Dreamer: The Seeker Series Book 2

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

" there was a large, dark blankness in my mind, a deep fog of unknowing."

-Madeleine L'Engle

December 22

Galway City, Ireland

The darkness was utter and complete. I was awake but could see nothing. I tried to wave my hand in front of my face, but I discovered both hands were bound together tightly with what felt like duct tape. I tried to move my legs and realized they were unbound, but wedged against something. I began to panic, trying to scream, but my mouth was taped shut. What was happening to me? Wait, was it me? Was I me? Suddenly, my body was thrown against the wall in front of me; I realized I was on the floor of the backseat of a vehicle of some sort. Was I being kidnapped? Why? Who would want to kidnap me? Was I going to be killed? I went into full-blown freak-out mode, sobbing and beginning to hyperventilate. Would I ever see my family again? My somewhat odd, but always loving grandmother, my devoted mother, my best friend in the world, Tara? And Jack. I choked on a sob as I thought of him, more of a prayer than anything else. I mourned the life we might have had together; the love, maybe even the children we would someday have. What would happen to the tiny life I carried within my womb? What would Scott do when I wasn't waiting for him? Wait...what? I wasn't pregnant! And who the heck was Scott?

I woke myself up, sobbing and covered in sweat. I looked around, momentarily confused by my unfamiliar surroundings. Where was I? Was I still in the hospital? No, now I remembered I was in my hotel room in Galway City, Ireland. Cassie and I had arrived early this evening and after a quick, yet elegant meal in the hotel dining room, I had wanted nothing more than to fall into bed. This horrible nightmare was no doubt a result of jet lag after flying from New Mexico to Ireland and eating right before bed. I stopped to listen for movement from Cassie, occupying the suite's adjoining bedroom, but heard nothing. Good. She had been as exhausted as me and didn't deserve to be disturbed. The bedside digital clock read 3:30 a.m., but I knew I wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon, so I got out of bed, shivering in the December chill. I don't even know what time my body thought it was. I got myself a glass of water from the bathroom, then went to the window and pulled back the curtains to look down into Eyre Square. I could barely make out the tents and canopies of the Christmas Market. When we had checked in this evening, the young woman at the reception desk had let us know that tomorrow—now today—would be the last day of the market, so we should be sure to save some time to explore.

As I looked down into the city center, I found myself thinking back over the incredible chain of events that led me to spend my Christmas break here in Ireland instead of with my family and friends back home in Albuquerque. It all started in late October with a vision in the middle of my English class; a vision of a pregnant Veronica Albluth. Well, she was no longer pregnant. That steroid-shooting monster, Coach Trevino, also her baby daddy, had seen to that when he beat the crap out of her. He beat the crap out of me too, and I had the stitches in the back of my head to prove it. I also had a really unattractive bald spot where the ER doctor had to shave my head to put in the stitches. I know I shouldn't be so upset over this, but it was my freaking hair! I should have hit him a lot harder. Anyway, the visions continued and intensified. Now I was even having visions of the future, both of which had already come true, exactly as I had seen. Well, one of them wasn't an earth-shattering vision or anything, but still! I had seen Jack's little sister lose her first front tooth weeks before she actually lost it. And Jack...yeah. He was new to my school this year, and although we were in the same grade, he was two years older than me because of some bad decisions during his first year of high school, which caused him to fall behind. He never even spoke to me until I started freaking out in class, nearly passing out—actually passing out once, but Jack wasn't there—during a vision. One thing led to another, Jack finally got off probation, and we were now dating. Okay, that's a bit of an understatement, because I am completely and totally in love with Jack Ruiz. He says he loves me too. I smoothed my fingers over the charm bracelet he gave me for my birthday last Saturday. And now I was here in Galway to meet with the Seer Council to find out why I was developing some really crazy powers, thanks to the fact that I have druid blood flowing through my veins.

I shivered again, wishing I had packed a robe, and decided to crawl back under the covers. I reached over to pick up the book from the nightstand I had started to read before I went to sleep, more out of habit than anything else; I hadn't made it through a full paragraph before drifting off. I couldn't even remember what I had read, so I decided to start again. A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle. I had borrowed the dusty old hardcover from my English teacher, attracted by the poetic title. I had thrown it in my carry on, thinking it would be a good idea to have at least one real book in addition to my Kindle. As I opened it now, I noticed an inscription I hadn't seen before: Merry Christmas, Ashley 1983 Love, Mom and Dad. On the inside cover was a bookplate stating This Book Belongs to Ashley Hayes. The first line of the book was one of those that drew you in and made you want to keep reading: I saw him for the first time at the funeral. This time I lasted for at least ten pages before I found myself drifting back to sleep.

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