trotted
proudly into view.
Dylan sat upright on the first horse, and
leaned over to speak to Aspen. “Hey there, did we miss
anything?”
She held her breath. He looked so good on
horseback. Dark wool trousers, a white shirt, and a black leather
vest fit his body snugly, and his leather bracelet looked so cool
on his tanned arm. His dream catcher charm glinted from around his
neck.
“Hey,” she said softly.
The second horse nudged against his and a
strikingly beautiful girl peered down at her. Aspen gasped. This
was the pretty redhead from her birthday party. The one who’d
wrapped herself around Dylan.
The girl’s hair tumbled past her waist in the
brightest flame-red waves. It was thick and luxurious, and nestled
on the saddle like spun silk. Her small athletic body was wrapped
in tight emerald-green cotton, and a white sheepskin coat hugged
her shoulders. Knee-high white leather boots covered her calves.
She hugged the horse as though molded to it, and glared at Aspen
through clover-green eyes.
“Is this the Halfling?” she asked
haughtily.
Dylan straightened up and spoke to her.
“Ruby, this is my friend Aspen. Aspen, this is Ruby from the Fire
clan, and this is her brother,”—he swiveled around and pointed to
the third rider behind him—“Ray.”
Ray was the complete opposite of his sister.
He smiled broadly at Aspen and slid from his horse in a fluid move.
While he held the reins in one hand, he clasped Aspen’s hand with
the other. His grip was warm and comfortable, but not half as
thrilling as Dylan’s.
“Well, hello there, darlin’,” he said with a
broad smile.
Ruby’s brother was about five foot nine
inches tall and extremely handsome, with dark auburn hair that
curled slightly over the collar of his black shirt. When he focused
his emerald-green eyes on her that practically twinkled with
delight, she had the feeling that they would become good
friends.
“Welcome to Lanta, little lady. It’s real
nice to meet ya.”
She smiled shyly. Movement behind him caused
her to step back warily. A crowd of boys walked into the clearing,
and Ginny and Sandy shouted greetings to them. Ray held her hand in
his and tugged her almost protectively toward him.
Ray bent toward her. “It’s okay, little
darlin’. They’re with us,” he whispered reassuringly into her
ear.
Dylan slid off his horse and wrapped the
reins around a nearby branch. He walked over to Aspen and took her
other hand. With a small tug, he drew her away from Ray and slipped
his arm over her shoulder. Warmth spread from the area where
Dylan’s skin touched hers, and she closed her eyes for a second to
enjoy the feeling. Ray stepped back and his mouth tightened, the
atmosphere suddenly very tense.
Ginny jumped to her feet and began to speak.
“Aspen, let me introduce you to this motley gang. There are way too
many of them and they’re not important enough, so I’m going to be
quick.” She grinned and the group of teenage boys laughed and
whooped around her.
“This is Caden, Troy, Ryder, Ethan, Ashley,
and Cole.” Each boy bobbed his head in greeting as Ginny pointed
them out. Two of the boys had shoulder-length blond hair and
turquoise eyes; the rest had auburn hair and green eyes.
“Caden and Troy are from the Water clan, and
the rest are from the Fire clan,” Sandy said from behind them.
Caden moved forward and lifted his fingers to
his forehead in a mocking salute. His gaze roamed from her head to
her toes and he smiled widely, flashing deep dimples. He really
looked good with his thick blond hair and pale blue T-shirt.
The rest of the boys were dressed in T-shirts
and jeans, and Aspen could feel their speculative stares.
“Don’t mind their rudeness. Honestly, haven’t
you ever seen a Dream Walker from the Power clan before, boys?”
Ginny scolded.
“She’s only half a Dream Walker. Maybe that’s
their fascination.” Ruby slipped delicately from her horse with
eyes glittering at Caden. She stalked
proudly into view.
Dylan sat upright on the first horse, and
leaned over to speak to Aspen. “Hey there, did we miss
anything?”
She held her breath. He looked so good on
horseback. Dark wool trousers, a white shirt, and a black leather
vest fit his body snugly, and his leather bracelet looked so cool
on his tanned arm. His dream catcher charm glinted from around his
neck.
“Hey,” she said softly.
The second horse nudged against his and a
strikingly beautiful girl peered down at her. Aspen gasped. This
was the pretty redhead from her birthday party. The one who’d
wrapped herself around Dylan.
The girl’s hair tumbled past her waist in the
brightest flame-red waves. It was thick and luxurious, and nestled
on the saddle like spun silk. Her small athletic body was wrapped
in tight emerald-green cotton, and a white sheepskin coat hugged
her shoulders. Knee-high white leather boots covered her calves.
She hugged the horse as though molded to it, and glared at Aspen
through clover-green eyes.
“Is this the Halfling?” she asked
haughtily.
Dylan straightened up and spoke to her.
“Ruby, this is my friend Aspen. Aspen, this is Ruby from the Fire
clan, and this is her brother,”—he swiveled around and pointed to
the third rider behind him—“Ray.”
Ray was the complete opposite of his sister.
He smiled broadly at Aspen and slid from his horse in a fluid move.
While he held the reins in one hand, he clasped Aspen’s hand with
the other. His grip was warm and comfortable, but not half as
thrilling as Dylan’s.
“Well, hello there, darlin’,” he said with a
broad smile.
Ruby’s brother was about five foot nine
inches tall and extremely handsome, with dark auburn hair that
curled slightly over the collar of his black shirt. When he focused
his emerald-green eyes on her that practically twinkled with
delight, she had the feeling that they would become good
friends.
“Welcome to Lanta, little lady. It’s real
nice to meet ya.”
She smiled shyly. Movement behind him caused
her to step back warily. A crowd of boys walked into the clearing,
and Ginny and Sandy shouted greetings to them. Ray held her hand in
his and tugged her almost protectively toward him.
Ray bent toward her. “It’s okay, little
darlin’. They’re with us,” he whispered reassuringly into her
ear.
Dylan slid off his horse and wrapped the
reins around a nearby branch. He walked over to Aspen and took her
other hand. With a small tug, he drew her away from Ray and slipped
his arm over her shoulder. Warmth spread from the area where
Dylan’s skin touched hers, and she closed her eyes for a second to
enjoy the feeling. Ray stepped back and his mouth tightened, the
atmosphere suddenly very tense.
Ginny jumped to her feet and began to speak.
“Aspen, let me introduce you to this motley gang. There are way too
many of them and they’re not important enough, so I’m going to be
quick.” She grinned and the group of teenage boys laughed and
whooped around her.
“This is Caden, Troy, Ryder, Ethan, Ashley,
and Cole.” Each boy bobbed his head in greeting as Ginny pointed
them out. Two of the boys had shoulder-length blond hair and
turquoise eyes; the rest had auburn hair and green eyes.
“Caden and Troy are from the Water clan, and
the rest are from the Fire clan,” Sandy said from behind them.
Caden moved forward and lifted his fingers to
his forehead in a mocking salute. His gaze roamed from her head to
her toes and he smiled widely, flashing deep dimples. He really
looked good with his thick blond hair and pale blue T-shirt.
The rest of the boys were dressed in T-shirts
and jeans, and Aspen could feel their speculative stares.
“Don’t mind their rudeness. Honestly, haven’t
you ever seen a Dream Walker from the Power clan before, boys?”
Ginny scolded.
“She’s only half a Dream Walker. Maybe that’s
their fascination.” Ruby slipped delicately from her horse with
eyes glittering at Caden. She stalked
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