do you.”

“I hope so.” Gary’s smile stretched over his whole face and his dimples deepened. He reached his right hand out, caressed Erin’s cheek, then slid his hand behind her head and pulled her closer. His lips brushed hers. He pulled back and looked at her face, then kissed her again, a deep, fiery kiss. She forgot everything else—all she knew was his mouth on hers, his desire thick in the air. She felt swept along by it. It felt good to be desired, to be beautiful, to be alive.

But then it hit her: his kiss was different, his lips were a stranger’s lips. She pulled back from him. No one would ever be the same as William. He looked at her with half-closed eyes, his breathing hard.

“What is it?” he asked.

Erin sat back in her seat and looked out the window. How could she compare Gary with William? Of course they were different. She looked back at him and shook her head. “Nothing. That was nice.”

“Nice isn’t quite what I had in mind,” Gary said as he put the car in gear and sped out of the driveway.

They drove to the Wharf, a newly remodeled trendy restaurant on the waterfront. The decor included rough-hewn gray timbers, ropes, fishing nets and floats, and the seafood specialties were very good. Friday nights were busy, especially after the dancing started. As they pulled into the parking lot, they noticed the crowds of customers loitering outside. They walked inside to see many young men and women celebrating the end of the workweek.

Erin had never been part of the singles crowd since she had married and started a family when she was twenty-one. She wasn’t any older than many of the patrons at the restaurant, though, and a few of the young men glanced at her as she stood waiting. Gary rested his hand lightly on her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. Their wait wasn’t long, and soon the hostess led them to a booth.

The dim light from the candle cast a flickering shadow on the wall behind Gary as they sat at their table. He ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir. Erin drank a sip and let herself relax into the soft cushions of the booth. Gary’s eyes were dark as he watched her.

“When I was a child, we would come here for dinner with my grandparents,” she said. “Of course, it’s been remodeled since then—I’d never recognize the place. But they served great food back then.”

He smiled slightly. “We never went out to dinner when I was a kid.”

“Really? Where did you grow up?”

“L.A.”

Erin’s brow creased, and she dabbed her mouth with her napkin. “What was your childhood like?”

He stared at her for a minute. “Here’s the short version: Mother worked hard, Dad left when I was three. I had two older brothers who got their kicks trying to see how much abuse one kid, me, could take. I got out of there as soon as I could.”

Erin reached across the table for his hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I had the last laugh. I got out of there and never looked back. Graduated from UCLA, got a great job, and the rest is history. I can have anything I want. And it’s been a long time since anyone beat up on me.”

Erin shivered. “You’ve never been back?”

“Well, actually I have been back to see my mother. She’s still alive, and she’s in a retirement home now.”

“She must be proud of you.”

Gary shrugged. “Maybe. I suppose so.”

They both sipped their wine, and the waitress brought them a basket of bread and took their orders. “At Aleesha’s dinner party I heard that you go to the Caribbean often,” Erin said.

He nodded, a smile on his face. “Yes, I do. It’s the best place in the world for scuba diving. I’ve been to several islands.”

“Which is your favorite?”

He thought for a moment. “I’d have to say Grand Cayman. I’ve had a lot of fun in Georgetown. I go there at least once a year on business.”

“William spent a couple months in the Caribbean long ago. He liked Cozumel best. He learned to dive in Fiji, though. He spent two weeks there before going to the Caribbean,” Erin said.

“Fiji. Yeah, Fiji’s a lot of fun. I’ve only been there once, but it was for four weeks. The first week I got so sick—I think it was the food—but after that I felt like I’d gone to heaven. Incredible beaches and friendly people.” Gary’s eyes seemed to gaze onto a faraway scene. “I didn’t know William had gone there. Why didn’t you go with him?”

“I was in college. He had finished and took some time off. We weren’t engaged yet, and I think he wanted to have a few months of complete and total freedom.”

He nodded. “It seems like that’s what I’ve been doing for years.”

Gary poured them each another glass of wine, then reached out and took both of her hands in his. “You’re a beautiful woman. William must have loved you very much.”

Erin felt a sob rise in her throat, and she swallowed hard to keep it down.

He gazed at her for a minute in silence, then went on, “I hope he left you well provided for.”

“We never considered that anything would happen to him or to me either,” she said. “The kids and I need every cent of what I earn at the music store. I’m lucky I own my house outright.”

He studied the table, his brow slightly furrowed. “Money problems make everything harder. I never thought …”