Bridge of Mist and Fog by nikki broadwell Page B

pulled her close. “Maybe you’re just cold,” he said rubbing her hands between his.
    “The dream was so real—it was some future disaster we’ll be faced with.”
    “So, like a premonition?”
    She nodded. “It was you and me and Wolf. We were doing something that neither of us wanted to do but Wolf was making us. I felt so helpless. What does it mean?”
    Fehin wrapped his arm around her shivering body pulling her close to him. “Do you know where we were?”
    Airy shook her head and began to cry. “I don’t know,” she said, pressing her head against his neck.
    He felt her tears on his skin, her breath in his ear and it was all he could do not to scream. He had an overwhelming urge to kiss her but held himself back. He’d vowed to respect where they were. The idea of her grandparents seeing them engaged in anything more than holding hands made him shudder. And right now he had to concentrate on the dream and his brother and try to ignore what was going on in his body.
    “I’m sorry he’s invading your mind, Airy. I thought he’d lost all his powers. Was it a dream or did it seem like more than that?”
    “This was more than a dream. I felt him, Fehin. And what about the bridge? So far all I’ve come up with is a bridge from the Otherworld to your island.”
    “That can’t be it. I think it’s between this world and what we consider magical—the bridge would change how people see things.”
    “How can two teenagers get the entire world to believe in things they’re sure don’t exist?”
    “What about God? Think about the service at the church. They believe in a gray-haired old man up in the sky who runs everything.”
    “Those same people would think we were linked to the devil.”
    Fehin sighed. “You’re probably right. There’s a big difference between that and the spirit world.”
    “They’d never believe it,” Airy said in a tone of resignation. “Demonizing another is only a projection—we all need to own our shadow sides.”
    Fehin looked up. “Where did that come from?”
    “I’ve been reading Jung in my psych class. He was an amazing man and able to put what we’re talking about into layman’s terms.”
    He squeezed her hand and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t get discouraged. We’ll figure it out. But right now I think you’d better get back to your own room before somebody notices.”
    ***
    “Are you two up for some shopping today?” Grace asked at the breakfast table.
    Fehin looked over at Airy who seemed lost in her own thoughts. “What do you think?” he asked.
    “Huh? What? Oh, shopping. Sounds fine to me.”
    Grace rose from the table and began clearing the plates. “Say in an hour?”
    Fehin nodded, and then kicked Airy under the table. She jumped and looked up.
    “An hour? Sounds fine,” she said.
    Once Grace was out of earshot Fehin grabbed her shoulder. “You’re acting weird and if you don’t get it together your grandmother will start asking questions.”
    “I can’t help it. I can’t stop thinking about Wolf. I need to talk to the oak. He’ll know what to do.”
    “Why don’t you do it before we leave and then maybe you can enjoy picking out winter clothes.”
    When Airy left the house Fehin went up to his room. He reached out to his brother and this time there was an answer. “I’m watching you,” Wolf said, and then he laughed.
    Fehin tried to keep the connection, tried to see what nasty thoughts were roaming around in Wolf’s head, but he’d severed the contact. “Damn,” he muttered, pressing his lips together in frustration. He stared out the window, watching Airy move across the meadow with her head down. A few minutes later he lost sight of her as she entered the woods.
    He raced from the room, took the stairs two at a time and tore out of the house, his bare feet sinking deep into the snow. “Airy!” he yelled, cupping his hands together around his mouth. Wolf was waiting for her—he knew it like he knew his own