Falling Light (Game of Shadows #2)(5)

Not when she was so depleted, and not when the Deceiver was so close and such a danger to all of them. And especially not when destroying him was the sole reason she had come to this earth.

But she couldn’t see how Mary could be aware of any of that.

Eyes narrowed, she asked, “How do you know of Nicholas? Did Michael tell you about him? If Michael is hoping that Nicholas might be of any assistance, I’m afraid I have bad news for you. Nicholas was murdered a few days ago.”

“Yes, we know,” said Mary, surprising her again. “We don’t know very many details, but we do know that he was killed. His ghost came to help us—or at least he helped me, when I was running in the woods. We asked him to make sure that you were all right.”

Astra relaxed marginally. If Nicholas’s ghost had come here, he would have sensed Jerry’s ailing presence in her house, and he would have gone to his father.

She would check to make sure once this dream had run its course. For now, she sat beside Mary, on the wide edge of the fountain.

“If he promised to come, then I’m sure that he will show up soon,” she replied simply. “He is too canny to be caught by the Deceiver’s allies and traps.” She ran her fingers through the cool water as she looked around. “This is a lovely place.”

“For the most part, I think this was a lovely life until the end. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I keep coming back here in my dreams.” Mary looked at the rosebushes. “The woman who was my mother in this lifetime loved this garden. My father put in the fountain just for her, and this was her favorite place in the world.”

Astra smiled at her. “It’s not hard to see why. How did you heal yourself?”

Mary’s gaze returned to her. “Which time?”

She took a breath. “Ah. So you were hurt in the battle?”

“Yes. Michael and I were both hurt. Michael was almost destroyed.” Mary’s mouth worked. Then her thin, young face went carefully blank. She said, “We’re not doing very well right now.”

Astra said in a gentle voice, “I could sense that Michael had taken some damage. If I could do anything more to help you, I would.”

Mary’s wide blue eyes pinned her. “He said you ran out of strength.”

Astra showed her a mental image of her cold, frail physical self as she huddled on her narrow bed. “My body is very old. I am already working to prevent death as it is, and over the last few days I’ve expended a lot of energy.”

After a moment Mary said, “I see. I guess I still held out some hope that you might be able to help us. I’m sorry.”

While Mary struggled with her disappointment, Astra slipped with subtle dexterity into the illusion of the younger woman’s dream body. While Mary’s physical body might be some distance away, Astra could still examine her spirit, which looked whole and bright. She really did indeed seem to be fully healed. Astra slipped away again before Mary noticed.

“So how did you heal the first time?” Astra asked. “When I saw you in the Grotto, your spirit wound ran down the length of your torso.”

Michael had already told her how Mary had summoned an Eastern dragon for healing, but suspicion had become Astra’s oldest and dearest friend. She wanted to see for herself if their stories matched.

“I called for help,” Mary said, looking down as she pleated the edge of her tunic. “It was something that I had learned to do in this life.”

She raised her eyebrows. “I see. No wonder you keep coming back here in your dreams.”

“Yes.”

She leaned forward to put her hand over Mary’s. She sensed the younger woman’s inner withdrawal although her dream body didn’t move. “Mary, listen to me. I sensed earlier when you and Michael had stopped to rest at the cabin. I thought at the time that it was a dangerous decision, and then the Deceiver almost took you both. You must not stop again. There are things I can teach you, and things you need to help me do. We must not let the Deceiver keep the three of us from reuniting.”

“That’s what Michael says,” Mary said. She lifted her gaze. “We won’t stop again.”

“Good,” said Astra, sensing truth.

“I must go,” Mary said suddenly. “I meant to take only a little nap after I healed my shoulder. Michael’s still injured. He needs me.”

“Of course.” Astra stood. “It is so good to see you again, Mary. It has been far too long. I have missed you. Please come quickly.”

Mary stood as well. “We will. We are.”

Astra nodded and thrust gently out of the other woman’s dream, traveling back to the cool quiet well of her own mind.

I am not in control of her, Astra thought. And Mary does not show the absolute dedication to our cause that we all need, especially now when the Deceiver is so close at hand.

The realization was jarring. Astra had been confident of Michael for so many centuries. For lifetimes. His rage at the disappearance of his mate ran so deep. But now that he had found Mary, she was beginning to skew his motives.

They were starting to fight for survival, not for the Deceiver’s destruction.

Astra must be prepared to kill them both when they arrived.

Chapter Three

ALMOST AN HOUR after battling Michael and Mary at the cabin, he was still flying high on adrenaline and anger. The energy he had taken from the people he had killed at the country diner buzzed along his nerves. The sensation would fade after a few hours. Until then, it was better than any drug, and he should know. He had tried them all.