Free Circle of Fire by Keri Arthur Page B

through the dream. For an instant, the vision wavered, shimmering like a pond whose shiny surface is disturbed by a stone.
    “Maddie, tell me what you see.”
    Jon’s hand slid over hers, warm and strong. Maddie wished she could let go of the table and hold his hand, hold him, but the dream held her in its grip. She couldn’t move.
    “What do you see?” he repeated softly.
    “Evan.” She licked her lips. For the first time in her life she forced herself to concentrate on her vision. Despite the fire, the cabin was cold. The breath of the two figures condensed as they spoke, hanging in the air like smoke. Beyond the cabin confines, the wind howled, rattling windows she couldn’t see.
    “Tell me what else you see.”
    “It feels like snow.” Chill fingers of air crept around her, and she shivered.
    “Do you see any people?”
    “Two. One male, one female.” The woman had long hair that she brushed away with a cat’s paw. “She has claws. Cat’s claws.”
    “Are they talking? Can you hear what they’re saying?”
    “Only the woman speaks.” And though her voice was soft, its mellow sound stung Maddie’s ears, as grating as fingernails across a blackboard.
    “What is she saying?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Listen harder. Concentrate on the sound of her voice.”
    Jon squeezed her hand, running warmth through her body. She licked her lips, trying to do as he asked. Like a radio suddenly tuned, the woman’s voice leaped into focus, and she told Jon, “She plans an attack. Tonight.”
    “Who does she plan to attack?”
    “I don’t know—” She hesitated.
    The woman turned. There was malice on her face, malice in the air, so thick Maddie suddenly struggled to breathe. Jon called her name urgently, but he sounded so very far away. She stared at the woman with the vibrant green eyes until they all but filled her vision, became a turbulent ocean awash with venom.
    “You are mine,” the woman spat. “Mine.”
    Maddie screamed, and the dream disintegrated into darkness.
    “M ADDIE, COME BACK TO ME. ”
    She didn’t respond, didn’t move. She breathed in rapid gasps that shuddered through her body, and sweat trickled down her cheeks. Jon thumbed the droplets away. Her skin was cold despite the room’s heat.
    He frowned and glanced at the fireplace. Flames flickered, slowly catching the small logs she must have placed there earlier. But the temperature in the room seemed to have jumped 10 degrees in the last few minutes, and the fire certainly couldn’t account for it. Was it his imagination, or something else?
    She suddenly pushed his hand away, her eyes wideand unfocused like those of a dreamer fighting a dream. Her fear smothered him, making it difficult to breathe, to concentrate. He wondered why he was so open to her when he’d spent most of his life perfecting the art of blocking other people’s emotions—and his own.
    She pushed her fingers through her hair, her hands shaking. He sat back on his heels, watching her carefully. Something had frightened her enough to rip her from the vision, but she was not yet aware of him or their surroundings. Her mind was still caught in the backwash of the trance.
    Which meant her gift was raw. Few trained clairvoyants were unable to pull out of a vision cleanly. He wondered how strong her gift was, how true. And how long she’d gone without seeking help. He suddenly wished he could call his mother. She was a strong clairvoyant and would know how to handle this situation.
    “Maddie,” he said softly.
    The amber fire in her eyes began to burn more brightly as her awareness returned. She blinked rapidly, then took a deep, shuddering breath. The blanket of fear intensified.
    “I’m sorry,” she whispered. She pushed the chair backward and scrambled to her feet, every movement frantic, as if desperate to escape.
    He reached out to caress her hand, but she jerked her fingers away from his touch. He frowned and rubbed his fingertips together. Now her skin