I gasped—gagged—then shuddered. My stomach was heaving, but nothing came up. My body had nothing else to give.
The pitiful cry of pain that I'd been unable to let out before escaped now, though it hardly expressed the suffering I'd gone through. It was too mild—it barely ripped my throat on the way out.
Toni's hand was crushing mine. He was on the ground with me, his other hand pressing against my head, keeping me from bashing against anything else while I thrashed. When I was able to lift my eyes to his, I saw a haunted pain there that I'd never seen before.
My body was still being racked with tremors, and my breaths were ragged and gulping. But now that I was conscious of the fact that Toni was genuinely distressed, I tried to rein my shaking in.
My heart gradually slowed, my panting became more level and less forced. My muscles relaxed, simply because they couldn't stand to be wrenched any longer. I stared up at Toni and swallowed hard, knowing that I needed to say something but worried about how hoarse I'd sound.
In the end, my voice just cracked a lot. “I can't feel my fingers,” I whispered laboriously.
He released me immediately, afraid that he'd hurt me. I wanted to laugh. As if squeezing a hand too tightly was anything compared to having a hole burned through your body.
“Toni… I was—kidding…”
He blew out his breath, and it shook dangerously. “This is a sick time for you to get a sense of humor, man,” he muttered ruefully.
I tried to smile. It was more like the most painful grimace I'd ever produced.
“Can you stand?” Toni asked. “Can I get you anything? You need to get back in bed…”
I shook my head, pinching my eyes closed. “The book, Toni… Look at the book… Kate…”
I heard his knees shift on the ground as he looked around, trying to make sense of my words. I heard the leather slide against the floor, get lifted up…
“Yeah. She looks great. You've got some talent.”
I forced my eyes to open and met his anxious gaze. It was evident he'd given the drawing less than a passing glance.
“I drew that…” I stopped to suck in a deep breath.
He nodded quickly, eager to please. “Yeah. You did good. She's stunning, even if her nose is a little too long.”
I shook my head impatiently—gasping when my head suddenly stabbed with pain, increasing the throbbing ache. “No,” I hissed through gritted teeth. “Toni. I did that in…”
His eyes had wandered to the date at the bottom, and his eyebrows shot up. “May 1797. What the…?”
“I dreamed of her.” I winced deeply. “Back then, before I died… before she was ever born…”
“How the heck is that even possible?” he demanded.
“I don't know…” My voice trailed off as Toni's phone began to ring in his pocket. He cast me an apologetic look as he dug for his phone, and I rolled to stare up at the ceiling. Concentrate on breathing… try to do it without causing any pain…
Toni glanced at the caller ID and his face brightened a little, which was good. Toni didn't have a face meant for grimness. “Lee, hi,” he said right away, and I lost a bit of my interest. Unless Kate was with her, of course…
He listened to her quick greeting, and he glanced down at me. “Yeah, not a whole lot right now. Just chilling at the dorm…”
His voice trailed off, and I forced myself into a sitting position. He reached out a hand to help me, but I shrugged him off. I could sit up without assistance. For now, anyway.
I could hear the distant hum of Lee's voice, but the words were unclear. I was ready to ignore them completely and go back to staring at the drawing of Kate, when suddenly Toni choked.
My eyes shot to his face, my hands flexing against the ground to steady me. He was completely pale. “What?” he asked, a new edge to his voice.
More talking from Lee—confusion on his face. He broke into her rush of words. “Whoa, slow down. Where are you guys?”
He listened curtly, his expression darkening an alarming degree with each passing second.
“What is it?” I asked, one arm wrapping insecurely around my aching stomach. “Is it Kate?”
He waved an impatient hand at me, and I obediently shut up so he could concentrate on what Lee was saying. “Wait—how close is he?”
I was losing patience fast. I stared at him, as if desire alone could make me hear what he was hearing. Kate…
I didn't know what he knew, but that look on his face… that was the Guardian look. That determination and dedication only surfaced when a Seer or human was in danger—or both. Suddenly the drawing of Kate in my sketchbook wasn't important. My pain wasn't important. Only one thing mattered right now.
“Lee, what the heck…” he hesitated, then spit the words out to me quickly, while Lee was distracted. “I'm not sure of the threat yet, but they're in a freaking high-speed chase with her mother's boyfriend. He's right behind them.”
“He's a Demon?” I asked in confusion, mentally forcing my pain away. Kate needed me. I might be dying, but I was still her Guardian.
“No, Kate said he's not but…” His voice fell and his eyes dropped. He was listening to Lee.
“Put it on speaker!” I hissed.
“Tell Kate to come to the warehouse,” he told her, completely ignoring my request. “I'll be outside waiting.”
A quick exchange happened on the other side of the line, and Toni rolled his eyes. “Oh for the love of—look, Patrick will be perfectly safe, I swear. She's not going to put us in danger. But Kate's not a freaking professional—she's going to get you guys killed if you keep this up.”
“Toni,” I fairly growled.
“You could try getting pulled over by the cops, for speeding or something. I saw that in a movie once. This loser won't stop with a cop there, especially if he's not a Demon. You could try that. Oh, and ask her what he is if he isn't a freaking Demon.” The tense words were dripping from his lips, making the air in the room seem tighter.
Lee relayed Toni's words, and I silently fumed, my fingers itching to snatch the phone away but unwilling to keep Toni from learning something important.
Lee said something, and Toni's mouth fell open. “Is she serious? How did… never mind.” His eyes bored into mine. “Kate thinks he's a Seer—for Selena.”
I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, which was a lot more painful after having my insides burned only minutes before. I could easily imagine Kate in her car, driving too fast, breathing too quickly, chased by someone who worked for Selena. I guess I hadn't thought too much about the evil Demon because I'd been so focused on Kate and my own imminent death. I'd briefly thought about Far Darrig and what would happen to Kate when I was gone, but…
This was happening while I was still here. Only I couldn't do anything because I was here and she was somewhere else.
“All right, tell Kate that she needs to get to the warehouse—forget about losing him. We'll be ready for you guys…” I didn't realize his words were dying off because of the look on my face, until he told Lee he was putting me on. Then he handed me the phone.
I looked at it for a terse second, that small device my only connection to Kate when she needed me so badly. I took a steadying breath, hoping that I could sound strong for Lee's sake, then I put the phone to my ear.
“Lee, I need you guys to stay calm. I know you're probably really confused right now…” my words faded when I heard the sudden screech of brakes, Lee's sharp gasp.
My heart stopped beating. “Lee? What's going on? What happened?”
She was breathing heavily. “We just stopped—really fast. Patrick, what's going on?”
“Lee, there's no time to explain right now.” I swallowed very hard. “Is Kate all right?”
“I don't know. I think she's losing it. She's shaking really bad…”
I closed my eyes tightly—trying not to picture it. But Kate's fearful face was all I could see. I hadn't known that there was a pain worse than anythin
g I'd felt so far, but here I was, experiencing it. I was completely helpless.
Toni was suddenly standing, and he shot a hasty explanation as he fled from the room. “I'm gonna get the keys.”
I gave him a nod, flinching when the pain in my head exploded once more. “Lee, I need you to keep her calm. She needs to concentrate on driving—”
“Oh my Oreos!” Lee gasped suddenly, breaking through my words. “He's getting out of his car!” she screamed to me, as if somehow I could do something to stop this from happening. All I could do was feel like throwing up.
And then suddenly she wasn't talking to me anymore. “Kate! The back door—!” I heard Lee's voice strain—heard a door open, then slam closed. I heard screams—Kate's was further from me but was definitely the clearest.
My face crumpled at the same time my body surged with adrenaline. I'd never felt so defeated and yet so suddenly energized.
Lee's cry grew sharper in pain, and I yelled her name through my torn throat. She didn't respond.
I heard a deep voice, a darker voice, but I could only make out a couple scattered words. “Don't… Dare… Try…” A slight pause. And then he must have raised his voice and leaned closer, because now every word was clear. “Who are you talking to? Hang up! Right now!”
“Lee, don't hang up!” I cried out at the same time she did. He was hurting her. This man that Kate had assured me was fine and good…
“Patrick!” Lee yelled desperately. “Help us! Please!”
Lee's gasps suddenly got very quiet, and I heard the man's threatening voice again, and his words chilled me to the bone. “Easy, Kate. I don't want to hurt either of you, but I swear I will.”
I only grew more desperate when I heard them stop screaming. “Lee, where are you? Give me something—a street sign, anything! Lee? Lee!” I heard the engine idling, could almost hear Kate silently give in to his demands.
I knew Lee was going to close the phone the second before she buckled under his threats. “Lee, please! Give me something! Kate!” I screamed.
The pain in that single word brought Toni rushing back inside, knife in hand.
And then there was nothing. The line was dead.
I felt completely empty. I couldn't make myself close the phone. I couldn't make myself breathe.
“Patrick?” Toni asked, apprehensively watching my face.
My words were hollow. “He's in the car with them. They stopped at a light… the back door was unlocked… Lee hung up. He was hurting them.”
Toni's eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer, stooping to snatch the phone away from me. “Are you coming with me or not?” he asked tensely.
I couldn't focus on anything. I felt like I was drowning. “She wouldn't tell me where they are. I don't know the first place to look…”
“Well, I know where they were two minutes ago—heading toward Main, just outside the subdivision.”
My eyes went to his, and life returned to my body.
He gave me a grim smile. “You up to this?”
I didn't even bother to answer.
Kate Bennett
New Mexico, United States
Peter Keegan didn't seem to care about our fear, or the fact that people were honking all around us. The light was still green, and I knew that we needed to move soon, or else someone might actually notice there was a guy in our backseat holding a weapon on us. The traffic beside us was moving, so I knew we couldn't expect help from any of them. And with Peter's car behind us, shielding us from view… We were on a busy street, completely alone.
He kept the gun trained on Lee, and his voice was horribly businesslike. He sounded nothing like a sixth-grade teacher or the guy who'd spent last Saturday with us at a soccer tournament. “Lee, get Kate's phone. And then you're coming with me. Now!” he snapped, when Lee didn't move right away.
Trembling, she took off her seat belt and leaned toward me. She reached in my tight pocket, gripping my cell phone with shaking fingers.
He shifted the gun to me, and I felt the cold metal press against my head. “Wait for the light to change again. You'll keep driving alone. Turn right at the next street, and let me pass you. You'll follow me exactly, or I'm going to have to do something we'll all regret. Understand?”
I nodded, but the motion was jerky. Having a gun pressed to my head made it hard to keep strong for Lee. My overwhelming fear had to be abundantly evident.
Peter tucked the gun in his jacket, but we were smart enough to realize that wouldn't save us if we tried to run. He'd just draw it again.
Lee and I shared a look, and then Peter ordered her to get out of the car. She followed his commands quickly but carefully. No erratic movements.
Peter exited the car behind me, and I was suddenly alone.
The light was still burning green, but I didn't roll forward. I was going to wait for the next change of the light, because that's what would keep Lee safe from that maniac.
I watched them in the rearview mirror. Peter looked very non-threatening out there as he waved to the people behind him, apologizing without words for the delay. Lee looked a little unsteady, but she climbed in the passenger's side without hesitation.
Her aura was terrified, confused.
Peter's aura was the most complex and confusing I'd ever seen. Did he do that on purpose?
The light turned yellow, then red.
I was seeing red.
This couldn't be happening. I needed to get to Clyde. I needed to find a cure for Patrick. Lee and I weren't supposed to be kidnapped.
Patrick…
The light changed back to green, and I obediently crossed the intersection. Peter followed directly behind me, shifting through the traffic to reach the right lane in time. I made the appropriate turn, glancing in the mirror repeatedly, trying to keep an eye on Lee.
I let him pass me. Then I followed him as he led us away from the busier streets, toward more residential areas. Within ten minutes we were pulling into a quiet park. Peter shut off his car, and I did the same. I'd parked on the passenger side so I was closest to Lee. She wasn't looking at me, so I couldn't read her expression. But her aura was the same mix of fear and pain as it had been the last time I'd seen her. I tried to be grateful that we were both still alive, but who knew how long that would last?
I unbuckled my seat belt but stayed in the car, waiting for further commands. I could see Peter getting out of his Mini Cooper, and he strolled around both our hoods. Lee stayed in his car, completely motionless.
He opened my passenger door and climbed inside. The gun was held at his waist, leveled at my stomach.
He stared at me for a terse moment, then shook his head fiercely. His aura was a confused jumble, but I was a little surprised to see so much green uneasiness. “Why'd you have to make this complicated?” he demanded roughly.
I blinked, disbelieving. Seriously? The disbelief mixed with my desperation, and somehow that combination pushed my fear down enough that I was able to find my voice. “I'm not the one holding the gun, so don't talk to me about complicating things.”
His aura pulsed angrily. “You shouldn't have run away.”
A part of me wondered if I'd lost my mind, but that didn't stop me from snapping back at him. “You work for Selena, for the Demons. You might as well be a Demon.” The slight quiver following after my sharp words the only indication of my fear.
“Shut up!” he growled furiously. “You don't know anything!”
I swallowed hard, my unexpected surge of bravery gone in an instant.
I watched his eyes flicker to my aura, interpreting the change in my emotions. His own aura was seething as he stared at me. The sudden quiet in the car pounded in my ears, along with my heart.
He glanced out the windshield, and that's when I realized he was scrambling for something to say. I kept my mouth shut and just watched him struggle to find his voice. Again—like the green uneasiness in his aura—I found it odd that a man who'd just chased down two girls would be at a loss for word
s.
Finally, he spoke. “This isn't how I wanted this to happen.” His words sounded almost like an apology, but the gun was still pointed at me, so I didn't really feel like pitying him. “But you didn't give me a choice, Kate.” He turned back to me, and I tried to keep my eyes steady.
His voice was firm, unyielding. “You saw Selena's call. You answered it. What did she say?”
“So the ice water worked? Great.” My courage hadn't all fled, apparently.
His jaw flexed in sudden fury. “Kate, you don't understand. I'm not one of them.”
“One of Selena's dogs, you mean? Yeah, right. I'm not stupid, Peter.”
His eyes were almost slits. “You don't understand anything. Not all of us were as lucky as you. Some of us didn't have the alternative.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I don't want to do this!” he burst out. “But I don't have a choice. I have to, or she's going to kill me. And Jeanette, and Lee.”
That got my attention. “Selena is going to kill Lee and her mom?”
His eyes pinched closed, and he blew out a powerful breath. “I don't have a choice,” he repeated dully. The words came pouring out quickly now, and I tried to absorb every detail, any way to better understand what was going on. “If it weren't for Selena, I wouldn't be in this situation. I never got a Guardian, like you did. I've been a Seer for over a year, and yours was the first Guardian I've ever met. All I had was Selena.”
Over a year? Had Selena really planted Peter into Jeanette's life—Lee's life—so long ago? Why? I hadn't even been a Seer at that point! It didn't make sense.
“Did Selena tell you to date Jeanette to get close to me?” I asked point-blank.
He glanced at me, unsure. But his aura was creeping with new colors—colors that revealed just how desperate he was. But not desperate to kill me, I realized. No, he was desperate for me to understand his actions. “No,” he whispered. “I met Jeanette on my own. I fell in love with her… It wasn't until a few weeks ago that Selena found out who she was to you—who Lee was. She arranged everything, forced me to move out here, so I could get to you. She ordered me to move here, to start teaching your sisters.”
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