Page 79 of The Spirit Key
“I am.”
Having him with me? Yes. I was ready. We sipped the tea, and the combination of herbs that George blended had me relaxing almost instantly.
Once the cups were drained, Tim reached for my hand and grasped it in his. “It’s going to be fine.”
I loved that he was seeking to put me at ease. “I never doubted it.”
He leaned and rested his head on the back of the chair. His eyes drooped, then closed. Knowing he was under made it easier for me to let go and follow him.
The scene wasn’t like it had been before. Gone were the green fields, and in their place were dirty husks of buildings. Some had been burned out, and others looked like they should be.
Tim stood behind me, his hand on my shoulder. “What is this place?”
“No clue. This isn’t where I was last time.”
In the distance the echoes of a child crying for help reached us. Without hesitating, Tim raced in the direction he thought the sounds were coming from, with me hot on his heels.
The scene we came upon was surreal. A young boy, with blond hair and blue eyes, stood in the middle of a vast, empty area, crying. As we approached, I noticed Tim wasn’t being cautious at all.
“Hey, are you okay?”
He turned and looked at us, a smile on his face. He spoke with a soft Southern accent when he said, “You’re here!”
Tim threw a panicked glance in my direction when the kid wrapped his arms around Tim’s waist.
“I waited here for you, just like you told me to.”
“Like I…. What’s your name?”
He peered up, and I could see the absolute reverence on his face. “Alexander.”
“It’s good to meet you, Alexander. This is Scott, and I’m—”
“Tim. I told you, I’ve been waiting for you.” He reached out and took Tim’s hand. “I knew you’d come back for me one day.”
I gave Alexander a hard stare as a familiarity washed over me. “You were the one from my vision. The boy he killed.”
Alexander’s smile slipped. “I didn’t want to die, you know. I thought… I thought he loved me, like a father. I hadn’t had one in so long, and when he came to me and offered me a place to stay, I was so grateful. He bought me presents, taught me lessons that I missed in school, and then, when I told him I loved him, he killed me. Why? What did I do wrong?”
Tim dropped to his knees and clutched Alexander to his chest. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Alexander. Not one damn thing.”
The way Tim was with Alexander made me wonder if he ever wanted a family. He’d always been good with people, and the way he spoke about Ryan’s kids should have clued me in. He held Alexander, his muscles tense as he rubbed the boy’s back. Alexander sighed and sank into Tim’s embrace, resting his cheek on Tim’s chest.
“What did you mean when you said Tim told you to wait for him?”
Alexander wasn’t letting go of Tim. “He came to me, and seeing as how he’s gotten older, it must have been so long ago. He told me to wait right here. He promised he’d come back and help me and said he would bring someone who could do it.” He grinned at me. “I think that was you.”
“Wait.Icame to you? Are you sure it wasn’t Scott?”
Alexander shook his head. “No, sir. It was you. You were a little kid, but it was you.”
“It’s because a spirit will almost always come to the lock first.”
I turned, not surprised to see Sofia standing there.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Timbo.”
He groaned. “Please don’t call me that. My name is Tim.”
