Angela sat at a booth at the back of the restaurant, reading the menu. Phillip should have been here by now. But he was a stranger in town, and probably didn’t know his way.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmKpJzFPqq
A text message came in on her phone, and she tapped the screen to read it, hoping it was from Phillip. It wasn’t.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSccHekn9AH
“Here she is. Can I help you read the menu?” the waiter asked, his English heavily accented.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtazkpXknQ
She looked up to see a young man in dark glasses place a backpack on the seat and slide into the booth seating, “No, thank you.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAs3IjJhGtC
“Can I get a drink for you?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVpy43tmwN
“Tea, please.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtwVMRTsdC
The waiter left, and Phillip extended a hand across the table, being careful not to knock anything over, “Angela? I hope?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aGP1dFNTe
Angela shook his hand, “Yes, it’s me.” He had a firm handshake, and his hand was cool.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDVrUDhdmq
He collapsed his cane and tucked it into a pouch on the side of his backpack, “I’m sorry I’m late - the cab driver couldn’t find the address.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dU36U6YxZ
“That’s all right - it’s good to meet you.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ261S4cOoB5
“It’s good to meet you, too. Could you tell me - do they have lemon chicken on the menu, here?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEG9jiv5jxT
“They do. It’s good, too.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwE2EdFXOzq
“Wonderful - I’m looking forward to that.” He smiled broadly, “I’m so very pleased to meet you, Angela. How are you feeling?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1i8ZjU9pm
“Fine, just fine.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiWOLCPd3M
“And your leg?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0EcbYshx0
“It’s healing. A little slower than I would like, but it’s healing.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03PPSwRMHC
“Glad to hear it.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3Tr2JbKUI
Angela looked up to see the waiter coming toward the table.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuT3qYBZmic
“Tea is here,” he said. He quickly set down two cups and saucers, then poured tea into both cups, “Careful - very hot.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmdgCIDOwj
After the waiter left, Phillip sipped his tea, “After I died, I was adopted. In the following years, I accumulated plenty of scrapes and scratches. But I was living in a new home, exploring a new world, and I had lost my vision.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOtPNUn3z7
Neither Ray nor Phillip had thought to tell her this. Angela glanced between his dark glasses and the cane that protruded from his backpack. She remembered him saying that he’d been kicked in the head several times.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGHmOoD5nN
She brought her attention back to what he was saying, “I was always bumping into things, and I helped in the garden - I thought I was getting all these little injuries from pulling weeds, and trimming rosebushes. I didn’t think anything of it.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qGnPHIH19
“And then I woke up with a gash,” he pulled up his left sleeve, revealing a 3 inch white scar.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5S5gcqevOM
“How old were you? What did you do?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOXjtHvc54
“Almost 17.” He let his sleeve drop back into place, “My Dad - my new Dad - was already in my room - I’d been yelling in my sleep. It was apparent that I hadn’t done that to myself, so together we made up a story about my falling on the pruning shears in the garden shed, and went to the hospital. I missed school, I lied to my social worker, and I went home exhausted.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxRzLpugQz
She studied him, “Why did you have a social worker?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uOzJxXTPF
He grinned, tracing with the side of his hand the scar across his right cheek that showed starkly, “After I was killed by my foster-father, and it was decided that I was the type of person who would put up with abuse. Which I had. Ironically, it was when I stopped putting up with being abused that things got really ugly.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbK9Xs3sDGC
“Anyway, I was assigned a social worker for more regular check-ups.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fcOwEExHl
Angela watched him intently, “I’m so sorry. That must have been awful for you.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLydfrbFvU
He shrugged, “It was a lifetime ago.” He chuckled, “Quite literally, in fact, a different lifetime. My new life is better. Except for the risk of dying in my sleep.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkLSbmGrEHa
“And that’s not a little problem.” She frowned. “You said it was about three years ago that you figured out what was going on. Is that when you sent Ray to watch the E.R.?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4blMHm7Cr
“Exactly,” his fingers traced the outside rim of the teacup, “That’s also when we started researching violent deaths on the night of the new moon. It took a lot of effort, but we did locate a few cases that seemed similar. We think it was started again at least 20 years ago now, maybe earlier.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5fhz6aF3j
“Tell me more about the Hunters.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSee1c1zrk0
Phillip sighed, “The crux of the matter is the Hunters.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8joLj1wLu
He reached over to unzip his backpack, “Before I forget, I brought this for you.” He held out a well-read book titled SAS Survival Handbook, “I recommend you read this, and take a self-defense class. The knowledge we have in life, we carry with us into our dreams.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3ycTqhJmm
She took the book, “Thank you.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1fUPPo547
He produced a small book-shaped package, wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. He handed it to her, “This is the original journal.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPJfzazrDF
Angela untied the package and set the paper wrapping on the bench-seat beside her. The book’s plain leather binding had started to rot, and she lifted the cover off. The pages inside were yellowed onionskin.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ384yrJHK0j
She turned to several pages randomly - the writing was the same as the photographed pages she’d seen. She glanced up at him, noting again the dark glasses. That’s why it’s been transcribed. You can’t read it for yourself otherwise.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaSukCHYmtU
“You’re welcome to read as much as you like. But there’s a slip of paper denoting the beginning of the relevant passages,” Phillip remarked.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxTkUbZ4zo
Angela flipped forward and removed a neatly folded letter from between the pages, “Do you mind if I borrow this tonight, and bring it back tomorrow?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9vhtkjx0i
“Keep it as long as you like. Give it back to Ray when you’re done - he’ll take good care of it until it can be returned to its library.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6urU1TUNcR
“Thank you,” she carefully tucked the paper back into the journal, then re-wrapped it in its protective brown paper before tucking it into her purse.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHhDPsuUWG
“You said you were doubtful at first?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wveQnQKwb
“I didn’t want to believe. I mean, it’s not good news, right?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFAWlwyuJk
She shook her head, “No, it’s not. But it’s better than not knowing.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPmyEbGLD5
The waiter came to take their orders, and Phillip told him that a third person would be joining them, but he would be late, and they would not wait for him.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpEFkDy3rd
“How long have you known Ray?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBghlTdEBc
“After I was adopted, I went to a new school. He was on the welcoming committee, and we became friends pretty quick. What about you? You didn’t bring anyone with you to discuss this.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTMG43mpng
“No. I didn’t. I don’t think anyone will believe me. My dad might have - I don’t know. It doesn’t matter - he had a fatal heart attack a few years ago.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiD1JQok7Hp
“I’m so sorry.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNznfATYLqG
“Yeah, me too. I have people in my life, my mom and my friends, who helped me after the accident. But no one who can help me with this.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxvsJT5Nnu
“Well, then, Ray and I are here for you. And Ray is close enough to help out more than I can.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0Ua7uOOVY
“Thank you.” Angela paused uncertainly, “You said there are things you wanted to talk about in person.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanC8RXzNJR
“In person,” he echoed. “I did say that, didn’t I? Some of those things, we ended up discussing on the phone. But not all of it. You remember Nathaniel mentioning Bogdanov’s Spell that Protects against Eavesdropping?"489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRL40iI7PSa
She nodded, “He used it to protect the conversations he had with Paul.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHeqmwE2cL
Phillip reached his hand across the table, holding it out expectantly, “Would you please?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTSEnBYTZo
She looked at his hand for a moment, uncertain. But this was exactly why she’d wanted to meet in a public place - to be sure that if something went weird, she would be safe. “Are you telling me that you can do that, too?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNe0TeLyXAJ
He gave a small nod.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcfraZeA6o
She took his hand, and felt a thrill of energy flow through her. It took some effort not to pull away, but after a moment, the feeling subsided, leaving her feeling as though her body had become almost weightless.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwGF9LCDr8
“I’m trusting you, Angela, not to spread word of my practice. Like I said, we still have to worry about persecution.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0vvlxqMpY
She watched his hand, then switched her focus to his face. He had to lean forward slightly to hold her hand, and the overhead light highlighted the stark scar that ran across his right cheek.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0KZgRKrvf
Before she could think of a response, he continued, “We have a lot of resources at our disposal. The man who adopted me is a wizard, and the man I call my uncle is a spell-writer. I, myself, am considered an novice wizard. But we have nothing to do yet. We need a way into the world that the Hunters have closed off to us. I’m hoping you and I can work together to find that.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnl2oRxRjF
“You really are being Hunted, too?” Angela asked.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi05KAxrXrt
“I am. I am as motivated as you to put an end to it.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyafTV5dE3
“I’m frightened of what’s going to happen.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgJdpkf0DN
“I am, too. But like I said, I’m here for you. And if anything happens to me, my father will continue to try to find answers for you.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQMziTAnzb
“Have you found anything?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLhyKy7HyH
“I have a charm and a rune for you. The rune will help you remember who you are in your dreams. The charm is new - I just made my own last month. It helps you remember more of the dream when you wake up. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWX1R9tVCM
“What did it help you remember?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJBMwnM4Yf
“A small waterfall. It’s not much, but this is the first month. I’m hoping for more in the future.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6CFWI5L8r
“More, like what?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6ajn1wRHZ
“If I could learn my Hunter’s identity, I think my uncle could rewrite Rose’s Spell for Entering Dreams with information we could obtain. You and I aren’t the only ones with this problem. People are being killed, and I have to put a stop to it.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAkYs47gud
“Why you?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSFJBKpmo8
“It doesn’t have to be me. But I’ve taken it on as my primary objective. And not just because I don’t want to be another victim of the Hunt. I have an obligation to help anyone I can - it’s part of being a wizard.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JXkqSROta
“And your dad?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5EWSiXRKc
“He holds the same obligation. But, well, this type of magic isn’t his specialty.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodk6Z2XKjz
“Explain, please.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvuT9tEaaA
“Every wizard has a realm of influence, a type of power they can best channel. Mine is the earth - I’m good at things pertaining to plants and animals, and the ground itself. My dad, though - he’s an energy wizard. None of the realms are particularly inclined to help with dream magic, but my realm is much closer than anyone else’s.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGt7xkWv8i
“What about your uncle?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtG7yeQEGg6
“Uncle Roger is a spell-writer. Spell-writers are such a rarity - they have absolutely no ability to channel magic.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ehFZEY5MR
“How is that rare?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjQPi7TlCk
Phillip shrugged, “At this point in my training, my ability to channel magic is roughly 83. An average person - you and Ray, both, will probably rate between 30 and 40.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqLcFdDeyZ
“Uncle Roger’s ability is zero. Absolutely zero. That enables them to experiment safely with all the parts of magic-work, on a theoretical level. Spell-writers are really rare - you find one for every thousand wizards.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmS2uap9tRc
“And you just happen to know one?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoIPVt8mYG
“He’s my dad’s best friend - they trained together since they were in high school. It took months for me to realize Uncle Roger had his own home - that’s how often he was around.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU994QBButK
“We’re lucky to have a resource like that, then. And how many other wizards are willing to help us?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFu1MF4YbD
“Our Guild. That’s,” he hesitated, “we lost about half of our numbers a few years back, right before I realized what was going on with the Hunters. All the Guilds east of the Mississippi did. Anyway, our Guild is eight strong, including myself and my dad. But if we asked, we could get a lot more help than that.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeGoB1evyi
Angela sighed, “But there’s no sense asking for help if you have nothing to do. That’s why you were looking for me.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe70ZidceDg
Phillip nodded, “Exactly.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ93pBDQx5t
Angela noticed the waiter coming toward them with a tray, and released Phillip’s hand. A brief sense of disorientation passed over her, gone before the waiter set her plate in front of her.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIO4QA5ue0
After the waiter had gone, Phillip’s right hand found the chopsticks next to his plate, and he picked them up, “We’ll talk more later. For now, though, tell me about school. What are you studying?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeDRlHXIgD
“Communications. I wanted to be a journalist, but now I’m leaning towards editor. You?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQ6u7Mo9xf
“I wanna be a social worker. I want to help kids not be stuck, like I was, in a terrifying situation they feel they cannot escape from.”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1ZOIkEAVL
“So what were you doing this last weekend, that you didn’t want to tell me about?”489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIZCwjsKM2
“You know how I said Nathaniel kept a journal of who he helped, and how? I got to make an entry in my own journal this weekend,” Phillip was smiling.489Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVxhLEP9oD
