that. We do have a phone."
She rolled her eyes. "Uncle Robin wouldn't let me call. And besides, I have to give you this in person."
"Give me what?"
Kathy took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Several seconds passed before she said, "Pain…there is always pain…need…a lifetime of loneliness….why haven't you come…why haven't you searched for him…no death, no life, no forward, no backward…search for the curse. You have to follow the curse." She staggered a bit, and then breathed deep and smiled. "Whew. Now maybe I can get some sleep."
I stood still. Very still. I could hear the pack humming again. Finally, I glanced at Ivan at the computer with Kyle beside him. They both looked wide-eyed and confused.
"What's wrong, Sammie?"
Licking my lips, I thought about what I was going to say. "Where did you get that?"
"From the voice in my dreams. He's been there since Uncle Robin took me and my sister out for Valentine's Day. I haven't been able to sleep since."
"You have a voice in your dreams. Does this he have a name?"
"No. But he's in pain. A lot of it. And he's asking for you, calling for you. I'm surprised you can't hear him."
I felt my chest grow warm and realized the scar was heating up and glowing. Luckily the shirt and hoodie I was wearing covered the light. "Kathy…do you know who he is?"
"No. But I know what he is. And he's the last of his kind."
"What is he?"
Kathy clasped her hands over her chest and her eyes sparkled. "He's a Dragon!"
FOUR
"A Dragon?" Kyle said to my right. "What's she talking about? A fairy tale?"
It wasn't a fairy tale. It wasn't fiction or fantasy. There was only one person in my life whom I'd toyed with the possibility, but until a few minutes ago, believed it was impossible. My Elementals knew the truth. I suspected Grey knew as well.
And now Kathy.
I gripped the side of the counter to my right as I composed myself. I was pretty sure whatever miasma of emotions I was feeling also played out on my face.
"Sam? You okay?" Robin leaned forward, his gaze piercing. I knew this without even looking at him.
I swallowed and cleared my throat. "Guys…Robin…can Kathy and I have a few minutes alone?"
"Alone? Why?" Ivan moved away from his computer to stand by me. "What's wrong?"
Sam?
"Just…" I tightened my jaw and thinned my lips before I reined in my emotion-fueled temper. I could feel the scar at my chest pulsing as the heat moved throughout my body. In seconds, the tell tale red sparkle of Arcane was going to rear its ugly head and Ivan was going to get the brunt of it. "Leave."
Stepping back, he looked at everyone, and then shoved the door to the break room inward as he departed. I heard Grey in my head…but it wasn't words but pictures. Images of Crwys on the day we met, when he came in to ask my help to hunt down a Djinn. She turned and loped off behind Ivan through the open door.
"Come have some tea, Robin. We can catch up," Kyle said as he gestured for Robin to follow him.
My ex put his hand on my shoulder as he passed and squeezed it before following Kyle into the break room.
Kathy looked troubled and clasped her hands behind her back. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No." I took a deep breath, summoned my Elementals and breathed a sigh of relief as their presence calmed me. They remained invisible so as not to startle the child. Kathy was a young God Mother's child and I wasn't sure just how far along her magic is.
I walked to her and knelt in front of her. Holding out my hands, palms up, I said, "You haven't done anything wrong. I just need you to tell me exactly what you've been dreaming about the Dragon."
"Okay." She put her hands in mine. They were warm and clammy, and tingled with untapped power. "I've seen him before. He was at Uncle Robin's house that day when I saw you fight the man in the hat."
She referred to the day when a Shadow Person entered Robin's house and tried to kill him and I. I let loose that time, working with my Elementals to cut the bastard off at the knees. And I discovered later that's exactly what I did. I had no idea that part of the group of Shadow People had been the children then, and Kathy had been among them.