The Hidden - Jessica Verday [29]
“Do you think it’s too early? What if they’re sleeping?”
“Do they sleep?”
“I … don’t know.”
But I started walking again. I had the strongest urge to see Nikolas, to ask him if he knew what was going on with Vincent or the Revenants, and to try to make some sense out of things.
We crossed the bridge, and when the familiar stone walls and thatched roof of their storybook cottage came into view, I wanted to break into a run. It was like coming home after a long trip.
Wisteria grew in a massive vine of trailing purple flowers and green leaves over the stone chimney on the left of the wooden front door, and it looked like Katy had been busy filling the front yard with new plants.
“I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about whether or not Nikolas is sleeping,” Caspian said, and I turned back to face him.
“Why? How do you know?”
He pointed over my shoulder. “Because there he is.”
I turned around. Nikolas was coming from the back of the house. He lifted his hand in a wave, and I returned the gesture, closing the gap between us.
“Nikolas! It’s so good to see you!” I gave him a hug, thrilled that he was still here and still safe. I didn’t know what was going on with Vincent, but just knowing that Nikolas was okay made me feel so much better.
His weathered face broke into a smile as he beamed down at me. “How are you feeling? Any ill effects from the incident with Vincent?”
“Oh, no, everything’s fine. I had to wear a sling on my arm for a while, but now I’m as good as new.”
“I am glad to hear it,” Nikolas said. Then he nodded at Caspian. “I am also glad to see that things have improved for you since our last visit.”
“Me too,” Caspian said. “Hopefully we won’t be seeing our nasty friend again.”
Nikolas’s face darkened. “I am sorry I could not be there, Abbey. It pains me that I am bound to this place.”
“Your house?” I said absentmindedly. “I wouldn’t mind being bound here.”
“I am talking about the cemetery,” he replied. “Katy and I cannot leave it.”
I shifted my weight from foot to foot. “It’s fine. Everything was, um, handled.” I glanced down. Now that I was here, I didn’t know what I really wanted to say. What was I looking for?
Caspian must have realized what I was feeling, because he said, “Is Katy inside?”
“She is,” Nikolas replied.
“Then, I think I’m going to say hello,” he said.
I shot him a grateful smile. “Thanks,” I whispered.
He winked at me and then whispered back, “Just don’t leave me in there too long, okay?”
I nodded, and he went inside the house.
Scuffing my toe in the grass, I tried to sort out my thoughts. “So … what are you doing up so late?” I asked Nikolas. “Or early. I guess you could be up early?”
He chuckled. “A little of both. What about you? This is an early time for a visit.”
“Couldn’t sleep. I’ve been having bad dreams so I thought maybe a walk here would help.” I didn’t want to talk about the dreams, though, so I said, “What’s it like for you and Katy to sleep? Do you even sleep? Caspian said that it’s a strange, almost dark place for him. Is it the same for you?”
He nodded. “We rest, but our bodies don’t need sleep the same way they did when we were alive.”
“Does time move fast for you guys too? How different is it for you and Katy compared to Caspian? What’s a day for me can be a week, or even a month, for him if he falls into the dark place.”
“It has been so long since I was a part of the living world that I have simply forgotten what normal time is,” he said. “But yes, whole lifetimes can pass by in the blink of an eye.”
“I wish school would pass by in the blink of an eye,” I muttered.
Nikolas laughed. “Are you not happy at school?”
“No teenager is happy at school.” I sighed heavily. “It’s a painful experience.”
He smiled.
“Speaking of …” I hesitated, then blurted out, “Does it hurt? When you die … what does it feel like?”
He didn’t say anything, and I thought that this was it. I’d found the one thing that he would not answer. But then he surprised me.
“Dying was the easy part,” he said evenly. “One moment I was there with my horse, preparing for battle,