Page 15 of Sky’s Guide To Getting His Man & Banishing Ghosts (The Dreamwalkers #1)

Chapter

Twelve

Kingston

Sky’s here. He was in my arms and okay. I’d woken feeling scared and ashamed that I’d left him in that house of horrors defenseless, not even realizing that he was being stalked by a form of death we’d never gone up against. But I’d fallen into a hard sleep, unable to make sure that the eyeless ghoul of my dream stayed away.

In all my life, I’d never had one of my night walks feel so real. It was like just by dreaming it, I’d called the whole experience into existence. It had been terrifying.

But now he was here, whole and alive. I could feel his breath on my cheek, and we were pressed so closely together that I felt the beat of his heart against my chest. The smells of the herbs he used with Elyse clung to him, but even the clean, earthly scent couldn’t disguise the natural fruity aroma that I’d associated with him since our first meeting.

“I’m so happy you’re okay. How did you get here?”

Here . I heard the word as I said it, and it echoed through my mind. Here.

In my house.

In my kitchen.

What the hell? I stiffened and heard him giggle.

He planted his hands on my shoulders and leaned back, his vibrant green eyes brimming with mischief. “Guess you just figured out you were holding me in your kitchen , huh, big guy?”

I felt the tip of his shoe hit my shin and realized I’d picked the man right up off his chair, and I was dangling him in mid-air.

Carefully, I set him down, waiting until I knew he was back on solid ground before I took a step back.

“What are you doing here?” My gaze darted over to Gran, who smiled back warmly.

“I invited him over for breakfast. After your dream last night, I thought it would reassure you to see him, and I need your head in the game.”

I stared incredulously at the woman I loved more than life itself.

I’d never shown her anything but total respect, but this went too far.

How could she invite him into our home—my safe space—without consulting with me?

She didn’t, couldn’t know, what he was coming to mean to me.

“Head in the game for what?” I snapped, immediately feeling bad. I never disrespected Gran.

Her gaze slid to the left of me, then she sighed deeply, nodded her head, and pointed to the table.

“Sit down, Kingston. No need to worry about going into work today. I let your boss know you wouldn’t make it in.

There are some things it’s time for you to know, and I might have waited too long to tell you. ”

I had no idea what she was talking about or why she would’ve contacted my employer or Sky without my permission. She’d been known to say some real off-the-wall things, and that was the immediate concern.

Did I want Sky to witness this? I glanced toward him and found him ogling my crotch with both hands cupped over his mouth. Reflexively, I cupped my hands over my dick, which ramped up his giggling.

“There…there…there’s a ghost covering your…” He waved his hand toward my junk where the ill-placed ghost design resided.

Gran snickered. “They’re glow-in-the-dark, too.”

I sat down abruptly where Gran had pointed and scooted my legs all the way under the table, bumping my knees.

Not because I wanted to, but so that Sky couldn’t see my sleep pants.

How embarrassing. Why couldn’t I have tugged on a normal pair of flannel bottoms instead of the ones with ghosts floating all over them?

“Jetty bought them,” I grumbled.

Sky reached over, placing his hand over mine. “They’re adorable. I’m sorry if you thought I was making fun of you. It’s just, I looked down…I mean, not that I was trying to see your…uh. What I mean is?—”

Gran’s cackle cut him off. “Whatever you say, dear.” She winked at him, and he dropped his chin to his chest, red climbing up his neck and over his face. Even the tips of his ears turned red.

Oh. My. Gawd . I should’ve run out of the room instead of sitting down. Now I was stuck. “Gran,” I whined.

The teasing gleam disappeared from her face, and she sat beside me.

“Kingston, I’m sorry I went behind your back and called Sky from your phone this morning, but I thought after what you witnessed last night, you’d need to be sure he’s okay.

And it made me realize how right your pops has been.

It’s time to give you a little history lesson. ”

Sky tilted his head, obviously confused. “What did he witness last night?”

“Gran,” I said sharply.

This time, I glared at her. Why did she bring up my dream? Sky had never doubted what I told him about my dreams guiding me to valuable information about the past.

However, telling him that I’d seen him inside a castle I’d never even seen with an entity unlike anyone we’d ever seen before—even on Chance’s property—closing in on him and whoever that was…no. I hadn’t planned on ever telling him, to be honest.

Her lips tightened. “Aren’t you curious how I know that?” she responded.

I paused, and now my confusion matched Sky’s. “How did you know that I dreamed about him?”

“Because I followed you as far as I could go, not that Pops even thinks that was safe. Then I waited in your bedroom, by your side, until the drink I made kicked all the way in and gave you rest.”

“Do what? How? What drink? Can you teach me to do that?” Sky asked.

Gran nodded. “Of course.”

He wiggled in his seat, then cut his gaze to me. “You dreamed about me? In front of your grandmother? Shame on you!” He batted a hand at me playfully.

I dropped my gaze to my lap. He wasn’t wrong.

I’d had plenty of embarrassing dreams about getting him naked, sucking him off, him looking up at me from his knees while driving me crazy with his own hot mouth wrapped around my cock, and the thought of my grandmother sensing any of that made me throw up a little in my mouth.

Shaking off the images from those fantasies, confusion swamped me. Gran could see where I went in my dreams? And Pops… Okay, one thing at a time. “Have you done that before? Been with me in my dreams?”

“I can only watch you, like through a telescope. I keep an eye on how far you stray into the veil between life and death, but I used to dreamwalk regularly with your pops.”

My grandfather died when I was little, right before my parents passed. I didn’t remember him, but the pictures of him that Gran kept scattered around the house and the stories she told made me feel like he’d always been a steady presence in my life. Maybe this was why.

Except she’d never told me about the dream…walking. That it wasn’t the first time she’d dealt with someone like me, or that apparently, my pops was still around. “I don’t understand.”

Gran folded her hands on the table in front of her. “Unsurprisingly, your mother took after me with an Earth affinity that she squandered once she met your father.”

I’d always known Gran was something . Anytime I’d questioned her, she merely smiled like she had a secret, so eventually, I stopped asking. But my mother…there was never anything about her that was anything more than normal.

“My father didn’t approve?” I asked.

Gran rarely spoke of my parents, though, except to assure me that they’d loved me in their own way, so I was beyond curious.

She shook her head. “Worse. He didn’t believe. He accused us of doing parlor tricks to scare him away from your mom. Called us charlatans. Based on his reaction, your mother stopped practicing.”

“That must have hurt you.”

She tilted her head to the side like she was thinking or listening to someone. “It was her life, and her father and I had always taught her to live it as she saw fit. What bothered me was when your dreams started.”

Memories of the woman who’d smelled of peonies and had made the best chocolate chip cookies descended on me in rapid fire. Things I hadn’t thought of in years, as well as things I wasn’t sure I’d ever even known. “Her and Dad stopped spending as much time in Willowhope.”

Gran’s expression turned pained. “I was hoping you didn’t remember that.”

“I didn’t until just now. Was it because of me?”

She see-sawed her right hand. “Not so much because of you as her not wanting your father to realize that your nightmares”—she made air quotes —“were the beginning of your gift.”

“Because he wouldn’t have believed.”

Gran shrugged one shoulder. “Actually, your father wasn’t a dumb man, which your mom knew. I think, given a solid explanation and time, your dad would’ve come around. I was rather fond of him once we got past his calling us tricksters and such.

“His denial cost my daughter a big piece of herself, but that was on her. But her staying away from us to keep your dad from noticing your gift”—she shook her head, dejected—“that was just plain unacceptable. She knew that you’d gained this ability from her father, just like her talents had come from me. ”

My mind whirled. My dreams were a gift that I’d inherited. Not some fluke or random thing. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Her face focused over my shoulder before she smiled softly, then she held out her hand to me. “Your grandfather loves you very much, and your magic comes with so many burdens that he thought we should save you the pain until it grew naturally.”

“So what changed, and why am I here? I feel like this is a family moment, and I’m intruding,” Sky said, gaze darting back and forth between me and Gran.

“No!” The word exploded out of my mouth, and he jumped in his seat. I grimaced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you.” I stretched my arm out, clasping his hand in mine. “I’m glad you’re here.” He grinned at me so happily that it felt like… Huh. Maybe Jetty and Buck were on to something.

But Gran was right. After the dream episode last night, I wouldn’t have been able to concentrate on anything until I saw Sky for myself. A phone call or text wouldn’t have been enough.

He might not have seen the gruesome apparition stalking through the house, but I’d seen her with my own two eyes. She’d been real.

I squeezed his hand where it was enveloped in my larger one. He was here. Alive .

He flipped his hand over, linking our fingers, then his gaze tracked over my face, stopping to stare into my eyes. “Really?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah.”

He smiled shyly, which was new…and nice. Usually, he exuded such confidence that he intimidated me. Something in my stomach settled. Sky shifted his attention back to Gran. “So let me get caught up here. Are you insinuating that you’re a witch?”

She bowed her head. “I am, as are you.”

Sky snorted. “No, I’ve learned to do a couple of things that Elyse has shown me, but she’s?—”

Gran interrupted, “And she’s a mystic.” Gran shrugged. “I can see why she went with that since she only hears spirits but can’t normally see them. I mean, I personally can’t see them either unless I do a spell. I can sense evil, though.”

Sky stared at me, dumbfounded. “I can’t believe you never told me that your grandmother’s a witch.”

“How could I? It’s the first time she’s ever said it outright to me.” Switching my attention to her, I asked, “Why now? You’ve never admitted it before, so something must have changed.”

“You did, dear.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. The dream last night was no different than any other I’ve ever had.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Usually, you remember things of the past that are unsettled…unfinished. A nudge from the spirit realm that someone needs rest, for someone to remember them or what they’ve been through.

“But now, with the time you’ve spent at Willowhope Manor and all you’ve seen, you’ve been all the way”—she mimicked turning a key—“unlocked.”

Sky leaned across the table toward her with an expression of awe. “What does that mean?”

She stared into my eyes while answering him. “Now he can see not only behind, but also the here and now when he’s in the veil.”

“Do what now?” I asked. Alarm bells blared in my head.

“Last night, I followed you because your pops and I thought you were getting closer, and we were right. You were in someone’s actual living dream, my little prince. Which means, we have some work to do.”