Read Online Jaden (St. Sebastians Quartet #1) by Heather Elizabeth King - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Elizabeth King
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always there, dressed in white with a halo of light around him. It wasn't until I was a teen that the nightmares started. They were always of people I didn't know, suffering, screaming, in agony. And there was always a presence there; a shadow overseeing things. I'd wanted to help the people, but I didn't know what to do." She paused to take another sip of her drink. "I'd be in that world. The Red World, the one Hayley captured, and I'd always end up getting lost. Then the shadow would realize someone was there and it would come after me. It was years before I connected that shadow with the apparition."
As Jaden spoke, Bria and Hayley nodded.
"Yep," Hayley said. "Same for me. I actually thought he was a guardian angel or something stupid like that. He always seemed to be there, watching over me."
"How often do you have nightmares?" Kenda asked.
"It's not every night," said Hayley. Not even every week. Is it like that for you guys?"
Again, Bria nodded.
"Pretty much. A month doesn't go by without a dream," Jaden said, "but I've gone a couple of weeks without one."
"Next question," Tyler said. "What does he want?"
The three woman looked at each other. "I don't know that he wants anything," Hayley said.
"He has to want something. You say he's been watching all of you since you were children. Now you have nightmares. If you try to help the people in your nightmares, he chases you. Why? There has to be a reason."
"We don't say he's been watching us, Tyler," Hayley said, "He has been watching us. Big difference."
"He's not arguing with you, Hayley," Chris said. "He's just trying to understand. We all are. This is—"
"Crazy?"
"Well yeah, a little. But I didn't say I think you're crazy. Just the situation. It's hard to believe."
"Well it's true, Christopher Browning. None of us are lying, if that's what you're implying."
"I wasn't. I'm just saying this isn't exactly run of the mill."
"Exactly," said Nico.
Bria covered her face and began to cry softly. She seemed to cave in on herself. Jaden wanted to go to the girl and comfort her, but she didn't think Nico would like that. So she stayed where she was and watched helplessly.
He put an arm around Bria, but she pushed away from him. "I just don't want to think about it. Who wants to think about a man, powerful enough to invade your dreams, wanting something from you?"
Hayley poured herself a second glass. "I sure don't."
"But there's the three of us now," Jaden said. "That makes us stronger than we were before." She looked at Bria. "You're not alone anymore."
Nico rose. "That's enough," he said. "I've heard enough."
"This isn't about you," Sydney said. "It's about your sister. She's the one who's been having nightmares, not you."
"And I'm the one who'll be up with her half the night because she'll be too afraid to sleep." He looked down at his sister, who was still crying. "Come on, Bria."
"Nico," Tyler said, also getting to his feet. "Maybe she wants to stay."
"No. You guys have fun talking about your ghosts and nightmares and bogeymen, Bria and me are going home."
Bria rose shakily, wiping at her face with the palms of her hands.
"Nico please," Hayley said. "She's still too shaky to walk. You're gonna make her walk two blocks? Or I suppose you're gonna carry her?"
"I'm all right," Bria said. She hoisted her chin into the air, Jaden guessed it was an attempt to look strong. But she didn't look strong. She looked small and scared.
Jaden looked at Hayley, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"I have two spare bedrooms," Hayley said. "Why don't you stay here tonight. Or at least a little while longer. I have cable, a guest bathroom, you don't have to be part of this conversation."
"We're going home," Nico said.
"You're being an ass." Tyler said.
"This is none of your business, Tyler. Back off."
"She just fainted, for crying out loud. She had the wits scared out of her. Give her time to get herself together. And you can't tell me if you were the one
As Jaden spoke, Bria and Hayley nodded.
"Yep," Hayley said. "Same for me. I actually thought he was a guardian angel or something stupid like that. He always seemed to be there, watching over me."
"How often do you have nightmares?" Kenda asked.
"It's not every night," said Hayley. Not even every week. Is it like that for you guys?"
Again, Bria nodded.
"Pretty much. A month doesn't go by without a dream," Jaden said, "but I've gone a couple of weeks without one."
"Next question," Tyler said. "What does he want?"
The three woman looked at each other. "I don't know that he wants anything," Hayley said.
"He has to want something. You say he's been watching all of you since you were children. Now you have nightmares. If you try to help the people in your nightmares, he chases you. Why? There has to be a reason."
"We don't say he's been watching us, Tyler," Hayley said, "He has been watching us. Big difference."
"He's not arguing with you, Hayley," Chris said. "He's just trying to understand. We all are. This is—"
"Crazy?"
"Well yeah, a little. But I didn't say I think you're crazy. Just the situation. It's hard to believe."
"Well it's true, Christopher Browning. None of us are lying, if that's what you're implying."
"I wasn't. I'm just saying this isn't exactly run of the mill."
"Exactly," said Nico.
Bria covered her face and began to cry softly. She seemed to cave in on herself. Jaden wanted to go to the girl and comfort her, but she didn't think Nico would like that. So she stayed where she was and watched helplessly.
He put an arm around Bria, but she pushed away from him. "I just don't want to think about it. Who wants to think about a man, powerful enough to invade your dreams, wanting something from you?"
Hayley poured herself a second glass. "I sure don't."
"But there's the three of us now," Jaden said. "That makes us stronger than we were before." She looked at Bria. "You're not alone anymore."
Nico rose. "That's enough," he said. "I've heard enough."
"This isn't about you," Sydney said. "It's about your sister. She's the one who's been having nightmares, not you."
"And I'm the one who'll be up with her half the night because she'll be too afraid to sleep." He looked down at his sister, who was still crying. "Come on, Bria."
"Nico," Tyler said, also getting to his feet. "Maybe she wants to stay."
"No. You guys have fun talking about your ghosts and nightmares and bogeymen, Bria and me are going home."
Bria rose shakily, wiping at her face with the palms of her hands.
"Nico please," Hayley said. "She's still too shaky to walk. You're gonna make her walk two blocks? Or I suppose you're gonna carry her?"
"I'm all right," Bria said. She hoisted her chin into the air, Jaden guessed it was an attempt to look strong. But she didn't look strong. She looked small and scared.
Jaden looked at Hayley, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"I have two spare bedrooms," Hayley said. "Why don't you stay here tonight. Or at least a little while longer. I have cable, a guest bathroom, you don't have to be part of this conversation."
"We're going home," Nico said.
"You're being an ass." Tyler said.
"This is none of your business, Tyler. Back off."
"She just fainted, for crying out loud. She had the wits scared out of her. Give her time to get herself together. And you can't tell me if you were the one
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