Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 259

Chapter 259: Gary
When the man who called himself Gary heard their footsteps, he turned on them.

“Which of you is doing this? You said you had no powers, Ford,” The stranger glared at him with wild eyes. “Hallucinations? Is that what you do? Or did you conjure this, to prevent me from taking control of the tree?”

His nostrils flared with anger, and Mia suddenly felt as if she were quite cold, and dizzy. A great weight was pressing down on her, and her knees buckled.

“I have no magic,” Ford responded in confusion. “What are you accusing me of?”

“Stop playing games and tell me who you really are,” The man took a threatening step forward, and Mia crumpled under the weight of the cold, shivering and holding herself.

“Mia!” Ford looked as if he wanted to kneel and help her, but his primary focus remained the man in front of them. “What are you doing to her?”

“She’s fine, only feeling cold, and perhaps, the weight of the lies the two of you have told me. If you come clean now, I will let her go without harm,” The man smiled dangerously, and Mia held herself tighter.

How was she still sweating so heavily when she felt so cold?

“Who are you?” She chattered out through her teeth. “You’re not Gary.”

“I was wondering when you’d figure that out. Sniveling brat,” The man sneered at her but otherwise ignored her. “As for your powers, I believe what you told me before. His… What are you doing? What are they?”

He pointed at the doorway, and Ford shook his head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“LIES!” The man lunged at Ford, and Mia cried out. The tunnel was too narrow to dodge, and Ford leaned on his good leg to brace for the hit. Mia’s heart froze

How experienced was Ford in fighting? How much did his leg hurt from hiking this far? Why was the cold so crippling that she couldn’t manage to move her muscles, feeling like she was freezing in place??

The men grappled on the floor after the tackle, and Mia’s friend grunted in pain.

“What are you doing?” Ford shoved the man away and held his arms around himself, beginning to shiver like Mia. “Why are you doing this??”

“Who are you?” Mia ground out again.

The man who called himself Gary scrambled towards Ford again, standing and kicking him viciously in the ribs before taking a deep breath and straightening his clothing.

“Hallucinations. It must be hallucinations,” The man murmured. “But are they from you? Or is there someone else?”

“Please,” Mia chattered, “Please stop what you’re doing.”

Temper apparently subsiding, the man blinked down at her.

“Ah, poor Mia. So cold,” He mocked with a light sigh. She suddenly felt hot again. The change was a shock to her system, and she couldn’t tell what was real anymore.

She scooted away from him a little fearfully.

“What is your power?” Her words were soft. “Not just temperature…”

“How perceptive you are,” He turned away. “I would kill you except that you might prove a useful diversion… I think, in fact, that you both will go in first.”

“Diversion?” Mia became alarmed. Glancing to the side, she saw that Ford was holding his ribs. His left eye was swelling. She scooted towards him, keeping her eyes on the stranger who stood over her with an increasingly calm and calculating expression.

“Yes. A lovely distraction you’ll make. You’re much prettier than your aunt, you know. Her red hair is ghastly. I’ve always thought so. On second thought, maybe I’ll keep you with me, and simply send the boy in…”

“I’m not a boy,” Ford glared.

“Nonetheless, you will go,” The man said calmly.

“What’s in there? What are you afraid of?” Mia glanced towards the passage. She couldn’t see much other than the fact that it opened up into quite a large room, and that there was some intermittent bright light within it. And heat.

“Go look for yourself,” Reaching into his pocket, Fake Gary pulled out a dagger and held it out. “But nothing funny, you understand.”

“I won’t do anything funny,” Mia was afraid, given his reaction to the room, of moving towards it, especially as the ground shook again.

Containing the yelp of fear that rose in her throat, Mia shot a glance at Ford. He was glaring at the man standing above them.

She wanted to take his hand, to reassure him that it would be all right. But the man above them was smart, and devious. She didn’t want to do anything to upset him.

Slowly, she got to her feet. She wiped her brow with her sleeve and took a tentative step towards the doorway.

Part of her wanted to turn and flee, but she couldn’t leave Ford. Could she?

Of course not. He’d come all this way with her. They’d kept each other alive. The urge to run away was a selfish one, and she never wanted to be selfish… although in part, this whole journey had been.

Her expression fell. If she died here, if this liar with his knife killed her, her selfishness would do the ultimate harm to her family. Their grief would be unimaginable.

Lifting her chin, she decided to be brave. To get through this, and survive, along with Ford. If she let her friend die, what good was she?

It was ten steps to the doorway. Ten steps further from one danger, and closer to something he apparently feared. He’d called it a hallucination?

Perhaps he’d gone insane, but there was unmistakable light from ahead. Maybe the cave just led back to the surface? Perhaps there was some shaft letting in sunlight?

But neither of those would scare the man whose name she still didn’t know. She firmed her lips and looked over her shoulder.

Four eyes stared at her. Two calculating and frighteningly dark, and two full of something else. Ford’s left eye was nearly swelling shut now, and Mia had to look away.

“Before I do, I must insist that you tell me your real name,” She leveled a calm look at the stranger. He stared back for several silent seconds before a catlike smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

“Denholm. My name is Denholm.”