“Come on, Jewel,” Anna called over her shoulder. “You’ve gottomove!”
Jewel shook her head, trying to clear her mind and focus on surviving. That’s what she had to do—survive. She would deal with her guilt and shame later. Her feet began to move faster as she followed the others, but she kept her hand wrapped around Anna’s. She needed the connection to another living being. She needed to know she wasn’talone.
They alternated jogging through alleys and briskly walking down streets for several blocks. Other pedestrians were few, and no one seemed to pay them any particular attention. At some point, Z took Jewel’s hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He pulled her close and began singing a bawdy song at the top of his lungs. Jewel heard Sly behind her joining in on the chorus. A quick glance showed her that he had wrapped himself around Anna. He appeared to be using her as a crutch as he mimed stumbling along. The rounded a corner into a trendy bar and restaurant district where people waited in line to enter eating and drinking establishments. After a few more blocks, they stopped under an awning, and Z pulled out his cell phone and called foracab.
“We’re going to go back to the motel and get some rest,” Sly informed them. “Tomorrow, we will hit up some of those occult shops and see if we can try thisagain.”
Jewel felt the panic starting to rise again. “Again? What if we kill someone else? Are we just going to keep doing this and killing people over and over again and become serialkillers?”
“Hey, keep it down.” Z hissed. “We’ll talk about it when we back to themotel.”
Fifteen minutes later, a cab pulled up and they all clambered inside, Jewel and Anna, somewhat shakily. Sly told the driver the motel name, and they all rode in silence. It’s quiet as the grave in here, Jewel thought.Great, now all I can do is think about death. Jewel squeezed her eyes closed and fought off the tears that wanted so desperately to fall. It seemed cruel not to cry for Amy. She should grieve for the life the girl would never have. What about her family? Did she have kids, parents, aunts or uncles? How many people would be affected by her death? How much pain would it cause? And Jewel had been the source of that pain—or at least halfofit.
She felt Anna nudging her and opened her eyes. They were parked in front of the motel. The neon lights felt like huge arrows that pointed at her and screamed ‘murderer sleepingrighthere.’
Z paid the driver in cash, and they all climbed out of the cab and walked to their rooms. It felt like they’d checked in weeks ago, not simply one day.One dayand they’d gone from gypsy healer witches to murders. Quite the transformation, Jewelthought.
As she got ready for bed, Jewel was moving on autopilot. There was no thought as she brushed her teeth, changed her clothes, and washed her face. She climbed into bed and waited for sleep to take her away from the horrific reality that had becomeherlife.
Anna didn’t sayanything as she and Jewel moved around each other. The younger witch changed her clothes, took care of her bathroom business, and, by the time she was done, Jewel was already in bed. Anna turned off the light and climbed in next to her friend. Anna wasn’t sure how Jewel was coping but knew the girl must be hanging on by a thread. Who could blame her? The two of them had killed someone. No, they hadn’t done it intentionally, but theyhadintentionally tried to turn Amy into a witch. That decision had directly led to the poor girl’s death by theirhands.
Anna’s eyes slipped closed as she felt sleep begin to pull her under. For a minute, it seemed as though something was causing her to become extremely drowsy, making her want to sleep more than anything else in the world. But then she hazily considered the events of the evening. It would make sense that her mind would want to shut down. She was not only physically exhausted but emotionallyaswell.
It felt like her eyes had just closed when she opened them again. She blinked a few times and looked around. She wasn’t in the motel. She was lying on a plot of lush grass. Anna pushed herself up, and her brow dipped low as she tried to figure out where she was. Was she awake?Surelynot.
“It’s a dream, Criña,” a deep, sensual voice said frombehindher.
She knew that voice. She’d heard it in her mind several times and, just like on previous occasions, it soothed her. Anna turned slowly, moving onto her knees as she did. Her breath caught as she looked at the tall, incredibly handsome man before her. He had broad shoulders and clearly took his physical fitness seriously. His eyes were a dark, rich brown and piercing in their gaze. His hair was black, slightly wavy, and long enough to brush the collar of his shirt. He was dressed in black slacks and a white dress shirt that was tucked in at the waist. He had on a black belt and black dress shoes. It looked like the kind of apparel that would cost her a year’s salary to afford—expensive, finely tailored, and classy. In short, he was the complete package. And if all of that wasn’t sexy enough, he also had a tattoo that ran down half his neck, disappearing under his shirt. She’d be a liar if she said she didn’t wonder how far down that tattoo travelled. Yep, she was going to hell—killed a woman a couple of hours ago, and now she was lusting after a Spanish god when she should be sitting and rocking back and forth inshame.
“You’re Gustavo?” she asked, still attempting to get over how attractiveherwas.
“I am,” he said with the hint of a crookedsmile.
“And you are my Anastasia.” His Spanish accent made her name sound seductive and cultured at thesametime.
“Yours?”
He nodded. “As I amyours.”
“You mean the whole true-mate thing,”shesaid.
He nodded again but saidnothing.
“This is a dream.” It wasn’t a question. “But how? I don’t know what you look like. Am I just making up what you look like inmymind?”
“This is a dream, yes, but it is more than a dream. Our minds are linked. What you see is my true form. Just as I see your true form. You are very beautiful,Criña.”
Anna didn’t know what to say. She didn’t understand how it was possible to be accurately dreaming about a man she’d never met in person. Then again, she didn’t understand how werewolves could exist, and yettheydid.
He took a step toward her, and she scrambled to her feet, taking a step back. He took another forward, and she mirrored his by taking another step away from him. Her back hit something hard.Stupid tree. She mentallygrowled.
“I won’t harm you,” he told hergently.
“I don’tknowyou.”
“Not yet. Butyouwill.”
“Why areyouhere?”
