Burned

by Kensie King

  Gage glanced over. “What?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing.”

  But I repeated the spell once more under my breath as assurance and then prayed it worked.

  When Gage parked the car, he gave me a look of warning.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I told him.

  “You’re up to something.”

  I started to shake my head, but he reached out to grip my wrist.

  “I thought we were past the games,” he said.

  “We are.” I gritted my teeth, even though he wasn’t hurting me. “Let go.”

  Instead, he leaned in, close enough I could feel his breath on my lips. “This is more important than you can imagine. We’ll both get what we want if you cooperate.”

  “I am cooperating. Will you just—”

  He released me, making me fall against the door. I rubbed my wrist and glared at him. “What’s your problem.”

  “I can’t fuck this up, that’s my problem.”

  I stared at him, shocked by the seriousness in his tone. Why the hell was this so important? Did it have something to do with Audrey? Did she have any clue what was going on?

  “You’re getting what you want,” I told him, reaching for the door handle. “You should be happy.”

  He got out without a word and raced to my side, his hand on my elbow the moment my feet touched the ground.

  “Let’s just…stay close,” he said so only I could hear.

  Little did he know, my whole plan depended on him staying close.

  “My dream come true.”

  He smirked at me, but I could still see the undercurrent of anxiety. He looked as worried as I felt. We started across the parking lot, but before we could reach the stairs, I felt him tense.

  “Wait.” His grip tightened on my arm.

  “Ow. What are you doing?”

  “The shifter is here.” His jaw clenched as he looked around.

  I followed his gaze, searching. Dylan was here? I thought he was supposed to be going to get my mom. Had something happened? I couldn’t deal with this right now. I had one purpose and that was to get Gage in that cave.

  Gage mumbled, “Why are you surprised?”

  “I have no idea why he’s here. I just want to get to the cave like you.”

  He shook his head. “We’re going back to my house.”

  “No.”

  His grip tightened, making me wince. “Now.”

  In one smooth motion, I whipped the necklace from my pocket and shoved it against the exposed skin on his neck. He yelped, releasing me.

  I turned and ran. Instead of going for the car or trying to find Dylan, I raced toward the side of the building. I ran right into the trees and didn’t stop until I was behind one. I looked back but Gage was nowhere to be seen.

  Good. The graveyard was close by. Savannah probably was too. Maybe she could help me.

  I looked back again and saw Gage making purposeful strides across the parking lot. My heart leaped and I started running again, farther into the trees.

  “Link!”

  I yanked in a breath, passing the cemetery when I spotted the hedge maze.

  I heard his footsteps as he came after me, making me run faster. Fuck, he was already catching up. My chest heaved but I didn’t stop. I took turn after turn, trying to lose him. I nearly ran into a tourist but just kept going as I ran inside the maze.

  “Link,” he said, completely calm. Almost as if he was playing hide and seek with a child. He was inside the maze with me.

  “Shit,” I hissed. I had to keep moving forward, but it wasn’t like I was getting anywhere. The maze had me trapped. “Savannah.”

  I was about to say her name again when I saw her translucent figure at the end of the row I was in. She beckoned me, and I ran without hesitation. I followed her around the curve until I saw the exit.

  Gage called my name again, but I just continued, racing out of the maze and feeling triumphant. Until I rounded the last hedge, and someone caught me around the waist, pressing a hand over my mouth.

  I was about to bite the hand when I heard a familiar voice.

  “It’s me. Dylan,” he whispered against my ear.

  I turned in his arms, relief washing over me. “Dylan! He’s in there. We have to go!”

  I grabbed his hand and ran toward the back of the hotel.

  “Link, wait,” he said.

  “No. We have to get to the cave right now. Dylan, please—”

  He tightened his grip on my hand at the urgency in my tone and soon he was pulling me as my breathed hitched sharply. Damn. How come Savannah couldn’t help me by making me invisible or something?

  “We have to find the opening,” I said, slowing slightly.

  “Where?”

  “It’s hidden in the trees—not too far from the hotel. But—”

  I froze when I heard a twig snap. Dylan jerked around, searching for the source of the noise. “Stay close,” he said, squeezing my hand.

  “Savannah,” I hissed. “Where is it?”

  Another twig snapped and then Gage appeared. I gasped and backed up as he launched himself in our direction. Dylan jumped in front of me, grabbing Gage by the neck and slamming him against a tree.

  Gage grunted and punched Dylan in one smooth movement.

  They fought as the sun broke from the clouds, light spearing through the trees and hitting a rock only ten feet away. The cave.

  I darted to the rock, rushing to swipe at leaves and twigs—all the growth around it. Another large rock covered the hole. I pushed on it, grunting when it barely budged. Dammit! A whisper of air rushed by me and I remembered Savannah and my power. I closed my eyes and channeled the energy I needed, willing the rock to move. When I heard it shift, I pushed harder. The rock started to roll to the side, and I jumped out of the way.

  Behind me, Gage was on the ground. Dylan kicked him in the stomach once, twice. When he went for another kick, Gage grabbed his leg and sent him crashing to the forest floor.

  Dizziness hit me—probably from using too much power to move the rock. I gritted my teeth, then put force into my voice when I yelled, “Stop!”

  Dylan looked my way just as Gage swung. He got him hard across the jaw.

  “Gage,” I growled. He looked to Dylan, preparing to swing again. “The cave,” I said, moving toward the opening. “It’s this way.”

  His arm froze, hovering over Dylan. He looked confused, like he wasn’t sure whether or not I was telling the truth. Then he got to his feet and jogged in my direction.

  Dylan got to his feet as well, but Gage was right in front of me. I nodded at him and stepped into the cave. It looked exactly like my vision.

  I kept walking, encouraging Gage. Almost…

  When I glance back, Gage stepped fully inside. A rush of triumph hit me. But I didn’t say a word, encouraging him to walk further, to get completely trapped inside.

  The sun outside brightened again and speared light into the cave. It sparkled everywhere, making Gage freeze.

  He looked at me, eyes wide. “What?” he croaked.

  It was like it hit him all at once, the power of the amethyst. He stumbled and fell, writhing on the floor like he’d gotten shocked.

  “What are you doing to me?” he asked.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered before I could help myself. “I have to help my mom. I can’t do the spell for you.”

  He turned to look at the opening of the cave. Dylan was standing there, but he tried to drag himself in that direction anyway.

  I took a deep breath and quickly said the words, “Block this exit from all but me. As I will, so let it be.”

  It was a quick surge of power, but I could tell that it worked. And completely drained me. I braced my hand on the wall of the cave, nearly falling over. Dylan started to step inside, but I held up my free hand. “Don’t come in here.”

  I wasn’t sure if the amethyst would affect him and I doubted he’d be able to come in since I’d blocked everyo
ne except myself, but still.

  “Get out of there,” Dylan said. He held out his hand, reaching for me.

  Gage curled up on his side. “Don’t do this, Link.”

  I hesitated. It wasn’t just that he was hurting. It was that I knew there was something more there—something he wasn’t letting anyone see. Or barely. He was gentle with his sister, he cared when I got hurt. He wasn’t a horrible person.

  But he was trying to do a horrible thing.

  “Come on, Link,” Dylan said.

  I moved to the entryway, skirting around Gage’s prone figure on the cave floor.

  Gage’s eyes locked on mine. “You’re going to leave me here?”

  “Yes,” Dylan snapped. He held out his hand. “Link.”

  “He can’t stay here forever—”

  “We’re not talking about this here.” He reached in a little further. “I’m serious, Link. Let’s go.”

  I breathed out and stepped through the entryway. Dylan was right. We’d talk about our next step somewhere safe.

  Dylan snagged me against him, his hands running down my arms and then up to my cheeks to cup them. He stared into my eyes. “Are you okay?

  My hands shook from the adrenaline of using my power, of pushing myself to my limits. My knees almost buckled. “I don’t know…” I glanced back, only able to see Gage’s feet through the opening. “I’m not sure if I can leave him in there.”

  “You don’t have a choice. Right now Grace is trying to get to your mom and if we let him out, he’ll try to stop us.”

  He released me to heave the rock, trying to push it over the opening.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “We can’t take the risk of anyone seeing him in there.”

  “But—”

  “It’s temporary, Link. We have to.”

  I braced my hand against a tree, convincing myself that he was right. But this was wrong. We were basically torturing someone. I hated it.

  Dylan managed to get the rock into place. He covered the remaining crack with twigs and leaves before he turned back to me, not looking any happier than I felt.

  “Let’s go,” he said, taking my hand. “Let’s get your mom.”

  I took one last look at the cave, then walked with Dylan back through the forest.

  He glanced over. “You look sick.”

  “I…” My vision went blurry. “I had to use a lot of power to do this.”

  I stopped where I stood, gritting my teeth against another wave of dizziness.

  Link…

  I heard the voice in my head, just a whisper. But it wasn’t Savannah this time. It was a male voice.

  And it sounded like Gage.

  Help me, Link.

  Were we connected too?

  “Link,” Dylan said, squeezing my hand. He could, no doubt, feel my anxiety. “You’re hurt.”

  I spun toward a tree and vomited, unable to stop myself. I sank to my knees and tried to steady myself against the trunk of a tree. It felt like my veins were on fire, burning from inside.

  Dylan reached down to put his hand on my shoulder. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s Gage.” I looked up at him, disbelieving. But it had to be true. “I think I can feel what he’s feeling.”

  CHAPTER 27

  “Do you think we should go back?” Leaves and twigs cracked under my knees as I shifted to face Dylan.

  His jaw clenched. “I can feel it hurting you. But there’s got to be something else we can do.”

  “It’s not that bad,” I told him. “It just came out of nowhere.”

  “The truth, please, Link.”

  I got to my feet. “It is the truth. I’m just tired.”

  “I can feel that, too,” Dylan said, taking my hand again. “You need to rest. And you’ll feel better once your mom is safe.”

  I nodded. I would. Then we’d have more than one witch, and all of this wouldn’t fall to me.

  “Can you make it to the truck?” Dylan asked, putting his arm around me to take some of the weight.

  “Yes.”

  But my feet were dragging by the time we made it to the parking lot. He opened the passenger door for me and headed in the direction of Gage’s house. I hated the idea of going there again. With Audrey in the picture now, we had no idea what to expect. Especially if she suspected anything.

  “You said Grace was at his house?”

  Dylan nodded.

  “She got onto his property?”

  He glanced over. “I’m not sure. I haven’t heard anything from her, so I hope so.”

  It was only a five-minute drive that felt like forever. When Dylan turned down the road to Gage’s property and nothing happened, he gave me a small smile. “It worked. I couldn’t get any further than this before.”

  I sat up straighter. That meant Grace was already here. When we got closer, I saw her car. Dylan parked behind her.

  I get out as fast as I could, trying to ignore the burning in my veins and my lack of energy. Dylan was by my side in an instant.

  “You should stay here,” he said.

  I frowned at him. “Don’t start with this now. We’ve got to do this and get it right.”

  His hesitation was brief. “Stay close to me, okay?’

  “Got it.”

  He rolled his eyes but reached for the door. Surprisingly, it opened easily in his grasp. It made alarm shoot through me, but I had to remind myself Gage wasn’t there. I could tell he was still in the cave because I could still feel his pain.

  That spelled worked, too.

  “Downstairs,” I said, leading the way.

  It was dim as we walked down the stairs, our shoes sounding way too loud on each step. Dylan moved slowly behind me as he kept up. When we reached the bottom, I gestured to the left, my eyes wide.

  The door was open now instead of locked like it was this morning.

  And there was a shuffling sound inside.

  Dylan put a finger to his lips and pushed me gently against the wall. Don’t move, he mouthed.

  I watched as he turned away and stepped quietly to the door of the room. He peeked inside, then his shoulders relaxed.

  I started to relax, too, until I felt an arm around my neck.

  “Link,” a female voice said.

  Fuck. It was Audrey.

  Dylan glanced over and then went alert instantly. “Let go of him.”

  But instead, Audrey shifted so she could get a better grip, standing behind me at nearly my height. She was surprisingly strong, but then I had to remember she was a vampire—or almost—like her brother.

  But I didn’t miss the strain in her voice when she spoke. “Where’s Gage?”

  “Get away from him,” Dylan snapped.

  Grace darted out of the room, freezing at the doorway when she saw us.

  “Audrey,” I said, barely able to speak with the pressure she had on my throat. “Gage is fine.”

  “Where is he?” she asked. “You were supposed to be with him.”

  She pressed harder against my windpipe, making me choke. Black spots danced in my vision. I clawed at her arm, but she was too strong. Especially when I barely had any energy left.

  “There are three of us and only one of you,” Dylan said calmly. “Let her go and no one will get hurt.”

  Audrey coughed like I had. “I’m already hurting. Gage said Link was going to help me.”

  Grace kept her voice calm when she stepped forward. “Help you what?”

  “Help me get better.” She wheezed out a breath, her grip on me loosening slightly. “He said if Link did the spell, I’d become a vampire and the cancer would go away.”

  The last of my breath hissed out. God. No wonder Gage wanted the spell to end—and no wonder he’d brought Audrey here with him. She probably already felt better since the first stage of reversing the curse was underway.

  Audrey tightened her grip. “Now tell me where my brother is.”

  Dylan and Grace lunged at the same tim
e, but the pressure was too much. I heard a scuffle as she cut off the last of my air supply. I fell to the floor as the world went dark.

  #

  I saw Dylan the moment my eyes fluttered open.

  “I told you,” he said, voice quiet. “You’re a magnet for danger.”

  “It’s not my fault.” My throat was raw, and the words came out scratchy.

  I was lying at home in my bedroom, with Dylan stretched out next to me. His hand trailed lazily over my shoulder and then down to my hip.

  “I’m thinking you should probably stay here a while. In bed.” He grinned. “With me. You know, just so nothing else happens to you.”

  Of course at that moment, everything that happened earlier came crashing back in on me. I sat up quickly and then paused when the room swirled around me.

  Dylan put his hands on my shoulders. “Okay, take it easy. You need to wait until you feel better.”

  I didn’t have much choice. I rested my head in my hands as he rubbed slow circles on my back. “Did you find my mom?”

  “Yes. She’s feeling better.”

  “Where is she?”

  “In the other room.”

  I looked at him in alarm. She was in my house? I swallowed. Oh, fuck. “I have no idea what to say to her.”

  Dylan shook his head. “You don’t have to say anything right now. Just relax.” He encouraged me to lay back down. “Please.”

  I looked over in the dim light of the room before turning back to Dylan. There was a shadow on his jaw that looked like a bruise.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He caught my hand as I lifted it and pressed my palm to his cheek. The stubble brushed against my skin. “I’m fine.”

  He pushed me back all the way on the bed and leaned over me. His lips closed over mine, soft but firm. He deepened the kiss until I responded with my own body, wrapping my arms around his neck to draw him in for more.

  Then a low groan of agony echoed in my head. It was Gage’s voice. And Gage’s pain.

  “What is it?” Dylan whispered. His lips brushed my cheek. “I can tell something’s wrong.”

  “He was just trying to help his sister,” I whispered, remembering more and more.