Succubus Dreams Page 0,48

edition?" I asked dumbfounded.

"It's about the only edition they hadn't made yet," remarked Seth. "I think they're kind of grasping at straws."

"You got that for Christmas?" I asked. "You wanted it for Christmas?"

"I want to be a real estate mongrel when I grow up," she explained.

"Mogul," I corrected. "And I thought you wanted to be a pirate?"

She gave me a pitying look. "They don't have very good health insurance."

I pointed to the box. "But why the Industrial Revolution? Wouldn't you have rather had, I don't know, the Barbie edition? Or the Sephora edition?" I kind of wanted that last one for myself.

"The Industrial Revolution was an important period in Western Civilization. The developments in production and manufacturing forever changed the face of our culture and socioeconomic status." She paused. "You wanna play?"

"Is one of the pieces a spinning jenny?" asked Maddie.

Seth laughed. "Actually, it is."

"I'm in," she said.

Kayla, who was in Seth's arms, appeared on the verge of falling asleep then and there. Her cuddly form reminded me of the dream girl, and my heart lurched. Suddenly, Monopoly held little appeal. I walked over to Seth. "Tell you what. You play, and I'll take bedtime duty."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

He passed her off, and she wrapped her little arms around my neck. With the twins in tow, I left the others to set up the game. Maddie looked distinctly uncomfortable at being abandoned, but I knew she'd do fine. Sometimes being forced to socialize was the best way to learn.

The twins were surprisingly easy to put to bed, probably because they slept in the same room. Going to bed wasn't such a big deal when you had a sister to whisper to and giggle with. I supervised the brushing of teeth and putting on of pajamas, then closed them in with warnings that I'd check back.

Still balancing Kayla on one hip, I carried her to the room she shared with Kendall. Kayla almost never said anything, so I wasn't particularly surprised when she didn't protest having a pink nightgown pulled over her head and being tucked under the covers. I sat on the edge of her bed and handed her a stuffed unicorn I'd found on the floor. She wrapped it in her arms.

"I think it could take the spider monkey," I told her.

Kayla said nothing but just watched me with those huge blue eyes. They were filled with such trust and sweetness - just like my daughter in the dream. How amazing would it be to do this every night? To tuck someone in and kiss her forehead, then wake up with her each morning?

Suddenly, fearing I might cry in front of a four-year-old, I started to rise. To my complete astonishment, she held out her hand and touched my arm.

"Georgina."

Her voice was small and soprano and sweet. I sat back down. "Hmm?"

"Don't leave," she said.

"Oh, honey. I have to. You need to sleep."

"Monsters will come."

"What monsters?"

"The bad ones."

"Ah. I see. Are they under your bed?" I was pretty sure that's where most monsters lived. Aside from the ones I played poker with and bought Secret Santa presents for.

She shook her head and pointed up at the ceiling. "They live there. In space."

"Are they aliens?" As much as I hated the thought of her being afraid to go to bed, I was rather enchanted to be having a conversation with her for the first time ever. She was as articulate as all the other girls - not that I should have been surprised by that.

"No. They're monsters. They swoop in the air and go in people's dreams."

I caught on to her reluctance to sleep now. "Have you been having nightmares?"

"No. But the monsters are there. I feel them."

Something about her words and the serious set of her face sent a chill down my spine. "You want me to stay until you fall asleep? Will that keep them away?"

"Maybe," she said. She touched my arm again. "You're magic."

I wondered then if Kayla might be a psychic in the making, like Erik or Dante. The way she spoke implied more than a childhood belief in magic. There was almost an authority there. She'd be worth keeping an eye on, but I wouldn't pursue anything now. I certainly wasn't going to start quizzing her about auras.

"Okay," I said. "I'll stay."

I lay down beside her, and she studied me in silence. I began humming an old song, which made her smile and close her eyes. When I finished, she opened her eyes again.

"What are the words?"

"Eh..."