I gulped fresh air in the back yard. I'd been so engrossed in my training I didn't even realize it was full dark until Erica was taken. I tried to get my head on straight while I struggled with my emotions.Erica was gone. Celeste possibly dead. As much as I disliked the latter, I never wished anything of the sort on her. And as for Erica... she was my mom's best friend, my second mother my whole life. Yes, she bugged me sometimes and treated me like a kid. But she tried and I knew she loved me.And she was gone.I felt him before I saw him, leftover residual power from the link, but I was very happy he was there. Uncle Frank hugged me and held me while I cried on his chest. He was still cold so he hadn't even taken time to eat before coming to see me."It'll be okay, kiddo," he said. "We'll find her, I promise."It wasn't just Erica, of course, but a mix of sleep deprivation and one emotional blow after another turning me into a weeping mess of Syd.When I finally pulled back, I
Brad looked as bad as he sounded. His normally tanned and handsome face shone pale in the bright light of the overhead, eyes sunken with dark circles making it worse. He looked like he'd just come down off a drug binge and was detoxing.I immediately grabbed him and hugged him. When I did, I felt something at my throat warm and tingle as power passed between us. I heard him sigh and when I pulled away he looked instantly better."It's great to see you," he said.I reached up and touched the necklace, his birthday present to me, and finally understood what was going on.The jolt I felt, the one that ran through me when he put the heart on me, was the same as when I hugged him just now. Something about the necklace linked us together. And was keeping Quaid and I apart.Before I could explore the understanding any further, Brad put the truck in gear and drove off, leaving me scrambling for my seatbelt. I was so enraptured by my realization I didn't pay attention to the direction we w
This was not happening. Was not. I did not just lose my ex-boyfriend to the very creature my family hunted in a place I wasn't supposed to be on threat of violent and probably amphibious punishment by my mother.Oh. My. Swearword.I couldn't think or breathe or move. I stood there on the path in the dark, my focus so shot my limited night vision magic was gone, my shields a puddled mess dissipating at my feet. Everything wavered and wobbled around me and my chest rose and fell faster and faster as I gulped air into me, my lungs squeezing together like a steel band tightened around them, squeezing my life away.My demon howled and I jerked out of my hysteria. I gulped a giant gasp of air and bent over in half, keeping my head down so I wouldn't pass out from my anxiety-fueled hyperventilation. I had to get it together. Had to. There was no one else to save him but me.I turned and ran back toward the car, reaching out for my mother and found nothing. No one. They were all shielding
Where was I? I vaguely recalled running. Brad. The necklace. But it was so dark and I was so very tired...I wasn't alone. Was it the family out there? I tried to go to them, but something held me back. I struggled with what little strength I had. My hands wouldn't move. Or my feet. Even my chest felt weighted down. And I was elevated, standing higher than everyone else. I looked down, my chin hitting my chest, the weight of my head too much. I blinked slowly once. What was with the firewood? Why was I standing on a pile of it? And why did I smell kerosene? Wow, it stank.I managed to lift my head again and noticed the people. Not the family. Wrong color. The coven wore black and these people were all dressed in-I was suddenly and terrifyingly awake. My hands ached from the ropes knotted around them and I whimpered as I pulled and yanked. I had to get away. There was only one reason I could be tied to a post on a pile of a cord of wood.Ohmygod. They were going to burn me alive.
It wasn't until the truck came into view that I realized we were leaving. I grabbed Quaid's arm and pulled him around, the effort making me dizzy."We can't go," I said. "The creature is so close!"Quaid nodded once and pressed a set of keys into my hand. "I know," he said. "Go home."He turned and stalked off without me, going right back the way we came from.No freaking way was he leaving me behind.Quaid knew I was following him and stopped in place, blocking the path."I said go home, Syd.""Forget it." My demon snarled in support. "I'm coming with you.""You're not even supposed to be out here." He scowled down on me like that would scare me off. Maybe at one time it might have. But not now. I almost died. He could scowl all he wanted."It's close," I said, "and you're alone. Do you really think you can tackle it yourself?"He didn't say anything, just loomed over me like he always did."We can link up," I went on in a rush. "Like we did before. I figured out what the p
I could feel Quaid up ahead clearly, like he was there all along. The tingling numbness had gone and as I felt around inside me I understood why. Sebastian. Whatever he did, the connection between my demon and I was back and stronger than ever.I had to remember to hug him for that. Right after I found out exactly where the stuff came from and how to wipe it from the face of the planet. That stuff was just wrong.It didn't do much for my physical strength, though, so I was shocked when I easily caught up with Quaid. There was no way I should have. Except he stopped, frozen in place, his mind elsewhere.I came to a panting halt at his side and took his hand.My mind instantly chased his, down the channels of his power, and found what he focused on. It looked like a cave entrance, well hidden, a mere slit in the darkness. We studied it together for a moment before he yanked us back."I told you to go get help." He wasn't angry. I was ready for angry. Not this flat and empty feeling
Erica flung herself in front of us."Get back!" I felt what was left of her power gather. "I'll distract it. When it's away from the exit, you run!""We're not leaving you," Quaid and I said together."That's another order," she shot at us. "I mean it." But I could tell she didn't. Not really. She shook so much I wondered if she would be able to bring her magic under control enough to fight the thing and not hurt herself in the process.I gripped her shoulder on one side and Quaid did the same on the other. We pulled her back until she stood between us."You can't face it alone," I said. "And Mom is coming. We just have to hang on."The agony in her face was horrible and I wished I could help more than I did."All right," she said. "But if we get a chance to run-""We run." Quaid shot me a look over her head contradicting what he just said and I agreed. No more running. Either this thing killed us or we killed it.And then there was no time for talking or thinking, only reacti
The wall of energy hit us only for an instant and I knew we were done. The creature was stronger than we were, far stronger. Maybe if my demon was at full power we could have stood against it, but she barely had enough essence left to keep me alive.Magic crackled in ropes of electric blue light, driving between us and the creature. I staggered backward, only saved a fall on my ass by Quaid's firm grip on my hand. I wanted to sob in relief. I knew the touch of that power.Mom stood at the cave entrance, glowing like a pale blue star, the family pouring into the cavern around her. I stared at her as she approached, vibrating with power, a vengeful goddess. The blue of her magic rippled with white vampire power and the green song of the Sidhe, polished by the amber of demon fire. She was almost as horrible to look at as the creature, but I didn't care.Mom to the rescue.I tore my eyes away from her and noticed the family wasn't alone. Sebastian and his people were there, too, glidin