Viator (The Viator Chronicles Book 1) Read Free Page B

sword from its scabbard.
    *****
    Erin jolted upright and found she was in her own bed. Closing her eyes again, she lay back down and tried to drift back into the dark dream that had awakened her, hoping she could remember some of it. She’d tried hundreds of times already, but rarely could she remember more than glimpses of cold, dark shapes in the shadows.
    A vague memory reached toward her. She heard the sound of ocean waves crashing against rocks and saw the glint of a sword. Her skin grew cold, her breathing became short and shallow, but the memory soon faded away.
    She climbed out of bed into the dark of the room, her feet sinking into the comfort of the thick wool rug, and slipped on her kimono. The fine blue silk was soft and light against her skin—a gift from William.
    She walked barefoot downstairs in the dark. Slipping out the kitchen door, she gasped at the brisk air, then ran on her toes down the narrow path over smooth, well-worn stones, through the fragrant garden to the beach.
    The last stars faded with the approaching dawn, and Erin listened to the lapping of waves against the rocky shore. Her bare feet were cold on the rocks. She stooped to pick up a stone and threw it into the water, releasing some of her tension.
    These dreams had been tormenting her for nearly two years, dreams that disturbed her so much they shocked her awake, but still she could barely remember them. She felt surrounded by fog, and her anger flared.
    She gathered more stones and threw them hard, one by one into the water. The familiar activity soothed her, and she started skipping the stones over the water’s surface. The sun, although still hidden behind the hills, had risen, and Erin took a deep breath and gazed out over the smooth, dark water.
    She turned away from the beach and walked back to her house, made some coffee and went upstairs. In her room, she touched the photo of William, bowing her head. These early morning hours were when she felt the most alone. She sighed, walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, ready to begin another day.

Chapter 3
    Matt was almost finished with his breakfast. “I need some money for my school lunch account today.”
    “You’re down to zero already? It seems like I just gave you forty dollars,” Erin said and sipped her coffee.
    “That was a long time ago. I’ve been out for a few days, but I borrowed from Jacob. I need to pay him back, too.”
    Erin wondered if she had anything left in her bank account. “I’ll give you some cash today. How about ten dollars? Then I can give you a check to take to school when I get paid Friday.”
    “Okay.” Matt ran upstairs to get dressed.
    Gwen pushed her cereal around in the bowl with her spoon.
    “Hey, you,” Erin said. “Why don’t you eat some of that?”
    Gwen put a spoonful of cereal in her mouth. After she swallowed, she said, “Can I be done?”
    Erin looked at the half-empty bowl, sighed, and said, “Sure. Go get dressed, sweetie.”
    She walked into the living room and looked out the window toward Puget Sound. A breeze was blowing, scattering blossoms from the trees and raising a few white caps. After finishing her coffee, she pulled her purse out of the closet. She looked at her checkbook, subtracted a few numbers, and shook her head. Only twenty-three dollars left until Friday. She counted her cash—twenty dollars. She pulled out ten for Matt and put the rest back. That would go for lunch with her friends Hannah and Aleesha today. She’d be brown bagging it for the rest of the week.
    They all went out to the small carport and climbed into Erin’s white Explorer. A small plaque on the visor read, “Guardian Angel by your side, through your travels, protect and guide,” and Erin brushed her thumb across it before starting the engine. She glanced at the back seat.
    “Tonight I want you two to bring your trash and water bottles inside. There’s barely room for you to sit.”
    “This is mostly Matt’s mess,” Gwen