Lennox
The middle of the next night, Iawoke to the same nightmare I’d had the night before. They’d started the secondI’d began my training with Haddi, and I was over it. I was tired in body andmind, and I didn’t have the strength to be tired in my soul as well.
I was workingdouble time to keep my worries from Phin, and it was killing me. Metaphoricallyof course, because now that I was exhausted, I was also becoming a drama queen.
“Shh, love, it’sjust a nightmare.” Phin pulled me close. “Was it about your mother again?”
“No.”
“What was it?”
“Um, I don’treally remember,” I lied, snuggling closer.
“Go back tosleep. We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I slidmy arm over his belly and kissed his chest. “I love you more than life itself,you know that, right?”
“Same,sweetheart.” He gave me a squeeze. “Hey, are you all right?”
“Yes. I’m finenow.” I forced a smile. “It was just a dream.”
He cupped myface. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Kissing megently, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “Sleep, love.”
I slept.
* * *
“You can do this,” Phin said,taking my hand. “I believe in you.”
“I just don’tthink I’ve had enough time to train,” I breathed out. “This could all go verywrong.”
I’d spent thepast two days in Haddi’s ‘boot camp’ getting a crash training course in magicwith an emphasis on teleportation. Phin warned me that Haddi was a ‘crossbetween Yoda and Rocky’s coach Mickey.’ Since I’d never seen Star Wars orRocky, I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant, but those characters must yell alot and throw rocks at people, because that’s mostly what Haddi did. He alsotaught me a great deal about focusing my power and harnessing the energy aroundme in order to jump further and further. He also taught me how to tap into thepower of my mate. Using his energy almost like a booster rocket when travelinglong distances.
By day two, Iwas jumping entire countries. With Phin in tow, I got us as far as France, butthat was a matter of inches compared to what I’d have to do in the coming days.Not only did I need to jump thousands of miles, with Phin literally attached tome, but I also had to jump to some place I’d never been before.
Vivian told usabout a house in Connecticut that my father owned. A top-secret location knownto only a few people including her. This house was not only remote and secure,but had an impenetrable saferoom, designed for our family to take refuge inshould the need ever arise. The safehouse was located underground and wasstocked with enough rations and supplies for three months. The walls were twofeet thick and made of concrete and steel. Once sealed, the saferoom door couldonly be locked and unlocked from the inside. Vivian was convinced that myfather would retreat there and would take to the safehouse at the first sign oftrouble.
Vivian showed mepictures on her phone that she’d secretly taken the only time she’d been to theproperty. She had pictures of the house, inside and out, including the saferoom. She’d also drawn a floorplan from memory, and I studied the pictures overand over until every detail was burned into my mind. Haddi had given me anincantation to recite in preparation for every jump. The words themselves heldno power but were to be used to focus my mind and energy on the task at hand.
“Remember,” Isaid to Phin. “Stay linked with me no matter what and remember what I told youabout the void. If I can’t make this jump, we could become trapped—”
We werecurrently standing in the library at the castle, a place I felt safe and fullyat peace, which was what Haddi said was important when readying oneself to dosomething this big.
Phin pulled mein close for a kiss. “Youwillsucceed. I know it.”
I nodded. “Okay,here we go.”
We faced eachother and joined hands. I focused on my breathing before starting myincantation, trying my best to adhere to Haddi’s teachings and ignore allnegative thoughts and emotions. After a few moments, I could feel the familiarelectrical charge building in the air.
“Stay with me,”I said to Phin, as a portal began to open around us. I resisted its pull untilthe very last second, using every ounce of strength I had to fix on my targetwhile staying linked with Phin.
A split secondlater, I was lying on top of him and the two of us were on the west lawn of my‘father’s’ Connecticut home.
“Are you okay?”Phin asked.
