cliffs.
“You came,” she whispered, lifting a hand to his cheek as if to assure herself that he was real. And he was. He was! “You made it in time. You saved me.” And then she blinked as panic bubbled up in her chest. “What about my sisters? Lilia? Indira! Where...?”
The way he frowned, as if she were speaking gibberish, made Lena bite her lip. And then he lifted his gaze to meet someone else’s, and she got hold of herself, turning her head, scanning her surroundings. She was in her own bedroom, and her mom and Doc Cartwright were standing nearby. Doc was closer, his hand on her wrist as he counted her pulse.
“Oh.” This was real life. That had been a dream.
Or something.
“What...happened?”
“I don’t know,” Selma said. “You were in the...” She glanced up at Doc very briefly. “The meditation room, and we heard you scream. Ran in there and found you unconscious on the floor.”
Lena knew she meant the temple room. She and her mother hadn’t advertised the fact that they were witches, and clearly her mother still didn’t trust the doc enough to share that tidbit with him. They’d only been there half a year, after all.
Lena looked at Ryan again. “What are you doing here?” Then she gaped at her mother. “Did you call him? God, how long have I been out?”
“Overnight.” Ryan said, his voice soft and a little unsteady. That really scared her. “I was just about to knock on the front door when you screamed.”
“But...what...?” She swung her gaze toward Doc. Had he been here all night, as well? He looked as tired as if he had. “Is the baby okay?”
“Fine and healthy,” he said. He had a deep, steady voice, as if a mountain could talk, and she found it reassuring. His smile was genuine, wrinkling his forehead right up to his receding hairline. “No problem at all. Can you remember what happened, Lena?”
She blinked slowly, thinking back, and then her eyes widened. She had been sucked into the chalice. She had been transported into another dimension or existence or...something. Lilia had been there. And another woman. They were her sisters, and the three of them had been shoved off a cliff to their deaths, and there’d been something about—
“Lena?” Doc prompted, interrupting her train of thought.
She blinked away the memories. “No. No, I don’t remember a thing.” He frowned at her, as if he knew she was lying. “I think I must have fallen asleep and had a bad dream.”
“About what?”
She shook her head. “Darned if I know.”
“Huh,” he said.
“Should we take her to a hospital, Dr. Cartwright?” Ryan asked.
Doc smiled at him. “No, no, I don’t see any need for that. Everything looks fine, just as it did last night. The baby’s heart sounds perfect, as always. There’s no bleeding. Do you have any pain, Lena?”
“No, nothing.”
“Well, good, then.” Doc nodded at the others. “If this should happen again, I’d like to know about it.” He headed into the adjoining bathroom, leaving the door open, still talking while he washed his hands. “You call me if you notice the least little thing wrong,” he instructed. “And I think we’re nearing the time when you might want to take me up on my offer to find you a live-in nurse. You’re getting close to your time, and since you intend to deliver at home—”
“Deliver at home?” Ryan gaped at her. “Are you out of your mind? ”
Doc returned from the bathroom, chuckling down deep in his belly. “Trust me, son, back in my day, that was the norm out here. She’ll be fine. You can take my word on that. And now I need to head home. It’s poker night with Sheriff Dunbar and the wives. Mary’s gonna think I’ve run off with a hot blonde.”
“Thanks for everything, Doc,” Selma said, laughing at the same joke he’d used for a dozen exits before. “I’ll walk you out.”
Ryan stayed after the other two left. He stood beside the bed, nervous and awkward. Lena met his eyes
“You came,” she whispered, lifting a hand to his cheek as if to assure herself that he was real. And he was. He was! “You made it in time. You saved me.” And then she blinked as panic bubbled up in her chest. “What about my sisters? Lilia? Indira! Where...?”
The way he frowned, as if she were speaking gibberish, made Lena bite her lip. And then he lifted his gaze to meet someone else’s, and she got hold of herself, turning her head, scanning her surroundings. She was in her own bedroom, and her mom and Doc Cartwright were standing nearby. Doc was closer, his hand on her wrist as he counted her pulse.
“Oh.” This was real life. That had been a dream.
Or something.
“What...happened?”
“I don’t know,” Selma said. “You were in the...” She glanced up at Doc very briefly. “The meditation room, and we heard you scream. Ran in there and found you unconscious on the floor.”
Lena knew she meant the temple room. She and her mother hadn’t advertised the fact that they were witches, and clearly her mother still didn’t trust the doc enough to share that tidbit with him. They’d only been there half a year, after all.
Lena looked at Ryan again. “What are you doing here?” Then she gaped at her mother. “Did you call him? God, how long have I been out?”
“Overnight.” Ryan said, his voice soft and a little unsteady. That really scared her. “I was just about to knock on the front door when you screamed.”
“But...what...?” She swung her gaze toward Doc. Had he been here all night, as well? He looked as tired as if he had. “Is the baby okay?”
“Fine and healthy,” he said. He had a deep, steady voice, as if a mountain could talk, and she found it reassuring. His smile was genuine, wrinkling his forehead right up to his receding hairline. “No problem at all. Can you remember what happened, Lena?”
She blinked slowly, thinking back, and then her eyes widened. She had been sucked into the chalice. She had been transported into another dimension or existence or...something. Lilia had been there. And another woman. They were her sisters, and the three of them had been shoved off a cliff to their deaths, and there’d been something about—
“Lena?” Doc prompted, interrupting her train of thought.
She blinked away the memories. “No. No, I don’t remember a thing.” He frowned at her, as if he knew she was lying. “I think I must have fallen asleep and had a bad dream.”
“About what?”
She shook her head. “Darned if I know.”
“Huh,” he said.
“Should we take her to a hospital, Dr. Cartwright?” Ryan asked.
Doc smiled at him. “No, no, I don’t see any need for that. Everything looks fine, just as it did last night. The baby’s heart sounds perfect, as always. There’s no bleeding. Do you have any pain, Lena?”
“No, nothing.”
“Well, good, then.” Doc nodded at the others. “If this should happen again, I’d like to know about it.” He headed into the adjoining bathroom, leaving the door open, still talking while he washed his hands. “You call me if you notice the least little thing wrong,” he instructed. “And I think we’re nearing the time when you might want to take me up on my offer to find you a live-in nurse. You’re getting close to your time, and since you intend to deliver at home—”
“Deliver at home?” Ryan gaped at her. “Are you out of your mind? ”
Doc returned from the bathroom, chuckling down deep in his belly. “Trust me, son, back in my day, that was the norm out here. She’ll be fine. You can take my word on that. And now I need to head home. It’s poker night with Sheriff Dunbar and the wives. Mary’s gonna think I’ve run off with a hot blonde.”
“Thanks for everything, Doc,” Selma said, laughing at the same joke he’d used for a dozen exits before. “I’ll walk you out.”
Ryan stayed after the other two left. He stood beside the bed, nervous and awkward. Lena met his eyes
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