Luke slid his arm around the back of my chair and nodded toward Kai. "You two know each other?"
"Kind of." There was no need to turn and see the contempt on Kai's face.
Luke's eyes narrowed. "He's into you."
"No." I shook my head even as shivers ran...
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Mom's face was a deep shade of crimson. "You took her back into that house? Without my permission?"
Dad backed up. "She was ready."
"She's sixteen!"
"Almost seventeen." I stepped in front of Dad. "Mom, please listen."
Her eyes blazed as she pointed toward the stairs. "Let me talk to your Dad."
"I did the right thing," I said. "It was hard, but I did it anyway." I wanted her to be proud of me, maybe even a little in awe of what I'd done. But she just kept pointing toward the stairs.
The days of throwing tantrums or slamming my door were in the past, so I just walked up to my room and sat on my bed. Then I curled into a ball as the images flashed through my mind.
Emma's bruises had come from Mrs. Red Cloud, not Josh. Didn't see that coming. What I couldn't believe was how Mrs. Red Cloud hurt little Jake. Emma was a hero for putting herself between the rolling pin and the child. No doubt she saved his life. But would the police see it that way? The tribe?
The only reason Emma struck Mrs. Red Cloud was to get away. How could one hit have killed Mrs. Red Cloud? Emma and Jake had taken so many more blows. Emma could've beat Mrs. Red Cloud when she was on the floor, but she didn't. Maybe that meant she wouldn't hurt Dakota, but there was still the mystery of the black horse.
Why did people want to hurt other people? It was bad enough for adults to beat each other up, but for an adult to hurt a child? How many more awful things would I have to see in my life? My gift guaranteed many.
What I'd seen was horrible. I hated it. But I'd survived. Maybe someday I'd be able to see what happened to Gramps. But I couldn't think about that yet.
A car started up in the driveway. I got up and looked over the balcony as Dad backed out, probably returning to the Red Cloud house with the Chief and the forensics team.
A wave of desolation hit me as I saw Dakota's empty corral from the corner of my eye. My heart unraveled a little more each day of his absence. He was supposed to be safe and loved, with me every day of the rest of his life.
The room started spinning. I sank to the ground, welcoming whatever the vision wanted to show me. When I could see again, Dakota was lying on the ground with his back to me. It looked like the Colorado Trail, around Temple Rock. I couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. "Dakota!" I yelled, but I was still on my bedroom floor.
"Mom," I called as I staggered to the stairs. "I saw Dakota." I gripped the railing as I stumbled down into the living room.
"Where?" Mom said as she grabbed her purse and keys.
"Colorado Trail."
She held my arm to steady me as we hurried out to the Jeep. "Did he look okay?"
