Page 79 of It takes a Psychic

“They panic and run.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

The slog through the fog-dampenedwoods seemed endless. Each step felt like his last. Oliver wondered if it was possible to fall asleep on his feet. There had been plenty of times in his life when he had been tired. Times when he had mainlined caffeine to keep going. There were the times when he had resorted to Fast-Rez pills to stay alert in the Underworld while moving through dangerous, uncharted territory on an expedition. But never had he known the utter exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him on the forever trek Leona was taking him on that night.

Her grip on his hand was the only thing that kept him vertical. She was using the physical connection to support his aura. Without it he knew he would have collapsed on the soggy ground and slipped into the dark dreamscape that beckoned.

“Not much farther,” Leona promised, steering him around a tree.“According to the locator, the entrance to the cave is only a few yards from here.”

“You said that an hour ago,” he said. He could barely get the words out.

“Not an hour ago. More like ten minutes, give or take. This time I really mean it.”

“Should be there by now. Starkey said it was a thirty-minute hike.”

“Not at the pace we’re going.”

“I just need five minutes of sleep.”

“If you fall asleep now, you won’t wake up for hours. I can feel the exhaustion in your aura. Just a few more yards. I think Roxy has realized where we’re going. She’s leading the way.”

An encouraging chortle in the vicinity of his feet made Oliver look down. Roxy blinked all four eyes at him and then scampered ahead.

“Almost there,” Leona whispered. “I promise. You’ve got to stay awake. Tell me something about yourself.”

“I’m boring.”

“Nope.”

“Mostly I am.” He paused, struggling to pull himself back from the edge of the dreamscape cliff. “Except when I’m not.”

“Tell me about the times when you aren’t boring.”

“I’m scary.”

“Because of your talent, do you mean?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know. Seems like a pretty cool talent to me. When I saw you slipping through the crowd at the reception, I assumed you were a clever artifact thief.”

“Wasn’t trying to be scary that night,” he mumbled. “Just didn’t want to draw attention.”

“What are you like when you’re scary?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Yes, I do want to know.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m curious about you.”

“Why?”

“Lots of reasons,” she said. “You’re a very interesting person. I think we have a few things in common.”

“Ever had to get a marriage annulled on account of your talent?”

---