Unbound (18 page)

He knew Gannon was coming to care for his mistress. He wasn’t sure how that made him feel. He just had to get her out, especially since Keaton had found out Kayla wasn’t some two bit courier he could control.

Not wanting to give them away, Roo nosed the door open further before starting across the floor. He crept close enough to see the faint rise and fall of her chest, relieved.

Keaton liked to play with his food. Roo grabbed her shoulder with his teeth and pulled her through the debris strewn floor. Careful not to make any noise, he dragged her out the door. Wanting to shimmer so he could hold her in his arms, he knew it was too dangerous even though he trusted his MoonSkin servant and the Mage. Other eyes were watching; best to get out of here fast.

* * *

Gannon slumped against the wall, straightening when Roo dragged Kayla into the street. He shoved Roo out of the way to make sure she lived and gathered her in his arms. Her cat appeared plastered to her chest, his nose sniffing her face. Gannon nodded to Karn as Roo led them back the way they’d come. They didn’t have time to kill the daemon, but as soon as he did, that thing would never bother her again, he swore it. Gannon didn’t know how long they had before Keaton discovered her gone and he didn’t feel safe taking her back to the T’ween. By now, Covington had told the resistance some nonsense that would put a price on their heads.

Wracking his brain, Gannon tried to think of a safe place for her to heal, and then he had it. With his head, he pointed the way down an alley. Karn made some noise and Roo turned to follow.

Gannon concentrated, remembering every detail of the place. It had to work. If only for a short time, they would be in her special space, outside of time; dangerous magic, but there was a strong need.

* * *

In the darkness, Kayla heard a calling so faint she turned, comfortable, not wanting to leave the peace she’d finally found. But the calling grew more insistent and she rose from the depths, and then the darkness was no more.

Kayla awoke and laid perfectly still, not wanting to let Keaton know she was awake, but something felt different from the horrifying moment when he’d attacked her. Reaching out with her senses to look around without moving her body, she smelled the familiar scent of the water near her place.

Was she dreaming? Was this her afterlife? Soft, weightless warmth pressed down on her chest. She opened her eyes, seeing Nyx looking down at her, nose to nose; his bright orange eyes seemed concerned.
We almost lost you, dear one.
A wave of dizziness sickened her. She closed her eyes to quell the spinning. When she opened them again, Nyx still sat on her chest, purring.

The lovely floating feeling began to lift and the weight of the pain in her body almost overcame her. She sat up cautiously, deciding she must be safe, but unable to believe it.

Roo padded over, giving her a quick lick across her cheek, bumping his head against hers. Kayla petted his ears, grateful for the contact.

His presence healed a part of her she didn’t want to explore. Then she saw his stormy blue eyes. Gannon stood back from the others. Her heart lurched. She saw that they were in the special place, but not all the elements were there

Gannon knelt beside her, crushing her against him. His ragged breathing caught at her, and she wondered why they all seemed so subdued. She cuddled deeper in his embrace before extracting herself, looking at them all in question.

“We’d thought you were gone, you were still for so long. What do you remember?” Karn moved into her field of vision. She jumped, startled, having not seen him there in the shadows.

She wrinkled her brow in concentration. “I remember being next to the falls, and you, Karn, coming for Rosen. Then I remember waking as if from a dream and a creature with Gannon’s face dragged me into Keaton’s building. I used my power on Keaton, but nothing seemed to work on him. He had me in his arms and then I was here. That’s all I remember.” Kayla snuggled back against Gannon as he coiled his arms around her.

“How did we come to be here, and why does it feel off?”

“We’re here because I don’t think it’s safe for you in the T’ween. Something or someone has broken my defenses. You need time to heal. It feels off because this isn’t the real place, only a representation of it in an astral plane.

“We are here in full body; when we return to our time, no time will have passed. It’s a rare honor that one is able to do it, and the rulers in this place frown on people taking advantage of it, but we had need, and they accepted our petition.” Gannon rested his head on hers, grateful to have her there.

“How long have we been here?” Kayla asked.

“I don’t know,” Gannon answered. “It could be a day, a second, a year. Time has no real meaning here. You seemed to sleep forever and we were afraid that you wouldn’t come back. But Nyx said he would try to summon you, spirit to spirit. Your soul retreated from Keaton to protect what was left of yourself. I need to go back to the T’ween to find out what Keaton is.”

It felt eerie here. She shivered as goose bumps grazed her arms.

“Let us know when you feel up to the trip back.”

Kayla yawned and, comforted by his presence, she drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Gannon looked at his companions in worry. “Has she gone again?”

Nyx studied Kayla for a moment before settling down.
No, I think she’s just drifted off into a peaceful slumber. She should feel better when she wakes for your return. But her soul has taken a beating;
she’ll need extra wards placed around her soul to guard it while it heals.

It can’t withstand another raping from that daemon. You need to find what will destroy it, and fast if we ever hope to fully heal her. Since he’s taken such a large part, I think that she might be vulnerable to his call.

Though I can’t be sure, he might have been sucking off her energy for years, and Roo and I just didn’t realize it. After what happened, we thought that it was natural for her to be depressed, after he gave her a potion to forget and we didn’t interfere. We just tried to heal her spirit.

Gannon looked at the cat, perplexed. He’d never heard the Guardian make such a long speech. He needed to figure out a way to ward Kayla before they left the astral plane. Reluctant to give her up, he drew her warmth into himself and realized the only way to protect her spirit was with his own.

* * *

When they touched, the bond they created was a ward so strong a white light surrounded them for a second. Nyx stared at Gannon.
Did you see what he just did Rafe? He’s covered Kayla’s essence with his own. I can barely see her through his aura.

This isn’t good; if they find out, we could get into a lot of trouble.

Really Rafe, do you truly believe they will come for us any longer?

I have to hope for her sake.

* * *

Kayla couldn’t tell the time when she opened her eyes again, only that she felt different. She couldn’t put her finger on what had changed but, for the first time in her life, she felt whole. Stretching, she felt Gannon’s warmth at her back and Roo’s at her front. She didn’t want to wake them.

Kayla froze as she felt Gannon encircle her with his arms, fine until she felt something other than warmth from him. Squirming, she got up laughing.

“Ready to go, you big lug?” she asked, feeling refreshed but unsure what to do with the emotions he brought forth in her.

“Sure. I guess I am at that.” He nudged Karn with his foot. “I think it’s time we headed back to the T’ween and find out what we can of the daemon before someone else ends up as his lunch.”

Kayla got a wary look in her eye and nodded. “I guess you’re right, but I think we need to come up with a way we can identify each other before we go.”

“I agree.” He parted the veil and sent them all back into the T’ween.

22

Kayla watched Gannon
searched his workroom for his text on daemonology. She shook her head, not wanting to look at a book full of daemons. Instead, she studied the messy room. She’d been there too many times in the last few days. A shudder ran down her back.

Her bloodied shirt still lay on the floor where Gannon had cut it off after her run in with the
Hidalgo
. While the others looked at the book, she started picking up. With every move, she could feel Gannon’s eyes on her; yet another reason she wanted some space.

She walked around his room, thumbing open texts about places she’d never been and wiping them down as she went. Eventually, she found a bucket and went to work on the bloodstained floor. It seemed to take hours before the others looked up from the book and took a break.

Gannon reached down to help her up and took the bucket to the sink before she could protest. Stretching her back, she surveyed her work. It surprised her how clean she’d gotten the place.

He turned to her, his blue eyes hooded. “Why don’t you go lay down for a bit and I’ll cook us all a meal?”

Kayla nodded warily. Now that he mentioned it, she did feel a little tired. She lay down on the cot he kept in the workroom and watched Karn and Gannon putter around. Roo jumped up on the bed, curling around her feet.

Hours later, Gannon shook her awake and the aroma of bacon, coffee and eggs greeted her. She still felt drained.

“Have you found anything?” she asked and sat down at the table.

Gannon handed her a plate of food. “No.”

She scrunched up her face. “I want to help. Could you please bring me the book?”

Gannon looked at her for a long moment and she shifted, uncomfortable, until he got up and gave her the book. She shivered when he handed it to her.

Disorientation filled her mind, faint at first, but stronger the longer she held the book. She flipped through the pages, her hands moving as if they had a will of their own. There he was, staring out at her from the page. Her hands trembled and the book slipped through her fingers.

“I don’t feel so good, Gannon.” Kayla stumbled to the cot and lay down again.

* * *

“That’s it. Something’s really wrong with her, Karn.” Gannon set the book to the side. He remembered Nyx had said her soul needed time to mend. If they didn’t destroy Keaton soon, she might never heal. The more time passed, the weaker she became. Gannon lay down next to her, cradling her in his arms. Something wasn’t right. He closed his eyes and focused on their inner bond.

“Karn, something’s breaking through my ward. It’s siphoning off her energy. What did Nyx say?” He fought to contain the leak.

“Something about the daemon being able to summon her. Why?” Karn said.

“Maybe that’s what’s happening. Since she can’t go to Keaton in person, her soul is trying to attend her new master in an astral plane.” He swallowed his fear, knowing he couldn’t hold the wards if she sought to break them.

Gathering her close, he sealed most of the drain on her essence. He wondered if the daemon even knew what was happening. He laid her back on the cot, then went to the book. He stared hard at the face of his enemy. The quote under the picture read:

Nothing of note is known about this daemon.

He threw the book across the room. Reality dawned, bringing horror as Gannon realized there was nothing he could do. That creature was sending the constructs here for something.