Honesty Falls

2....8

            "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

            His laugh was boyish and charming. The body he wore hid the monster within.

            "Every time you come to me, you let me get a little closer. Soon I'll have you."

            She woke slowly. The hateful voice replaced with the voices of people she cared for.

            Conway's voice was full of worry. "Tell me again what you gave her."

            "And why in the hell did you give it to her?"

            There Sebastian goes cussing again. So unlike him.

            "My own special brew."

            "Moonshine?" Conway sounded outraged. As much as someone as dignified as he could sound.

            "Just a touch."

            Hearing the laughter in Daniel Logan's voice made her want to smile.

            "And an essence of mushrooms."

            "Drugs? You gave her drugs?" Now it was becoming harder for Conway to disguise his anger.

            "Just a touch. And a hint of my very own oil from herbs I grow myself."

            He was the most adorable old man in the entire world.

            "It helps with my pain, and I could tell that Nevaeha Roe wasn't feeling like herself."

            "How long has she been dreaming?" Sebastian sounded tensed, but she seemed unable to reassure him.

            "After a few hours Martha noticed it. First dreams about her mother. Some dreams about a wolf. I didn't start to worry until a few hours ago. I was about to do a spell to help her rest when the warning went out. It wasn't until then that I realized that someone might notice her missing. Before I could call anyone, Nigel had already sniffed her out and Sebastian was already standing in front of me."

            "She must be pretty out of it, or Sebastian would have been able to find her sooner. How long until she wakes up?"

            She wanted to tell them she was already awake, but her body didn't seem to want her to. It liked the cozy little nest she'd found for it. Now that the monster was gone, she could rest again. Beautiful rest. She's been so tired and upset but not anymore. She couldn't remember ever feeling so nice.

            "Oh, I'd say sometimes late tomorrow. Maybe even the next day."

            "It's already been a whole day!" Funny. She was so tired that she couldn't figure out if Conway or Sebastian said that.

            "Well, yes. I might have given her a bit more of the essence than I thought. I usually save the potent stuff for my bad days, and I might have mixed up the potent stuff with the not so potent stuff. Yea, I'd say tomorrow or the next day. Would you like me to do a spell, so she won't have any more bad dreams?"

            "We'll manage it."

            She wanted to tell Conway not to be so curt with Daniel Logan, but her mouth didn't corporate.

            Strong arms lifted her.

            She'd never been carried by a boy before. Nigel. How was it she just noticed that he had his own smell? A very nice, comforting smell.

            Before she could get too comfortable, he was laying her in her own bed. Too bad that Sebastian moved them so quickly. That might have been her only chance at having a boy pick her up as if she weighs nothing and carry her, and she would have liked to enjoy it longer.

            She was no lightweight female that could be swept off her feet.

            "About time you found her. I reported her missing hours ago."

            "You should have reported her missing yesterday when she didn't come home."

            "Don't get started on me again. I told you she keeps weird hours. Sometimes she sleeps outside in a damn tree. How in the hell am I supposed to keep up with her bizarre habits?"

            How come she's never realized how comfortable her bed is?

            "We can't chance her having any more dreams like the last one. We'll have to do the spell now, Sebastian. She's in too much danger if we don't. We can't wait for her approval."

            Sebastian must have made a sign of disapproval because Conway went on. "I don't like it either, but we have no choice. If she insists, we can reverse it, though I don't know why she'd ever want to."

            "If it's a power she possesses, like you believe, then it's her right to hold on to it. In theory, we'll be suppressing a part of her. That should be her decision."

            "Like I said, I don't like it either, but we have no choice. If she insists, we can reverse it."

            "She's had too many spells done on her without her say." Was whispered so softly, she almost didn't hear it. "I promised I'd never do so again. I am sorry, but I can't help you."

            "Even if it leaves her in danger?"

            "Yes."

            "No one else is strong enough, Sebastian."

            "Then we'll be here if she needs us. We'll keep her safe."

            "Want me to slap her? It might wake her."

            Two said no and one growled.

            It's funny how she used to believe that she had no one. She had a whole town.