by Deanna Chase
Kane sat silent for so long, I finally glanced up to catch his eye. “What?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I really don’t. And as far as Lailah is concerned, I’d just as soon not have you involved in any more of her brand of magic.”
I sat up. “I’m not too keen on it either, but I feel like I have to do something.”
“Okay, we’ll try to figure it out, but not right now. Both of us need sleep. Will you stay with me while I try to dreamwalk Pyper?”
I nodded, got to my feet and held out my hand. “Come on. Let’s go.” I couldn’t help my lips from curling into a small smile.
Ten minutes later we climbed into Kane’s bed. I stared at his chest, my eyes lingering. I reached out and ran a hand the length of his torso. “I wanted to do that since the first time I woke up next to you.”
Kane caught my hand and kissed it. “If I hadn’t thought you had a concussion, I don’t think I could have kept my hands off you.”
I scooted closer and snuggled up next to him. “There wouldn’t have been much of a fight.”
He groaned. “Now you tell me.”
“I think you’ll live.” I lifted my head. “Will you take me with you in the dream?”
“I already planned on it.”
Pressing my head to his chest, I relaxed. “Thanks. I want to try to reach her mentally before we go.”
“You can do that from here?”
“Maybe. The closer I am emotionally to someone, the easier it is. And the fact we’re in her apartment helps. Plus, you’re her best friend. If we’re connected I might reach her.”
“It’s worth a try.” Kane reached over and flipped off the light.
“Okay, I’m going to read you first. I need to lock in your emotions so I can differentiate and concentrate on Pyper,” I said.
“All right.”
Because Kane and I were now connected emotionally and physically, reading him became as effortless as breathing. His energy flowed through me as if it were my own. I didn’t think I could block him now even if I tried. His pleasure warmed my skin, and I lightly trailed my fingers over his as I paused to enjoy the moment. But soon the weariness and worry for Pyper intruded.
In my mind I conjured up Pyper’s distinct energy. It wasn’t long before I entered the void I’d been experiencing at the hospital the last few days. I was close. As I had earlier, I forced my essence deeper. Instantly, pain rippled down both my arms and legs. Through the haze I barely heard Kane gasp in alarm. Instinctively, I stiffened, trying to hold as still as possible and the stabbing jabs eased to a dull ache.
“Pyper,” I whispered. “We’re here. I can feel you. Please, tell us where you are.”
Anger and despair filled the void, masking hopelessness.
“It’s not hopeless. Kane and I are coming for you. Tell us where to look.”
Pyper, I’m here. We both are. Don’t give up. We’re coming for you. Kane’s voice rang in my head.
I jerked, momentarily startled. How did he do that? My focus waned, and I felt Pyper slipping. “No,” I said in a raised voice and concentrated. “Where are you?”
Pain pierced my hands, and I bit down on my lip to keep from crying out. Kane’s arms tightened around me with fierce protectiveness.
Roy. Kane, Roy has me. Help. Pyper’s faint voice barely registered in my mind. A white-hot bolt of terror punched me in the stomach, and the connection was lost.
Kane shot straight up as I rolled away and vomited right there on the bed.
“Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God,” I said over and over. “I’m sorry.”
Kane grabbed the quilt and carried it out of the room. In no time he was back. “Are you all right?”
Barely holding back my gag reflex, I shook my head and wobbled my way into the bathroom. When I was sure I could hold down the rest of my dinner, I reemerged and found Kane hovering by the door.
“Jade.” He rubbed my back as I padded back to the bed. “Are you okay?”
I nodded and sat with my back against the headboard. “All of that pain was Pyper’s”
“What pain?”
“Oh, you didn’t feel it?” When he shook his head, I continued. “Her hands are in awful pain, like she’s been stabbed or something. I got sick because I experienced a sucker-punch of some sort. Only it wasn’t me, it was her.”
Kane’s eyes darkened to almost black, a shade I had never seen in my vast experience of analyzing his eye color. Fury and hatred engulfed me.
“I know. I feel the same way.” I ran my hand up his arm. “Why did you gasp? What did you feel?”
“Your energy changed. It went from a light airy feel to heavy and somehow foreboding. I knew something wasn’t right.”
“That’s when I felt all the pain.” I rubbed my palm. “Who is Roy?”
“I only know one Roy. He was the previous owner of the club.” Kane paused. “He died six months ago.”
“A ghost,” I whispered.
Chapter 21
The turbulence coursing through Kane was like nothing I’d experienced before. Hatred, compounded with a fierce possessiveness, overwhelmed his other protective instincts. I imagined a wolf protecting his den while he simultaneously stalked his prey.
“Kane?”
He turned, and his emotions surged through me, zapping my remaining energy.
“I know you’re upset. You have every right to be, but I need you to calm down. Please.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Sorry.”
I pulled him down in the covers and cuddled up close. “Just focus on me for a while, okay?”
He kissed the top of my head. “I’ll try.” The intensity of his emotions faded, but the anger didn’t disappear.
“I’m going to try to relax and sleep. I’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready.”
“I’ll see you soon,” he said.
I closed my eyes and stretched my aching limbs. Kane felt good, too good in my arms, and it didn’t take long for me to drift off. Immediately Bobby appeared at the foot of the bed, shining in his bright light. All the red anger he’d displayed earlier in the night was gone, replaced by a peaceful acceptance. I dozed in his presence until finally, after what seemed like hours, Kane joined me.
Bobby came and stood next to the bed, his light washing over both of us. I looked from him to Kane and back again. Bobby nodded, turned his lips up in a sad smile and faded into the night, his light going with him.
That was weird. I stared at the spot Bobby had vanished from.
Focus, Jade. I need to take you to Pyper. Kane’s voice rang clear in my head.
My eyes found him. His determination and sense of urgency snapped me back into the moment. With our hands clasped, our bodies rose together in a transparent image of ourselves. We floated through the walls and floors, ending up next to the stage in the middle of Wicked.
The club pulsed with activity. One of the strippers crawled across the stage toward an eager front-row participant. I spotted Charlie, busy at the bar handling a line of bachelor party shots. The room was half-full with tourists, party goers and, of course, the regular at the table in the corner, sitting the same as always, with a cigarette and a bottle of beer on the table. He stared across the room at something. I followed his gaze.
A platform in the back of the club levitated above the velvet couches lining the wall. I pointed and floated off toward it. As I got nearer, someone’s anger engulfed me, muffling my senses. The emotional imprint seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I spotted Kane just behind me, horror etched on his face. A twinge of desperation and panic I recognized as Kane’s pushed its way through the anger surrounding me. I sent my energy out to him, trying to link us together, but his emotions were far away and barely reachable. Disoriented, I turned back to the platform and floated up above it.
A piercing cry rang from my lips, and my own terror pushed out all other emotions.
On the platform, Pyper lay encased in a silve
r-outlined clear box. Stripped naked, she’d been pinned down, spread-eagle with nails through her palms and feet. Barbed wire wrapped around her limbs, causing her to lie still or suffer more puncture wounds. Her eyes, pleading, moved from me to Kane and back again. Her lips moved, but no sound was audible.
The foreign, angry energy mixed with my own desperation, and I raised my arms over my head, ready to strike. Using all of my force I slammed my hands down, intending to shatter the silver-lined box. I barely felt anything as my hands bounced off the structure, propelling me backwards. Reminding myself my body was back in Kane’s bed and this was just my dream self, I changed tactics. Turning in a circle, I sent my energy out searching for the unwelcome visitor still crowding my awareness.
Kane hovered above Pyper trying to communicate with her, his mouth working and hands waving. Charlie was oblivious to the action, as was everyone else in the club, except for one man; the quiet, creepy regular with the beer bottle and unlit cigarette whom I’d seen every night I’d ever been in the bar. He sat in his regular corner staring right at me, hatred ripping holes in my senses as it radiated off him.
Our eyes locked, and in that moment I knew he wasn’t alive. A ghost. This had to be Roy. How had I missed it? Digging deep, I sent all of my awareness toward him and was engulfed into blackness so dark it was as if I’d gone blind. I floated back to Kane, reining in my energy.
“There he is. It’s Roy, isn’t it?” I pointed to the ghost across the room.
Kane turned, following my direction. “Son of a bitch!” He flew across the room, fists raised in challenge. Just as Kane came to a stop in front of the man, Roy’s hatred heightened, slashing at my very essence, and then disappeared as the ghost vanished. Kane whipped around, back and forth, and then glided back to me.
I sent my awareness back out in search of him and felt a small tug. Then my energy was grabbed with such force, I felt as if it would be ripped from my being. Frantically, I tried to merge with Kane as I had earlier in the evening when Bobby had invaded my senses. But I couldn’t reach him. A thread of Pyper’s desperation reached me and I opened to it, merging with her instead.
All at once, Pyper’s pain vanished, along with her restraints. I hovered near the case and melded my energy closer to hers. Pyper rose from the case and floated next to me. Seconds ticked by, and then I faded into nothing.
I woke with slashes of pain radiating throughout my limbs. My eyes blurred with unshed tears and when I tried to move my arm, a ragged cry burst from my throat as sharp barbs pricked my flesh. The tears ran down the side of my face, and Kane’s face came into focus.
I could see his mouth forming the word “Jade” over and over again, but I could hear nothing. Worse, I could no longer feel his energy. I was trapped in a void.
You freed her—I needed someone to take her place, a sinister voice said in my head.
“Why?” I asked in desperation.
To punish you, of course. To punish them.
I focused on the glare above me. I was now trapped in the case with my limbs wrapped tight in the barbed wire. Pain pulsed from my hands and feet, and I knew nails held them down. There wasn’t anything I could do to get free. I stared at Kane, looking as helpless as I felt, and cried out in anguish as he disappeared from my sight.
He’s left to be with her, you know.
“No!” I cried. “He’ll be back for me.”
He’s always loved her best. There will never be room for you in his life.
“Lies. You’re an evil, lying bastard.”
Roy chuckled, and his laughter rang in my mind. Call me whatever you like. You’re mine now.
“I’ll never be yours.” My voice was flat to my own ears. Where had Kane gone? I couldn’t believe he’d left me here like this.
That’s right, Jade. He left you. Really, what did you think he would do?”
“Stop it! Just stop it!” In my rational mind I knew Roy was playing off my fears, but I was powerless to stop him.
Roy continued to spew his brand of hate at me for what seemed like hours. Tired and worn down, I turned inward, pulling my guards up. Suddenly I couldn’t hear him anymore. The pain in my limbs dissipated to a dull ache. Why hadn’t I tried that before?
This isn’t real, I told myself. Of course it wasn’t. Pyper had been in a coma in the hospital with no visible marks at all. Roy had stolen just her conscious self. Now, I’d traded places with her. All the pain was an illusion in my mind.
I tried to lift my arms, but all I felt was weight holding me down. There wasn’t the sharp stabbing pain as before, but I couldn’t lift my arms or legs. Still trapped. Damn it!
With nothing else at my disposal, I decided to try merging with his emotional energy again. It was the only thing I could think of to do. After taking a few deep breaths, I let my guards down. My arms throbbed in pain from where I’d tried to lift them against the barb wire. I pressed my arms down on the platform, trying to get as far away from the prickling metal as possible.
That won’t help you, Roy said.
“Shut up, you bastard.” I glared up into his twisted face.
He gave the mechanical laugh of someone destined for a padded cell. His image floated above me, and I sent my energy toward him.
Stop trying to invade my soul, you witch! I’ll kill you if you keep it up.
His venomous thoughts spurred my determination. I pressed harder, seeking to merge my energy with his. The hatred crawled up my spine, making me squirm and cry in pain as wire stabbed my limbs. I stilled and fought to keep a hold on his emotions. As I pressed deeper I sensed a twinge of his panic, but his toxic, determined energy took over as he loomed over me, staring into my eyes.
I stared back, determined to break his hold on me. Sweat broke out on my face. I struggled to keep connected with him. His hateful emotions wore me down faster than I anticipated and before I could build up my walls, he lashed out with his mind. Wielding an imaginary whip, he slashed at my torso, leaving raised welts. My cries of terror mixed with hot tears as I struggled to shut him out, but the pain and fear took over.
After half a dozen strokes, he stopped to peer at me in the box. Are you going to behave, or do you need to be punished some more?
I turned my head so I wouldn’t have to look at him, using the moment to build my guards. I vaguely felt the imaginary whip come down a few more times, but when I didn’t flinch or respond, Roy retreated.
That plan didn’t go well. My earlier panic had faded, and I was left feeling only despair. Where was Kane? I couldn’t believe he’d left me alone. He had to be coming back. Somehow I knew if he was here, we could fight this together. I hoped Pyper had woken, and he’d gone to see her.
Time became nonexistent as Roy hovered, waiting for my resistance to fail and doing his best to taunt me and break me down. But no matter how tired I got, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
Eventually I started to fade into an unconscious sleep state. Something familiar reached out to me. Something comforting and pleasant. I reached for it with my mind, and then Kane spoke. Jade, there you are.
Kane, where are you?
I’m with you, next to the case you’re trapped in. I have been for hours. But your guards are up, and I couldn’t reach you.
Is this a dream? Confused I tried to look around, but saw only darkness.
I’m speaking to you in your dream state. It’s the only way I could reach you.
I don’t understand. Nothing made sense to me. I hadn’t seen Kane or felt him since I’d freed Pyper and became trapped in the box.
Your guards are up. I assume it’s helping you keep Roy away, but it’s also shutting me out.
Oh. Is Pyper safe?
A rush of gratitude and love streamed from him. Yes, love. She’s fine. You, however, have now taken her place at the hospital.
Great. I mentally groaned. Kane…I don’t know how to get out of this.
That’s why I’m here. We’re coming for you. Me, Bea, Ian, Lailah, Kat,
Holly and Charlie. All of us. Be prepared to let your guards down. It’s the only way we can help you.
How?
I don’t have all the details. Just be ready. Bea says you’ll know.
Okay. I’m ready now.
Kane gave a sad chuckle. Me, too, love.
His energy started to fade. I mentally reached out to hold on to it. Don’t go!
I’ll stay as long as you need me.
Forever. I need you forever. But for now, just until I feel strong again. I don’t know why, but Kane’s energy fed me. Already the weariness of holding Roy off waned.
I’m here. I’ll stay, he said.
Just until I’m strong again. Then come back and kick that bastard’s ass.
My pleasure.
Chapter 22
Kane faded from my consciousness and as I lay there, staring through the top of my prison, boredom set in. My barriers were firmly in place and all the pain had subsided. I had nothing to do but wait.
Roy kept his distance, and I suspected he knew I was stronger. I contemplated letting my guards down to see if I could best him in another energy match. But I didn’t want to risk wearing myself down for when the group showed up. Whenever that was.
Some time later, Roy edged closer to my case, as if to test the safety of coming nearer. I wanted to laugh. What exactly could I do in my position? Clearly, he still had the upper hand, considering I was trapped, even if he couldn’t cause me physical pain.
Roy floated above me, back and forth from the box to his corner. The cigarette hung unlit from his lips. Was he doomed to roam forever in his ghost state, always wanting to light that cigarette? A small twinge of satisfaction rolled through me at the thought of him in permanent nicotine withdrawal.
“Serves you right,” I said.