Page 50 of The Stone Curse
“There haven’t been for some years,” Orix said. “Cameron…It was just a dream…”
“I’d believe that, but the bench is red. He never told me that the bench was red, so how come it was red in my dream?”
CHAPTER 19
The bench held me transfixed. It was the same bench. Exactly the same down to the shade and the distance it sat from the other two. Down to the scratch on its leg where the paint had worn away.
“Cam, you’re freaking me out,” Ginia said.
“You can’t believe your dream was real?” Levi said.
I forced myself to look at him, tearing my gaze from the lake scene. “I’m not sure what to believe. I mean, how do you explain what I saw…what I felt…”
“Dreams are strange things,” Palia said. “You might be filling in the blanks now.”
That was a possibility, but, “It felt so real. He was trying to warn me, to ask me for something. He wanted my help and then…”
“Then what?” Curi asked.
My cheeks heated. “The dream changed.”
“To what?” Ginia pressed.
Shar caught my eye, and she made an ‘o’ with her mouth, connecting the dots to our earlier conversation about my fever state returning.
But I didn’t want to discuss that right now. Not here. Not with everyone. “It doesn’t matter. We should get back to the academy. To training. I need to speak to Yarrow about Melanie.”
“The van’s all packed and ready to go,” Orix said. “Touron and I grabbed some snacks for the road.”
“We can get some training in on route,” Levi said. “I brought the lockets my mother made.”
“What about the incense?” Shar asked. “Don’t we need that too?”
“You’ve all mind walked once, so we shouldn’t need the scent this time and?—”
“Cameron?” My sire stood just outside our group. “May I have a word?”
When had he arrived? Or had he been here all along? “Sure.” I slipped away from my friends and followed him toward the lake.
“I heard what happened at the academy with Willowman,” he said, his expression solemn. “Carter called me. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. I was at headquarters, but I made my way here as soon as Carter said you’d be attending Varsa’s funeral. Did you manage to get Willowman to the special healer you were taking him to?”
I dropped my gaze. “We did, but he…he passed away once we got there. His friend asked us to leave him so she could bury him.”
“Oh…” He put his hand on my shoulder. “I’m so sorry. I understand that you two were close.”
I hated lying to him, ironic considering the fact he’d lied to me all my life, but it still felt wrong, especially after how he’d gone to bat for me the last week or so. “Willowman was a decent guy. He taught me a lot about herbology and tinctures, and Varsa…Varsa was my friend.” My voice cracked. “I’ll miss them both.”
That part was true.
He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll let Carter and the council know about Willowman. You focus on your training and the trials, and if you have any other issues with anyone, you can contact me through Carter. You’re a Basque, Cameron, and no one messes with a Basque.”
I met his steely gaze, except this time there wasn’t a sheet of glass between us, and I felt the warmth of his regard. “Thank you.” The words came out on a whisper.
His smile held sadness, and the echo of moments lost. “I wish I could have brought you home sooner. I wish there was time for me to take you to the estate but…time is something we seem to be running out of. But once this is over, once Romi is back, we’ll celebrate in true Basque style.”
“I have no idea what that is.”
His eyes dimmed. “I suppose you don’t. But you’ll see. I promise.” He looked over my head. “You have a strong support system, despite everything. I’m so very proud of you, Cameron.”
