“Davy?” he whispered out.
“It’s me.” I jumped in front of him again.
Nothing. No reaction.
I poked him in the side. This was when I realized I was cloaked, and I scrunched up my forehead, summoning the strength to now uncloak myself.
“Look.” Gregory turned a cautious eye around him, skimming the woods. “If that’s you, poke me again.”
I did, right in the fleshy stomach his giant size had. I was expecting something like the Pillsbury doughboy, but I got The Rock instead. He was solid muscle, and I said, “Ouch.”
“Ouch?” His eyebrows shot up.
My head jerked up to his. “You can hear me?”
His eyes were trained on where I was, but he still wasn’t looking at me. He was looking through me. I gritted my teeth. This was becoming annoying. I had convinced myself that I could control my powers. I don’t know if that was true or not, but here I was. I was a fledgling newbie once again, not even able to let my friends see me when I wanted them to.
Suddenly, I had enough. I yelled in my head, “REVEAL!” And poof! I felt something snap in the air, and in me.
Gregory’s eyes snapped to attention. “I can see you.” His hand came to rest on my shoulder. “You’re here. Thank God. I thought I was going nuts.”
I shook my head. I was glad I could be seen again, but still frustrated. Was that what it took? I had to scream it in my head? I bit down on my lip . . . wait . . . I thought, “LET ME SEE ROANE!”
Another burst of energy in the air, and Gregory was gone.
“Vampire!” I heard Saren’s scream in the air, and my heart lurched to the bottom of my throat. I twisted around. I thought Gregory had disappeared, but it was me. I wasn’t on a wooded path. I was high up. I could feel the cool draft of a breeze and closing my eyes, I sensed from where I was. There was a sudden drop in elevation ten yards from me. I was high up on a cliff somewhere.
Then I felt him.
I started to take a step out, to find Saren, but I felt Roane’s laugh. He hadn’t laughed aloud, but it was inside of him. It washed over me and for a moment, I soaked it in. It was like a warm blanket on a cold night. I wanted to grab him, pull him over me, and hold on forever.
“Lucas,” I whispered, starting forward. Getting over the shock, I felt Saren’s fury right after. It was overwhelming the rest. I was starting to lose my connection to Roane, but then a hand clamped on me, and I was jerked backwards.
I looked up to Gregory’s furrowed eyebrows. He asked, “Where’d you go?”
“What?”
No, no, no. Rising panic was threatening to choke me. I looked around. My head was whipping back and forth. Roane—he’d been close.
Saren was angry with him—I had to find both of them. I started forward, but Gregory held me back.
He said, “Oh no. Were you practicing some invisibility spell or something? You were here, then you weren’t.”
“Oh my God,” I muttered. My knees started to tremble. I’d been so close.
“Try again.”
I stilled. That was The Immortal. She was still with me. Relief like I had never experienced coursed through me, and I did fall.
“Where were you?”
“I was here. You silenced me.”
“I did?”
“Davy.” Gregory broke through the conversation.
I shot a hand up. “Stop.” Then, I closed my eyes and concentrated on The Immortal. She was here, and she was talking to me. I was slowly gathering my strength and abilities. That was what