by Abigail Owen
“I will not waste time on formalities,” Oren’s shimmering form spoke. “Our tracker, who has been watching over Selene since she left to attend college, can’t see her any more. Please tell me she is there with you.”
Griffin felt his chest constrict. Only Ellie’s hand on his arm kept him from tearing upstairs.
“Oren, do you have any idea where she might’ve gone?” Alex asked.
“None,” Oren let out a deep sigh. “But she’s never cut off contact completely like this before.”
“She’s never been disowned by her people before, either,” Griffin countered, slamming a hand on the counter. “She was distraught.”
Lucy shook her head. “She had no intention of leaving us.”
“She was sad, but I don’t think she was going to leave. Especially without saying anything. That’s not like her,” Lila added.
“You’re getting better at healing emotions, Lily,” Ramsey said. “But you’re still working on recognizing them. And she was blocking your healing. Are you sure she wasn’t just blocking you in general?”
Lila’s pressed her lips in a tight line. “I could see her emotions.”
“Okay. If she didn’t leave, then she was taken,” Ellie concluded. She glanced around the room at the worried faces.
“…Now the question is, what are we going to do about it?”
*****
Selene woke slowly, the drug-induced haze lifting a little at a time. At first she couldn’t remember where she was or even what day it was. Pictures started popping into her mind like watching a still-motion movie. Slowly at first and then faster.
With a gasp she shot straight up and immediately lay back down, putting a weary hand to her aching head, the room spinning woozily around her. She waited for the sickening feeling to pass and then, very slowly, eased herself to a sitting position, doing her best to ignore the rolling in her stomach.
Eventually she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was in a small room with only one door, no windows, and no furniture beyond the sink and toilet in the corner and the simple bed she was lying on. She couldn’t see any surveillance cameras, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t being watched. Panic flooded through her, though she refused to let it rule her. Her years with Gideon had provided her with many tools for coping with situations like this.
Focusing on taking deep, calming breaths, Selene mentally ran through what she knew for sure.
She’d been kidnapped by Maddox…but how?
Another memory kicked in, and Selene groaned. Maddox had a teleporter. That meant she could be anywhere in the world right now.
Okay, Selene. Think! What options do I have? I have my wolf morph...
She quickly discarded that option. Her captors could also turn into wolves and ones who were much larger and stronger than she was. So attacking them was out.
Maybe she could use her wolf’s sense to try to figure out the answers she needed. Or the link to the pack.
Selene reached for her wolf and attempted to shift.
Oh my God… I can’t morph!
She tried again, but she still remained in human form. Her hands curled into the sheets on the bed on either side of her. Closing her eyes, she forced her emotions back under her control. Panic never served any good purpose.
Okay. Her wolf morph was apparently not working. What about her other powers? Those would be more difficult to determine. Still, it was worth a try.
Keeping her eyes closed, she reached out with her mind and searched for a glowing light indicating a power was being used nearby. She saw nothing but pitch black. But that didn’t necessarily mean anything. The Vyusher who took her just might not be close by at the moment.
Selene abandoned that idea, although she devoted a small part of her concentration to keeping watch in case a light flared up. Next she thought about trying her dream control. This was the most difficult of her powers to access when she wasn’t completely calm. It was also one of two abilities she possessed that Gideon hadn’t known about. Maddox already knew about that ability of hers. But if he had someone like her, someone who was flipping the off-switch on her powers, they didn’t know yet. She didn’t want to reveal to them her secret ability. Keeping it off the radar might just save her life.
Okay. My powers are out of the equation for now. What else? What else?
Selene opened her eyes and looked around again. There was literally nothing in the room that was in any way useful for an escape. The bed she sat on, which was very basic metal frame with a single mattress, sheet and blanket. Not even a pillow. The toilet and sink weren’t any help either. Selene unconsciously drummed her fingers. What else?
Oren! Her friend and second-father had the ability to astral-project. He’d been contacting her daily in this way since she’d left for college. She just needed to be patient and he would find her.
She’d have to wait on that one. But just in case…
“Griffin!” she mentally called out. If he was close enough, maybe he’d pick up her cries with his telepathy. She also continued to reach out for powers. If she could find one, she could control it. Maybe she’d get lucky.
Because if she couldn’t, Selene didn’t want to think of the alternatives.
*****
“Your tracker can’t feel her anywhere?” Hugh addressed the misty image of Selene’s kinsman.
Oren spread his hands before him. “She’s searching, but no… she can’t find her anywhere. Of course, the entire planet is a lot to search,” he added wryly.
“I think we all know who took her,” Ellie murmured, tapping her fingernail on her teeth. “It was Maddox. Oren, is Sheila able to track him?”
Oren’s figure shifted around and appeared to be addressing someone out of sight. Turning back to the room, he shook his head. “She says she hasn’t been able to find Maddox or the other Vyusher who left with him since they quit the pack.”
“Is someone with them able to block her powers?” Ramsey asked, popping the knuckles in his hands distractedly.
“Not that we are aware of, but that particular group made up Gideon’s key lieutenants and advisors. What they kept secret from the rest of us is still unknown.”
“Hang on…” Ellie shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Wouldn’t Selene be able to turn their powers off?”
“Possibly,” Oren mused.
Griffin clenched his hands at his sides. “Possibly? What exactly does that mean?”
“A couple of scenarios might be in play here. Maybe she’s knocked unconscious, or she turned off their powers but is trapped somewhere, or they’re blocking her powers.”
“Jeez.” Griffin leaned his elbows on the table and covered his eyes with his hands. “Please tell me someone has an idea on how to deal with this.” He looked around the room desperately. “We have to find her…. We have to!”
Chapter 26
Selene heard the lock turn and quickly sat down on the bed. She assumed her most regal posture — her back straight, ankles crossed daintily to the side, hands folded in her lap, and her face arranged into a cold, blank mask. She took a deep breath and braced herself for whatever was about to come in.
A man entered and closed the door behind him with a soft click.
“Maddox,” Selene said coolly.
He stared at her silently for several long moments. Selene didn’t betray her unease by even a single bat of an eyelash. The many years of hiding her true thoughts and feelings from Gideon were certainly coming in handy now.
Maddox tipped his head. “Ever the ice princess, huh, Selene?”
Selene ignored his comment. “Why have you brought me here?”
“To marry you.”
Selene struggled to keep a straight face. “Why? You have Zara.”
“Zara is willing to step aside for our cause.” Maddox crossed his arms over his chest.
“And what does marrying me have to do with your cause?”
“If we are to continue with Gideon’s re
ign …” Maddox left the thought open.
“… You must marry into the ruling family or the Vyusher will never accept you,” Selene finished for him. She looked down at her hands folded neatly in her lap but didn’t really see them. “That makes no sense. You made a strategic mistake by getting me kicked out of the pack. And by trying to discredit me with those murders.”
Maddox gave her a sinister smile so reminiscent of Gideon that her skin crawled. “You let me worry about that.”
Selene rose to her feet, aristocracy evident in every line of her body. “I won’t marry you.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Maddox opened the door and accepted a tray of food from someone standing outside. He placed it on the floor at his feet, and, without so much as a backward glance, he left the room.
Selene waited until she heard the sounds of multiple locks in the door before she sank back on the bed. She had no doubt that Maddox had a specific plan and could do exactly what he’d said. But without her powers, how was she supposed to get out of this mess?
Mulling through her options, Selene got the tray of food off the floor and sat back down to eat.
*****
As far as Selene could tell, she’d been held captive for a few days, which meant that she’d missed Christmas with the family, but it wasn’t quite New Year’s Eve yet. The only gauge she had to help her assess the passing of time was her meals. She’d been served six so far. That and the fact that the lights would go off for four hours or so after long stretches of being on. She assumed that meant it was nighttime and would take advantage of the opportunity to sleep.
Unfortunately, Selene had nothing to occupy her time during the day and was ready to go mad from sheer boredom. Maddox had not returned; in fact, no one had been to see her other than the faceless, speechless meal deliverer. She’d spent many hours scouring every single inch of the room. But there was absolutely no way in or out that didn’t involve the heavily locked door.
The faint turn of one of the locks signaled that breakfast was being served. Selene remained on the bed and propped herself up on one elbow as the tray was pushed into the room.
“Hey, you… whoever you are…” she called.
She listened for a response. She hadn’t tried talking to her jailer yet, figuring it was useless. She didn’t get an answer, but she also didn’t hear them walk away.
“If it’s at all possible, I would very much appreciate a book or magazine. Something to pass the time in here,” she called, feeling a bit like an idiot talking to a door.
As she heard all the locks slide back into place, Selene let out a deep sigh.
At least the food isn’t half bad, she thought as she fetched her tray. She’d just resigned herself to another day of staring at the ceiling and going stir crazy from boredom when the locks started sounding again.
Selene watched the door curiously as it opened wider than normal. Suddenly, a body was roughly shoved inside. Selene gasped and jumped off the bed and hurried over to kneel beside the young, unconscious girl. She had matted brown hair, cracked lips, and was so pale she almost looked translucent.
“Oh my heaven,” Selene muttered. She gingerly lifted the fragile girl in her arms and carried her across the room. The tiny thing was skin and bones, so petite that Selene worried she might break her.
She laid her gently down on the bed. Then she removed the girl’s shoes and tucked her feet under the covers. She brushed the mass of hair out of the girl’s face. Exhaustion was written on her features in the form of shadows under her eyes so purple they almost looked bruised. The girl looked young, maybe a hundred years or so younger than Selene if she had to take a guess, but, of course, it was difficult to tell age with their race.
Selene pulled the blanket over the girl and then sat down on the cold floor. She wrapped her arms around her knees and waited, her eyes never leaving the face of her visitor who appeared to be in a dead sleep.
*****
Griffin paced back and forth in Hugh and Lucy’s living room, where all of the family was gathered. The place looked like a dorm room with sleeping bags and blankets everywhere. With absolutely no lead to where Selene might be, Hugh and Dexter had suggested they stay together constantly for two reasons: the first was to protect themselves from possible kidnap, as Selene had been taken from them without anyone having an inkling of it happening. The second reason was if somehow Selene managed to contact them, they’d need to act fast.
But it had been five days now. Five excruciatingly long days.
“Griffin, you’re giving me whiplash,” Nate complained, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Then don’t watch me,” Griffin snapped.
Nate settled back in the couch and propped his legs up on the coffee table. “Hey, man, I know you’re worried, but don’t take it out on me.”
Griffin paused, raking a hand through his hair. “Sorry, Nate. I just hate feeling like we’re being kept in a prison. Reminds me too much of when Ellie and I were on the run.”
“Is that what you’re most worried about?” Ellie thought to him. She was out on patrol in her falcon form. She and Griffin had been trading on and off since Selene had disappeared.
“Now’s not the time,” he thought back with a scowl.
“Now’s the best time,” his stubborn sister insisted. “Why can’t you admit that it’s Selene whom you’re most concerned about?”
“I’m not really in the mood to analyze and catalog all my concerns right now,” he retorted, more harshly than he’d intended.
“Ellie,” Alex’s voice cut into both their thoughts. “Sorry darlin’. I don’t know what you’re saying to him, but Griffin looks like he’s ready to choke someone. And since you’re not here to give him a handy target, I highly suggest you give him a break.”
Griffin heard Ellie sigh. “Fine,” she muttered. “But don’t think that I’m done with this topic.”
Griffin shot Alex a grateful look and was just about to thank him when Oren’s form shimmered into the room.
“Ellie—!”
“On my way,” she called.
Oren got right to the point. “Sheila caught a flash.”
“Of Selene?” Lucy asked as she entered the room. She and Adelaide joined Nate on the couch.
Oren nodded. “Yes. It was very fast. Not enough time for Sheila to get a solid location on her, though she’s narrowed it down to the United States.”
“Is she sure?” Alex pressed.
“That it was Selene? Absolutely. Once Sheila has located someone once, she says they have a unique signature that allows her to easily identify them after that. It was definitely Selene.”
“So what now?” Griffin pressed, anxious to be able to finally do something.
Oren bowed his head. “Unfortunately, now we wait.”
Before Griffin could come completely unglued, Lila reached over and lay her hand over his forearm, gripping tightly. He felt a sense of calm wash through him. It wasn’t peace — he was far too keyed up for her to affect him that much—but he was definitely less agitated.
“This is good news,” Lila reminded him. “It means Selene is alive. It means that whatever she’s doing on her end to try to escape might be working.”
“You’re assuming she’s not the one blocking Sheila,” he reminded her.
Lila nodded, her resolve clear. “Yes, I am.”
Griffin looked into Lila’s green eyes, took one more deep breath, and relaxed just the slightest bit.
“Okay then. We wait.”
Chapter 27
Selene awoke from what had been a fitful sleep. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she sat up in bed, careful not to disturb the girl now sharing it with her. It had been close to two days since her roommate had joined her, but the girl was still out. Selene concluded that she must be in some sort of coma. People just didn’t sleep like that. She was starting to worry a little bit about the girl’s physical needs. The poor thing hadn’t had anything to eat or drink i
n two days. That couldn’t be good. In an attempt to help, Selene had even tried to drip some of the water she got from the sink into the girl’s mouth, but it had just dribbled back out again.
Selene strained her ears, listening for the noise that had woken her up, but heard nothing. There weren’t any windows in the small room, just an overhead light that her captors controlled, and that was presently turned off. So it wasn’t as if she could really see anything.
Instinctively, she stretched out with her powers. And that’s when she felt it.
Selene gasped. Just a hint of a spark, but it was definitely there. She couldn’t see the color yet, could barely glimpse the shimmer of light. But someone close by was using their power.
She held onto that spark. It wasn’t enough to do anything with—yet. But it was her only hope.
What the heck! It was almost as if the invisible wall that had been blocking her powers – unseen but definitely felt - had started to crumble under her constant attempt to use her abilities, and she now was starting to break through.
To test her theory, she pushed just a little bit harder at that spark. It widened slightly and then shrank back as she felt the wielder amp up their own pressure on her. But she could still see that miniscule flicker.
Now she had a shred of hope, a possible avenue open to her. Selene increased the strength behind her constant push to use her power. Not much, only enough to add pressure, but not so much that the blocker – because there had to be a blocker - might suspect anything amiss. With a small smile, she settled back into bed, cramped as it was with the two of them sharing it, and went back to sleep.
