Gifted Connections: Book 2(88)

I looked up at him startled. It looked like he had just woken up. His dark hair was tousled. His steel grey eyes were heavy with sleep. I couldn’t help but notice that he wasn’t wearing a shirt with his flannel pajama bottoms. “I don’t know. How did we get here? I just fell asleep, next to Jace.”

Jaxson gave me a dimpled smile at my ogling before he frowned. “We’re in your dream.”

“How?” I asked him in shock. “We’ve nev—"

“I brought you,” Alex explained as he strolled into the room from another door. “Cade asked me too.” He pointed behind him.

In strolled a handsome teen of mixed heritage. I gasped as I recognized the boy from Ella’s drawings. Jaxson squeezed my hand, and I knew he recognized him as well. He wasn’t as tall as Micah, but definitely taller than me (which wasn’t hard, let’s be real). His hair was as dark as mine but had a shininess that Hispanics or Asians stereotypically had. It had a slight wave to it as one side continued falling into his eye. His eyes were dark, but there was something familiar about the shape of them and his nose.

“Who’s Cade?” I asked Alex slowly, wanting to snatch him closer to me.

Cade looked over his shoulder with paranoia. “I’m your brother,” he said hurriedly in hushed tones. “I don’t have much time, but I had to reach you before it’s too late. Right now, I’m in Horatio’s office, he’s really angry at you guys. He is going to set some traps the next few days. He’s convinced some of your operatives of the locations of some women in danger, but he’s already moved them.” He hurried to the desk and pointed to the papers strewn across it. “Remember these addresses. These are the right ones. He had forty-two more unwilling females in his facilities. They need you.”

“How do I know you’re telling me the truth?” I asked him suspiciously as Jaxson held onto me tightly.

Alex crossed the room and grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “He is. I know he is. Please help him.”

Something in his eyes convinced me that he was telling me the truth. I had so many questions. Alex told me he talked to our brother when we first met, but never told me about any further conversations. I guess I should have pressed him more.

I walked over to the desk and tried to commit everything to memory. “How am I supposed to remember all this?” I asked baffled.

I quickly perused the correspondences, emails, and papers on the desk. There was a possibility that this was all a set up, but instinctively I knew it wasn’t. I was actually standing in one of Horatio’s office. I tried not to get distracted by the other papers.

There was a sound down the hall. Cade paled. “Someone’s coming. Remember what you can,” he whispered. He visibly relaxed. “They went the other way, but you still need to hurry.”

If we were in my dream, with the help of Alex, who could possibly hear us, why was he whispering? We weren’t physically here. We only existed in Alex’s head. My head was spinning. None of this made sense.

“Why are you here?” Jaxson asked as I tried my best to remember all the details. Gavin and I had a way of memorizing things. We liked to think of a story that would make sense to us. I began making up my stories.

“Horatio killed my parents.” At my sharp look, he said quickly. “My adoptive parents.” A sad look crossed his face. “I didn’t even know.” He almost seemed to be talking to himself. “A few years ago, I noticed I was different, but I didn’t tell anyone. Who would believe me? About a month ago, we were headed home from my football game. One minute I was looking out the window, looking up at the stars, and the next, the car was spinning out of control.” He swallowed loudly, his eyes were bright with unshed tears. “We hit a tree. I remember the limp body of my sister next to me and the sightless eyes of my parents. I blacked out. Then I woke up here. Horatio was waiting for me. He’s had me trapped here. The drugs he has me on is starting to lose its effectiveness, but he doesn’t realize that yet, so I figured I would help you. I listen when he thinks I can’t hear him or can’t understand him. He’s an evil man, and he needs to be stopped.” There was a look of determination in his eyes.

“We can come and get you,” Jaxson said with conviction. “Where are you?”

Cade shook his head resolutely. “These people need you more than I do right now. I don’t even know where I am. I should soon, though. Micah needs to figure out how to teleport further distances just in case. I’ll let Alex know when I’m ready.”

Jaxson looked like he wanted to argue with him further, but he could see the determination in Cade’s eyes, and came over to me. He was looking over my shoulder and I could see his mouth silently moving. I smiled as I went back to memorizing the addresses.

“I need to go,” Cade said turning to leave, but then he stopped. “I’m so glad to finally meet you, Blake.” He smiled sadly before running out the door.

Just as quickly as I arrived, I was yanked back.



I sat up with a gasp. Jace was in a deep sleep and he went to reach for me, but I quickly and quietly tried to slip away from his grasp. I needed to find a pen and paper. I needed to see Alex and Jaxson. That felt too real to be a dream.

As I slipped out of Jace’s room, Jaxson was exiting his room. He came over to me and drew me into an embrace. “Did that just happen?”