Keenan bit out a harsh expletive. Panic threatened to make his thoughts go blank again. He couldn’t have that. He needed to think. Needed to focus. His mate’s life might very well depend on it.
Khloé, baby, wake up and answer me.
There was still nothing but white noise.
He kept on pacing. It felt like his muscles were straining against his skin, trying to force him to act on the need to do something. Anything. It rankled that he couldn’t. His demon hated it just as much. The entity had no patience at the best of times. It wanted immediate action. Wanted to hunt and destroy the person who’d taken its mate from it.
Come on, baby, talk to me, Keenan pleaded. But there was still no response.
So much adrenaline pumped through his system, he was surprised his hands weren’t shaking with it. He wanted to pound his fists into the wall. Wanted to release the terrible wrath that had coiled in his stomach and demanded a target.
His demon’s rage fed his, making it hard to think. So many dark images and scenarios tore through his mind. The mental overload was too much.
Harper rubbed her arms, as if to warm them. “I don’t know why Thea would have taken Khloé. I do know someone must have undone the spell that bound Lane’s gift, because he just used it on Asher. The power he let out was magnetic. It meant to steal something from him.”
Jolene’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think it worked?”
“I’m not sure,” replied Harper, looking at her son, who was idly fiddling with his father’s collar. “He doesn’t seem to have decreased in power.”
Knox nodded. “I agree. And his demon isn’t worried.”
“But something zoomed out of Asher and into Lane,” Larkin pointed out. “Could it have been one of his smaller gifts?”
“I truly don’t know,” replied Knox. “I’ve asked his demon—it’s avoiding the question, which is never good.”
Harper swore beneath her breath.
Beck rubbed at his brow. “Anyone have an idea of why Thea would take Khloé?”
“It could be a simple case of her wanting revenge on Keenan for claiming Khloé instead of her,” suggested Levi. “Scorned she-demons can be vengeful creatures.”
Martina frowned. “If it was that, wouldn’t Thea have killed her already?”
“Not if she wishes to make Khloé suffer for a while first,” said Levi.
Jolene sniffed. “Khloé would overpower her in an instant.”
Ciaran nodded. “Then maybe she wants to sic her kid on Khloé to strip her of her gifts so that she’s helpless against Thea during torture—Lane’s presently unconscious, so Thea would need to keep hold of Khloé until he wakes and can use his gift on her the way he did on Asher.”
Harper looked at her son again and stroked his hair. “I can’t understand why she targeted him. I mean, what difference would it make to her if he’s stripped of his powers for a few hours?”
Knox scraped his jaw with his hand. “Thea said that Lane couldn’t temporarily transfer the gifts he stole from people onto others. What if that was untrue? What if Thea wanted to strip Asher of his powers so that she could have them for a short while?”
Harper hissed out a breath. “It’s possible. Maybe even probable. But why would she want them? And why would she want them enough to risk making an enemy of us? That’s plain suicidal.”
Keenan flicked a look at the wall clock, wishing time would move faster; wishing his woman would wake; wishing he hadn’t taken pity on Thea and Lane’s situation. Maybe if he’d turned her away, she never would have taken Khloé. Given how spiteful Thea could be, he thought it likely that she’d make his mate suffer in some way if she could.
Khloé wouldn’t meekly sit still while someone kept her captive. She’d do what she did best—she’d annoy the holy fuck out of her captor until she pushed them too far. That was what worried him most.
Dread sat like a heavy weight on his chest. It weighed him down until he came to a halt, feeling rooted to the spot. “I should have seen it coming. I should have known that Thea would retaliate after the things I said to her at the disciplinary meeting.”
Larkin took a step toward him, but he backed away, not wanting to be touched. He felt too tense, too edgy, too close to violence.
The pounding in his ears wouldn’t slow or quieten. His fists felt hot, and his jaw ached from how hard he’d been clenching it.
He fought the urge to lash out at those around him. He couldn’t afford to lose control. He needed to keep his shit together. He was no fucking good to her like this.
Keenan breathed deeply through his nose and cast all worst-case scenarios out of his mind. Instead of trying to fight the cold rage, he reached for it. He pulled it around him like a cloak of icy calm, using it to numb the other emotions overpowering him. Fear and anxiety didn’t have any place here.
“You’re not to blame, Keenan,” said Larkin. “This happened purely because Thea—for a reason we can’t be sure of—stupidly decided it would be a good idea to snatch Khloé.”
Levi nodded. “You didn’t do anything wrong at the hearing, Keenan. You were just honest with Thea. It’s not your fault that she couldn’t handle that honesty.”
“It doesn’t necessarily follow that this is about vengeance, though,” said Ciaran. “If it’s true that Lane can transfer powers to others, maybe Thea took Khloé because she wants one or more of her gifts. It’s well known that Khloé can control most minds—that’s an ability that many people covet.”
“Right now, I don’t particularly care why Thea took her,” said Keenan. “I care about getting her back.” He touched her mind again and said, Khloé, I need you to wake up and talk to me. Come on, tell me where you are. But his words yet again went unanswered.
*
A telepathic voice hammered at Khloé’s consciousness, playing into her dream and slowly pulling her out of sleep. She would have sunk her head further into the pillow, only there was no pillow. In fact, there was no bed. She was lying on a cold, hard floor that—
Memories came crashing down on her. Lane. Thea. A strange male. A sonic scream that sliced through her psyche and made her world go black.
Khloé froze but didn’t open her eyes, unsure if she was being watched by the people she could hear arguing. Her demon shot to full alertness in an instant, ready to attack.
She might have sprung to her feet if her ankles weren’t tied together. Moreover, her wrists were bound behind her back, which was probably why her shoulders ached something awful.
Khloé let her eyelids flutter partially open so she could examine her surroundings. The world was on a tilt and … oh, dear God, they’d actually locked her in a goddamn crate like an animal. The metal glimmered blue and gold here and there. Magick, she thought. Someone had woven magick into the metal. It was spelled shut.
These fuckers were so going to pay for this shit.
Again, a telepathic voice invaded Khloé’s mind, badgering her to wake. Her heart leaped. The connection was spotty, but she recognized her brother’s voice.
She reached out to him and replied, I’m awake. Pain lanced through her head, sharp as a scalpel. Fuck. Had the sonic scream done some damage to her mind? It was possible. Her sister could release sonic screams that gave people a wicked headache. Jolene often talked of how those screams might cause lasting damage to people if Heidi grew in power as she aged.
Careful, Khloé tried to touch Keenan’s mind, but it was like there was a mental wall in place. A wall that also stopped her from reaching out to Jolene and Harper. It was as if her psyche was contained by … something. The crate?
Was it containing her mind as well as her body so that she couldn’t call for help? If that was the case, she’d probably also be unable to use her abilities while inside the crate. Containment spells hampered the mind, body, and psyche.
Testing that theory, she tried conjuring a flicker of electric fire inside her closed fist. But the power swirling in her belly, eager for release, didn’t come to
her aid. Hell.
A vibe of relief touched her mind just as Ciaran’s voice breezed inside. Jesus, sis … scared … shit out of me. Where … you?
Not sure yet, she replied, almost hissing out a breath at a second shard of pain. She really needed to get out of this damn cage. It was a good thing she wasn’t claustrophobic.
There was another crackle in her mind just before Ciaran spoke again. Fucking static … Give me a minute to … She almost flinched at the sharp ringing sound that pierced her ears, but then the static eased away. Can you hear me better?
Her pulse jumped. Yes, I hear you just fine. More pain streaked through her skull. Their frequency might have improved, but using telepathy still hurt like a bitch, thanks to the goddamn containment spell. Whoever designed it should have accounted for the twin bond. She was thankful that the dumb bastard hadn’t.
It would have been much easier to use her cell phone, but she’d already seen that it was resting on a nearby coffee table, and it had been smashed to shit.
Are you alone? asked Ciaran.
No, Thea’s here. Ignoring the agony slicing through her head, she went on. So is Lane and three guys I don’t recognize. She rattled off quick descriptions of the males. Is Keenan with you?
There was a long pause before Ciaran replied, Yeah, he’s with me. He said to tell you he’ll come for you. You should know he’s mere minutes from going postal. Also, he said the guys you described sound like Thea’s Prime, Gavril, and two of his sentinels. No one can understand why she’d take you to Gavril, though.
They’re having some kind of standoff right now. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, Khloé remained very still as she discreetly glanced around. I have no clue where I am, but I can tell you that it’s fancy. I’m in a Victorian-style parlor.
Can you get out of there?
Sure. Once I undo the binds and get out of the crate.
The ‘crate’?
As she tackled the binds, Khloé kept her eyes on her captors, who were still arguing.
“The plan was simple, so I can’t understand why you had such difficulty following it,” Gavril berated Thea.
The woman looked nervous, but not cowed. “It wasn’t easy to get close to Knox. People tend to keep their distance from demons with Lane’s ability—you know that. Stealing the ability from Asher seemed simpler. You yourself said he probably inherited it from his father.”
“Yes, probably,” said Gavril. “But I can’t be sure. You should have waited until you had an opportunity to steal it from Knox. It shouldn’t have been so hard for you to integrate yourself into his life. You’ve known him since childhood, for shit’s sake.”
Thea’s lips thinned. “I warned you that he was unlikely to trust me. Knox trusts very few people—I’ve never been one of them.”
“But you were once close to one of his sentinels. All you had to do was get close to Keenan again so that you’d have access to Knox.”
“I tried! Keenan always had that bitch with him!” She jabbed at finger at Khloé but didn’t move her gaze from Gavril.
“Then you should have tried harder.”
“Keenan wouldn’t give me the time of day, and he went ballistic when I spoke to her. Knox warned me that I’d be punished if I went near her again. He, his mate, and their sentinels apparently consider her to be their family, not me. If she really is Keenan’s mate, it will only be a matter of time before she joins his lair. If I was still around, she’d have requested that I be gone from the picture. Then I’d have lost any chance of getting the power you want. I had to act now.”
“What good was acting now if the child doesn’t even possess the power to call on the flames of hell?”
“I believe he does, and I believe that Lane can give you the power when he wakes.”
“That’s all well and good. But the idea was to strip Knox of his powers so that he’d be vulnerable. I planned to kill him with his own gifts. Now I can’t.”
“Not true,” she objected. “Nothing’s impervious to the flames of hell, which means you could still kill Knox with them. He just won’t be helpless while you do.”
Hmm, it would seem Gavril thinks that Knox can truly call on the flames of hell, and he wanted Lane to get the power for him—Thea was in on it, said Khloé, trying to ignore the pain pounding through her skull. She believes the rumor that Asher also possesses the gift, so she had Lane try to steal it from him instead.
Why the fuck would she help Gavril?
Don’t know. Gavril has another reason for wanting Knox stripped of his powers, though. He wants Knox to be vulnerable to attack so that Gavril can kill him. He’s not too happy that Thea went off script and targeted Asher.
Gavril sighed and looked at Lane, who was curled up on a chair, asleep. “How long will it be before he’s conscious again?”
“Not long,” said Thea. “Then you’ll get what you want, and he and I will be on our way.”
“Not until you’ve helped me deliver the imp. Then my sentinels will take you and Lane wherever you want to go.”
Khloé stiffened. Apparently, they plan to “deliver” me somewhere.
What? Where?
I don’t know yet.
Thea’s eyes narrowed at the Prime. “Thanks, but Lane and I can make our own way.”
Gavril smiled. “You don’t trust that I’ll stick to my end of the deal and let you both go?”
“Of course I do. I just don’t like to take chances.”
Also, Thea and Gavril made a deal that he’d leave both her and Lane be if she had the kid use his gift for him this one time. In other words, she played Knox.
It was a few moments before Ciaran responded. I just relayed all that to everyone. Believe me when I say that Thea and Gavril will pay. But we’re more worried about finding you before you get “delivered.” We need some clues as to where you are. What can you see? What can you hear?
Like I said, it’s just some fancy Victorian-style parlor. I feel like I’ve stepped back in time. I can’t hear any voices coming from outside the room. Don’t bother trying to track me through GPS—they trashed my cell.
Yeah, we figured that when Larkin’s attempt to track you didn’t work. Can you see anything out of the windows?
She lifted her head and peered out of the nearest window. A dull sky. Clouds. Trees. That’s it.
“Ah, you’re awake,” said Gavril, his gaze now on Khloé. “Excellent.”
Shit. Gavril’s noticed I’m conscious.
Are you able to attack him?
Not until I’m out of the crate. There’s a containment spell in place.
Well, shit.
She tensed as Gavril’s heavy footsteps headed her way, his boots scuffing the hardwood floor. Her heart kicked into high gear, but she kept her expression blank as she awkwardly sat up and drew her knees up to her chest.
Thea trailed after him but didn’t move to his side when he halted in front of the crate. She stopped a few feet behind him. Khloé’s demon sent her a haughty sniff. It intended to make that bitch pay in blood. A fine plan.
Gavril stared at Khloé curiously. “You don’t look afraid, which means you’re thinking someone will come to help you.” He sighed. “Think again. No one knows where you are, and they have no way of finding out. So, don’t make a fuss or start screaming. I don’t like that shit. You’ll be out of here in …” He glanced at his watch. “Ten minutes. Sit tight until then.”
Khloé narrowed her eyes. “And where exactly will I be going?”
“To a person who offered me enough money to retrieve you. Apparently, he wants to kill and then resurrect you or something.”
Her demon’s lips pulled back in disgust. “Enoch.”
“Yes.” Gavril’s brows dipped. “Strange fellow. He heard that I had what you might call a terse conversation with Keenan at the bowling alley; he thought that the sentinel and I were enemies, and that I might like to partake in the downfall of Keenan’s woman.
“Really, I couldn’t giv
e a rat’s ass what happens to you. But no one is going to assume I’ve been part of this plan; they’ll assume that Enoch’s involved. They’ll probably reason that he’s working with Thea and that she used Lane to distract Keenan just so that she could take you to Enoch. That means they’ll concentrate on finding him after you’re dead—they won’t think to look at me for this.”
Wrong, because she’d telepathically filled Ciaran in on what was happening, but there was no need for Gavril to know that, was there?
“Are the rumors true?” he asked. “Can young Asher truly call on the flames of hell?”
“I don’t know.”
“He’s your cousin, and you don’t know?”
“Do you honestly think that Harper and Knox will divulge things about their son that could get him hurt?” Khloé shook her head. “No, they keep their secrets. That protects the rest of the family, too—we can’t be tortured into sharing info we don’t have.”
“Does Knox have the gift?”
“I don’t know.”
“What breed of demon is he?”
“I don’t know.”
A muscle in his cheek ticked. “What do you know?”
Her demon, its ego balking at being huddled in a freaking crate, pushed to the surface and glared at him. “What I know … is that you are going to die tonight,” it told him.
There was a moment of pure silence. And then he bust a gut laughing. “You think so? Sorry to burst your bubble, but that won’t happen.”
“You cannot keep an imp anywhere they do not want to be,” the entity warned him. Then it pulled back, allowing Khloé to have control again.
“You don’t have a prayer of escaping that crate,” said Gavril. “Now why don’t you sit nice and quiet like a good little girl? This will all be over soon.” He turned, dismissing her—which chafed her pride but was a good thing, because she didn’t want him to watch her closely—and headed to his sentinels.
Thea didn’t follow him. She glared at Khloé, balling her hands up into fists.
Khloé leaned against the back of the crate, feigning nonchalance. “So, you made a deal with that asshole.”
Thea stepped closer. “I originally wasn’t going to live up to my end of the bargain, you know,” she said, her voice too low for her words to carry to the others. “I never intended to sic Lane on Knox. I genuinely went to the Prime for sanctuary. I hoped to get back together with Keenan and start afresh with him.”
Omens (The Dark in You Book 6) Page 28