by Jaime Rush
Bastard.
He took her hands in his, and everything she felt for Kasabian slid away. A trill of panic filled the empty space left behind. What if Treylon erased all of her feelings? What if she couldn’t love Kasabian anymore?
“That’s much better,” she lied, pulling her hands away as fast as she could.
“Good. As I said last time, the easiest way is to Leap you to where my lover is. You can bond us, and then I’ll bring you back.”
He sounded so convincing that she wondered if maybe that was his intent after all. Or was it the Thrall that helped her to believe?
He reached for her hands again. Her body evaporated, then reappeared in a beautiful garden with concrete paths stamped with the patterns of leaves. Several two-story buildings blended into the natural landscape with neutral colors.
Kasabian, see through my eyes. She spun in a slow circle. “It’s a lovely place. Where are we?”
“A private facility for rehabilitation.” He was giving nothing away.
Kasabian had described a cord that connected them, but she couldn’t see it. She groped for the connection but could feel nothing of him. The panic returned. Had Treylon cut the bond after all?
“This way, m’dear.” Treylon led her to the nearest building, upstairs to one of the rooms at the end. He opened the door to a luxury suite with a view of the water. An ocean breeze wafted through the open French doors, making the sheer curtains dance. “She’s in the bedroom,” Treylon said, taking her arm and leading her to the doorway. Where Silva sat, his blue eyes bright with…anticipation?
She tried to act surprised to see him, not wanting them to know that she’d come willingly. With a plan.
He stood and approached her. “Were you in the car with Kasabian when it went over the bridge? Never mind answering. I can feel your fear over it.”
Treylon’s mouth tightened. “Since you’re alive, so is Kasabian, I presume.” Unfortunately, he sounded disappointed, not relieved. “I suppose you thought you’d lead him here. Didn’t he tell you that the barrier keeps him from sensing where you are? And Leaping here?”
Her heart froze. But they were bonded. Kasabian would feel her fear and know something was up. Then he’d tune in and see her, like he’d done before. He could pick up some clue from her surroundings, so she would search for visual landmarks. Their bond would save them.
By the time Kasabian arrived back at his apartment, he felt a strange absence of Kye’s anger. She’d accepted his abandonment of her then. Maybe even realized it was for the best.
Can you?
He had to. Separating from her was for the best. The thought of it hurt like hell, but he’d already started the process. Seeing Kye’s face when she realized he was shutting her out stabbed him in the heart. That she’d believed in him made it even worse. The problem was that he didn’t believe in his ability to control his Wraithlord Shadow. Especially with Sarai’s vision of him killing Kye.
He dropped down onto his bed and dug into his psyche for that cord that bound them. Could he sever it? His father had been about to, so Kasabian should have that ability as well. In his mind, he grasped the cord. He wanted to follow it to her, to see her. The need clawed through him.
He sucked in a deep breath. No. He would weaken, falter.
The Dragon Shadow fought him, sending bursts of pain through his psyche. He summoned his Light, creating a knife that gleamed silver. This was a bond she never wanted, one that had been forced upon her. She’d tried to break it herself. He prepared to slice the knife across the cord, gently, so the connection didn’t shake. He didn’t want to startle her.
His hand trembled, even though it was in the psychic space of his mind. The Shadow pummeled him, trying to wrench him back. He fought against it, pulling the blade across the cord and severing it.
Chapter 20
Kye searched as the two men led her outside and toward the building closest to the water. Small signs identified the various buildings, and on one was the logo of a nautilus shell. She summoned all her fear and focused on that logo.
Come on, Kasabian, connect.
She remembered feeling him coming through the connection before, though she hadn’t known what it was until Kasabian yelled at her. He would yell again, once he realized what she’d done. Then he’d see what an opportunity it was. Maybe he could bypass the barrier because of their bond. Finally she spotted a sign with the likely name of the facility: Wildwood. She stared, willing Kasabian to see it.
Why couldn’t she feel him? Angry, scared, she’d take anything at this point. But Kasabian was…gone. Now that she was tuning in, she could feel his absence.
Don’t panic. He’ll get your note.
A lot of good that would do if he couldn’t find this place. She’d put herself in danger for nothing. She had to still her breaths as full-scale panic set in. Stop. They’ll feel it.
The men were talking about timelines and names, and though they were watching her, it was mostly out of the corner of their eyes. Maybe this wouldn’t be for nothing after all. If she could escape, she would be able to tell Kasabian where this place was. She surreptitiously scanned the property and began working up two blue orbs in the palms of her hands. At one end, she could see a tall fence behind overgrown hedges. She didn’t think she could scale the fence before her captors would stop her. She knew their power, especially Silva’s. Escape was unlikely, but she had to try. In fact, she had nothing to lose. They needed her, so they wouldn’t kill her. At least she hoped not.
Toward the back of the property was the ocean. No fences, just a dock. And lots of water. And they were headed right to it. The orbs grew hot in her hands, still small enough to conceal. She’d been able to surprise Silva before, when he hadn’t been expecting an orb to slam into him.
As they started to turn toward the building that was closest to the ocean, she turned and threw the orbs at them. They smashed into each man’s face. Then she ran like hell. They shouted, at first in surprise; then she heard Treylon ordering Silva to stop her. If only she had the breath to scream. Her plan was to dive as far out into the water as she could, where she’d be potentially in sight of the general public—people on boats or in the surrounding houses.
Something grabbed her, something definitely not human. She saw black fingers clutching at her shoulders. She dropped and rolled, and the grip loosened. The water was only a few yards away now. She didn’t dare look back, zigzagging in case Silva was aiming that black magick at her. A spear shot past her, then curved around in front of her. Not a spear but more of a rope, aiming to loop around her as though she were a runaway horse. She ducked, nearly losing her balance, and veered away from the dock.
She reached the seawall and prepared to dive. Her burning calf muscles coiled in preparation. Footsteps pounded behind her. Her feet braced on the concrete. Just as she launched, ropes slithered around her body and pulled her back, throwing her to the ground.
The sky swam in front of her, and then Silva’s piqued expression as he leaned over her. She gasped, trying to catch her breath.
“Nice try, Ms. Rivers,” he said. “But no cigar.”
Treylon came into view, huffing and puffing. “Keep her bound and take her inside.”
She could barely walk, what with her gasping breaths and aching muscles. It didn’t help that those horrid magick ropes wrapped around her all the way to her knees, making her shuffle. The Caidos escorted her into the first room on the ground floor and only then released her. Four children sat inside, two Caidos, a Deuce, and a Dragon, all huddled on one bed. No hope glimmered in their eyes, even as they turned to her. Their eyes were empty and so, so sad. Kasabian was right. Kye would do anything to help them. Anything at all.
Silva opened his mouth, but Treylon cut him off. “We have been working with these four for a while now. The Caidos channel the Crescents’ essence and send it upward, where it accumulates in a vessel. But it drains the children so quickly.” Treylon actually looked sympathetic. “If you b
ond one Caido to one Crescent, both will continue to be strong.”
Kye’s throat tightened painfully at the thought. “I can’t bond children.”
“They only need to last until the solar storm wave rolls through. You can help them survive. Once we’ve filled the vessel, we can break the bond and release them unharmed.”
He wouldn’t care that she had no idea how to unbond them. She met Treylon’s gaze. Could she believe that he’d release them?
“Memory-locked, of course,” he added. “You, too. But you can all survive if you cooperate. If you don’t, we’ll simply kill you now.” He gave a baleful look at the kids. “And the Crescents will likely die.”
The children sucked in a breath, and one made a sobbing noise.
“You give your oath?” she asked.
“I do. I have no ill will toward the children. They are only tools for a very important purpose.”
“To free Caidos from the curse.”
His eyes glittered with passion. “Do you know the pain we live in? Unable to work and play among others. To love.”
“It’s a worthy goal.” She looked at the children. “But the cost is too high. And that cost includes your own son.”
“He is already dead to me.”
“Because he’s trying to save these children.” She could vividly imagine him as a boy, leading those children to safety. “It was the right thing to do. He’s a good man.”
Silva snarled. “He was only saving his own ass.”
“If that’s true, he would have left alone. But he took children who slowed him down, no doubt.” Admiration swelled in her heart. “It was risky.”
“He’s no hero to me.” Silva’s bitterness tainted his words.
Treylon made a huffing sound. “He was blinded by their suffering and couldn’t see the bigger picture. If the Caido population knew what they lost, they would not see Kasabian as a hero.”
“But they’ll see you as a hero,” she said.
Treylon raised his fist. “I will be a god among my people instead of a laughable failure. Even the angels will bow to me.”
“Why?”
“Because once the vessel is filled with essence, the additional power of the solar storm will free them from this plane. Which will break our connection with them and free us as well.”
“I think having the angels in your debt, garnering their respect and admiration, is more important to you than freeing your fellow Caidos.”
Treylon’s smile was fleeting. “That does motivate me, yes. One gets tired of being looked down upon and disparaged.”
Kye could relate to that, but she would never go to the insane lengths Treylon had. “Getting respect is never worth such a sacrifice.”
He pinned her with a look. “Will you be a hero to these children?”
She fought his attempt to Thrall her. He didn’t need to. “Yes.” And then I will kill you. “After one more promise. That you won’t hurt Kasabian.”
“She’s in love with him,” Silva said, grit in his voice.
All of her anger and angst over Kasabian was gone, courtesy of Treylon. But her feelings were not. She faced Silva. “And so are you.”
His scoffing laugh was hollow. “Ridiculous.”
“Then why did you offer to restore Kasabian’s Caido essence only if he would submit to you sexually?”
Treylon’s eyes narrowed. “Restore his essence?”
“Because he Stripped him,” Kye said.
“Stripped…when did this happen?”
“When he came here yesterday,” Kye answered, cutting off Silva’s words just as Treylon had earlier. “Silva lured him to Kennedy Park early this morning, where they fought.” She gave Treylon a puzzled look. “Doesn’t he tell you anything?”
Silva’s eyes flashed black as he glared at her. “You will shut up now.” He lifted his hand.
Treylon gripped his wrist. “No, she has so much to say.” His eyes narrowed. “That’s why you killed Gren, isn’t it? Because he knew and was about to tell me. You killed one of our assets to cover your tracks.”
Silva had murdered one of their own? Cold chills washed over Kye. And he would kill her, too. She could see it in his eyes.
“It wasn’t like that,” Silva said, the submissive boy edging into his voice. “Gren was defecting, just as Beldeen did.”
“You didn’t tell me you’d Stripped him. Or about your meeting in the park.”
Silva crossed his arms over his chest, as regal as a prince defending his actions. “Details. You give her pleasure driving a wedge between us. That’s all she’s doing.”
Damn, she forgot how Caidos could pick up emotions.
She turned to Treylon. “You haven’t promised not to kill Kasabian.”
“I will not kill him,” Treylon bit out.
Both men felt righteous in their motives, and both felt that Kasabian had been the betrayer, albeit for different reasons.
Treylon put his hand to her back. “You will begin bonding the children.”
“I will have to rest between them. It takes a lot out of me. When does it need to be finished?” She looked out at the dying light of day.
“The solar storm is predicted to arrive full force sometime tomorrow.” He waved his hand in front of the window. Suddenly, a tall tube was visible in the sky, the image wavering against reality. A blue substance filled the tube nearly to the top. “That must be completely full by morning.”
Kye glanced at the children on the twin beds. Jonathan was here somewhere. She wanted to find him. “Let’s get started.” She approached the nearest Caido boy, who she guessed was about ten. All of them so young, so vulnerable, with their pallid complexions and shadows beneath their eyes. “I’m Kye,” she said. “What’s your name?”
“Evan,” he whispered.
“I know this whole situation sucks. I’d love to bust you right out of here.” She turned toward the Deuce girl squished into the back corner. “What’s your name?”
“Cassie,” she whispered.
“I’m going to form a bond between you two. It will make the channeling easier.” She wasn’t going to say that it would mostly help Evan. The drain would be the same for Cassie unfortunately. “It won’t hurt.” She turned to Evan. “You may feel a lot of emotions washing over you. It’ll go on for a little while, and it might be scary. I’ll be here if you need me.”
“We don’t have time for that,” Silva said.
She shot him a hard look. “Yes, we do.” She took each of their hands in hers. Because these children weren’t old enough to be romantically interested in anyone, they shouldn’t bond on that level. Forgive me, she asked no one in particular, and began the Cobra.
The children took the bonding well. She held their hands throughout the process and rested for a while between the two pairs here. Silva glared at her the entire time, checking his watch.
Kye released the second pair’s hands and approached the two men. “How many children are there altogether?”
“Eighteen, for now.”
For now. They were working on getting more. Please, please let them fail.
They led her to the next room, and then the next. Her bones felt weak, her soul stretched thin, until she saw that familiar face with the big brown eyes. Jonathan. She had thought of him so much that she expected him to recognize her. He buried his face against his bent knees. He had almost gotten away. To be that close and then returned here must have been hell.
She sat on the bed and ran her hand down Jonathan’s back. “Hi, sweetheart. I’m sorry that you’re here. I’m going to try to make this a little better, so you won’t get as weak.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Lyle has been trying to find you. He loves you very much.”
The boy lifted his head, surprise and hope in his eyes. She wasn’t sure there was reason to hope, but she wanted him to know someone loved him. Cared. She had failed him, though he didn’t know that. By not sticking that orb to the Hummer. By making the decision to come here witho
ut knowing the rules of Leaping. All she could do was save him some suffering. Despite Treylon’s promise, she couldn’t be sure any of them would survive once this was over.
The receptionist left for the day, leaving Sarai alone with Kye’s parents in the waiting room. The building was quiet, other than the soothing music still flowing from the hidden speakers and the distant sound of conversation. Kye’s office was very quiet, but Sarai figured the room was soundproofed for privacy.
Mrs. Rivers sat ramrod straight in the chair, her mouth moving silently. Probably talking to a spirit. Thank the gods I didn’t get that kind of ability.
The visions were bad enough, though when they saved people’s lives, it was worth it. Sarai had met Kye’s parents only a few times, when Kye had included her in holiday celebrations. Then she’d seen the other side of her friend, the one that quietly put up with her parents’ subtle put-downs, their obvious disappointment. But now Sarai could see how much they loved their daughter.
“You tell her then,” Mrs. Rivers said, her voice going a hair louder in agitation. “It’s a bad idea.”
“Uh-oh,” Mr. Rivers said. “Must be your mother.”
Mrs. Rivers rolled her eyes. “She hasn’t left me alone since I gave Kye the message.” She looked at something—someone—about two feet in front of her, her expression one of a girl who was being chewed out by her mother. “I told her exactly what you said!”
“Was that the thing about her being committed?” Sarai asked, feeling as though she were intruding on a private conversation.
Mrs. Rivers nodded sharply. “My mother said it. I can’t help it if Kye took it the crazy committed way.”
“How was it meant?” In the context of these circumstances, crazy made sense, Kye throwing herself into a dangerous situation with a dangerous man.
“She meant to commit to someone. If Kye commits herself to that deranged Caido, her abilities will come back. That sounds crazy!”
“Are you sure she means Kasabian?”
