“What in the world is going on, Cassandra?” I demanded. “Why does he look so bad? What were those people talking about? They were looking for me, weren’t they?”
“Yes.”
Cassandra stood with her back against the door, her face lost in shadows.
“Why?”
“Because you were right all along, Blair. Soren is still out there somewhere, and you’re the only one that can find him.”
I felt no joy about being right. Just more anger.
“Why would no one help me, then? Why did everyone treat me like I was going crazy? That includes you.”
“Blair, I’m sorry. When I left here the other day, I felt terrible, but there was no other explanation for what was happening. I’m sorry, I really thought Soren was gone, and you hadn’t accepted it yet. But then someone showed up at my apartment looking for you. They told me there were more cases of people just like Soren’s popping up. They said they needed you to make sure you weren’t sick. But it didn’t feel right.”
“How did they know where to find me?”
“We, me and some higher witches in my coven, we think they somehow found out we cast the spell in my apartment the other day.”
“How would they have known?”
“The only way is if they were somehow tracking it from Soren’s end.”
“But that means—”
“Yes, Blair. It means you really are connecting with Soren somehow. It means you aren’t just dreaming.”
A weight lifted off my chest. I squeezed Soren’s hand.
“I knew it, Cassie. I knew I wasn’t dreaming. But if I’m not dreaming then where am I going?”
“That’s what we don’t know. We couldn’t get any readings while you were in the apartment. It’s like some weird limbo.”
“Blair, every other person who has come down with this is magical. I found out there are reports just like yours of people hearing their loved ones in their dreams, but as soon as they try to find them they get the illness too. I don’t think it’s an illness, Blair. I—and my coven—we think it’s a spell. We think someone is using it to drain the magic and the life from other people.”
The sound of footsteps hurrying down the hallway made me jump. Cassandra stopped talking, and we both stared at the door, but the footsteps drew near and then faded as someone walked past the door and on down the hallway. I turned away and stared in disbelief at Soren. Under a spell?
“How would that happen? How would he get under a spell?”
“We’re trying to find out. But Blair, I think you’re the key to all of this. And as you heard, other people think you can bring Soren back.”
“How, Cassie? I’ll try anything.”
“We’re going to try here. With you both in the same room.”
“What if we get caught?” Even as I spoke, I knew it didn’t matter. I would do anything to bring Soren back.
“We won’t. No one will come in. I’ve cast a spell of protection over this room. Once anyone finds out what is happening, we will already be gone.”
“I guess you were the one that cast a spell of protection over me too?”
“Yeah—” Cassandra shrugged “—forgive me?”
“Just this once.”
“Ok, now here, take this.”
She removed her necklace. At the end was a crystal pendant in the shape of a teardrop. She placed the necklace over my head. The warmth of the pendant comforted me.
“What is it?”
“It's a light pendant. If I’m right, it goes wherever you are, so you’ll have it with you when you dream. Bring him back to the light, Blair.”
I nodded. Cassandra pulled something else out of her bag.
“This is a pure sleeping potion. My coven created it. Unlike that cheap crap you bought on the street, this will give you a deep sleep with none of the unpleasant side effects. Now, lay down and drink it. We don’t have much time.”
I crawled into the bed with Soren. Taking his hand in one of my, I drank the potion in two big gulps. Peace flowed from my core to my limbs. I was going to find Soren. And this time I wasn’t leaving without him.
One second, I was in the hospital bed next to Soren. And the next, I’d descended into the now familiar darkness. It greeted me like an old friend. I grasped at my neck. The necklace was there. I drew it out of my shirt and held the crystal in my palm. It was still dark. How was this supposed to work?
Just when I was about to give up, the crystal lit up in a flash, blinding me. As my vision cleared, the light of the crystal cast a small glow a few feet into the darkness in front of me. Well, that was something.
I turned around to start off into the darkness. To my surprise, the light of the crystal stayed behind me. I turned back towards the light and took a few steps in the same direction. The light moved forward as well. With a gasp that got swallowed up by the surrounding darkness I realized the crystal was guiding my path.
I took off in the light's direction. The ground I was on was still nothing but the smooth blackness. I walked until I was out of breath. The light of the crystal stayed pointed in the same direction. Just when I was getting ready to walk again, I heard it.
“Blair.”
Soren. His voice sounded weak and far away.
“I’m here. Soren, I’m here.”
“Blair.”
I followed the light and his voice. Over and over I heard my name. Almost imperceptibly, his voice became louder. I had to stop again and catch my breath.
“Soren, where are you?”
“Here.”
His voice hit my heart like an arrow.
“Soren. Come find me, please. I’m taking you back home.”
I held my breath, trying to listen. Something tapped in the darkness. Footsteps. The crystal in my hand flared and illuminated a
