The three of us stood in silence, a tight living and breathing triangle. The tension between the two men continued to escalate until Tarrek said through clenched teeth, “We will not fight tonight.”
“The choice may not be yours,” Bahlin responded, fisting his hands at his sides.
“Stop,” I cried, and I shot up out of sleep like a drowning woman coming up for air.
Disoriented, I looked around the bedroom and it took me a moment to remember where I was. I was drenched in sweat and the bed was destroyed. The duvet was on the floor, the silk sheets were pulled off the mattress, and the pillows looked as if I’d thrown them around the room in a fit of rage. Strange. I couldn’t remember exactly what I’d been dreaming, but it didn’t seem like it had been this disturbing. It definitely wasn’t anything like the nightmares I’d been having prior to leaving home. Even the memories of those dark dreams made my stomach cramp with remembered fear.
Unable to sit still, I got up and began collecting pillows. I picked up the duvet and set the bed to rights. It took longer than I expected because the bed was so tall, but I got it done and crawled back in between the sheets. Seemingly impossible, yet true, I felt even more exhausted than when I’d first laid down. What had I been dreaming? The memory became more elusive the harder I chased it. It felt like it had been important. I slid back into sleep and for the first time in months it was, thankfully, dreamless.
Chapter Two
I awoke late that morning with a headache more indicative of the personal consumption of a bottle of Grey Goose instead of a simple late night bath and blurry dreams. I’m talking full-blown, head-pounding, wish-I-could-die-and-get-it-over-with pain. I stumbled into the bathroom, less impressed with its opulence now that my demise seemed imminent. I managed to dig out three ibuprofen from my travel case and dry swallow them. I was afraid even a sip of water would make me lose the meager remaining contents of my stomach. I longed for a cigarette, or even some second-hand smoke.
I made my way back into the bedroom and found myself grateful for the heavy gray curtains that were keeping the daylight at bay. I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the pills to take effect. When I became certain I wouldn’t be sick, I lay down on my side and cradled my head on my arm. I again slept without dreaming.
The next thing I was aware of was someone knocking at my door. I slid off the bed, disconcerted, and slipped on the hotel’s bathrobe, stumbling toward the door, running fingers through my bed-head. The headache had, thankfully, abated. I was curious but not alarmed about my visitor. Someone probably had the wrong room. I peeked through the fish eye and gasped, spinning around to press my back against the door, all vestiges of sleep gone in an instant. With a sudden rush my dream from early this morning came roaring back into my conscious memory.
My visitor knocked again, harder, and I jumped, making a disgusting “Eep!” sound that is generally restricted to startled women and stampeding sheep. I hate that. I took three large steps away from the door and spun to face it, more like I was dueling with the damn thing rather than contemplating my visitor on the other side. Maybe I was mistaken and this was another dream. I scrubbed my hands over my face, my heartbeat already beginning to slow. That only made sense. Now how had I woken myself up earlier? Something about—
“Maddy?” he called through the door, interrupting my train of thought. “I need you to open the door. There’s much to do tonight.”
How had he first invaded my dreams and, second, found me in person? And what did he mean tonight? I hadn’t even been up for the day yet. I peered around the corner of the bathroom wall and looked at the clock on the bedside table. It read 7:07, but there was no a.m. or p.m. It was only logical that it was evening, though, since I’d woken up earlier today and been relieved the sunlight was blocked.
“Maddy? I know you’re awake. Open the door, sweetheart.”
“What do you want, Bahlin?” I asked, taking a strange leap of faith that I recognized him from that dream. Besides, I was curious and feeling