Oathtaker

Dixon stepped to Mara’s side, arms folded.

They watched the fluttering colored lights dance on the statue.

“This is amazing,” she said. “It’s so like my dream,” she then muttered, as though to herself. “Or nightmare, more like . . .”

He turned a hawk-like glare at her. “What did you say?”

“I said it reminds me of my dream—or my nightmare. But not this part. This is so like— Yes, I’d say it is exactly as I—”

He grabbed her elbow and pulled her away from their friends and some lingering visitors. He glared. “What dream?”

She pulled her arm from his grip. “What’s the problem, Dixon? So I had a dream. The statue just brought it back to my recollection, that’s all.”

“Mara, tell me—right now. What did you dream?”

He spoke so quickly, he flustered her. Still, she couldn’t help but notice the look in his eyes. Was it worry? Or perhaps, fear?

“I had a dream last night. Someone was chasing us. Actually, there were so many things from the past couple of days in it that . . . Well, I guess this statue was new, but . . . Well you were in it, and me, and Ted, and Faith, and Nina and the girls. And . . . someone else. Someone I didn’t recognize. She was beautiful. That is she looked beautiful. But she seemed . . . confused . . . and I think she was a danger to the girls.”

Dixon became more agitated. His eyes darted around the room. He pulled at her arm again. “Mara, tell me what happened. Who was the woman? This is important.”

“All right. All right.” Again she pulled free of his grasp. “It was a nightmare, that’s all. This woman approached us by a statue just like this one. She led us out of the building and then she took Reigna and Eden.”

His face went ashen. “Mara, we’ve got to get out of here right now!”

“What? It was just a dream.”

“No, it wasn’t just a dream! Seeing something like this in real life after having first seen it in your dream is almost certainly a sign. It’s some kind of attendant power at work. A message from Ehyeh. He was trying to warn you! And now that it took so long before you mentioned this—”

“I didn’t know!”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just— Look, we’ve got to get out of here. Quickly! Head for that door! It leads to the back of the building where Francis left our horses. Take Nina. Now—go!” he urged, pointing to the exit. “I’ll be right behind you. Just ride northeast as hard and fast as you can. Go! Go! Go!” He touched her low on her back and gently pushed her toward the door.

She grasped Nina’s hand and then dashed away.

Dixon approached his friend who’d watched the exchange. “Ted,” he said, his voice low, “we have to go—now. I’ll explain everything as soon as I can. For now, I thank you and—”

“What is it?”

“There’s trouble coming. I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible, I promise. I—”

“Well, well, well,” came a voice from the main entrance, “if it isn’t Dixon Townsend.”