The Power of Love kbaa-2 Read online

  "Beth, that's great! Which story?"

  "The one I did for drama club. You know, it was in the lit mag at school last spring."

  Ivy tried to recall it. "I've read so many now."

  "'She clutched the gun to her breast,'" Beth began. "'Hard and blue, cold and unyielding. Photos of him.

  Frail and faded photos of him — of him with her — torn up, tear-soaked, salt-crusted photos,' et cetera, et cetera."

  Two waitresses, carrying full trays, had stopped to listen.

  "What is it?" Beth asked Ivy. "You've got a really funny look on your face."

  "Nothing… nothing, I was just thinking," Ivy replied.

  "You've been doing a lot of that lately."

  Ivy laughed. "Maybe I can keep it up next month when school starts."

  Their check was dropped on the table. Ivy reached for her purse.

  "Listen," Beth said, "why don't you sleep over at my house tonight? We don't have to talk. We'll watch videos, polish our nails, bake cookies. ." She popped the tip of her sugar cone into her mouth. "Low-cal cookies," she added.

  Ivy smiled, then began digging in her purse for money. "I should get home, Beth."

  "No, you shouldn't."

  Ivy stopped digging. Beth had spoken with such certainty.

  "I don't know why," Beth said, twisting a piece of her hair self-consciously. "You just shouldn't."

  "I have to be home," Ivy told her. "If Philip wakes up in the middle of the night and finds I'm not there, he'll think something's wrong."

  "Call him," her friend replied. "If he's asleep, Gregory can leave a note by his bed. You shouldn't go home tonight. It's… a feeling, a really strong feeling I have."

  "Beth, I know you get these feelings, and one time before you were right, but this time it's different. The doors will be locked. Gregory is home. Nothing is going to happen to me."

  Beth was looking past Ivy's shoulder, her eyes narrowing as if she was trying to focus on something.

  Ivy turned around quickly and saw a curly-haired man in a shiny yellow bowling shirt. He winked at her, and Ivy turned back.

  "Can I stay over with you?" Beth asked.

  "What? No. Not tonight," Ivy said. "I need some sleep, and you need to finish that story I interrupted.

  This was my treat," she added, scooping up the check.

  In the parking lot Ivy said good-bye several times, and Beth left her reluctantly.

  As Ivy drove home she thought about Beth's story. The details of Caroline's suicide had not been made public, so Beth didn't know about the photos that Caroline had torn up the day she shot herself. It was funny the way Beth came up with things in her writing that seemed farfetched and kind of melodramatic, until some version of diem came true.

  When Ivy arrived home, she saw that all the lights in the house were out except one, a lamp in Gregory's room. She hoped he hadn't noticed her car coming up the drive. She left it outside the ga*age. That way, if he got worried, he could see that she had arrived home safely. Ivy planned to go up the center stairs so she wouldn't have to pass his room. In the afternoon Gregory had called the shop twice. She knew he wanted to talk, and she wasn't ready, It was a warm evening, with no moon up yet, only stars sequining the sky. Ivy gazed up at them for a few moments, then walked quietly across the grass and patio.

  "Where have you been?"

  She jumped. She hadn't seen him sitting in the shadow of the house.

  "What?"

  "Where have you been?"

  Ivy prickled at his tone. "Out," she said.

  "You should have called me back. Why didn't you call me back. Ivy?"

  "I was busy with customers."

  "I thought you'd come home right after work."

  Ivy dropped her keys noisily onto a cast-iron table. "And I thought I wouldn't be questioned about going out for an hour — not by you. I'm getting tired of it, Gregory!"

  She could hear him shifting in the chair, but couldn't see his face.

  "I'm getting tired of everyone watching out for me! Beth isn't my mother, and you're not my big brother!"

  He laughed softly. "I'm glad to hear you say that. I was afraid that Eric had gotten you mixed up."

  Ivy dropped her head a little, then said, "Maybe he did." She took a step toward die house.

  Gregory caught her wrist. "We need to talk."

  "I need to think, Gregory."

  "Then think out loud," he said.

  She shook her head.

  "Ivy, listen to me. We're not doing anything wrong."

  "Then why do I feel so-so confused? And so disloyal?"

  "To Suzanne?" he asked.

  "Suzanne thinks you're seeing someone else," Ivy told him.

  "I am," he replied quietly. "I'm just not sure if she's seeing me…. Are you?"

  Ivy bit her lip. "It isn't just Suzanne I'm thinking of."

  "Tristan."

  She nodded.

  He tugged on her arm, pulling her closer to him. "Sit down."

  "Gregory, I don't want to talk about it."

  "Then just listen. Hear me out. You love Tristan. You love him like you love no one else."

  Ivy pulled away a little, but he held her fingers tightly. "Listen! If you had been the one killed in the accident, what would you have wanted for Tristan? Would you want no one else to love him? Would you want him to be alone the rest of his life?"

  "No, of course not," she said. "Of course not," he repeated softly. Then he pulled her down into the chair with him. The metal was cold and hard.

  "I've been thinking about you all day and all night," he said.

  He caressed her lightly; his fingers tracing her face and die bones of her neck. He kissed her as gently as he would a child. She let him, but she didn't kiss him back.

  "I've been waiting here all night," he said. "I need to get out. How about going for a ride with me?"

  "We can't leave Philip," Ivy reminded him.

  "Sure we can," Gregory replied softly. "He's sound asleep. We'll lock up the house and turn on the outside alarm. We can drive around for a little while. And I won't talk any more, promise."

  "We can't leave Philip," she said a second time.

  "He´ll be all right. There's nothing wrong with riding around, Ivy. There's nothing wrong with blasting the stereo and driving a little fast. There's nothing wrong with having a good time."

  "I don't want to go," she said.

  She felt his body go rigid.

  "Not tonight," she added quickly. "I'm tired, Gregory. I really need to go to bed. Another night, maybe."

  "All right. Whatever you want," he said, his voice husky. He sagged back against the chair. "Get some sleep."

  Ivy left him there and felt her way through the dark house. She checked on Philip, then walked through the adjoining bath to her own bedroom, where she was greeted by Ella's glowing eyes. Ivy switched on a small bureau lamp, and Ella began to purr.

  "Is that purr for me," Ivy asked, "or him?"

  Tristan's picture, the one his mother had given her, sat within the yellow circle of light.

  Ivy took die picture in her hands. Tristan smiled up at her, wearing his old baseball cap-backward, of course. His school jacket flapped open, as if he were walking toward her. Sometimes she still couldn't believe that he was dead. Her head knew that he was, knew that in one sudden moment Tristan had stopped existing, but her heart just wouldn't let go.

  "Love you, Tristan," she said, then kissed the photograph. "Sweet dreams."

  Ivy woke up screaming. Her voice was hoarse, as if she had been screaming for hours. The clock said

  1:15 A.M.

  "It's okay! You're safe! Everything's okay, Ivy."

  Gregory had his arms around her. Philip stood next to the bed, clutching Ella.

  Ivy stared at them, then sank back against Gregory. "When will it stop? When will this nightmare end?"

  "Shh, shh. Everything's okay."

  But it wasn't. The nightmare kept growing. It kept adding on details, conti
nually sending out tendrils of fear that curled into the dark places of her mind. Ivy closed her eyes, resting her head against Gregory.

  "Why does she keep dreaming?" Philip asked.

  "I'm not sure," Gregory said. "I guess it's part of getting over the accident."

  "Sometimes dreams are messages from angels," Philip suggested. He said angels quickly, then glanced at Ivy, as if he thought she'd yell at him for mentioning them again.

  Gregory studied Philip for a moment, then asked, "Angels are good, aren't they?"

  Philip nodded.

  "Well, if angels are good," Gregory reasoned, "do you think they'd be sending Ivy bad dreams?"

  Philip thought about it, then slowly shook his head. "No… but maybe it's a bad angel doing it."

  Ivy felt Gregory stiffen.

  "It's just my mind doing it," she said quietly. "It's just my mind getting used to what happened to Tristan and me. In a while, the nightmares will stop."

  But she was lying. She was afraid the dreams would never stop. And she was starting to think that there was something more to them than her getting over Tristan's death.

  "I have an idea, Philip," Gregory said. "Until Ivy's nightmares stop, we'll take turns waking her up and staying with her. Tonight's my turn. Next time it's yours, okay?"

  Philip looked doubtfully from Gregory to Ivy. "Okay," he said at last- "Ivy, can I take Ella in my room?"

  "Sure. She'd love to cuddle with you."

  Ivy watched her brother as he carried Ella, his head bent over her, his brow furrowed..

  "Philip," she called after him. "When I get home from work tomorrow, we'll do something, just you and me. Think about what you want it to be — something fun. Everything's all right Philip. Really. Everything will be all right."

  He nodded, but she could tell that he didn't believe her.

  "Sleep tight," Ivy said. "You've got Ella with you. And your angel," she added.

  He looked at her, his eyes wide with surprise. "You saw him, too?"

  Ivy hesitated.

  "Of course not," Gregory answered for her.

  Of course not. Ivy repeated to herself — and yet for a moment she almost thought she did. She could almost believe an angel existed for Philip, though not for herself. -

  "Good night," she said softly.

  When he was gone, Gregory held Ivy close to him and rocked her for several minutes.

  "Same old dream?" he said.

  "Yes."

  "Is Eric still in it?"

  "The red motorcycle is," Ivy replied.

  "I wish I could stop your nightmares," Gregory said. "If I knew how, I'd dream them myself every night. If only I could keep you from going through this."

  "I don't think anyone can stop them," she replied.

  He lifted his head. "What do you mean?"

  "There was something new tonight. The same way the motorcycle got added on before, something else was added this time. Gregory, I think I might be remembering things. And I think I might have to keep doing this until I remember— something." She shrugged.

  He pulled his head back a little to look at her. "What was added to the dream?"

  "I was driving. The window was there, the one I can't quite see through with the shadow on the other side. It was that same window, but this time I was driving toward it, not walking."

  She paused. She didn't want to think about it, think what the new part could mean.

  He held her close again. "And everything else was the same?"

  "No. I was driving Tristan's car."

  Ivy heard the sharp intake of breath. "When I saw the window, 1 tried to stop the car. I stepped on the brake, but the car wouldn't slow down. Then I heard his voice. 'Ivy, stopi Stop! Don't you see. Ivy? Ivy, stop!' But I couldn't stop. I couldn't slow down. I pressed down the pedal over and over. I had no brakes!"

  Ivy felt cold all over. Gregory's arms were around her, but his own skin was cold with sweat.

  "Why were there no brakes?" she whispered. "Am I remembering, Gregory? What am I remembering?"

  He didn't answer. He was shaking as much as she.

  "Stay with me," she begged. "I'm afraid to go back to sleep."

  "I'll stay, but you have to sleep. Ivy." "I can't! I'm afraid I'll start dreaming again. It frightens me! I don't know what will happen next!"

  "I'll be right here. I'll wake you as soon as you start dreaming, but you need to sleep. I'll get you something to help you." He stood up.

  "Where are you going?" she asked, panicky. "Shh," he soothed. "I'm just going to fix you something to help you sleep."

  Then he took Tristan's photo down from the bureau and set it on the night table next to her.

  "I'll be right back. I won't leave you. Ivy, I promise I won't leave you." He smoothed her hair. "Not until these nightmares stop for good."

  Chapter 14

  "Ivy, stop! Stop! Don't you see. Ivy? Ivy, stop!"

  But she hadn't stopped. Ivy kept telling Gregory the dream, and now he knew that she was remembering more. Maybe next time she'd remember it all — whatever it was Gregory didn't want anyone to know. If there was a next time.

  Tristan lay still in Ivy's room. He had gone crazy, shouting and screaming at her. He had used up huge amounts of energy. For what? She sat fidgeting, frightened — and hoping for Gregory's return.

  Tristan pulled himself up. He rushed out of the bedroom and down the main stairway of the darkened house, turning instinctively toward the kitchen, where Gregory was. Only the small light over the stove was on. Water hissed in the teapot.

  Gregory sat on a stool at the counter, watching it, his skin pale and glistening.

  He kept toying with a cellophane packet he had taken from his pocket. Tristan could guess what it contained and what Gregory planned to do next. And he knew that, even if he had his full strength now, he couldn't overcome him. He couldn't use Gregory's mind the way he could use Will's. Gregory would fight Tristan all the way, and his human body had a physical strength a hundred times greater than that of Tristan's materialized fingers.

  But human fingers could still slip, Tristan thought. If a little red capsule — something that Tristan could manipulate — moved unexpectedly, Gregory might fumble.

  Gregory had chosen raspberry tea, perhaps because its sharp flavor would cover the taste of a drug, Tristan thought. He moved steadily closer to Gregory. He'd have to materialize his fingers at just the right moment.

  Gregory carefully undid the cellophane packet and picked up two of the three capsules. Tristan extended his glowing hand and began to focus on his fingertips. Gregory's hand hovered over the hot tea.

  The moment he let go, Tristan flicked the capsules away. They skittered across the countertop. Gregory swore and flung out his hand, but Tristan was quicker and flicked them into the sink. The capsules stuck to the damp surface and Tristan had to work again to get them down the drain.

  As he did Gregory dropped the third capsule into the tea.

  Now Tristan reached for the mug, but Gregory wrapped his fingers firmly around it. He stirred the liquid with a spoon, and when the capsule had dissolved, he carried the cup upstairs. Ivy looked so relieved to see him. "This ought to help," Gregory said. "Don't drink it. Ivy!" Tristan warned, though he knew she couldn't hear him.

  She sipped, then set it down and laid her head against Gregory.

  He picked the cup up again before Tristan could touch it. "Too hot?"

  "No, it's good. Thank you."

  "Stop!" Tristan cried.

  She sipped again, as if to reassure Gregory that the tea was fine.

  "I chose the right stuff, didn't I? You've got so many kinds down there."

  "Put it down. Ivy."

  "It's perfect," she said, and took longer drinks.

  "Lacey, where are you when I need you? I need your voice, I need someone to tell her no!"

  Whenever Ivy reached to put the drugged tea back on the table, Gregory took it from her and held it. He sat on the bed with her, one arm around he
r, the other lifting the cup to her lips.

  "A little more," he coaxed.

  "No more!" Tristan cried.

  "How do you feel?" he asked several minutes later.

  "Sleepy. Strange. Not scared… just strange. I feel like someone else is here, watching us," she said, glancing around the room.

  "I'm here. Ivy!"

  Gregory offered her the last mouthful of tea. "There's nothing to be worried about," he said. "I'm here for you, Ivy."

  Tristan struggled to keep himself calm. One capsule probably wouldn't kill her, he reasoned. Had Gregory found the other pack that Tristan had thrown behind the bureau? Was he planning to dope her up a little, then give her the rest?

  "Lacey, I can't save her by myself!"

  Will, Tristan thought, find Will. But how long would that take? Ivy's eyes were slowly closing.

  "Sleep," Gregory was saying over and over. "There's nothing to be afraid of Sleep."

  Ivy's eyes shut, then her head dropped. Gregory did not bother to catch her. He pushed her to the side and let her slump against the pillow.

  Without realizing it, Tristan had begun to cry. He wrapped his arms around Ivy, though he could not hold her. She was far away from him, and drifting away from Gregory, too, sinking further and further into an unnatural sleep. Tristan cried helplessly.

  Gregory got up abruptly and walked out of the room.

  Tristan knew he had to get help, but he couldn't leave Ivy alone for long.

  Philip. It was his only chance. Tristan hurried into the next room.

  Ella became alert as soon as he entered.

  "Help me out, Ella. We need to get him awake, just enough to let me in."

  Ella climbed up on Philip's chest, sniffed at his face, then mewed.

  Philip's eyes fluttered open. His small hand reached up and lazily scratched Ella. Tristan imagined how soft the cat felt to Philip. A second later, having shared his thoughts, he slipped inside the boy.

  "It's me, Philip. Your friend, your angel, Tristan."

  "Tristan," Philip murmured, and suddenly they were sitting across from each other with a checkerboard between them. Philip jumped Tristan's marker. "Crown me!"

  Tristan had dropped into a memory or a dream woven from a memory. He struggled to get them out of it.