“It’s too late for that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I love you, which makes me vulnerable to them using you against me."
He jumped to his feet and took me by surprise when he threw me over his shoulder and started marching toward the lighthouse.
“Hey,” I protested. “I just ate my weight in crab legs. Do you want me to throw up all over your butt?”
“If that does it for you.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
I couldn’t decide if I should be annoyed or amused. Ultimately, I decided on the latter. “Fine. But you asked for it.”
I DIDN’T THROW UP ON HIM. HE WASdecidedly gentle — and fast — for the walk. He whispered sweet nothings the whole time and somehow I wasn’t even angry.
Later, when we were both sated and sleepy, I curled up at his side. The fan blew directly on me so his heat didn’t overwhelm me. I slipped into dreamland.
I wasn’t alone when I emerged on a barren wasteland of a landscape that I recognized as the other plane.
For a moment I thought I’d been transported without my knowledge and against my will. Then I realized what was happening and I relaxed some.
It was May’s voice that quieted the tumult raging through me.
“Hadley.”
I turned quickly to find my grandmother, dressed in her favorite ghostly outfit, smiling at me. She looked tired. Could ghosts get tired? She looked relieved too.
“I’ve been trying to get into your dreams for days,” May said as she looked me up and down. “Your dream defenses are much better than they were. I haven’t had any luck … until tonight.”
“You’ve been trying to get into my dreams?” I asked. “Why?”
“I have a message for you.”
“Where are you?”
“I think you know where I am.” May gestured to her surroundings.
I absorbed the news like a fist to the gut. “I knew,” I said in a soft voice as I regained my bearings. “It was the only thing that made sense. When Wesley crossed, you went with him.”
May slowly bobbed her head. “We went for a walk after the barbecue. Most of his men can’t see me. They don’t understand.”
My heart went out to her. “I kind of figured that when we went to the ranch the morning after Wesley disappeared. I asked about you and they seemed confused.”
“It’s difficult to prove something to others when they can’t see it,” Maysaid.
“Yeah.” I rolled my neck. “It is what it is.”
“When we got to the other plane I recognized what was happening right away,” she explained. “We hid. A shadow came by not long after and that turned out to be a good decision. It looked for us but couldn’t find us.”
This was my big opening and I had to know. “It’s a dhampir, right?”
“I believe so.”
“Is it Bogdan or Declan?”
