Free Fire Island: Book 3 of The Chatterre Trilody (Chatterre Trilogy) by Jeanne Foguth Page A

small ones looked alike."
    Larwin's smile vanished. "They attacked us, here?"
    "No, that's another thing that was strange. They seemed to be cooler and were able to dive in and out of water without problems." She frowned as she tried to remember the details of her bizarre dream. "There was a lot of water. Not like our river... when I stood on the shore and turned my back to the land, there was water as far as I could see and it looked like it was rolling." She shivered.
    'Was it rolling because the dragons were diving into it?"
    "I don't think so."
    "So the water was rolling for no reason?" She nodded. "And there was no sight of land." She nodded, again. Larwin frowned. "Do you think you dreamed that because Thunder and Raine told us about Kalamar?" he asked.
    She chewed her lower lip and considered that possibility, but the certainty increased that wherever all that water was, it was not on Raine's home-world. "No, not really." Nimri wondered if she should tell him that wherever it was, his sister was there and she'd held the staff of power, as if she knew how to use it. And a man, who was garbed in the same saffron-gold as Tem-aki, was trying to direct them how to deal with the madrox without harming them, which didn't make sense. There was also a white feline, who acted more lady-like than Kazza, and oddly enough there had been three crystal skulls. In many ways that was the strangest thing about the dream, because it was well known that she and Thunder were caretakers of the only two skulls in existence.
    Her gaze went to the translucent skull, which was sitting on top of the table in front of the window. Its vacant eyes seemed to be staring at Sacred Mountain's peak. Was the skull as magical as her great-grandfather had claimed or was it just a mysterious creation, which repelled dust?
    After the dream she'd just had, Nimri was inclined to believe that, for once, her great-grandfather had told her the truth. She wished that made her feel better, but keeping others ignorant of how to do things was Rolf's main form of power-play, because it kept others dependent on him.
    Kazza's whiskers brushed her arm; she turned her attention to him and caressed his silky fur. His serious eyes proclaimed that he knew what she had dreamed and that he was as worried as she was. For the millionth time, she wished they could communicate better.
    "In many ways, communication with Kazza is more straightforward and honest than with most humans," Larwin said. Kazza's whiskers twirled in agreement.
    Heat spread from her neck to her cheeks, as Nimri realized that she must have articulated the thought. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.
    "Simple, most humans tell you what they think you want to hear, which may or may not be true. Or they tell you what they think should be said to get the sale or the support or whatever it is they want."
    "You always were cynical."
    "True, but that doesn't mean that the average person is honest."
    "You want honest?" He nodded. "Fine!" Nimri took a deep breath, and wondered where to start and what to say. "I am scared." There, she had admitted it.
    "We all are."
    "What if my dreams are true?"
    "There is no if. Your dreams usually are accurate premonitions."
    "Are they?"
    "You know they are." Remembering the horrible dreams, which she had had prior to the madrox invading the Star Bridge, Nimri was forced to nod in agreement. Larwin pressed his point, "Without your dreams, we would not have known to prepare."
    "As is, we barely survived," Nimri said.
    Larwin took her knotted fists in his large comforting hands and began to caress her wrists. "But we did survive, and we will survive whatever is haunting your sleep this time, too." His words along with his touch soothed her, but she still feared that a confrontation was looming.
    "Are you sure?"
    He nodded, then kissed her forehead.
    "How can you be?" Shaking off his grip, she got out of bed and went to the window. "How can we fight something when we don't even know