Eighty-Seven…

Eighty-Seven: Sweet Nightmares

Contains offensive language.

One of the ‘rules’ of writing: never start a scene with a dream. Well guess what?

A sea of undergrowth surrounded them, swaying in the breeze.

Xander stood next to Kat. Someone’s footfalls pounded behind them.

Who is it? Was something or someone chasing after them?

She grabbed Xander’s hand and together they ran. For some reason Xander yanked his hand away.

Cattails spread out ahead, forming a narrow path.

Said path was difficult to see. But they ran onward.

Then they crouched in a small clearing and hid.

Tiny twigs snapped as the being approached.

Kat covered her mouth to stifle a scream. Then the unthinkable occurred…

“Daddy! Kat’s right here,” Xander said.

Jakub looked downward. Icy glowing eyes fixated on Kat.

“Daddy, aren’t you going to kill her?”

Kat’s heart stopped. She couldn’t breathe.

My brother. My killer.

My nephew, the killer’s helper.

The ringtone on Kat’s cellular played Dreams by the Cranberries.

She bolted upright, then answered the phone.

“Kat? It’s me.”

Tristan and Justin chattered in the background.

“What do you want, Hunter?”

“Are you avoiding me? You haven’t had your treatment in a few days. You know that’s not a good thing, Kat.”

“You call that a treatment? As in the medical sense? Seems more like something else to me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Are you serious? You’re seriously going to pretend you don’t know?”

“So you didn’t enjoy having sex with me. Okay, I’ll stop having sex with you. But you still need your treatments. You’re going to get sick.”

“That’s not what I meant. Yes I enjoyed it… but we’re broken up. It’s confusing when you kiss me… and stuff.”

“Are you seeing someone else?”

She just stood there with her ear pasted to the cellular. Silence was the worst kind of torture, along with not knowing what to say.

“Kat?” Hunter said. “Are you seeing someone? I deserve the truth.”

“No. I’m not seeing anyone.” She paused. “Have you been spying on me or something?”

“If you haven’t been seeing anyone, then why are you asking if I’ve spied on you?”

“Go to hell.”

She clicked off the phone. Spasms of pain shot up her mid-section.

Clutching her stomach, Kat cursed Hunter for needing him.

Miles away, Hunter cursed Kat for needing her.

“I really don’t know what I’m doing.”

“I don’t care. Just try to heal me or something.” Kat motioned her brother to the couch.

He circled around and crouched on the floor.

“Hurry up. I’m tired of my stomach hurting,” she said.

“You’re going to have to be patient. I told you I don’t really know what I’m doing. I don’t even know if this will work.” Reznik nervously glanced at Kat’s abdomen. Then he stood back up.

“I thought you read some other spell books.”

“I did. None of them helped,” he said. “Just shut up for a minute so I can think.”

Reznik elevated his hands. Dazzling light flourished between them.

Warmth spread throughout her belly. Gradually that warmth worked its way to her limbs. A weightless sensation seized her. She tried not to panic from the unfamiliar feeling.

But yet the pain had vanished; disappeared in a show of bright, magical lights.

Suddenly images of her dream came back, its images haunting. One brother was a cold-hearted beast… but the other was her savior.

Ironic. The brother I’d always despised turned out to save my babies, and save me as well.

Heal me. Heal me. Heal me. Oh, please God let this work. Please don’t make me have to rely on Hunter the rest of my life.

“Am I healed yet? Is it over?”

“Shut up or you’ll break my concentration.”

“Sorry.”

Her body became heavier as gravity took over again.

Kat settled back onto the sofa. Waves of comfort caressed her body like gentle fingers.

“Is it over now?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think it worked?”

“I hope so. I don’t want to do that again.”

A few weeks elapsed.

Kat’s symptoms of the I-DAS disappeared. She hadn’t seen Hunter except during the times he dropped off the boys, which was during the weekends.

She’d explained to Hunter, quite smugly, about how Reznik had ‘cured’ her.

Kat and Hunter also stopped having sex. Those mind games had ceased; at least for now.

Kat and Lauren had made up their differences and decided to hang out together one evening. Just like old times.

“Guess what?” Lauren said, excited.

“What?”

“Me and Rez are having a baby! Isn’t that crazy?”

“Omigosh, that’s great Lauren! I’m so happy for you!”

“Thanks. I wanted to tell you a few days ago but couldn’t find the right time. I also told Rez not to tell you,” she said. “I’m a little nervous about having a kid, but I think it’ll be okay.”

“I think it’ll be okay too. Reznik’s a great dad to Cody, so I know he will be to your baby.” Maybe he’ll help you out more than Hunter did with our kids. Actually, I’m sure he will.

“Thanks. I really appreciate that, Kat.”

You’re welcome, BFF. Her eyes veered past Lauren, to a sight she never thought she’d behold.

Hunter…

snuggling up to some bitch.

No… way.

Yet there it was. Right in front of her, in black and white. There was no other choice but to believe it.

“Are you okay?” Lauren asked.

Sure. I’m fine. But she kept staring blankly at the couple behind Lauren…

engaged in a tight embrace. Nausea wound its way inside Kat’s gut.

Whomever he was with, she was a gorgeous Dempire. Kat’s eyes could not deny it.

Why? Why are men such scum? How can they flit from female to female without so much as a twinge of conscience or care in the world? Really? How do they do it? It’s enough to make a girl sick…

and was making Kat sick.

She threw up. It was the worst pain she’d ever felt in her life. It was not a physical pain.

She wanted to die. There was only one cure.

“Kat? What’s wrong?” someone said. Was it Lauren?

She didn’t care. Kat only wanted to GTFO. She ran away, as far as she could.

Oh Christ. It hurts so bad… why Hunter? Fucking why?? I still love you… you mother fucker.

She ran. Until she came upon the area where she’d met Percy.

Percy? Where are you? I need you. Now.

“Percy?!” Help me. It hurts so bad… I’m losing my mind.

It’s pointless. Percy’s gone.

“Percy!”

A full moon sank below the horizon.

Kat went home. That way she could dream about Percy.

And forget about Hunter.

Took forever, but Kat finally drifted to sleep.

Yes.

Please. Please make this dream come true. Just this one dream.

Please.

It’s the only thing that will take this pain away.

The pretty blonde Dempire in this chapter is Isabella, the daughter of Lila and Nick from my Riverview story.

btw Kat still hasn’t figured out what her dream about Jakub and Xander meant. Maybe soon she will, though.

Thank you for reading!

Oh yeah, sorry I was late for putting this one up. I’m (obviously) back from Ohio now. I still have comments disabled,  but now it’s mostly because I just don’t have the time to reply. Won’t go into details, but that 8 days in Ohio (not to mention the 16-hour drive, 32 hour both ways) really took a LOT out of me. So right now I’m on a ‘vacation’ of sorts, but I still have chapter 88 written and ready to go next Thursday.

My mom’s getting chemo right now, so I’m hoping she’ll get better.

Only a couple days until Christmas. Hope you guys have a great one. 🙂

One more thing: I might end Bloodlust around chapter 94. *edit* hmmm. I think I’ve changed my mind about ending it. At least for now. As you can see, I can’t seem to make up my mind about it. I think if I end it now, it will be for the wrong reasons and I don’t want to end it because of that. Anyhow, that’s all good for my faithful readers, and bad for anyone who doesn’t like this story.  😀