I know you can hear me Jaisey. I have a deal for you. I have Seff, and I’ll let him go if you’ll come to me. Now. There’s no time to waste. I promise no harm will come to him, or you. Get in your Jeep and drive to your cabin.
Jaisey sat for a moment processing the words in her head. She could save Seff by taking his place.
And Jaisey… if you don’t come now, and come alone, he dies.
The voice increased the hard, menacing edge. Somehow, she knew it wasn’t an Ishak talking to her. It had to be the Shroud. She swallowed hard. They would kill Seff if she didn’t go. She couldn’t even think about what she was doing, she just knew she had to go. She had to save Seff.
A part of her knew she should be telling someone where she was going, but there wasn’t time. She had to ensure Seff’s safety, and if she told anyone they would stop her, or insist on going with her. She wouldn’t risk it.
Glancing across the clearing, she saw that the boys were huddled near the hearth, not watching in her direction. She could go now, and they wouldn’t even see her slip away. She went into the house, Jack on her heels. She grabbed her keys and then turned back, looking at Jack.
“Stay here boy,” she said. Her voice was less than firm, but he sat and looked at her expectantly. She turned and went out the back door, unwilling to look back.
She was in the Jeep and flying up the dirt road in moments. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears. Seff… stay focused and get to Seff, she kept telling herself.
Good girl, Jaisey. I’ll see you soon.
Jaisey shuddered at the sound of the voice. She could only pray the voice would keep his promise and release Seff when she met up with them.
Near the last curve before the paved road, she had to slam her brakes to stop the Jeep. A large truck was blocking her path. A group of several men were standing off to the side, huddled together, blocking something from her view. They were clearly struggling. She tried desperately to see what was going on, but one of them strode over to her and pulled her from the Jeep.
He yanked the keys from her ignition and threw them into the forest away from them, making her Jeep a very effective roadblock.
Dragging her with him, she was thrust into the cab of the truck and buckled into the passenger seat. Then the man glanced over to the huddled group and said, “Let him go.”
Jaisey whipped her head back to them. There amidst the men, Seff was twisting and fighting as hard as he could, no longer in wolf form. The man who’d put her in the cab walked over to Seff and said something to him. Jaisey couldn’t hear, but Seff’s eyes locked on hers and he instantly stilled. His eyes didn’t leave hers, and then he slowly nodded. The man turned back with a satisfied smirk and headed to the driver’s side of the truck.
The other men backed away from Seff slowly, watching him carefully and jumped into the back of the truck. Jaisey kept her eyes pinned to Seff’s. He was safe. Relief washed over her. They were letting him go. As the man accelerated the truck and swerved onto the pavement, Seff disappeared from sight.
They headed down the paved road, passing the drive to the cabin. The relief she’d felt at Seff’s release faded quickly. She was being taken to the Shroud.
I’ll see you soon, Jaisey. I’ll see you very soon.
The voice was smooth again, like velvet. And it terrified her to the depths of her soul. She had no clue where they were taking her, but she knew that voice – the Shroud – would be there when she arrived.
Twenty-eight
Quinn
Quinn had run faster than the rest of the pack to intercept the Ishaks. He’d engaged with several before they started darting away from him. Even shifting forms to flit away then return. They were taunting him, and warning bells went off in his head. Something was definitely wrong.
His stomach dropped at the sight of the red streaking overhead, headed to the village. He’d turned to head back but was quickly assaulted on all sides. They were keeping him occupied; making him fight. He needed to return to protect the village; to protect Jaisey.
Frustration turned to anger very quickly, and he fought with fury. Time was moving too slow. It felt like a lifetime since he’d left the village and the separation from Jaisey was nearly more than he could handle. He knew the danger that was headed to the village, but he could do nothing to stop it.
Then suddenly, the Ishaks were retreating, running back the way they had come. He knew something was horribly wrong behind him in the village. There was no doubt in his mind; he just didn’t know what form it would take. And then howls cut through the air from the boys in the village. He ran back fast, but he knew it wouldn’t be fast enough.
He shifted as soon as he saw the boys. They were by the fire. Quinn ran to close the space between them. As he passed the hearth, he glanced down, seeing the leather cord that had bound Jaisey to him only a short time before. In one quick movement, he’d picked it up and shoved it in his pocket while Caleb began talking.
“They took Seff,” he said. “Jaisey tried to follow but we stopped her. She went into your place, Quinn. We didn’t see her leave…”
Quinn didn’t wait to hear anything more. He ran home, ignoring the shouts behind him. He tore past his house to the clearing where she’d parked the Jeep earlier in the day.
It was gone. He stood and stared at the empty space. Jaisey was truly gone, but why had she left? Had she been too afraid to stay? He shook off the thought. No, he knew why she’d gone.
Seff.
She would have been completely devastated when he was taken. She’d go after him, or at least try.
“Are you going after her?” Caleb asked, coming up behind him.
“Yes,” he hissed. Not adding that he would make the Ishaks pay for their attack. Every last one of them. He was beside himself with fury.
Quinn felt a hand on his arm. Kenyon was there next to him.
“We’re leaving to track Seff,” he said simply.
Quinn turned to him, full of indecision. He knew he needed to help track Seff, but he also needed to follow and make sure Jaisey was all right.
“Go. Follow Jaisey. We can handle finding Seff,” the man replied. He didn’t even wait for Quinn to argue. He shifted and ran; a large group of men, including Quinn’s father, following behind.
“Let’s go find her,” Caleb said simply as he shifted.
Quinn felt relief at not having to make the decision himself. He shifted and ran with Caleb. He was nearly a mile from the village before he realized all the boys were behind him, running with them. They headed straight to her cabin, coming to an abrupt stop when they realized the Jeep wasn’t there.
They shifted to speak, just as a howl burst through the night. Seff. He was close. The call was returned and moments later the boy bounded into Jaisey’s clearing.
He shifted and was talking before the rest had time to shift back to human form.
“Quinn! They took Jaisey.” His voice was harsh, the anger lacing each word. “I don’t know how she knew they had me up here, but she followed in the Jeep. They blocked her in and took her. One of them told me she won’t be hurt if we leave them alone. He said if we follow them, they’ll kill her.”
Quinn noticed a bandage wrapped around Seff’s wrist.
Seff looked down at it. “They took my blood,” he said flatly.
“Are you all right?” Quinn asked.
Seff just nodded, and before they could say anything else, the group tracking Seff burst into the clearing with Kenyon leading the pack.
“Seff,” Kenyon called out as he shifted. He looked relieved, but only for a moment, the murderous expressions on Seff and Quinn’s faces told him all he needed.
Quinn made Seff repeat the story, down to the last detail for all of them. Kenyon looked thoughtful for a few moments and then locked his eyes with Quinn.
“We’ll go,” he said.
Quinn nodded.
“How many of us?” Caleb asked, clearly including himself in the group going.
“The four of us is enough,” Quinn replied, including his father with Caleb and Kenyon.
“I’m going.”
Quinn turned in shock to face the man who had spoken. Ulric stood apart from the others, his arms crossed over his chest. Quinn almost argued, but the look on Ulric’s face stopped him. The man was set on going for whatever reason, but it was clear that no amount of arguing would change his mind. Even if Quinn had wanted to take the time for such an argument.
Immediately, the boys all started talking at once, demanding to go as well.
“No,” Faelan said, with a quick glance at Quinn. “The rest of you will go back to the village and help keep an eye on things there. Should any of the Ishaks return, we’ll need you to help protect the village.”
His father’s tone brooked no argument; Quinn knew that tone from his years growing up. He sent a grateful look to his father.
The men began heading back toward the village with the disgruntled boys behind them. Seff hung back, his eyes on Quinn, pleading.
“Seff, I know you love her. But if you come along, it’ll be too much of a distraction, and you won’t be able to keep up. You need to go back,” Quinn said.
Seff nodded. He didn’t look like he wanted to argue, which surprised him.
“Quinn…” he said quietly, his eyes flashing, “you find her. You bring her back. Don’t let them hurt her.”
The words were so potent coming from the boy that they all nodded in agreement.
“I’ll find her,” Quinn said. The promise was thick in his voice.
The small group watched as Seff shifted and bounded out of Jaisey’s clearing, following the retreating group.
“So, what’s the plan?” Caleb asked.
Kenyon looked at Quinn, “You need to track her.”
Quinn knew the confusion was showing on his face. “She was taken in a vehicle. You know I can’t track her like that.”
Kenyon was shaking his head even before Quinn stopped talking. “No, track her with your bond Quinn. You can feel her. She’s in you. Find her.”
Quinn stood staring at him for a few moments. Track someone with a bond? He’d never even known such bonds could exist, so he couldn’t have known that was even possible. He still had so much to learn. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and focused… on her.
There was nothing. He took a deep breath and her scent from the clearing wrapped around him. Her image rushed into his mind along with a host of other emotions. It was hard to tell if it was all him, or if something was coming from her.
He shook his head and looked at Kenyon. “It’s all jumbled. I tried to read her thoughts once before and couldn’t,” he said.
“Use the power from the valley and follow your heartbeat to hers,” Ulric said flatly. Four heads snapped to look at him.
Kenyon started nodding, “Of course, your hearts have shifted.”
Quinn was frustrated and itching to run, but they needed a direction, beyond just following the road. He couldn’t see them heading all the way to the highway, but had no idea where else they could be going in a vehicle.
He took another deep breath, filling his senses with her, and then tapped into the valley power. He listened for his own heartbeat and then, there in the distance, he felt it. Her heart was beating rapidly. Different emotions and sensations seized him this time. He’d connected to her. She was scared, but not completely panicked.
He focused harder, and then he picked up on a deeper connection. There was a pulling sensation to the east. It was a strong link and now that he had it, he knew that would be a part of him for the rest of their lives. He wondered how he hadn’t felt it when he’d tried to read her mind before, though he had been focusing on their minds, not their hearts.
His eyes flew open and he smiled in triumph. “I have her. Connect with the valley power and focus on your muscles. Stay connected while we run. Hopefully, it will increase your speed. This way,” he said with a growl, shifting as he turned to the east.
The men fell in behind him and they all ran, calling on the power of the valley. Quinn kept his focus on the link leading to her. He tried to decipher the sensations that flowed from her to him. Her emotions were in turmoil. There was fear, but there was also relief – likely because she knew Seff was safe. He felt that relief as well. He also felt her guilt. What did she have to feel guilty for?
They ran for what felt like an hour, without a break. Quinn knew he was pushing them, right along with himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He had to get to her. The others, even while connected to the valley, couldn’t run as fast as Quinn. He’d had to pace himself slower than he wanted to stay with the small group.
He ached to hear her thoughts. He knew that there were some in the pack that were able to read the thoughts of others, though it was rare. He wished he’d had more time with Aatu and his lessons. He knew there was so much more the man could’ve taught him that would have helped out in this situation.
He pushed the thoughts aside. Wondering about what he didn’t know wouldn’t help him now. He needed to focus on the things he did know – the advantages they had for confronting Jaisey’s captors. The first thing he really needed to know was who had her. Was it the Ishaks or was it the Shroud? Would she be taken to the Ishak village or somewhere else?
He could feel Jaisey’s fear, slowly turning to anger.
That’s my girl, he thought. Don’t give up, baby… I’m coming.
A sudden burst of emotion rushed over him from Jaisey; hope, excitement, relief. He stopped running and shifted.
Kenyon shifted as well, raising his brows in question.
“Can our bond enable us to communicate telepathically?” he asked quickly.
Kenyon was quiet for a few moments before answering, “Perhaps. Jaisey might be able to hear you… but I don’t think you would be able to hear her. She hasn’t shifted yet. I don’t think she has the power to send the thoughts back to you strongly enough.”
“I think she heard me. I was telling her I was coming after her and I felt her excitement.”
Kenyon nodded, “If she truly heard you, then when she shifts, you should have a full telepathic link. This is good. Keep talking to her, stay connected. You might be able to pick up something to help us get to her.”
Quinn nodded and shifted to run. He focused on her again and tried to test their connection to see if she could really hear him. He knew exactly what to say.
Jaisey… I love you!
The wave of emotions hit him so hard he nearly stumbled, and it left him with no doubt, she could definitely hear him. He wasn’t getting any words from her, only emotions, so what Kenyon had said must have been true.
Stay calm sweetheart, I’m coming. I can feel you. We are coming for you. I have our fathers, Caleb, and Ulric with me.
He felt her surprise, and he sent back a wave of laughter.
I know… Ulric. He insisted on coming along. Your guess is as good as mine.
The direction to Jaisey was changing, turning. She was headed toward the northeast. He adjusted to follow her and the others behind him followed without breaking their pace. A sudden wave of confusion hit him and then she was gone.
Quinn reached out… searching. He stopped and focused harder. He couldn’t find her. Panic began to rise in him. He shifted and turned.
“I’ve lost her. The link is gone.” The anguish in his voice was clear.
“It has to be some kind of shield. They must have realized she was in contact with you. I shouldn’t have told you to talk to her,” Kenyon said with a shake of his head.
With a sigh, Quinn replied, “We don’t know their abilities. We don’t know what happened to break the link.” They were all working in the dark with these new developments.
“What now?” Caleb asked quietly.
With a sigh, Kenyon said, “It’s late. Let’s rest for a while. We’ll resume our search in the morning. Maybe by then, they’ll have stopped shielding her.”
Quinn st
arted to argue but stopped himself. He knew the man was right. They had been running hard across mountain and forest terrain for hours. It was long past midnight. He knew they’d been gaining, but without the connection, they could easily wander off the path to her. He needed to get the link back.
With a reluctant nod, they shifted back to wolf form and settled comfortably down for a rest. Quinn kept testing the link, with no luck. He felt an unbelievable loss with it missing. He refused to let his mind think it was permanent.
He finally relaxed and closed his eyes to rest. They wouldn’t sleep for long, but he needed to restore his strength. Drifting off, he kept listening for her. He’d know the moment she was back.
* * *
When Quinn heard the others moving around a few hours later, he reluctantly opened his eyes. The sun had barely begun to rise. He was tired, but that wasn’t what caused his reluctance. Through the few hours they’d tried to rest, he’d searched and never found the link to Jaisey. He didn’t know what they should do now, and he felt lost.
The men all shifted, and Kenyon looked over at him expectantly.
“Anything?” he asked hopefully.
Quinn shook his head. “She’s just not there anymore.”
“All right, so we need a new plan of attack,” Kenyon replied.
After a few moments of quiet, Caleb spoke up. “Well, we could head to the Ishak village and see if we can find anything out from there. If the link to Jaisey comes back in the meantime, then we can turn to her again.”
The older men all nodded their heads. Leave it to the youngest to see the most obvious path. Needing to do something, he shifted and ran, adjusting their direction to the north. With the ground they’d covered the previous night, it would take only a few hours running using the valley power to reach the village, and heaven help them if Jaisey was anywhere near them.
Twenty-nine
Jaisey
Jaisey stared bleary-eyed out the window as they turned curve after curve. They’d traveled for over an hour and if the truck’s dashboard clock was correct, they had to be heading out of the mountains. She really wanted to ask where they were taking her, but the driver hadn’t said two words to her since pulling her from the Jeep.
Shift (Castlerock Shifters Book 1) Page 26