Find Me If You Dare (Dreamcatcher Book 2) (34 page)

Nolan nodded. “You guys can count on me to trap Richard. I am pretty fabulous at being sneaky.”

“Let’s just get this over with,” Kayla said, brushing her hand across her forehead. Her cheeks were still full of color though her eyes remained glassy.

Frowning, I asked Samantha, “Did you get the clothes?”

She nodded and handed me the sack she’d been holding. “All black, just like you asked.”

Letting go of Kayla, I lifted black trousers and a long-sleeved black top from the satchel. They were perfect. “Here.” I held them out to her. “Put these on and give your clothes to Nolan. Can’t have him showing up in a man’s outfit.”

“Cross-dressing. I like.” He grinned as Kayla took the new outfit from my hand.

“You would,” she said, sneaking behind a tree to change.

An image of her curvy, naked body flashed in my mind, and I turned my back to where Kayla stripped, heat rising in my cheeks. The last thing I needed was to get worked up in front of Nolan and Samantha.

I handed my understudy the now-empty paper bag. “Have everyone dress. We’ll be right in.”

Samantha nodded and left as Kayla emerged from behind the tree. She tossed her former outfit at her brother. He held up her shirt.

“What do you think? Will this make me look fat?” Nolan joked.

“You’re hilarious,” I said. “So, how do we do this?”

Kayla took the blade from me, and Nolan grabbed Trishna’s spell book, flipping through the pages until he reached the cloaking spell. “We already know your blood needs to come in contact with my skin,” he said, “forehead preferably. But it says that an object of significance may also be coated in blood and worn by the person whose identity is to be changed. In fact, it looks like if you combine the two, the spell will be almost unbreakable, except by the blood of the person who cast it.”

“Okay, let’s do both.” She unclasped the chain from around her neck, the rose pendant I’d bought her in Rome leaving her skin for the first time. Kayla closed it around Nolan’s neck. “Just… don’t lose this.”

He crossed his chest with his fingers. “Scout’s honor.” Nolan turned the book in his hands, holding it facing out so Kayla could read the words. “You ready? This is going to take a bit more blood.”

She swallowed and nodded, biting her bottom lip. Kayla took a deep breath, and dug the point into her hand. “
Celare, ne abscondas
,” she said, gripping the rose pendant in her bleeding palm. Blood trickled down her wrist as she placed her hand on Nolan’s forehead. “
Me tibi. Da mihi te putas
.”

Kayla’s eyes glowed, and her hair flew behind her. Yellow light shone from beneath her palm. With a shout, Nolan fell to his knees, dropping the book.

“
Celare, ne abscondas
!” Kayla shouted once more, her palm still pressed against her brother’s forehead.

As if being pushed by some invisible force, she toppled backward with a shriek. I caught her just before she hit the ground. Kayla squeezed my arm, gripping her head as she groaned in pain. Out of the corner of my eye, Nolan transformed into Kayla, like he was clay an invisible giant molded. He growled as his body shrunk and formed hips and breasts, and when he was an exact replica, he fell forward onto his hands and knees, catching his breath.

Kayla’s eyes opened, their normal shade of hazel. “Did it work?”

“You could say that,” I replied, helping her stand.

Her mouth gaped.

“Dude. Awesome.” Nolan chuckled. “I have boobs.” He jiggled them.

My eyes bugged out. I didn’t know what was worse: hearing him say those words in Kayla’s voice or watching him play with his chest.

“You do realize you pretty much fondled your sister, yeah?” I said.

“And I enjoyed every perverted second of it.” He grinned like a child.

“Oh my God,” Kayla said, covering her red face with her hands.

I shook my head, picking up Kayla’s old clothes and throwing them in his face—which now looked like Kayla’s. This was not weird at all.

Standing, he tore his shirt over his head. Wearing no bra, his chest was exposed.

“Blimey, Nolan! Did you forget you look just like her? I don’t want everyone seeing my naked girlfriend.” I grabbed his shoulders and shuffled him behind the same tree where Kayla’d changed earlier.

He ran a finger down my chest. “Oh, come on. You know I turn you on.”

I smacked his head into the tree before storming away, his laughter following me. “Come join the rest of us when you’re clothed. Bloody idiot.”

Kayla’s face was Christmas red as she picked the spell book off the ground. “Do I really look like that?”

Any answer to that question was sure to backfire. After stuffing my knife back into its sheath, I grabbed her hand and hurried into the cabin.

n hour before sunset, we went over final plans. Garnant was a small village with maybe two-thousand citizens—and that was if it hadn’t been bulldozed like Bern and the majority of the world. We’d lucked out with the hospitals in Burgdorf, Worb, and Murten, given they were smaller villages, but from what I’d seen on the news, most people were receiving medical treatment in city streets and random crisis centers.

Nolan guessed that Richard would find us before we found him, so about ten minutes before we had to leave, I loaded my belt with as many weapons as I could. There was a reason the saying “better safe than sorry” was so popular.

“All right. It’s time,” I said, dressed in the same black gear that everyone but Nolan wore. Samantha had done a brilliant job finding these outfits.

“Be careful,” Kayla said, slipping her hand into mine.

I lifted her chin and planted a firm kiss on her lips. This wasn’t the last time she’d see me. “I love you.”

She touched my chest. “Ditto.”

I grinned, gave her hand a squeeze, and stepped to the center of the room.

“Welp, I guess this is goodbye,” Nolan said. “Remember to give me five stars on Flixster when this is all over.” He crossed to me, pushing loose strands of dark hair from his face. Watching him find someone to braid it had been a hoot.

“Wait!” Samantha shouted, bringing all gazes to her. In a few big steps, she caught up to Nolan, grabbed his face, and kissed him.

Except, to the rest of us, it looked like she’d kissed Kayla.

Again, my eyes widened. I shook my head, hard.

“Yeah, man. Chick-on-chick action,” Seth said before someone hit him in the gut.

I glanced in his direction. Kayla stood next to Seth, her arms crossed over her chest, glaring like she was trying to make him telepathically explode. He laughed.

I cleared my throat when Samantha’s kiss turned into a make-out session, and then she stepped back from Nolan.

“Can we go, please?” I asked, seconds from yanking him by his braid out the door.

Nolan held up a finger. “In a minute. I’ve been waiting for this a long time.” When he reached a hand out to grab Samantha, I snatched his arm and evaporated to Garnant.

Can you make this more awkward?
I asked him when we landed.

Did you forget we still have to sell our relationship to Evil Overlord Number One? If you’re feeling uncomfortable now, imagine what it’ll be like when you kiss me.
He wiggled his eyebrows.

I groaned, running a hand down my face as he chuckled. Maybe I’d let Richard kill me after all.

Like Bern, Garnant was in ruins. But unlike Bern, most of the town’s citizens hadn’t made it out alive. Everywhere I looked, dead bodies littered the decimated streets, some in pieces, others holding hands of loved ones who’d been crushed by buildings and vehicles. To my left, a woman and her son lay crumpled beneath a car. To my right, a dog rested next to an old man—asleep or dead, I didn’t know. My heart caught in my throat.

Around a few corners, Nolan and I tread, our gait slow and cautious. The stagnant stench of smoke and decay filled the air, churning my stomach. The city was so quiet; our footsteps echoed like bombs exploding. And twice, Nolan choked on dust and ashes. Between the two, we were practically sounding an alarm.

I shook out my hands poised close to my weapon belt, stopping at the corner of a stone house half-standing. My pulse thrashing in my ears, I peeked around the side, up and down the adjacent street. Empty.

I pressed my back against the rubble and turned to Nolan.
Right or left? Your turn to choose.

He tapped his chin.
Eenie, meenie, miney, mo says left.

Rolling my eyes, I stepped into the street and turned left.
You’ve got to take this more seriously, mate. We have no idea what we’re going to—

The scent of sulfur hit my nose. I froze. Nolan smacked into my back as the hairs on my arms rose.

I plucked two daggers from my belt.
Nightmares. He’s close.

Nolan caught my gaze, and two small balls of fire rolled in his palms. Slowly, I turned, glancing at every dark spot, every crack and hole in the wreckage. My palms clammed; I squeezed my blades tighter. Every atom in me quivered; I stood on the balls of my feet, ready to pounce.

Do you see anything?
Nolan asked.

A burst of air blasted me from behind. Somehow holding on to my knives, I scraped across the blood-soaked concrete, my body sprawled on the beaten road. I groaned, my face and arms throbbing.

“Daniel!” Nolan screamed, sounding exactly like Kayla.

I sprung to my feet and spun around. Richard had Nolan pinned against what remained of an old church. Five Nightmares stood behind him, snarling, like leashed pets.

Nolan squirmed as Kayla would, shouting at Richard, “You have what you want. Let him go!”

“Richard, listen to me,” I said, sticking with the plan. I imagined it was Kayla pressed against the wall and let the fear show through every pore. I
had
to sell that Nolan was her if I wanted to save the girl I loved. “Please, don’t hurt her. Keep her out of whatever game you’re playing, and I swear we’ll stop hunting you.”

Richard tipped his head, raising an eyebrow. “You think for one second I believe any of that? I’m not naïve.”

I set my blades on the ground. “Look, all I want is to save her. I’ll—I don’t know—take her to an island in the Southern Ocean. We’ll stay out of your way. You have my word.”

“Daddy, please,” Nolan said. “I can’t do this anymore.” A tear rolled down his cheek. Damn, he was good.

“I want this to be over. I know you still love me, and I… I’ll do everything you ask. I’ll even come with you,” he continued. “I don’t want to help you; I don’t want to kill people. But I also don’t want to lose you. You’re my father. Let my friends live. Please.”

Richard’s eyes softened as Nolan finished his speech. My heart hammered. Even for all his evilness, Richard still had a soft spot for his daughter. I held my breath, praying God would let this work. I wanted years with Kayla. I needed to see the joy on her face when this war ended.

Richard’s eyes narrowed.

My pulse stopped.

Richard snapped his fingers. A Nightmare cut Nolan’s cheek with its claw, no more than a gash.

“No, don’t hurt her!” I yelled, my voice shaking. Nolan had been positive Richard would break the moment “Kayla” admitted she needed him. He was supposed to have taken Nolan and let me go.