Read Online Crimson Dahlia by Abigail Owen - Free Book Online Page A

with a
conspiratorial grin.
    Lila’s
heart sped up. For whatever reason, that meant something positive to her in
this memory.
    After
another second Ellie said “Oh!” and looked up. Lila glanced over her shoulder
to see that all the other people were walking toward them. She still couldn’t
quite place them but realized she should know them. She watched in confusion as
they talked to Ellie for a second.
    A
tall boy with dark hair whispered something in Ellie’s ear that made her face
light up. And then a boy with golden hair moved to stand beside her. He took
Ellie’s and Lila’s hands and made a little circle.
    Lila
gasped. She did remember this. This was a memory. Griffin. That
was the boy’s name. Griffin and Ellie worked together to show her how to use
her gift to heal people’s emotions.
    “Do
you know where you are?” Ellie asked in a voice that didn’t quite sound like
hers.
    Lila
frowned. That wasn’t what happened next. More memories flooded her mind. They
were supposed to work with Ramsey next. Right? She remembered… she looked
around at the other people standing around them. Their faces now clear and
recognizable. Tears filled her eyes.
    How
could I have forgotten my parents? My sister?
    She
lifted her hands to her mouth. “Oh my God. Oh my God. What’s happening to me?”
    Suddenly
all of the figures around her dissolved. “Don’t go!” she cried and reached out
her hand.
    “Lila?”
a female voice called her name. “Lila, can you hear me?”
    “Selene?”
she called back. Confusion overwhelmed her. What was happening?
    “Yes.
I’m here. You’re caught in some kind of perpetual dream. Can you relax? Picture
me standing there beside you? Picture me with Ramsey and Griffin? Can you do
that?”
    “I’ll
try,” Lila called back. She was afraid to close her eyes. The last time she’d
done that the grey fog had taken over.
     “We’re
here, Lila,” Ramsey said. She turned at the sound of his voice. She had to stop
herself from running to him. He wouldn’t want that.
    He
approached her slowly, as though he thought she’d be frightened. But he’d never
scared her. Even when he’d gotten really angry and flames had jumped from his
hands, she’d known he’d never hurt her. Griffin and Selene appeared on either
side of him.
    Then
something occurred to her. “Wait. Why are you in my dreams? How do I know
you’re even you?”
    Ramsey
stepped toward her. “Not long after we moved to Estes Park, you wrote a note on
my bathroom mirror in lipstick. Do you remember?”
    “You
were so mad,” Lila whispered. She looked up at him sharply. “What did it say?”
    Ramsey
shifted, his mouth compressed. “It said, ‘This is the last kiss you’ll ever get
from me.’ And it had lips drawn.”
    Griffin
choked back a chuckle.
    “Laugh,
Aubrey,” Ramsey snapped, “and I’ll send a fireball up your—”
    “Enough
of that now,” Selene said, trying to hide her own amusement.
    Lila
frowned. “What if you’re just a really good telepath that pulled that memory
from my mind? What if you’re all a figment of my imagination?”
    Ramsey
shrugged. “Selene?”
    Lila’s
gaze shifted to her friend. “Dream control,” she muttered as it all started to
come together. “You brought them in?”
    Selene
nodded. “Sort of. You are connected with Ramsey in an interesting way. So we’re
here by way of your connection, my dream control, and Griffin’s telepathy.”
    “And
where is here?” Lila asked.
    “We
were hoping you could tell us,” Ramsey said. “We’ve been trying to track you
down.”
    Lila
frowned again. “Why would you need to track me—?” More images and memories
flashed through her mind. “Maddox.”
    “Yes.
He’s got you somewhere, and we can’t find you.” Ramsey said. “Can you tell us
where you are?”
    Lila
shook her head, confused by the angry tone in Ramsey’s voice. “I don’t know
much. They kept us in cells. Underground I think. The walls were rock, and