Dreaming With Frost Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Dreaming With Frost

  Alicia Rades

  Copyright © 2017 Alicia Rades

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever without written permission from the author except in brief quotations used in articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Crystallite Publishing.

  Produced in the United States of America.

  Edited by Emerald Barnes.

  Cover design by Desiree DeOrto and Alicia Rades.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  A Note From The Author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Enjoyed Dreaming With Frost?

  About the Author

  A Note From The Author

  Thank you for downloading Dreaming With Frost! This is a companion novella that takes place following the events in both the Crystal Frost series and the standalone Distant Dreams. That said, you don’t have to read all the books to understand what’s going in this story. However, I do recommend it. This story is told from Kai Watson’s perspective, who is the main character in Distant Dreams.

  If you haven’t read the books yet, check them out below. Happy reading!

  Fire in Frost (Crystal Frost Book 1) – It’s FREE!

  Desire in Frost (Crystal Frost Book 2)

  Inspired by Frost (Crystal Frost Book 3)

  Fading Frost (Crystal Frost Book 4)

  Distant Dreams

  Chapter 1

  My lungs burned as I inhaled another deep breath. Slow down, my body demanded, but I didn’t listen. The stomping of his feet grew louder. Any second now and he’d be able to reach out and grab me. I couldn’t let him get that close. I pushed forward until I couldn’t sprint any faster. I didn’t think I would make it.

  Just as I reached my max speed, I spotted the clearing. The grass ahead stood as a glimmer of hope. Just a couple of yards left. I increased my stride, hoping that would give me the extra boost I needed to make it there. Those last few steps seemed as long as the last mile I’d just run. Almost there… Finally, I broke through the trees and into the clearing. I did it!

  I slowed. In my attempt to catch my breath, I couldn’t manage to get the words out to gloat on my victory. Instead of saying anything, I shot my fists in the air and turned toward Collin with a grin on my face.

  He gasped to catch his own breath, but after a moment, he managed to speak. “Congratulations, Kai.”

  Even though my victory meant he’d lost our race up the bluff, I knew his compliment was genuine. Ever since we’d started running together a month ago, I’d been getting better now that I had someone to challenge myself against. We were both going out for cross country next year, and I figured if we continued training together until next season, we’d both be good enough to make it to state.

  Collin and I paced next to each other to cool down from our run.

  I finally found my voice. “Thanks, but you let me win, didn’t you?”

  He shook his head. “I swear I didn’t. You’re getting faster.”

  I raised a brow. “Or maybe you’re getting slower.” My lips twitched in an attempt to hold back my teasing smile.

  “Not a chance.” He didn’t even try to hide the amusement in his expression.

  Neither of us said anything for another minute as our heart rates returned to normal. Collin leaned against the wooden barrier that was supposed to keep people from getting too close to the edge of the cliff. It didn’t work. People climbed over and hung their feet off the edge or jumped into the water below all the time. Luckily, no one had gotten hurt yet.

  I joined him and rested my hip against one of the wooden posts, staring off into the distance. Just a month ago, I wouldn’t have dared cross this barrier. Now I wasn’t afraid, not with Collin by my side. Though he’d managed to ease some of my fears, I still couldn’t get past the biggest one of all: telling him my secret. The thing was, I wanted to tell him. I just didn’t think I could. No one would believe me, not Collin, not Savannah, not even my family. I’d known forever that my dreams were different than everyone else’s, and because of that, I’d never told anyone about what I could do.

  “What is it?” Collin asked. He took a step toward me until I could feel the heat from his body.

  That was the first time I noticed the chilly evening air between us. Now that I was no longer moving, the November temperatures didn’t seem as inviting. I was glad I wore long sleeves and my running pants. Even though I’d dressed for the weather, an involuntary shiver ran down my spine. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the air or because of the question he’d just asked that I didn’t want to answer.

  “Nothing,” I lied. A red strand of hair escaped my ponytail and flew in front of my face to the rhythm of the wind. I reflexively tucked it behind my ear without meeting Collin’s eyes.

  “Come on, Kai.” He took another half-step toward me until the chilly air couldn’t find its way between us anymore. His hands in mine warmed my skin. “You have to tell me eventually.”

  Finally, I looked him in the eyes. I did it mostly to assure him that nothing was bothering me, which was a total lie. “Tell you what?”

  He squeezed my hands for encouragement. “Whatever it is that you keep thinking about. For the past week or so, you keep staring off into the distance like that, like something is on your mind.”

  I gulped down the lump that was beginning to form in my throat. How did he catch on so easily? And what can I possibly say to him? Certainly not the truth. I’m not ready to be shipped off to a mental institution. He won’t believe me.

  “It’s nothing, really.” My gaze shied away from his again, and I stared out past the edge of the cliff at nothing in particular.

  “Kai, we may have not been dating long, but I think I know you better than you think I do. Don’t you trust me?”

  My muscles tensed, and I only hoped he didn’t notice. His hands were still in mine, so I was guessing he felt the change in my body. I did trust him. I really did. I just didn’t know if he would trust me, if he’d believe me. I wasn’t willing to risk the humiliation of that scenario just yet. But I had to give him something…

  “I do trust you,” I told him quickly. “It’s just…not something I’m ready to tell you yet.” There. That should satisfy him, right?

  “You can always talk to me.” He leaned in even closer, and before I knew what was happening, his lips brushed across mine.

  The moment his lips were on mine, I thought I had satisfied his curiosity. But once he pulled away, my hopes were instantly crushed.

  “So, what’s wrong?” he asked kindly.

  Could I do it? Could I tell him about my astral travels? Did I even
want him to be the first to know? What about Savannah? If I told anyone, she’d be right at the top of the needs-to-know list. My heart pattered against the inside of my chest. Nope. Now is definitely not the time to tell him my secret.

  “Collin, it’s—I…” I licked my lips to stall. Another two seconds ticked by, and he was still eagerly waiting for my confession. Just say something, Kai, I demanded of myself. The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could snap my jaw shut. “I love you.”

  This time, I swore my heart stopped. I wasn’t sure if that was better than the whole nervous hammering thing, but I knew it meant something. It was the first time I’d said it. Did I actually mean it? Of course you meant it, you dummy! I told myself. Still, I couldn’t believe I’d actually said it. Out loud. I nervously glanced at him to assess his reaction.

  Collin beamed, which sent my heart beating at its usual pace again. “I love you, too.” He pulled me into an embrace, catching me slightly off guard. When he drew away, he spoke again. “That was all you were worried about? Telling me how you felt?” He reached up to brush my runaway strands of hair out of my face. “You don’t ever have to worry about telling me how you feel, okay?”

  I nodded without saying anything. At least I managed to get through the conversation without divulging my secret. But even as Collin walked me home, a sense of disappointment washed over me. Had I missed my chance to tell him about my gift? I wanted to tell him, but I wasn’t sure how to explain it to him when I wasn’t even sure of how it worked myself. I think that’s what scared me the most.

  Chapter 2

  Sleep had always come easily to me. It was the one thing I looked forward to throughout the day, but tonight, the darkness that was once inviting enveloped me uncomfortably. I lay awake, fully alert, with my eyes turned toward the ceiling.

  I should put some glow-in-the-dark stars up there, I thought to myself absentmindedly. Then at least I’d have something to stare at.

  Most nights weren’t like this. I could usually fall asleep instantly, excited about where my astral travels would take me. Tonight, I only lay awake wondering about my ability and how I could possibly work up the courage to tell my family and friends about it.

  I’d always known that my spirit left my body when I fell asleep. For the past four years, I knew that if I closed my eyes and envisioned a new location, I could transport my spirit there in a snap. I could conjure up my own images of my clothing or imagine the heat of the sun on my skin, and I could actually feel the sensation. It was like anyone else’s dreams, only my spirit was in a real place, seeing the events as they happened.

  Despite knowing all this, I figured there had to be more to my gift. Were there other people who could do what I did? Why me? Was I capable of more than just dreaming of real places? And what would happen when I finally told someone?

  Ever since my gift returned a month ago—after a two-week period where my travels had been replaced by nightmares—I’d been contemplating all of this more and more. I’d never been that interested in learning about what I could do. I’d only ever wanted to use my gift to travel the world, to get away. But lately, curiosity had started to get to me. Someone else had to be out there, someone who could do what I could and teach me what I was capable of. Maybe if I knew more about it all, I could finally open up to the people I loved.

  That’s it. I pushed up from my bed and padded over to my laptop. A guilty sensation hit me in the gut as I opened my computer. My mom would have a fit if she knew I was up this late searching the Internet. After all, it was a school night, but I couldn’t sleep with these thoughts racing around in my mind.

  I started by typing a few keywords into the search bar. I began with astral travel. I’d researched the term before when I was 12, and I’d come to the conclusion that that’s what my gift really was, that I was projecting my spirit onto the astral plane. But I wasn’t sure if it fit exactly. Some of my research said that people could travel through time to view past events while their spirit was out of their body. I certainly hadn’t traveled through time. I also read that there were several different planes you could travel to, not just the astral plane, so which one was I traveling to? And wouldn’t I have seen someone else by now if others could do this as well? Regardless, “astral travel” was the best word I had for it.

  I pressed my lips together and narrowed my eyes at the screen. Maybe I need to find one of these people who can do what I do and get them to answer my questions.

  My fingers hit against the keyboard ferociously. I quickly scanned the search results and found several forums detailing people’s out of body experiences, but the problem was that I had no idea which ones were legit or not. I briefly considered signing up for the forum myself and posting my questions, but then I wondered about the legitimacy of the information I’d receive. I didn’t need a group of random strangers telling me this and that. I needed a mentor, someone who legitimately knew about the paranormal. If I could talk with them over the phone, even better.

  After reading through several forum posts, I headed back to the search page. For a moment, I just stared at the computer screen with my hands resting on the keyboard. Who could I possibly contact about my questions? What would they call themselves? A psychic, maybe? On and on, my search continued through psychic’s blogs and phone psychic advertisements until I had the brilliant idea to narrow my search for geographical location. Could there be someone nearby who was like me?

  I must have been sitting at the computer for two hours before I found a promising web page. My cheek rested in my hand, and my eyes began to droop. As soon as I started reading the page, I immediately perked up. My face drew closer to the computer screen as if magnetized while I read about a woman who had admitted to her entire town that she was psychic. The person who’d posted the comment seemed skeptical, but he talked about how the town always had their suspicions about the woman. She ran a psychic-themed shop, he said, called Divination, and her tarot card readings were so accurate that he accused her of cheating somehow. Could this woman possibly know something about the paranormal and help me out?

  I quickly searched the town he was talking about. I’d never heard of Peyton Springs before, but as soon as the directions popped up, my fingers began to shake in excitement. It was a drive, but I could make a day trip out of it.

  I returned to the tab that talked about the shop called Divination. My eyes narrowed at the screen. Could this lady really know what she was talking about and help me understand my gift? There was only one way to find out.

  “Why not?” I complained to my mother the following evening. “Why can’t I have the car for just the day on Saturday?”

  My mom let out a breath of air like she couldn’t believe what I was asking. She turned to me after closing the dishwasher and pressing the start button. “Because I’m not comfortable with you driving alone yet. You haven’t had your license that long, and in the time you have had it, you haven’t gotten much practice.”

  That’s because we never go anywhere together, I wanted to say, but I held my tongue. “But Mom, I’m a good driver.”

  She placed her hands on her hips and stared at me from across the kitchen. “What do you even need the car for?”

  I shrugged, but inside, my blood was boiling. “I want to go shopping and stuff. You know? I just need a day to myself. I’ll use my own money for gas.”

  My mother laughed. “It’s not about the gas money, Kai. It’s about your safety. I don’t want you driving alone yet.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. I couldn’t believe how unfair she was being! Sure, things had been better between us lately, but she was still my mother and sometimes acted in ways I couldn’t quite wrap my head around.

  “What about if someone else comes with me?” I suggested, even though I wanted to go alone.

  “You mean Savannah or Collin?” She turned to the sink to wet a washcloth.

  It took me a second to realize my mouth was hanging open. “Uh, yeah.”

&nbsp
; She wiped down the counter as she spoke. “That’s not any better than driving alone. You’ll get distracted with your friends in the car.”

  “Then why can’t I go alone? There won’t be any distractions then.”

  “No,” she said, her pitch rising.

  “What if Savannah or Collin drove me?”

  “Kai!” She threw down her rag, and I could swear her voice echoed off the kitchen walls. “I said no.”

  “But Mom—”

  “End of discussion.”

  “But what if—”

  “No. You’re not ready to drive the car without me, and the more you push it, the less chance you have of me letting you go anywhere at all.”

  I was about to suggest that she come with me, but she didn’t let me finish. It’s not like I wanted her to come. I loved my mom, but I didn’t think she’d be the first person I told about my gift.

  Sometimes I wondered if my ability to step out of my body at night was inherited from one of my parents. I could remember times when I was little, though, that my family talked about the weird dreams they’d had, and I knew I was somehow an anomaly. My dreams never felt as strange as my family described. It always felt real, just as real as it felt to stand in the kitchen and argue with my mother. I knew that if I tried to tell her about what I could do, she wouldn’t believe me.

  The couple of times I did mention what I’d done while sleeping—it was dumb things like watching cartoons or stalking the neighbor’s cat—she would always reply with something like, “That’s a silly dream, Kai.” Of course, I was like six, which was right around the time when I started to realize no one else left their bodies when they slept.