Visions

RORY

“Mom?”

I stare at the woman in front of me. There is no wind in this place, but her hair is moving as if caressed by a breeze.

Her eyes—the ones that are an exact replica of my own—glimmer.

“Is it really you?”

“Aurora,” she says. Her voice is deep and resonant. I feel it echoing in my body. And the way she says it—

It’s like she feels a sense of ownership or belonging, like we’re family.

“Mom, I’ve waited so long…”

~Bang!~

My eyes snap open.

My mother is gone, the mist is gone.

I’m back in the library, sitting in the dark. My candle has blown out.

Everett is standing, holding the door open. The sound of his entrance must have distracted me, broken my concentration.

He pulled me from limbo back to the world of the living just as I was about to speak to my mother.

“What are you doing in here?” he asks gently. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“I…couldn’t sleep.”

“I didn’t know where you were. I was worried.”

I sigh.

As much as I want to go back, I’m exhausted. I can feel my head lolling and my eyes pulling shut.

Projecting my consciousness has really taken it out of me.

“I was just doing some reading,” I say. “About the pack.”

I know I shouldn’t lie to Everett, but he’d only worry if I told him the truth. Traveling to limbo has its risks. If I somehow can’t get back to the world of the living, I’ll die for good.

Nemesis was able to hurt me in that place.

Unlike on earth, I can die there.

“You look sleepy,” he says, tilting his head. “Let’s go back to bed.”

Feeling weighed down by my heavy limbs, I push off the floor and stagger to my feet.

“Whoa, here,” Everett says, rushing to my side and lifting me into his arms. “I’ve got you.”

Bridal style, he carries me back to our room, and before I know it I’m cradled in his arms and falling asleep.

I dream of my mother. Her kind, welcoming face. Her open arms.

She was right there. But I know where she is now, and I know how I can find her.

One day I’ll go back, and we’ll finally speak…

I’ll finally get to know where I came from.

I know I will.

EVERETT

What was Rory doing in the library late at night?

She looked exhausted when I found her, as if she was about to topple over and pass out on the hardwood floor.

I sit up and watch her sleep as the sun rises outside our window.

She looks peaceful. Her eyes move behind her lids, meaning she must be dreaming. I wonder what she’s dreaming about?

There’s a tiny smile playing in the corners of her mouth. She almost looks happy. Nothing like how she looked yesterday when I told her Freya couldn’t return to the pack.

My chest hurts thinking about how much that news disappointed her.

Thinking back over the last few weeks, I can’t help but feel guilty. Rory has been thrown into pack life and her duties as a luna.

While at the same time, all she wants to do is finish school.

I know how much her school life means to her, and I want her to have everything she wants.

But at the same time, my entire life’s mission is to provide for my pack—to do what’s best for my people. It’s hard for me to ignore that side of me.

No matter how difficult it is disappointing my mate.

Finally, Rory stirs, rolling onto her back with a little yawn. I wrap an arm around her before she nearly topples off the bed.

“Mmhmm, morning,” she says, her eyes fluttering open.

“Good morning,” I say. “What were you dreaming of?”

“My mother,” she says. “My real mother.”

Her eyes snap open, and she pushes herself into a sitting position.

“I wasn’t going to tell you because I thought you’d worry.”

I scrunch my brow in confusion. “Weren’t going to tell me what?”

“Last night in the library,” she says, yawning. “I found a way to project my mind into the realm between the living and the dead.”

Worry begins to surge through my veins. I don’t like the idea of Rory going to that place if she doesn’t have to. She’s vulnerable there in a way she isn’t here.

“Rory, that’s dangerous.”

“I know, but I’ve been hearing her voice.”

“Whose?”

“My mother’s.” She places a small hand on top of mine. “She’s been calling to me. I wanted to meet her, so I found a way.”

Blinking, I shake my head, trying to comprehend what she’s saying. I assumed she was dreaming about puppies, or unicorns, or us!

I wasn’t expecting a conversation like this so early in the morning.

Suddenly, I feel like I need to down an entire pot of coffee.

“You…how?”

“There’s an incantation and—”

“Rory, you shouldn’t be messing with—”

“It’s fine,” she says bluntly. “I’m fine. You’re not listening.”

I take a breath. “Okay, tell me everything.”

“I went to the other realm and I saw her, my mother. She spoke to me but before we could talk properly I...I lost concentration. It’s really hard to stay on that plane, it takes a lot of energy.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she says. “Once I feel up to it, I’m going to go back.”

I draw a circle on the sheets with my finger as I think this over.

“Rory,” I say. “I know I’m overprotective and I know you’re upset about Freya. But visiting that place...it’s dangerous. You could die there.”

She casts her glance aside, staring at the carpet on her side of the bed.

“I know, but she’s my family. I don’t know anything about her or where I come from.”

“I thought Nemesis said your mother was—” I stop when Rory shoots an angry glance in my direction.

“Nemesis was an evil, demented demon. You think she was telling the truth about my mother?”

“Good point,” I say and nod. “But the real truth is...I’m scared.”

Rory’s angry stare softens.

“I’m scared that something will happen to you there, just like I’m scared that something will happen to you when you’re at school.”

“I know you’re worried, but you need to believe that I would never do anything that could hurt you. I would never put myself in a situation I didn’t think I could handle.”

She scoots a little closer and nestles her head against my chest.

“Besides, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from seeing my mother—even for an instant—it’s how important family is. You’re my family. And I want to do everything I can to make you happy.”

“Are you trying to say…?”

Rory lifts her chin so that we’re looking into each other’s eyes. She takes a breath, preparing herself for what she’s about to say.

“Even if it means telling Freya she can’t visit the pack anymore. I want to do what’s right by you and everyone here.”

I pull her closer to me, cradling the side of her head with my hand.

“And once school is done I’m going to devote the time I spend there to learning about the pack and its customs. I want to be a good luna, Everett. I want to do that for my new family.”

I lean down and place my lips on hers.

Sparks ignite where our bodies are touching.

I didn’t think it was possible, but the love I feel for my little mate continues to grow and expand in new and unexpected ways.

Still, my heart is aching. She’s willing to give up so much, and all this time I have been trying to take away the one thing she wants—a connection to her human past.

“Speaking of school,” I say, leaning back to admire her one last time. “Aren’t you going to be late?”

“Crap! My math final is today!” she says, spinning out of my arms and nearly tumbling off the mattress. Surprisingly, she manages to right herself before she falls off the bed and runs to the shower.

“Thank you for reminding me!” she calls from the bathroom. “I love you!”

“Love you too,” I say, and flop back onto the mattress.

I feel like our relationship is growing stronger. But there’s a nagging feeling pricking the back of my brain.

~Am I asking too much?~

RORY

With seconds to spare, I burst into the math classroom.

My conversation with Everett—not to mention my late-night séance—meant that I almost completely forgot about my final exam.

Of course contacting my birth mother in the spirit realm and my newfound commitment to the pack would coincide with one of the most important exams of my school career!

“Ah, Rory, there you are,” Mrs. Rogers says. “Just on time. Please, take your seat, we’re about to begin.”

Everyone is already at their desks, with the test paper closed in front of them, pencils at the ready.

Hurriedly, I walk between the rows of desks to take my seat.

I stop short when I see the desk behind mine is also empty. Freya isn’t here.

~That’s weird!~

It’s not like Freya to miss a test. Maybe she’s not feeling well.

I haven’t heard from her since our last text conversation. I would have thought she’d have messaged if she was going to miss a big exam like this.

Wondering what’s up, I take my seat as the exam begins. For the next hour and a half, I try my best to concentrate on the algebraic equations in front of me, but it’s tricky.

My mind keeps wandering back to Freya.

Where is she?

The second the bell rings, I drop my pencil and hurry outside. I know I’ve tanked the exam, but right now I’m more worried about my friend.

I send her a few texts, but I’m feeling too impatient to wait for a reply, so I call her.

Her cell goes straight to voicemail.

~Even weirder!~

Freya always has her phone on.

My sense of panic is starting to rise. I have this clawing feeling that something isn’t right. So I search through my contacts and find her home phone number.

After just one ring, the phone picks up.

“Hello?”

It’s Freya’s mom, Teresa. She sounds upset.

“Hi Teresa, it’s Rory. Is Freya there?” I ask tentatively.

“No, Rory. I was just about to call you. Freya wasn’t at home this morning.”

She sounds distressed, like she’s on the verge of tears.

“What do you mean?”

“She went out last night and she…she didn’t come home.”

A chill runs down my spine.

“Teresa, what’s going on?”

“I’ve been calling her all morning, but I keep getting her voicemail. Is she not at school?”

“No, she’s not here. We had a math exam this morning and everything.”

“My God, Rory.” She’s full-on sobbing now. “It’s not like Freya not to come home.”

“I know. Is there anywhere else you think she might have stayed?”

“I don’t know,” she says. “I’m scared. I think Freya is…missing!”