Veiled Passages by Terri Reid Read Free Book Online

tuna.”
    A few hours later Sean glanced up at the clock.  It was 2 a.m. and he knew he really needed to get some sleep. He shuffled the report he’d been studying back into its manila folder and shut off the desk lamp.  The room was plunged into darkness, but Sean knew his apartment well enough to walk through it blindfolded, if needed.  He pushed open the door to his bedroom and climbed into bed, letting the foam mattress and down comforter enfold him.
    Seconds after his head hit the pillow, his breathing was soft and rhythmic.  A moment later, another figure moved through the dark apartment and walked through the open doorway.  It neared the bed and contemplated the sleeping man for just a moment before it gathered itself and jumped onto the bed.  Soft purring filled the room, and Tiny roamed the large bed for a moment before lying squarely on Sean’s legs for the rest of the night.
    The air smelled sweet and the sun was shining brightly on him as he made his way across the meadow.  He turned and could see his grandmother’s cottage in the distance; it looked much smaller than it had when he was a boy.  His long pace took him to the stone fence in a matter of minutes and, rather than climb it as he had as a boy, he merely jumped over the barrier. The path to the woods was now overgrown, but the woods themselves seemed the same – ancient, ageless and foreboding.
    Stepping forward, he climbed the small ridge that led to the entrance and pushed his way through the bramble bushes into the interior.  The trees were tall and blocked most of the sunlight, causing a dappled effect on the forest floor. A carpet of leaves created a padding underneath his feet as he moved forward on the small path.  He studied the trees and the bushes looking for the plant that had caused his injuries so many years ago.  Unconsciously, he shielded the scars under his shirt with his hand and rubbed the area lightly before he moved on.
    Somehow he knew where to turn and which path to follow.  The woods were familiar to him, although he’d only entered them once in his life.
    Dreams.
    The soft voice reminded him.  He nodded. Yes, he had walked these paths for years in his dreams.
    He continued forward, searching for long thorns, long enough to catch a boy’s arm and scar him for life.  Strong enough to penetrate his skin and leave its poisoned sap.  Sturdy enough to hold him tightly and rip his clothing. He had to find it, because if he didn’t…
    It wasn’t a thorn tree, you dolt.
    The voice wasn’t always very nice. As a matter of fact, the voice was often rude. The voice had guided him in his dreams through the forest since he was twelve.  He must have thought it strange at first, but now it, no she, was part of the whole experience.
    “If it wasn’t a thorn tree, what was it?” he shouted into the forest.
    The sounds of brush rustling startled him and he turned quickly.  She stepped out from behind an ancient oak.  She was tall, nearly his own height. She looked like a woodland nymph, yet much more vibrant. Her red hair was nearly to her waist.  Her pale skin was porcelain smooth. Her eyes were an unearthly shade of green and reminded him of Tiny’s, mysterious and patient. He studied her for a moment more and then realized, in a moment of shock, that he knew her.
    “It’s you,” he whispered. “You were a girl.”
    “Aye and you were a boy,” she replied.
    “You’re the voice,” he gasped, shaking his head. “The voice in my dreams.”
    “Well, since you’re in a dream now, it would be safe to agree with you,” she said with a smile. “Have you always been so daft?”
    “It wasn’t a thorn bush,” he said, the memory of that day causing him to stagger and lean back against a tree.
    Her face sobered and she shook her head. “No, it wasn’t,” she replied. “You saved my life that day and very nearly lost your own.  I won’t forget I owe you a boon.”
    “A bone? Why do you owe me a