29. Hudson
Chapter 29
Hudson
A s I’m finishing my second cup of coffee, my phone buzzes across the coffee table. Jocelyn’s name lights up the screen, and I grab it.
“Hey, sis. I was going to call you.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Since it’s barely eight a.m., I’m drinking coffee and reading my email now that we have service back. You won’t believe what happened this morning. What are you doing?”
“I did a reading for you. I have to tell you something important. Do you have a few minutes?”
“Yeah, of course, but what does that mean? A reading?”
“Tarot. I wanted to get an idea of what your future holds. The only way to know that is to understand the present.”
“You can see the future?”
“No. The future doesn’t exist. We create it with every decision we make, but we can get insight. We can make choices to manifest the reality we seek. All of this with Chester and the Horror has my intuition on high alert, so I asked Source for guidance.”
“Source?”
“The universe, spirit, whatever divine entity you believe in. For me, Source is the energy that powers everything around us.”
“Okay. I’m following.”
“Specifically I wanted to know the role Aster plays in your life beyond the obvious. I sense things about him that I couldn’t quite name, especially after I saw the infinite lifeline on his palm.”
“Infinite lifeline?”
“His life never ends. That’s not normal. When I did a life review on him, there was an interruption filled with blackness, but then his aura returned. I’m not sure he’s human.”
Her words startle me. She can find that out from cards? “He is. He’s human, but special.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t think it’s my place to explain it, but he’s human like you and me, his job just gives him protections.”
“Protections,” she repeats. “That explains it.”
“Explains what?”
“My spirit guides kept redirecting me. The more I poked at Aster’s life, the harder it was to see. Like I’m not supposed to know.”
“He’s not dangerous, Joss.”
“Oh, I know. Just the opposite. Hudson, listen to me. This might be hard to accept, but I wouldn’t be telling you if I didn’t firmly believe it was true.”
I brace myself for whatever she’s about to say next. Please don’t tell me Aster is a bad guy. “Okay.”
“Okay.” I hear her blow out a breath. “Aster is the one, Hudson. He’s the guy you’ve wished for all your life.”
Wasn’t expecting that. “What do you mean?”
“I didn’t know you felt so unseen. So unloved.” Her voice breaks. “All you’ve ever wanted is for someone to see you as you are and love you, warts and all, but every guy you’ve met has been shallow.”
“Yes, but?—”
“Aster sees you. Completely. All he wants is a safe place to land in a life of chaos. He feels that with you, but he’s scared. You’re both so scared.”
I glance around to make sure Aster is still outside with Otto. “What is Aster scared of?”
“That’s where I kept getting blocked. All I could see is that it has something to do with his work. Being in a relationship with him won’t be normal or conventional. You have to be prepared for that.”
To say the least. “He… does he have feelings for me?”
“Far beyond his responsibilities. Try to believe what he says to you. Your job is to finally tear down your emotional wall. If you can, everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side.”
I try to swallow down the lump that forms in my throat. “I want to stay with him, Joss, but I don’t even know how to tell him that.” I cough to clear the emotion away. “And you’re sure this isn’t some kind of trauma bonding? The therapist said it’s really common after an abusive situation.”
“I’m absolutely positive that your bond transcends anything that’s happened in either of your pasts. It’s real. Hold on to it. Let Aster guide you. He won’t let you fall.”
I blow out a breath. “I wish I’d known you could do this kind of thing. I would’ve consulted you a lot sooner.”
Joss chuckles. “I wouldn’t have been as helpful. I’ve never been this clear in a reading. It’s an area I’ve been trying to improve, actually. I think it’s the topic. It’s so strong I think a novice could see it. I feel like… I don’t know, it’ll probably sound crazy to you, but it’s almost like Fate itself is guiding me through these cards.”
My chest tightens. “That must be good, right?”
“Very good, Hud. I was so excited! I’ve been sitting on this for hours waiting for a somewhat decent time to call.”
“I’ve been up since three.”
“Why? Is everything okay?”
“It is now. I’m safe.”
“Good.”
“Hey. What do you know about astral planes?”
“Uh, not much. There’s a gal in my coven who does astral projection frequently, but it takes practice. I’ve never tried it. Why?”
“Aster did it with help from Wilder. He’s… uh… a friend. The one who broke the spell on the house. Aster had to go there to deal with the Horror, but he said anyone can go there.”
“That’s true, but if you’re thinking about it, you should think twice. That’s not entry-level stuff.”
“What happens there?”
“Anything can happen. You’re not playing by the rules we’re familiar with. I’m well versed in this stuff and I won’t try. Neither will Elaina. Are you thinking about it?”
The slight panic in her voice makes it clear that would be a bad idea. “No. I was just curious.”
“You’re sure?”
I sit back on the couch, scratching the scruff on my chin. “I’m not gonna do anything, but I wish there was a way I could confront Chester. The Horror. I want to take back the power he stole from me. I know he’s dead, but he reacts to things that happened when he was alive. He reacts to being called Chester. There’s a part of him still in there. That probably sounds dumb, right?”
“It’s not dumb, Hudson. I get it, but he is dead. You have to find another way to get the closure you want and let Aster deal with the leftovers.”
“Yeah.” I nod. “You’re right.”
“Can you promise you’ll try with Aster? Even though it’s scary?”
“I’ve been so afraid to want this, but I know he’s special. I just didn’t know if it was something I’d get to keep in my life. Is it finally time for me to have a nice guy?”
“I think so. I can’t promise a life of roses, but I believe Source wants you to know that the connection between you is real.”
My stomach flutters with excitement. “Thanks, Joss.”
“Of course. I’ll check in tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.”
I end the call just as Aster walks in with Otto in his arms. He smiles brightly.
“Everything good?”
I nod, returning his smile. “Everything is good.”
I’m restless.
It’s impossible to relax knowing all that hangs in the balance. I’ve spent the last thirty minutes playing tug of war with Otto, but even the dog is getting sleepy. Aster fell asleep on the couch after hours of reading his invisible book to prepare for the next phase of all this, and the house is eerily quiet.
I scoop Otto up and lay him on the couch next to his owner, then I head to the kitchen for some water. The ceiling above me creaks slightly, as if someone is walking around up there, and curiosity pokes at my brain.
The potion Wilder gave us is sitting on the counter in a tiny black vial. Just sitting there. I pick it up, rolling it back and forth in my hand, and glance upward. I can’t stand waiting, but I don’t want to wake Aster. He needs to rest.
Leaving the kitchen, I tuck the vial into the front pocket of my jeans and creep quietly up the stairs. I haven’t released even a drop of the anger and resentment inside me since the Horror attacked me earlier, and even though I’m fully aware of how dangerous this is, I want to see what it looks like now.
Before I can make it to the attic steps, Crash appears in front of me, startling me. His brow is creased and he has his hands on his hips.
“Just where do you think you’re going, mister?”
“The attic. I want to see it.”
“No, I don’t think you do. Best to leave it alone.”
“Why?”
“It wants to kill you, remember?”
“Can it?”
Crash nods. “Sure. Remember what I said earlier? It wants to drag you to the Below where it’s a lot stronger.”
“I remember. I just want a quick peek. I can’t relax not knowing. You can come with me, right?”
He twists his lips. “I can, but I won’t be overly helpful if it comes at you again. I’d rather you wait for Aster.”
“He won’t let me.”
“Right. Because it’s not safe.”
“If it was stronger it would be doing something right now, wouldn’t it?”
His eyes flicker toward the ceiling then back at me. “Yes.”
“Okay, so it’s just a little peek. I promise not to linger.”
“I can’t stop you.”
Smiling, I nod. “I’ll only be a minute.”
Darting past Crash, I open the door to the attic and glance up the stairs. My breath turns shaky and a shiver runs down my spine. This is reckless, but I refuse to sit around waiting to be victimized again. I should at least know what my attacker is up to.
As I creep up the stairs as silently as possible, the air thickens around me, like walking through fog, making it harder to breathe. Once I reach the top, I look around, finding the blob of pulsating energy in the middle of the floor.
It seems to notice me, reacting by flashing streaks of red, but it makes no attempt to move. Maybe it’s a false sense of security, but I don’t feel threatened by it. If it could attack me, I think it would.
I walk slowly toward it, pausing about two feet away. If I focus, I can make out faint facial features and what looks like a hand in the dark gray gunk. I wonder if I could see him as he used to be in the astral plane.
The vial in my pocket suddenly feels heavy, noticeable, and I pull it out. If I drank some, what would happen? Aster came back just fine. Maybe I could finally confront Chester, just once before he’s gone forever.
I pull the tiny cork plug out of the bottle, catching the scent of slightly moldy earth, like damp leaves decaying on the ground. Before I can overthink it, I tilt the bottle and let a few drops land on my tongue.
I shiver and nearly gag. It tastes disgusting, but worse than that is the reaction. My eyesight tunnels as blackness edges my peripheral vision, and I lose my balance, stumbling backward until I can grip the banister to keep from tumbling over. The room spins and the sensation of falling takes hold.
I land with a thud, managing to get on my hands and knees and blinking into the darkness. As my eyes focus, a figure comes into view, large and ominous even in the darkness. It kneels in front of me, and my heart nearly stops.
“Well, hello there, Hudson.”
Chester. I’m so fucked.