Unbound (Kayla Blackstone)

by Adriane Ceallaigh

  Relaxed, she dozed off and began thinking of Gannon, and how nice he’d looked that afternoon, trading blows with her on the practice field.

  She smiled, recalling what he looked like without his shirt on, thinking how nice it would be to have him here with her in the bath. Imagination and reality blurred and she felt him caress her breasts, tweaking her nipples.

  She gasped, arching her back as a warm feeling spread down her limbs. His lips on her mouth seemed to drown her. He ran his hands down her sides, the tips of his fingers kneading the kinks out of her lower back. Cupping her ass, he brought her against him. She could feel him hard with wanting as he slid her up and down without penetrating.

  This isn’t right, she thought. She could hear Roo barking frantically. Trying to shake off the trance, she realized she was underwater, held there by something unseen.

  * * *

  Gannon was just stepping out of the shower, drying his face when he heard Roo’s frantic barks. He didn’t even pause to grab his clothes before he raced to the other side of the apartment.

  Kayla screamed his name just as he threw open the bathroom door. A water construct’s translucent form shifted and whirled in shades of blue within the shape of a man, hunched over, arms stiff, holding Kayla underwater. The evil thing grinned at him and pressed her further under.

  Frightened for her life, Gannon ran through a list of ways to get rid of constructs. The only way to get rid of water was to evaporate it and that would kill the woman it held.

  “Roo!” he called as he focused his power. “Distract it so I can get to her.”

  Roo leapt, clamping his fearful jaws onto the thing, sending it splattering against the tiled wall, hissing its pain. Gannon gripped a handful of Kayla’s hair, ripping her from the water just as the thing reformed.

  “We know where you are now,” it said.

  Gannon hit it with the full force of his power, evaporating all the water in the room. Kayla was bone dry as he tried to pump water from her lungs, alternating breathing into her mouth and pressing her chest while Roo sat at his side, whimpering. Finally she coughed up water. Sputtering, she drew in a breath. He smiled, relived that she would be all right.

  * * *

  “I knew you would come.” Her eyes landed on Gannon’s unclothed form. Scrambling up from the ground, she blushed, unsure of the situation. He turned, tossing her a towel. He grabbed one for himself, wrapping it around his waist.

  “Whoever’s after you is very strong. We need find out how they breached the Gates. I haven’t felt anything tampering with them,” he murmured.

  “If I may, boss?” Jubi said, letting his presence be known.

  Gannon jerked; like he hadn’t noticed the Sprite.

  “Maybe you didn’t detect any breaches of the Gates because there weren’t any. A construct is made of strong desires and emotions. It could have been carried in by anyone of us, until somebody let their guard down long enough to form one, even unknowingly.” He looked pointedly at Kayla.

  “Even so, Jubi,” Gannon said, not taking the hint. “Check the clans. See if any of them are hurt, or if they know anything.”

  “Sure thing, boss. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” the Sprite said, wiggling his eyebrows before blinking out of sight.

  “I’m sorry this happened.” Gannon brushed her hair from her eyes. “Do you remember anything leading up to the attack?” he whispered. He leaned forward, a hairbreadth from her lips. She looked at them, focused on the way they stood. God, she wanted him to kiss her. She backed away feeling vulnerable standing there in her towel. It didn’t seem right, but she wanted to.

  “Do you think I could get dressed now?” Kayla answered his question with her own. Anything leading up to the attack was none of his business.

  “Sure,” he said, stepped back and let his hand fall. Glancing over his shoulder at her, his eyes full of an unspoken invitation, he strolled out the door.

  * * *

  He walked into his room, and grabbed a comfortable pair of pants, thinking they might see some action before the night was done. He pulled on his homespun cotton shirt and leather vest with weapon repulsion spells woven into every thread.

  It was the lightest armor he’d ever worn and he was grateful for it. He slid his short sword into the sheath built into the vest, remembering Kayla had one like it in her leather coat. Thinking he could do her a good turn, he shouted for Roo.

  “Bring Kayla’s pack and coat, please.” The dog ran to fetch them. He brought the items, leaving them at Gannon’s feet. Picking up the coat, Gannon concentrated on mending the torn fibers, repairing the damage the Wer had done. He hardened and strengthened each thread, making it a mobile armor similar to his vest.

  He went to his chest, digging around until he came up with a shirt similar to the one he had on, only in her size. He went in search of Kayla to give her her gear and his shirt. He felt a tug at his heart as he saw her looking lost on the bed, her back to the door.

  “I think this will fit you, seeing as yours was ruined. There’re a few spells in it for protection, but it’s mostly a regular shirt.” He tossed her a collar for Roo. “Here’s something to protect the dog’s neck.”

  “What are you planning on doing, Gannon?” she asked.

  “Finding out who or what is after you and trying to stop them before they figure out that we’re coming for them.”

  Gannon went about gathering weapons and charms he thought he would need, knowing it was unlikely that they would be back before this was over, if ever.

  * * *

  Kayla watched Gannon and found herself growing angry. She’d gone from one man to another telling her what to do, albeit Gannon had good intentions.

  Unlike Keaton, Gannon wanted to help her and teach her to use her newfound powers. She just wanted some time to still her mind and process all that she’d learned in the last few hours. But she would have time to think once they confronted Keaton.

  She couldn’t seem to find her voice around Gannon and she wondered why that was. Had it been that long since she’d been around someone she liked? Was she afraid to show him who she really was?

  “Thanks for this. I’ll get changed.” She nodded towards the door. Though still in shock over the attack, she felt the danger had passed and she needed some time by herself.

  In her room, she looked over her weapons, laying them out on the bed. The MoonSkins blood still covered her sword. Disgusted, she cast about, looking for something to clean it with. Finally spotting the towel she’d used, she wiped off the blood.

  She dressed, making sure that the rest of her equipment was clean before she put her knives in the various sheathes spread throughout her clothes. She pulled on the shirt he gave her. It smelled of him and she wondered why he had one so small.

  Deciding not to ask, she pulled on her coat and sheathed her sword before looking in her pack, trying to decide if there was anything else she would need. She grabbed the pack and left the room, snapping off the light behind her.

  15

  Jubi appeared out of breath as he hurried to catch up with Gannon before he left. “The clans haven’t seen anything, but I couldn’t locate Zhuhai to find out if he’s okay or not.”

  Making a hard decision, he decided to check out the falls before making sure his friend was okay. Fearing the worst, he moved them back to the cottage in the T’ween, figuring it was quicker than going through the Gates.

  He exited the door at a full run, trusting Kayla to keep up with him as he raced through the woods. His feeling of unease grew with each step. He reached the clearing and called out to the Urisk before plunging into the water.

  Heading for the cave, he thought he could see something beyond the water, perhaps an arm but he didn’t know for sure. He splashed through the waterfall and kneeled beside the Urisk, gathering his head in his lap.

  “Zhuhai, can you hear me?” he asked, gently slapping his face, trying to rouse him from his stupor. The Urisk didn’t look too badly hur
t, but Gannon wouldn’t know for sure until he could revive him.

  Kayla sank to her knees beside him, slightly out of breath. “What did this to him?” she asked, afraid of the answer.

  “That would be me.” Keaton stepped out from behind one of the stone outcrops further in the cave.

  Kayla jumped back, years of behavior hard to break. “What do you want, Keaton?” she demanded, not knowing what was going on but determined to get to the bottom of it.

  “You’ve been a very naughty girl, Kayla dear. I sent you on a simple little errand and you couldn’t even complete that,” he said, moving steadily closer. “After so much disappointment in you, I find you here with another man, you slut.”

  “You said I didn’t owe you anything further,” Kayla argued, grasping at straws.

  “If you completed the run before midnight, but midnight’s come and gone and I’ve come to collect,” he snarled, lunging at her.

  “He’s not real,” Gannon shouted as Kayla let loose with a blast of flame, hitting Keaton squarely in the face. Wriggling forms of bugs, worms and other creatures of the earth dropped off one-by-one before moving further away. The construct, Keaton’s skin, sloughed off, returning to the muck it was made from.

  “You need to kill the core,” Gannon said, maneuvering to the left as Kayla moved to the right. Unsheathing her sword, she sent a flame of blue fire down its length, humming as she whirled it around.

  Striking the being, setting its limbs afire, she separated them from the main body. She misjudged the distance between her and the creature in her final leap.

  The creature took advantage of the opening, slamming her into the rock wall. She slid to the ground, unconscious, as the flames went out on her sword.

  Gannon looked for his opening, frantic now to help his companions. He noted one of the creatures putting off a slight phosphorous odor. Focusing an energy blast, he hit the creature full force, obliterating the glowing beetle.

  The rest scattered back to their mindless tasks now that they were no longer held together by evil magic. Crouching beside Kayla, he checked her over. He noted she had a gash on her head. Gathering her in his arms, he laid her on a pile of furs before putting the Urisk down on his bed of straw. With a Mage-light, he checked him over for injuries, noting a large lump on his head.

  “Jubi, ask some of the clan to sit with him. He’s hurt and we don’t have the time to stay and tend to him. We need to get to the bottom of these attacks before someone dies.

  “This creature seems to be able to send constructs through the Gates without alerting me,” Gannon mused. “Jubi, I want the clans to double up; no one goes alone. If you find anything, I want to be told. Hurry. As soon as Kayla wakes, we need to leave.”

  He heard her moan. Going to her side, he clasped her hand in his. She blinked at him. “Seems we’re making a habit of you saving my ass,” she said. “Did you kill the bastard that hit me?”

  * * *

  Gannon nodded. “Good,” she said, swallowing the sudden nausea when she moved her head.

  “Do you think you can move?” Gannon asked.

  “I think so.”

  “Okay, Kayla, I want you to sit up slowly.”

  Her head swam. She almost lay back down but decided to work through it. They didn’t have the time for her to be injured. “What are these creatures?” she asked.

  “Constructs, and they’re getting stronger.”

  Kayla trotted after Gannon as he quickened his pace until they were once again in the cottage. She looked around when he shifted to his workroom.

  “Why are we here?”

  “It appears that someone is sending the constructs in. The Gate won’t pick up on something small like water, or insects. Small creatures can come and go at will. Only higher level Mages in the Resistance know that and either one has turned evil, or someone important has been captured. I don’t know which, but I intend to find out.” He grabbed a bag off one of the shelves and began stuffing items into it. Kayla watched him for a while before wandering around the room.

  Kayla stared at the floor still covered in her blood. She wondered how much time had passed and moved to the far wall.

  “Gannon, can we see through this?”

  “Huh? Oh yeah, you can. The Gate goes transparent if you focus.” He sounded distracted, still focused on his pack.

  “Do you think you could, you know, make it transparent?” she asked, irritated that he wasn’t listening to her.

  “That’s not a half bad idea.” He stared at the Gate. The wall started to thin and Kayla began to feel excited. Looking out into the darkened alley, there wasn’t anything immediately dangerous in the vicinity of the Gate. The Wer’s corpse still laid there and she felt momentary fear.

  “How does the time from the T’ween to the Drifts work?”

  “As far as I can tell, The Drifts and Tar’a are about the same. However, the T’ween’s time is a little fast. You’ve been with me almost three days. I would say half an hour has passed in the Drifts, give or take a few minutes.” He adjusted the pack’s shoulder straps.

  “Let’s go, then. I want to meet up with the creep who was going to enslave me tonight since I’ve still got about twenty minutes before midnight.” She strolled through the Gate as if it weren’t there, Roo on her heel.

  Gannon reached out to try and stop her. “Kayla, are you sure you know what you’re doing? It could be dangerous.”

  “Yeah, for the first time in the last few days, I know exactly what I’m about. It’s a danger I’m used to. I don’t come to the Drifts often anymore.” In fact she hadn’t come in the last few years. Shrugging, not thinking about her decision, she strolled past the carcass of the MoonSkin, restraining herself from kicking it, glad he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again.

  16

  Kayla headed up the alley and into one of the main streets in the Drifts. Half Past was a bustling neighborhood where anyone could get anything for a price, and where everyone had one.

  Cat calls and whistles followed her down the street until she made it clear to one overly friendly guy she wasn’t for sale. It had been awhile and people tended to forget, even with a rep like hers.

  She remembered the old thrill, but now she was on a mission and she headed down another alley. Gannon had her back and she went in, knowing what to expect. Or she thought she did.

  Raising her hand, she knocked on a hard wooden door. Gannon stood where he couldn’t be seen.

  “Gannon, I just thought, if it’s been such a short time here, how did they send those creatures over?” she asked, afraid of the answer.

  “I think when you activated the magic in the bag, people were sent to catch you because you might not finish the run. Something large was trying to break through the Gate when I took you to the workroom the first time. I think the creatures were sent then and we let them through when…”

  Kayla held up her finger to her lips and Gannon cut off abruptly. Silent footsteps pounded towards the door.

  “What do you want?” the person on the other side demanded.

  “I have a package I was supposed to deliver here before midnight,” Kayla said.

  “Where’s the package?” he asked through a slot in the door. Kayla saw beady brown eyes with a yellowish tint to the whites. She held up the nondescript bag for him to inspect.

  “That’s all?” he asked.

  “Yeah. If you don’t want it, I’ll take it back to Keaton,” she said, bluffing.

  “No, no. Come on in. I’ll ask for confirmation, and you can wait in the foyer.” He opened the door. Roo went in ahead of her and she stepped through with Gannon close behind.

  He slapped his hand on the door to stop it from closing, pushing through before the guard could stop him.

  “Who are you?” the guard demanded.

  “This is my partner,” Kayla said offhandedly.

  “They didn’t say there would be two of you.” He scratched his head.

  “No? Well then, you’ve hea
rd that I was coming. No need for confirmation, is there?” Kayla smiled at catching him in a lie.

  “What? No I didn’t say that,” the guard argued, quickly backpedaling. “I need to check with the boss.” He backed away before they could draw him into anymore conversation, or catch him in anymore lies.

  She watched the guard trot up the dingy hall and around the corner to the right. She’d almost laughed outright at the fear on the guy’s face when he’d realized he’d said too much.

  Wondering what would come next, sure they were being watched, she schooled her face into stone and looked at Gannon as he was about to say something. Raising one hand, she nodded towards the camera in the corner up the hall. He took the hint and moved in closer.

  She felt uncomfortable with Gannon so close to her, the heat emanating from his body. Not knowing what else to do, she gave her dog a useless command. Slapping her leg, she called, “Roo, to heel.”

  The lackey came to the head of the hall, staying some distance from them. She could see a faint swelling beginning around one eye. This didn’t bode well for them, she thought, if the punishment was that severe for speaking too openly. She’d been correct in her assumption that they could be heard as well as seen.

  “This way,” he said, walking away, giving them no time for further conversation.

  They walked down the grimy hall, following it to the right. Kayla thought she heard faint cries and Roo pressed closer to her leg, almost causing her to stumble.

  She looked straight ahead, noting the doors they passed and wings either right or left, so she could find her way back again if there was a need to. She knew they were walking into a trap and grew more nervous with every step.

  Gannon walked at her left. She ached to talk with him, but knew there would be time for that later. The guard led them to a room with a heavy steel door. Kayla stepped through and saw a large man sitting behind an equally large mahogany desk, busy with paperwork.

  Gannon followed her in, and she saw him stiffen when he saw who sat at the desk. “Covington,” he growled under his breath.