The Dream Thief by Kari Kilgore (books for 10th graders txt) 📕

"And if he gets loose and runs?" Loretta had brought a knife seemingly out of thin air, turning it so the reflection hit Karl's eyes. "I wasn't joking. I am not willing to keep my eye out for him around every dark corner for the rest of my life."

"He won't get loose," Karl said. "I've been keeping people a lot sicker and more twisted than him where they belong for a very long time."

"Great," Loretta said. "Gemma and I will help you carry him out."

"No, I can handle—"

"We'll help you carry him out," Loretta said again.

Morgan paused in his near-inhalation of Gemma's soup to roll his eyes.

"She's saying she wants to talk to you where I won't hear. Hard to believe you missed that one, Karl."

Loretta shrugged and tried to hide her smile, but the knife disappeared and she was on her feet.

Rullin had wormed his way under the bed. Karl grabbed the waist of his pants and hauled him back out.

"Don't know what you're trying to find under there," Karl said. "But you'll be disappointed. It's out to the wagon with you for the night."

Rullin snarled. "You leave me right where I am. If you throw me out there, I'll scream my head off all night long."

"Give it a try." Karl lifted Rullin up by his armpits, and Gemma and Loretta again caught his feet. "If you do, I'll show you another little trick I know. A scrap of this same cloth, soaked in just the right amount of whiskey, and you won't be able to catch your breath enough to scream. You could very well choke on that, though, so you might want to reconsider."

When he tried to twist out of their grip, Loretta somehow had the knife she'd taken from him in the hand still holding his bare foot. The blade pressed between his smallest toes.

"Keep thrashing around," she said sweetly. "And you'll have to deal with me."

The wagon was nearly at the end of the electrified fence around the small barnyard. The horse he'd stolen was eating calmly with the others. Rullin never made a sound, even when Karl secured him in the bed of the wagon. None of them spoke until they were back beside the house.

"He's not going anywhere unless someone, or something, carries him off," Karl said. "What was so important that we have to talk about it right now?"

Loretta turned to Gemma, taking her hands.

"Listen to me," she said. "I know you don't want to go anywhere. I understand. I love my house, too. But it's not safe up here anymore. Let us get you out of here, at least until things calm down a little."

Gemma wiped at her eyes. "Have you ever thought I might be getting tired of you dragging me here and there, Loretta? You just had to take me to Waldron's Gate, then you just had to bring me here, now you just have to drag me back down there. Does what I want even matter anymore?"

The sullen teenager was in charge, the one not that different from Rullin at his best. But Karl saw her eyes still brimming with tears, and worse, with confusion.

The reasons didn't matter. Loretta was right.

"We both need your help, Gemma," he said. "Loretta's compass is broken, and we can get the parts a lot more easily in Waldron's Gate. I'll tell you the truth, too. I'd really love to have a Dragon to help my patients. We tried it a few days ago on a man who was in a terrible state, and he calmed down for the first time in years."

"Truly?" she said. "It helped someone?"

"He's right, Gemma," Loretta said. "I saw it too. The man couldn't hold still for a second. After we used the Dragon, he went right to sleep."

She looked at Karl, and he knew neither of them would ever mention the other woman. The one who'd screamed.

"But all my things are here," she said. "Where would I live? Where would I keep my things?"

"You helped me set up my house," Loretta said. "You can stay there for now. Then we'll find somewhere close by where you'll be safe. How long has this been going on, Gemma? People trying to get into your house like that?"

"On and off for a year or two," she said, staring at the ground. "More over the past few months. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to worry."

"Didn't want..." Loretta pressed the heel of her hand just above her nose. "What happens to them? The ones who've tried?"

"I just stay inside until Walton gets here," she said. "He takes care of them. I think he locks them up in town."

"What if he doesn't come up here for a few days?" Karl said, not wanting to imagine Gemma cowering inside her own house.

Her broad, innocent smile made it clear she wasn't cowering at all. She didn't understand how dangerous this game was.

"I've done just fine," she said. "Every single time."

"And if several come at once next time?" Loretta took her grandmother's hand again. "If they see what your alarms are, all that electricity, they're just going to keep coming back until they get inside. We can't leave you here, Gemma. I won't."

The small woman looked from Loretta's eyes to Karl's, the tears in her own eyes spilling over. Karl took her other hand.

"Okay, then, I'll go with you," she said, her voice trembling. "For now. But only if we bring my things as soon as we can. Walton can bring all of it once I take it apart tomorrow."

"I'm quite sure he'll do anything we ask," Loretta said. She waited until her grandmother went inside the house to speak again. "As long as I have enough coin, that is."

Chapter 31

When Loretta opened the door, she saw Morgan jerk awake. He looked guilty when he saw her.

"I'm sorry," he said, rubbing carefully at his eyes. "Where do I need to sleep?"

"You're perfectly fine right where you are, young