*Sasha*
“Sasha," Amanda said, giving me a shake.
I yawned and blinked owlishly at the clock. “Sweet mercies of the White Queen, Amanda, it's nearly dawn. Don't you have class this morning?"
“I do, but I was on the dorm phone all night with Chelsea–boy trouble–and the line beeped, so I switched lines, and it was Lucas," Amanda said hurriedly.
“Lucas Black?" I asked, peering at her in the low lighting.
“Do we know another Lucas?" Amanda responded with an eye roll. “He's waiting for you on the line right now."
I wanted to tell Amanda I didn't want to talk to him, roll over, and go back to sleep, but I wasn't going to make her into my errand girl. With a groan, I pulled myself out of bed and padded down the hall in boys' boxers and an oversized T-shirt to take the phone.
“Lucas," I groused. “Do you have any idea what time it is?"
“I need you," Lucas replied without preamble.
I blinked, pulled the receiver away from my ear to stare at it, then put it back to my ear to listen once more.
“… dream dancer?" Lucas was saying.
“What?" I asked. “Look, Lucas, if you're going to phone me for s*x while you're drunk and then…"
“Haven't you been listening?!" Lucas asked, exasperated.
“I was trying to figure out if you'd lost your mind… so… no…?" I replied.
“For the Moon Goddess's sake, Sasha, I'm talking about the temple, not s*x," Lucas said.
I felt my cheeks get hot and was glad he couldn't see me this mortified. “Oh. Um… sorry… um...."
“Forget it. Not important right now," Lucas sighed.
“Okay, so, it's still almost two in the morning," I said, shifting the phone to my other shoulder.
“I need you to use your dream dance abilities on something I found in the temple. I'll explain when I see you," Lucas responded. “Get dressed and meet me outside your dorm in fifteen minutes."
“But—“
“No buts. Get a move on," Lucas ordered.
I grumbled something under my breath but agreed. After hanging up, Amanda cornered me in our dorm room.
“So?" she asked. “Did Mr. Yummalicious call you for some… private time?"
I shook my head, then nodded, then shook my head. “No… I mean, not the way you're thinking. He needs me to use my dream dancer gifts to help him with something." I kicked off my pajamas and yanked on a sports bra, panties, pants, and a sweater.
“Your dream dancer gifts? Please tell me that's a new euphemism for s*x," Amanda whined.
I looked at her and couldn't help but laugh as she stood there in frilly, pink, nearly see-through lingerie and was worried about my s*x life. “No. I can't believe he remembers I am a dream dancer. I haven't used my abilities around him since we were kids."
“You two really need to go at it and get it out of your systems," Amanda lamented. She plopped down on her bed. “Well, I'll have high hopes for you anyway. Have fun, and do everything I would do."
I snorted and strode out of our dorm room just as Amanda was snuggling down to go to sleep.
By the time I got downstairs, Ian was already standing next to Lucas's sedan, holding the back door open for me.
“We have to stop meeting like this," I said to the long-suffering chauffeur.
“All part of the job, ma'am," he grunted back, though he didn't sound particularly happy about it.
I gave him a sympathetic look before Lucas reached over and tugged me inside the car.
I almost landed in his lap.
“Home, Ian," Lucas barked, and the chauffeur quickly closed our door and got behind the wheel, turning us back in the direction of Lucas's house.
I settled myself next to Lucas, smoothing down my sweater self-consciously. “What is this about?"
“I've been debating whether to bring you in since last night," Lucas murmured, raking a hand through his hair. It bounced back into its stylishly messy-on-top coif. “I'm still not sure this is the right decision."
“Bring me in on what? What decision?" I asked, starting to get peeved. It was nearly sunrise and I should have been getting ready for a new work-study.
“We found something," Lucas said, looking at me, his gray eyes troubled. “Brady and I went to the temple last night, and we found something."
“In the temple?" I responded. “What was it?"
“Well, there isn't exactly a temple anymore. As soon as I took the artifact, the whole thing collapsed." Lucas stared out the window as though watching it happen again. “I brought it home. I have a cousin, Eliza, who might be able to shed some light on it, but she's far away and won't get here for weeks."
“The archeologist," I remembered.
Lucas nodded. “But you also showed us once when you were starting to use your powers that you were a dream dancer. I don't know if you use your abilities much anymore...."
“It's not like they go away, Lucas," I said dryly.
“That's what I'm counting on," Lucas replied. He slid his hand over mine and squeezed it, looking back from the window at me. “It's in my house. I'm going to show it to you when we get home. But if it's… something truly evil… that you think is going to hurt you… I'll destroy it, and that will be that."
I stared into his silver-flecked gray eyes. It was like they danced with stars. I shook my head–not the point. “You're really worried about me," I said.
“I am," Lucas admitted. “But I can't think of any other way to see if this is the thing that's been haunting you."
“Okay," I agreed. “I'll try. I'll try, Lucas, but you have to know I can't control what I see. It'll reveal what it reveals, whether it makes sense or not."
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