In Dreams by Erica Orloff

Author:Erica Orloff [Orloff, Erica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101663141
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-01-08T16:00:00+00:00

COME FIND THEM

Epiales has kidnapped my mother and grandfather.

13

You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That’s where I’ll always love you. That’s where I’ll be waiting.

HOOK, 1991

I collapse into a sitting position onto my bed and pull one of the pillows against my chest. My heart shatters.

I start to cry, the tears coming from the place in my soul that has always somehow known I was different, a fatherless girl. The place where I feel an ache for what I am. For who I am, for the whole confusing mess of my birthright. And I cry for my mom and Grandpa, the two people I love most in the world. Annie sits next to me and just puts her arms around me until I can’t cry anymore. She pats my back.

“Shh, Iris. I promise. We’ll get them back. We’ll call the police and . . .”

I pull away and look at her. “I can’t call the police. What am I going to say? A psychotic god with mirrored eyes took her? I can’t even tell your mom and dad. I don’t know what to do. I have to pretend that everything is okay until I can figure this out.”

She stands up and goes into the bathroom and gets me a roll of toilet paper so I can blow my nose and dry my face.

“You can’t stay here alone, Iris. It’s too dangerous. Come stay at my house for a few days. Christmas break is here. We’ll tell my parents . . . hmm.” She crinkles her face. “We’ll tell them that your grandfather took your mom to the Mayo Clinic or something. That they had a cancellation and he and your mom took it. And that you need to stay with us. Wouldn’t want you alone at the holiday time.”

I shake my head. “I appreciate it, Annie. But I’m not putting your family in danger.”

“You would do it for me.”

“I know. But your parents have been like my substitute parents practically since we’ve met. I won’t do that. What if something happened to them, or to you, or to the Tiny Terrors? I’d never forgive myself.”

My only family members in this whole wide real world are gone. And Annie’s right, I can’t stay here, waiting for my deranged uncle to come snatch me, too. And if I can’t go to my only other “family,” what am I going to do? And then it dawns on me. I have another family member.

I lean over and open my desk drawer and dig around.

“Aphrodite’s card,” I say, holding it up.

Annie’s face brightens. “Brilliant! Call her. Do you think she’ll come stay with you?”

“I hope so. She is my aunt, after all. But . . . I’ve only met her that once, and she might not want to get involved.” I think of Epiales. Of his dead voice and insane eyes. I don’t know if anyone would want to go up against him if she didn’t have to.

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