The Fae King's Dream (Between Dawn and Dusk #2) - Jamie Schlosser Page 0,5

life.

The car doesn’t slow as we follow a curve, and I cover my mouth while suppressing a gag. “Dad, could you take it easy on the turns? I’m about to lose my lunch back here.”

“Would it help if I sing?” There’s a smile in his voice. “I think it would.”

“No, that’s not necessa—”

He cranks up the volume on the radio, blaring the oldies station. When he bellows the chorus with enthusiasm, his voice breaks and he finishes it with an off-tune holler.

I wince. “Don’t quit your day job.”

He stops singing long enough to say, “I don’t hear you contributing to the concert.”

“That’s because I know my limits.”

“Oh, come on.” Mom turns around. “You’ve got a great voice.”

I scoff. “This, coming from the woman who thinks Dad should try out for American Idol.”

She smiles lovingly at my father. “He totally should.”

And she should totally get her hearing checked.

When she rubs his thigh, I wrinkle my nose. If I wasn’t already nauseated, I definitely would be after their PDA.

I secretly love it, though—how much my parents love each other. They’re opposites in a lot of ways, but they have one thing in common that never fails to bring them joy—me. Maybe it’s because I’m an only child. Or maybe it’s just because I’m super awesome. Either way, they always make time for me.

When I told them I won a complimentary weekend at a resort, they were appalled that I wouldn’t be taking anyone with me. That’s how girls get kidnapped, they’d said.

Naturally, they insisted on coming. I don’t mind. Once the semester begins, I won’t see them for a while.

A Dolly Parton song comes on, and Dad belts out the new tune with fervor. Unclipping her seat belt, Mom leans over the middle console to give him a kiss on the cheek. He gropes her knee.

Aaand that’s when I’m out.

To save my stomach—and my ears—I decide to put on some headphones. After digging around in my backpack, I secure the insulated padding over my ears and sigh with relief. I’m glad I went with the bulkier version instead of earbuds. Better noise cancellation, which I desperately need right now.

Just as I plug the cord into my phone, I glance up at the empty road ahead. It’s so secluded up here. No cars have passed us. With the sun hiding, there’s a shadow hanging over everything.

An eerie feeling washes over me, but I shake it off.

I should be excited. I could use some downtime right now. I just spent the last three months sweating in the sun, blowing my whistle, and yelling at kids not to run next to the pool. It wasn’t all bad. It was my third summer at my town’s aquatic center. The money’s good, the tan is even better, and if I hadn’t been working there, I never would’ve heard about Dream Escape Resort and Spa.

The owners are young entrepreneurs who seem passionate about their business. Instead of taking to social media, they were spreading the word the old-fashioned way, traveling through the state to water parks and other summer hot spots to hand out flyers. All I had to do was go to their website and fill out an application for the giveaway.

And for once in my life, I actually won something. In general, I don’t consider myself to be a lucky person, so it was a pleasant surprise.

Opening my music app, I scroll through a few favorite lists before settling on one. I close my eyes and lean my head back as I wait for the song to start.

“What the—”

The sound of my dad’s distressed voice startles me, and I open my eyes just in time to see the blur of a figure standing in the middle of the road.

I gasp.

Then everything happens so fast.

My dad jerks the steering wheel to the left, and the stomach-flipping swerve of the vehicle makes my insides tumble. Mom screams. We hit the guardrail. For a split-second, I think it’s going to save us, but it gives way under the impact.

The shriek of scraping metal fades out as my world enters a weird, surreal slow motion. I can’t hear anything. My mouth is open, but I’m not sure if any sound is coming out.

Straight ahead, I see the vast expanse of trees and gray clouds.

And nothingness. No road. No solid ground to catch us.

When the car tips forward, my seat belt tightens across my chest, but terror fills me when I see my mom hit the windshield. Dad reaches for her,