Catch Me When I Fall Read Online Free PDF Page A

feet.
    “No, you’re wrong!” He yelled at an empty spot in the room.
    Kayla grabbed his wrist. “Marcus, calm down.”
    He snatched his wrist out of her grasp and turned in his chair toward whatever invisible person he screamed at. “No! I don’t have to listen to you! She’s my friend.” He stood up and marched over to the empty space, swinging like he was backhanding someone.
    Kayla jumped from her seat and stood in front of him. She placed her hands on his upper arms. “Marcus, they aren’t going to hurt you.”
    “Get off me!” He shoved her away from him, hard. Not weighing much, Kayla flew into the chair behind her. Bolted to the floor, the chair didn’t budge. She yelped in pain and crashed to the ground.
    I took a step toward her, every fiber in me wanting to make sure she was okay. But then I remembered what I was and ground my teeth.
    Seeing the violence, the nurses rushed in. Two of the bigger men grabbed Marcus as he fought them, eventually having to resort to a tranquilizer to calm him down. Two others jogged to Kayla where she sat on the ground, her eyes wet with tears. She clutched her side where her ribs had hit the metal chair. I balled my hands into fists, angry that I could do nothing but watch as the nurses helped her to her feet and led her out of the cafeteria.

    After Marcus’ outburst, Kayla had been taken to the first floor where the medical part of the asylum was located. They’d run x-rays and eventually treated her for a bruised rib. But she still winced every time she breathed.
    With my arms crossed over my chest, I watched Kayla converse with her psychiatrist.
    “How many times have we told you not to intercede when Marcus is having an episode?” the psychiatrist asked. The name on her coat read Dr. Malcolm.
    “I know.” Kayla’s eyes dropped to the floor.
    “Then why did you confront him?”
    “I just wanted to help.”
    Dr. Malcolm’s stare was intense. She folded her hands in her lap and sighed. “Kayla, it’s not up to you to fix Marcus. You know that.”
    Kayla nodded but didn’t look up at her doctor.
    “You have a good heart. But sometimes you need to take a step back and let the people who can help intercede. Do you need a sedative tonight?”
    Kayla raised her head and shook it
no
.
    “Okay. Well, push the call button if you change your mind.” She patted Kayla’s knee and stood.
    Kayla nodded and, with a soft smile, Dr. Malcolm left the room. Kayla whimpered as she rose from her chair and lay on the bed. She took a well-loved teddy bear out from under her blankets and gripped the stuffed animal tight, her dark hair falling into her face as tears overflowed.
    I turned to Tabbi. “Let’s do the spell now and go relax before nightfall.”
    Tabbi nodded. She placed her small hand in mine, and together we crossed the room. In our invisible state, anything we touched—though we could feel the objects—would be undisturbed on the other side of the veil. It was the only way a Dreamweaver could touch a human without the human knowing they were there. Tabbi placed her hand over Kayla’s heart and waited for me start speaking.
    “
Cum vota nostra, nobis iurare ad protegendum. Angeli ligare nose simus unum
.”
    Tabbi spoke the words alongside me: “With our vows, we do swear to protect. Angels, bind us so we may become one.” When Kayla’s skin under Tabbi’s hand flashed blue, we knew the spell worked. Now, if Tabbi focused hard enough, she would be able to get inside Kayla’s head and see what Kayla saw, feel what Kayla was feeling, even if they weren’t in the same room. The spell helped us stay connected to our charge. Then whenever Kayla needed us outside of her normal sleeping pattern, like a nap, Tabbi would alert me, and I’d evaporate to wherever Kayla was.
    “Whew. Humans are complicated,” Tabbi said, removing her hand from Kayla’s chest.
    “If you could read Protectors’ minds, I think you’d find we’re complicated, too.”
    Tabbi