Boone shook his head. "I'll go, but we need to come straight back here." Boone looked hard at Wyna. "Make sure they understand that."
Wyna chuckled, which made my lip curl back in distaste. "They intend to return you. That is the point in fact."
"Then why don't we just stay?" Boone asked.
Wyna shrugged. "They wish you to have a chance at survival." She said it as though she couldn’t care less one way or the other.
"We'll go," I said.
"Follow Aghrah." Wyna nodded at the person. "He is the leader for the group."
"You're not coming?" I asked.
"I will meet you there," Wyna said. She screeched again at the gremlin and he turned, walking up the hill.
"He's in a hurry," Boone said, scooping up the bag and tossing it over his shoulder.
"Yeah, I think we should be too." I wrung my hands. "Look, there's something else I need to tell you." I turned back to Wyna, intent on asking her if any of the gremlins could speak our language. "Where did she go?" She had disappeared. I didn't see or hear any trace of her.
"There's something about that woman that I don't like," Boone said.
"Me too." We followed the gremlins, but I repeatedly cast anxious looks behind us until we were over the hill and our little campsite was lost from view.
"What were you going to say?" Boone asked.
"What?" My mind still tried to wrap around the fact that Wyna had disappeared.
"You said there was something else you needed to tell me," Boone said.
"Oh, right." I frowned and tried carefully to line up my words. "This isn't going to help the whole trust issue we have, but we're stuck with each other, so there's more you need to know. About me, I mean."
"Okay." Boone's voice sounded cautious, but I couldn't tell if it was because of me or because he was keeping a close eye on the gremlins.
The gremlins, however, took very little notice of us.
So, I told him everything while we were led through another stand of trees. I kept my eyes on the gremlins as I spoke, but it was only so I could conveniently avoid looking at Boone. He knew about my soul, but I told him the effects I had on what Rider always referred to as predators. I told him about the tiny fragments of soul that sometimes wanted to make their way out—anything that could have a direct impact on him while we worked together.
"I know it's a lot to take in," I said when I finished my speech. When he didn't say anything, I felt the need to chat. "But we are stuck together and it's something you need to know."
"Your partners know all this?" Boone said after another long moment.
"Of course they do. We work together, I couldn't not tell them."
"None of this is in the files," Boone said.
"Yeah, I'd like to keep it that way if we could."
"You didn't ask me if I would keep this quiet."
I shrugged, resigned to my predicament. "It doesn't matter one way or the other. You need to know. If the others were here, maybe not, but they're back home."
"What do they do when something happens in the field?" He kept his voice level, but I was still too anxious to look him in the eye.
"It rarely happens." I tried to stress that part without making it sound like it never happened. "But I make them carry around tranquilizers."
"They're okay with that?"
"I didn't give them much choice." The words weighed on me. The more information I gave him, the more the office would know. "But Logan's the only one who's had to use one."
Boone walked quietly for a while, so once again I felt the need to converse.
"If you tell the office, could you leave them out of it? Logan, Rider, and Vincent, I mean."
"Why are you telling me this?" Boone asked.
"I told you, you need to know if we're working together. I mean, I know this isn't work." I gestured to the surrounding woods. In the clearing up ahead, the beautiful blue-green grass stood out. "Or maybe it is considered work, I don't know. But if we're supposed to survive together, you need to know."
"What do you propose I do if you attack me?" Boone asked.
For the first time, I looked at him, and I couldn't help but think it was a stupid question. "You're a big guy. I think you could take me down without breaking a sweat."
"Take you down?"
"Do whatever you have to do." Maybe it had been a mistake to tell him everything. Still, if he relied on me, he had to know the extent of how far he could trust me, which I guess meant he couldn’t.
It was a sad thought. Maybe my partners couldn't trust me, either.
We walked silently for a while. Since I was sinking into a slow depression, I didn't feel the need to fill the silence.
I should have kept my mouth shut.
Well, it was too late. One more person on the list of people that knew I was a big freak.
"Your powers," Boone said after a while. "When this other personality jumps out, what happens?"
"Nothing," I said. "If I'm not me, you don't have to worry about me Reading the Path. Or them. They can't touch it. At least as far as I've seen."
"That's good to know, at least," Boone said.
I didn't think it was possible for him to be less pleased with the situation, but he was definitely ticked off now.
"Yeah, I guess so," I mumbled.
A thousand different thoughts and scenarios moved through my mind, each one bleaker than the last. If we got back, I'd be out of a job and my partners would slowly move out of my life. People broke apart when they weren't around each other every day. Or, if I kept my job, there would be trouble for not reporting everything.
And all that was if we made it back. It could be me and Boone, stuck here together, waiting for a door that might never open.
Chapter 12
The gremlins started talking up ahead and one of them ran off. Mutely, I watched. I didn't bother trying to pick up the conversation with Boone again. I had already said too much.
"Here," Boone said, thrusting a water bottle in my direction.
I took it and drank, then wordlessly handed it back to him.
"If things go bad here, we need to figure out what we're going to do," Boone said.
"Honestly," I said, shoving the depression and worry to the back of my mind, “I don't think there's much we can do."
Boone frowned and I hurried to continue.
"This whole world is their home turf. If things go bad, we can fend for ourselves, but we're two humans in a world full of gremlins."
"How long could you hold them off if you had to?" Boone asked.
"It depends on how many there are. I don't trust the Path in this world. If I was well rested and we stuck together, I could keep them off for maybe thirty minutes."
"And after that?" Boone asked.
"I'd be worthless. Actually, I'd be worthless after about twenty. I could keep it going, but I wouldn't be able to move around much and it would take all my concentration."
"And they are Lost," Boone said. "You were right about that. Fighting would be a bad idea."
"I think here, we're the ones that are Lost. If we have to run, though, we do have one option."
"Which option is that?"
"Back to the portal. Toward whatever it is they're afraid of."
Boone didn't look happy about the prospect.
"We should see what they want, and then head back," I said. "As soon as we can."
The gremlins stopped and it was obvious the leader issued orders. Once again, we found gremlins surrounding us, but this time, we at least saw where they had come from. They fanned out as though in formation and surrounded us.
"I'd really love it if they stopped doing that," I muttered.
"They don't look threatening this time," Boone said. "I've seen several of them glancing back the way we came."
"Do you think we were followed?" I asked.
"No, I think they're scared," Boone said.
"Great." I looked behind us, but could only see a long stretch of woo
ds. "How far do you think we are from the portal?"
Boone frowned at me. "You walked it, the same as me."
"So?" I couldn't help the defensiveness. "It's not like there were mile markers."
Boone snorted and I could tell he was trying hard not to laugh at me. Glowering at him, I put my hand on my hips and waited for a real response.
He held up a finger and cleared his throat. "Hmm, ah, we probably went about three and a half miles."
I looked back the way we had come, as though I could see through the trees. "How much water do we have?"
"Not enough. I'm hoping that whatever town they're taking us to has more."
"And food—what are we down to?"
Boone didn't say anything.
"That bad?" I asked.
"We ate the last of what we had last night."
I nodded gloomily. "When Wyna meets back up with us, we'll have to see if there's anything around here that's edible."
"There will be a gralorge." Wyna appeared from seemingly nowhere. "A feast. For your honor."
"Why for us?" Bone asked.
"Not that we're complaining," I added.
"The young ones are what you would call, formal. Things must be done a certain way."
Most of the gremlins I had seen were older and meshing what I knew of gremlins and what Wyna said wasn't working. Looking at Boone, I could see he was struggling with the concept as well.
The lead gremlin started speaking.
Wyna didn't look at him, and instead kept her eyes on us. As he spoke, however, she broke out into a grin. She didn't look amused, which made me feel less apt to trust her than I had our entire time in gremlin world.
What was it about the woman that made me distrust her so? When her grin widened, I decided it didn't matter. I wouldn't want to be stuck alone with her.
The gremlin went silent, so I looked expectantly at Wyna, figuring she would fill us in on what he said.
When she didn't say anything, I pressed her. "Was there something particular he wanted us to know?"
"Yes," Wyna said.
I crossed my arms and waited.
"The words do not translate well. He says your trial starts at sundown."
"What?" Boone steamed.
"When you are convicted, a gralorge will be held in your honor. You will have a night of rest and reflection, and then you go to meet death."
Coldness started to spread through me. "What are you talking about?"
"Those are closest words of translation." Wyna's grin set in place. She looked as though she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
"A trial for what?" Boone asked.
"We haven't done anything," I said, glaring at the woman.
"It is formality and not meant to be fair," Wyna said. "They follow their procedures. It is their nature."
Trial? That didn't sound like a trial, and we weren't being treated like criminals. "So, what happens until then?"
Wyna glanced at the sky. "You will sleep a few hours in torment chamber."
"What?" It came out as part yell and, sadly, part shriek. I felt a pinch in my side, but carried on. "I think you're mixing up your words."
Wyna chuckled and my skin ran cold. "You can hope."
The world began to dim, taking on a shadowed, unreal look. "What the—" Feeling unsteady on my feet, I clutched at Boone's arm to try to stay upright.
"They have seen what you are capable of. This for your safety and theirs," Wyna said.
The dim surroundings started to move. Boone grabbed me and whirled me around. My body stopped, but the movement of the clearing continued.
He plucked something out of my side and held it up. I tried to focus on it, but that wasn't happening. The ground moved in waves. Sea legs, I thought, feeling giddy. I needed sea legs. Land sea legs?
Boone spoke, but he sounded far away. He stood steady on the land, and I was at sea. The waves didn't take long to lull me to sleep.
***
"Where am I?" was what I tried to say. It came out more as, "Whem mar a?"
"That was fast." Boone's voice came from nearby.
It took me a moment to realize I couldn't see him because my eyes weren't open. I had to shake off the fogginess and wait until my tongue caught up.
"What. The hell. Just happened?" I wasn't yelling, but I wasn't happy about my predicament.
Boone sat on a wooden bench not far away with our bag at his feet. "Here." He handed the water bottle over, which I felt thrilled to find full. My mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton.
One thing was missing. He wasn't upset. He wasn't happy, but not mad, either. As I drank, I looked him over. He sported a wrap on one forearm but aside from that, he just looked grumpy.
That's fine, I thought moodily. I can be mad enough for two.
"How are you feeling?" Boone asked.
"Pissed off," I snapped.
A ghost of a grin appeared.
"What happened?" I repeated.
"You were drugged."
I waited for more, but it wasn't coming. "Yeah, I got that part. What happened after that?" I kicked my legs off what had been a fairly comfortable bed, then stood up. The room spun and I immediately sat back down.
"You okay?" Boone said again. "They said there'd be no side effects."
"Yeah, I'm sure they've tried it on loads of humans." I leaned over and put my head in my hands until the room decided to settle down. When I dared to look up again, it was to glare at Boone, who still hadn't shared what had happened.
"You went down and the gremlins closed in and took us here."
"That's it?" Did he think I was dumb? I started looking around the room, but put off standing. "Then what's with your arm?"
Boone shrugged. "I didn't make it easy."
It was my turn to grin.
"I'm not sure if they drugged me or what, but I didn't resist for long." He didn't look happy about having to admit that. "I think that woman did something."
"I'm not convinced Wyna is one." In truth, she seemed like a curse more than anything else.
"What, not a woman?" Boone asked. "You think she's a he?"
I shrugged. "When we say he and she, we have a very particular thought in mind. It's a very human thought. She may be female, but I think she's a step further away from human than I originally thought."
"Well, whatever she is, it's not good," Boone said.
"Where are we?" I asked. The brightly lit room was airy, and there were plenty of windows. They were barred, of course, since we were apparently in some sort of prison. The bed I had been lying on was shoved against a wall. The only other furnishings were the bench Boone sat on and a small table with chairs in the middle of the room.
"We're in the room of torment." His use of sarcasm was impressive. "This is their idea of punishment."
"Is it?" I asked. I took a chance and slowly stood again.
Boone watched me, as though inspecting my actions. "We have food, water, a bed, and something that looks like a game, though I'm not really sure what it is." Boone gestured to the table.
I made my way across the room. The vertigo kicked in about half way, but I made it to the table and fell into a chair. I ended up putting my head down and closing my eyes, waiting for the room to sit still.
"Right," I said under my breath. I picked up a small but solid bar of metal. There was also a metal rod, and a few other pieces of what looked like scraps of metal. All the metals were different colors.
Boone joined me, but didn't sit.
"Are we supposed to do something with this?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"Maybe to a gremlin it is a torment. Are we locked in?" I spotted the closed door, but it didn't exactly look ominous. Nothing in the room appeared bad. It could have been a guest room if not for the bars on the windows. Paying closer attention, I saw they, too, were wooden.
"We are." Now Boone sounded upset.
"Are we okay with waiting here?"
He shrugged. "I'm not sure we'd
get very far if we left. Wyna said this was protocol, and they always follow protocol."
"It's no wonder they go crazy when they’re older," I muttered while looking around the room.
"You're okay now?" Boone asked.
"No, they drugged me and locked me up. I'm ticked off." The room was more comfortable than anything I'd seen in days, so I didn't mind waiting for whatever the gremlins thought they were planning for us. But the point was, they hadn't asked nicely.
"You look pale," Boone said. "Maybe we should rest up while we get the chance."
"Sure," I said. "Just a minute." I wanted to make a statement. I didn't have to go anywhere, but I needed them to know how I felt about their actions. Closing my eyes, I reached for the Path.
I faced a small struggle, but my daily meditation paid off. It helped that the Path at this location wasn't running away from me. It still didn't flow in the nice patterns I was accustomed to, but it was something I could work with.
First, I studied the door, and then turned my attention to the windows. I couldn't manage all the windows. With the Path flowing, I once again felt as though I was on a boat. Two windows and one door. Taking a deep breath, I concentrated. Making the Path solid burned through energy and made me feel queasy, but I soldiered on. It took some weaving of the flow, but I wrapped thick threads around the door and bars of the windows, and when I felt as though I pushed myself too far, I tugged.
The door wrenched itself open and the bars flew out, the wood splintered and broke apart. Then I closed my eyes and pushed away the Path.
The door was the last thing to stop moving. When it did, the world hushed for a few moments, then a hurried conversation of screeches and yammering went on outside the room. Before long, a head peeked into the room from around the doorframe.
I waved politely and turned back to Boone. "Yeah, I could use some rest."
Boone's expression was impossible to read. Was he about to yell at me or laugh?
Well, it didn't really matter either way. I was sure I had gotten my point across to the gremlins. I yawned and stretched before pulling myself to my feet again.
The room spun faster and I sat back down hard on the chair, gripping the table for support.
"Was that necessary?" Boone asked, watching me.
AIR Series Box Set Page 108
