Blood Chained (Dark Siren Book 3)

by Eden Ashley

  Chapter 34

  Kali exploded from a troubled sleep, clutching the covers to her chest as she screamed York’s name. A moment later, he burst through the door of the bedroom she once shared with Rhane. His eyes were already more animal than human and glowed in the darkness as he transitioned to a wolf skin. Orrin slid through the window in full canine form, nearly invisible in the shadows. She almost didn’t see the other, smaller figure moving silently behind him. Water dripped from both their coats, drenched by a powerful rainstorm that soaked the night.

  Probably the first to perceive there was no actual threat inside her room, Bailen bounded onto the bed and stretched his giant furry head across Kali’s legs. The rest of the kin took their cue from the canine and relaxed. Battle skins melted away to reveal human forms wearing pajamas. Except for Matthias. He was stark naked, of course.

  The entire scene had unfolded in mere seconds.

  York’s expression was an even blend of confusion and concern. “Kali, what is it? What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Rhane,” she gasped. Her breathing was reduced to frantic panting. Only Bailen’s weight kept her from leaping out of the bed. “He’s been hurt. We can’t wait any longer. We have to go to him now.”

  “Whoa. Kali, slow down. Take it easy.” York left the doorway with movements that were still somewhat tense and jerky. He sat at the edge of the king-sized bed. “First of all, you scared the shit out of me.”

  “Me too,” Rion muttered sleepily and leaned into Orrin. The larger kin immediately shoved him off. His soft voice carried above the pounding of Kali’s heart. “How do you know Rhane is in trouble?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. A dream, only it wasn’t. I saw him as clear as day. He was kneeling outside of his father’s chambers within the white halls.”

  Now York really looked baffled. “Was he hurt?”

  “He was crying.” Tears sprang from Kali eyes as she recalled the anguish in Rhane’s. “They’ve done it. They’ve broken him.”

  Bailen whimpered pitifully. York stood, dragging a hand through sleep tousled hair. “Aw hell.” Everyone in the room stirred nervously through a lengthy silence. “Kali, we can’t. Whatever Rhane’s going through, he’s gonna have to cowboy up. We just don’t have the resources to go into Golden Mountain with guns blazing. Don’t forget about War. Rhane is still counting on us to get him out alive.”

  She knew he was right. “York,” she whispered miserably. “I’ve never seen him like that.”

  “I’m sorry, kiddo. It worries me too.” He blew out a sigh. “I know the waiting game sucks, but Cixi has delivered the statue to the rogues. It’s going to be Wesley’s move next.”

  Kali nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but in the same instance, a terrible fracas erupted downstairs. Thundering wind and the sound of splintering wood was followed by the horrifying shriek of a creature unknown to her ears.

  Bailen flashed to his feet, growling like a demon, and the other kin sailed into motion, barreling through the door and down the stairs. Kali was forced to the rear by Orrin’s restraining hand. Caught in the moment, she had forgotten her training. It was reckless to move ahead of her guardians. One day soon she would be strong enough to not need protectors, though Rhane would probably always want her to have them.

  When her socked feet finally touched the stair landing, she could see what had made the awful noise. Kali already knew it was bad because Orrin had shifted again onto all fours as they reached the hallway.

  Down below, the kin had surrounded a twisting, flaring funnel of red light. The luminosity was dynamic. Ever-changing, it never held the same shape for more than several seconds. Then the creature attacked. Tentacles of light reached out toward the kin, snapping and cracking like whips of menace. York’s mountainous wolf jumped back as one of them sailed toward his head, but he wasn’t fast enough. Blood welled from the gash, pouring down his left ear. The black wolf’s lips peeled back in an angry snarl, swiping a colossal paw at the red brilliance with little effect. Another tentacle whipped out, snaking up the stairs like lightning, to wrap around Orrin’s brown wolf. He was slung over the banister before anyone could react.

  Overwhelmed by fear and charged with anger, Kali screamed.

  The sound ripped through the air, penetrated the walls, and shook the very floorboards. Groaning and trembling as it shifted, the staircase vibrated beneath her feet. Several of the kin whined, flattening their ears to block out her wail. As the scream wore on, the red spiral began to shrink. Its brightness darkened until at last, the light was gone and another form took its place.

  “Wesley,” Kali whispered.

  “What have you done?” It was Wes, but he was nearly unrecognizable in her eyes. Gone was the charming guy with the kind face and inviting smile. She had never seen him like this, distorted by rage and shaking with emotion.

  There was no point in denying his question. “You wouldn’t help me, so I did what I had to.”

  Red light flared around him. “Giving the statue to the rogues was a foolish, childish thing to do. How could you be so selfish?”

  She was startled by his harsh words but didn’t waver. “I just want them back, Wesley.”

  “I can’t bring them back to you!” he practically shouted. “I thought you understood what was at stake. That statue unlocks technology rogues will use to change the very DNA of humans. They’ll create more creatures like themselves. Those will end up as sacrifices for the monster they worship when Blight is summoned from slumber. Every changed human will be fed upon. Every higher life form—rogues, kindred, even your precious Warekin—they are all mere fodder to Blight.” A bitter laugh barked from his lips. Then his voice softened as he seemed to speak to himself. “After the fields are burned…what then? The ark could fall into human hands. Then we’re all screwed.” His shoulders slumped in defeat. Rage diminished, he began to be more like the old Wes. “How could you do this, Kalista?”

  Because I didn’t have all the facts, she wanted to scream. Her head was spinning. She’d known about Blight and the threat it presented but truly believed she and Rhane could find a way to stop whatever monster rose from those tombs. But hordes of humans transformed by alien technology? It was way out of her league and scope of understanding.

  York called to her in thought. Just blink twice and I’ll rip his throat out.

  Kali swallowed and was extra careful not to bat an eye. “We can still win this if you help us. Free Rhane and War. I promise you, we will fight.”

  Wes shook his head. “If you don’t care about the human race—your own family—why should I? Let them burn.”

  “Damn it, Wes—” she started. And then something happened Kali could have never prepared for.

  Bailen began to change.

  Dark fur melted away into very human skin as the canine form—known to Kali for so long—unfolded to stand on two legs. He was a head shorter than her, barely in adolescence, shoeless and wore only linen trousers. A lean but muscular build was emphasized by the bronze tan of his bare torso. His face was an attractive but boyish mixture of strong and soft features. Bailen’s hair was the same as his fur, long and silky. And his eyes—he had his mother’s eyes.

  Dizzy with joy, shock, and despair all at once, Kali retreated a step, and in the same instant, reached out for him. Everyone and everything stopped. The outside world ceased to be. She could only see her child—the son she had never known.

  His name died in her throat. Only on the second attempt was she able to speak it. “Bailen.”

  The boy looked past her, directly at Wes. “Is it truly beyond your skill to free them, Builder?”

  Kali wasn’t an expert in Warekin youth, but Bailen sounded way too mature for his age. His words carried authority far beyond his youthful appearance, and his presence was almost electric. No one could look away. Even the powerful Builder was rendered as speechless as the rest of the room.

  “Despite what you and the others wanted me to believe, your t
rue ambition was never hidden from me. I ran, but I am here now. All that your cause aspires to achieve now lies within reach. Have you the courage to take it?”

  Wes frowned. “Don’t you dare taunt me, boy.”

  A mocking smile replaced Bailen’s impassive expression. “Of course. I should have learned not to poke dragons from you.”

  Whether from shame or anger, Kali couldn’t guess the source of the red hue spreading rapidly across Wes’s face. Looking away from Bailen, he nodded stiffly to Kali. “For the sake of our friendship and the trust that was once shared between us, I will try to bring Rhane and the boy back to you. But I can make no promises.”

  “Thank you, Wes,” Kali said. Though, she was completely thrown by the sudden one-eighty in his attitude.

  Nodding again, he turned to leave through the manor’s ruined front door. Just beyond the threshold, he stopped. “Kali…you probably won’t see me again. It’s safer that way.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. Keeping both eyes on Wes, she reached for Bailen’s hand to make sure he was still there—to make sure he still had hands and not paws for her to hold.

  Only when Wes was gone were the skins put away. Orrin and York took positions near the doorway. Orrin faced the drenched darkness outside while York considered the room.

  Rion hadn’t moved. “Is it just me, or did he finish that last part through his ass?”

  “We’ll get to that later,” York said. He studied Bailen with curious eyes. “Right now there are more pressing matters to discuss, and I’ve got a feeling we’re already on borrowed time.” He folded his arms. “Kali, I’ll let you ask the questions.”

  Still holding onto Bailen, she looked down at the boy and chewed her lip. She had no idea where to begin.

  Watching her as intently as she watched him, Bailen relieved her dilemma by speaking first. “They’re going to take me soon. Promise you’ll come for me.”

  Kali squeezed his fingers and tried to conceal the anxiety in her voice. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll protect you, Bailen. I always will.”

  “It’s already done.” He shook his head, stretching those large gray eyes that held Rhane’s shape but possessed every fleck of her color. “They have to take me.”

  “You said you ran away from them. Why would you show yourself now? He didn’t know who you were. None of us did.”

  Bailen glanced at York. Then his gaze shifted back to Kali. “He wasn’t going to let them go,” he said, and brushed away a thick lock of hair curling onto his forehead. His tone was eerily non-emotional, almost reminiscent of the manner in which River often spoke. “He will now. He wasn’t sure before. But now he is and they all will know. Builders will need us both.”

  It felt like her head was spinning. The kid was talking in riddles. “You and Rhane?”

  Bailen nodded. Kali just wanted to pull him close and never let go. She wanted to ask a million questions, to learn everything about him and be there for him as well—in the way she never had a chance to. But first things first. Acquiring information was slightly more important than satisfying any newly budding maternal instincts. Considering the boy’s mannerisms, he might not have been too keen on being smothered with human affections.

  “Why do they need you, Bailen?”

  “I can’t say anymore.” He touched her face, stroking her cheek softly as Rhane always did. Kali closed her eyes. It was the most human thing he’d done. “And I can’t stay like this.”

  So much emotion flowed through her, ravaging her thoughts, clogging her throat. “Why not?” she asked in a voice strangled with feeling. She furiously fought back tears that threatened to overtake her eyes.

  “Remaining human ages my appearance.”

  She shook her head. “Bailen, I don’t understand.”

  He smiled. This one was real, making love twist a thick knot in Kali’s chest. “You will soon enough,” he said and began to meld back into the furry guardian who had eased into her heart many months ago.

  But Bailen’s fingers grasped her hand until they were gone.

  And outside, the rain had stopped.

  Chapter 35

  By the next evening, York had replaced and installed a new front door. As soon as he shut it to test that the hinges worked properly, someone knocked from the other side.

  Seriously?

  There were maybe only four people capable of sneaking up him like that. One was currently over seven thousand miles away. Another snuggled close to Kali on the couch because the two had been practically inseparable since last night’s little fiesta in the twilight zone. That left only two other suspects. York didn’t particularly want a visit from either at the moment.

  Opening the door, he hung his head and sighed. It was Gabriel…or maybe it was that kid, Callan. Until he opened his mouth, York couldn’t be sure who called the shots. Either way, he had really been pulling for the visitor to be Ian. The kindred alpha would have at least been the lesser evil.

  “Hey, big guy. How’s it going?”

  Callan. Definitely Callan.

  “Great,” he replied. “Good to see you, Cal.” He winced at the lie. Regarding the box held in the boy’s hands with a wary eye, he stepped aside to let Cal into the manor. He probably could have been a more gracious host and offered to carry the heavy load, but Cal was tall, athletic, and plenty capable of handling a little plastic box.

  “Is uh, Kali around?” He shifted the container from one hand to the other.

  York smirked. “Where else would she be? It smells like you’ve already been to her house.”

  “Oh.” Cal blushed. Shuffling both feet, he looked away quickly. York thought the behavior was overly antsy for the circumstances, not to mention completely out of character. Usually the little snot was a cocky bastard worthy of a firm backhand.

  Finally spotting Kali snuggled in the sofa cushions, relief washed over Cal’s face. The emotion was promptly erased by an even deeper blush sparked by what looked a lot like guilt. “Mind if I talk to her?”

  York shrugged. “Go right ahead, champ.”

  “Thanks.” Cal moved away in a hurry.

  “Don’t mention it,” York called to his retreating back and then returned his attention to repair of the front door. He had more pressing matters to worry about. Whatever troubled Cal would come to light soon enough. Then again…

  Setting the screwdriver on the nearest side table, he followed Cal into the living area and flopped into an armchair just as the kid sat the box at Kali’s feet.

  Still stroking Bailen’s fur, her greeting was just as guarded as York’s had been. “Hey, Callan.” Bailen didn’t even acknowledge their visitor. His eyes remained closed and his breathing light as he dozed in his mother’s embrace.

  “Hey, Kal.”

  She nudged the box with a toe. “What’s this?”

  “Um,” he stalled, scratching his neck. “It’s your stuff. I went by your house, but you weren’t home. Just leaving it there didn’t seem right.”

  “My stuff?” Kali raised both eyebrows. “What stuff exactly and why do you have it?”

  York frowned. The girl had been living at the manor full time since last year. It didn’t make sense for Cal to even think of looking for Kali at her parents’ house first.

  “Shannon gave it to me. Well…she gave it to Gabriel.”

  “Didn’t know you two were that tight,” York said, winking suggestively as Cal looked in his direction.

  Stiffening, the boy’s eyes flashed red. “The reaper who embodies Shannon is male and served as one of my lieutenants before my power was usurped.”

  “Don’t get so defensive, Gabe. It just feeds my suspicions.” York somehow managed to laugh, but inside he felt pretty uneasy at the sudden shift in personalities. That wasn’t weird at all.

  Kali only seemed annoyed. “Callan,” she said with an edge to her voice.

  “Right.” The ex was back, and just as awkward. “I’m sorry, Kal.”

  She exhaled, finally g
etting it or at least accepting it. “When Wes said it was better if we didn’t see each other again, I didn’t realize he was firing me.”

  “There’s one other thing,” the boy added, looking absolutely miserable. “Your sister is home.”

  “It’s the middle of the semester.”

  “Well, you know how she is.”

  “Of course.”

  Cue a painful beat of silence.

  York figured Kali was handling the news pretty well. Sure, digging around in the dirt for buried old stuff was her dream job, and getting sacked from Mack Ventures probably meant she wouldn’t get the big internship she’d worked so hard for until Rhane and Co. had entered her life. But in comparison to discovering your pet wolf was actually the long lost son you never realized you had, a slight career derailment ranked pretty low on the totem pole of life altering developments. At least York thought so.