Unbound (23 page)

“Ella, shut the hell up so we can figure this out. You don’t know everything about this situation. Kayla, honey, what do you remember?”

She looked around, unsure. “I remember talking to Covington. Where is he?” she asked faintly, looking around.

The others realized, as she did, that Covington was no where around. “Damn it. Where did the bastard go?” Esmarella demanded.

“Do you believe us now Ella? We aren’t the bad guys here?” Gannon asked.

“I don’t mean to be a bother, but could someone please tell me what the fuck is going on, and explain why the hell I can’t see?” Tormund asked.

“What did you have your Guardian do to him? Esmarella demanded.

“Guardian? What’s a Guardian?” Kayla sputtered. “I didn’t do anything. Nyx just helped me out of a tight spot…”

“When did you lose your sight?”

He frowned. “When that mangy cat jumped on me and wouldn’t get off.”

“You put a spell on him through your familiar. Take it off.” Esmarella demanded.

“I did not.” Kayla said, indignant. “Nyx isn’t my familiar. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I can’t make him do anything.”

Gannon knelt beside her, all but falling on her because he couldn’t use his hands. He got right up close to Nyx’s face, earning himself a slap from sharp claws. Blood trickled down his cheek. "Nyx reverse it please. Tormund wasn’t hurting her and you know it. If it hadn’t been for Covington, I doubt he would have even drawn his sword," Gannon pleaded.

“Hey, why do you keep calling Nyx a Guardian?”

Tor made a strangled noise in the back of his throat but was otherwise quiet.

Nyx looked at him and hissed.

“Gannon, why are you wasting time talking to the filthy cat. You know how they are. You better fix this soon or I’ll take care of his bitch charge.”

“Because that filthy cat has more power in the tip of his tail then you have in your entire body.”

“Whatever, Gannon. Just get it done.”

“If you would show some frigging respect, I might be able to get him to reverse the curse.”

“Bring your little whore. The Council’s expecting us,” Esmerella snarled at Gannon and stalked away.

25

Seri flew in darkness,
the cloak of her people abandoned in her pursuit of the prisoners. She hoped to find them well. She flew around the outer wall of the house, looking for a way inside. Houses looked tight and impenetrable when you were the size of man, but when you were the size of a fairy there were many ways inside. However, she wanted to go directly to the underbelly of the house and didn’t want to find a way in through the upper levels.

She saw a small hole in the wall that several spiders used to get inside. She didn’t want to know what kind they were. As she landed near the hole, she carefully looked around before squeezing in. Once inside, her eyes quickly adjusted to the dim light. She was somewhere in a large network of tunnels. She listened intently, trying to decide which way to go and wishing some of the others could have come with her. She heard a scream and set off in that direction. The walls were covered in a thick slime. She didn’t want to know what that was, either.

Seri drew closer to the sound and, as she looked on, horrified, a MoonSkin half in and half out of the change clawed at the table that held him. Several Sulfur Daemons stood around him, flaying thin strips of his hide from his body between questions that he gave incoherent answers to.

Seri had seen enough. She jerked herself away and went in search of the others. She found several wolves in various states. In the last room, she found Catrine but no one else, and the girl was unconscious, a dark ring glowing around her neck.

Suddenly, Seri was jerked from the air and held, suspended a few feet above the floor.

“Pretty, pretty fairy.” A disembodied voice whispered.

Seri’s heart nearly stopped, frozen with fright in her chest. She couldn’t see what held her. All she could feel was a trembling heat engulfing her body.

“Let me go!” She tried to sound braver than she felt. It came out as a squeak.

“Pretty fairy, Mama Kayla?” The voice asked.

Seri stopped shaking. She realized who held her.

“Where is Rosen, honey?” she asked.

“Bad men take, gone.” The little girl said. Seri struggled to see through the spell that kept the little girl invisible. The small hands tightened slightly around her body.

“Let go, honey. I’ll help you. We’ll get you out of here as soon as I can go back and get Karn and Roo. You remember them don’t you sweetie? Seri cajoled the child, tried to gain her trust and freedom before she was inadvertently crushed.

“No lost. I want Mama Kayla,” The girl stubbornly said, a slight trembling in her voice that would soon lead to tears.

“I will take you to Mama Kayla as soon as you let me go,” Seri pleaded, hoping that she’d be able to keep her promise. Seri couldn’t help but wonder why she kept calling Kayla mama.

“Ok. Mama Kayla now,” the little voice said. She released Seri.

Seri flew as high as she could, breathing heavily. She didn’t want to be caught and held at the whim of an invisible child. She fluttered back and forth near the ceiling and tried to decide how to get the child out. It would be futile to try by herself. She flew to the bars. Seri didn’t want to leave the child, but she knew the only way to help her was to go and get Karn and Roo to come and save all the people who were in the dungeon.

Seri broke out past the spider’s silk, landing on the ground. She put her hands on her knees and took a deep breath of cool night air. She hadn’t known how much the stench bothered her until she felt fresh air in her lungs.

She lifted into the air and flew back towards the pack, grateful the Wers were waiting for her. She looked for her brethren and saw the faint glows of light here and there. She hoped that she would eventually be able to teach them her skill.

* * *

Tense amber eyes watched from the thick brush that bordered Covington’s property. They waited anxiously for Seri to return. Karn hoped nothing had happened to her in the short time that she’d been from his sight.

Karn’s ears perked up as he sensed a shift in the air. Maybe Seri was coming? What he really craved at this point was action. They’d been stuck in the bushes for what felt like hours, and he just wanted to go. A lot of the Sprites had gone off to explore and see what they could find, but he was only interested in what one found. If Seri didn’t make it back safely, the fairy King was going to be downright unpleasant, and he really didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that man’s anger.

He caught a fluttering movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his snout towards it, he squinted, faintly making out the outline of the young fairy. She flew franticly in their direction with little effort to stay concealed. What was causing her agitation? Rising, he shook himself and waited for her to reach him.

Seri plopped down on a twig, gasping for breath. Her voice shook when she spoke.

“I’ve found them. Some of them are too far gone to save, but I found Gannon’s foster sister and the young girl.” She rested her tiny hands on her knees.

“What of Rosen?” Karn asked.

“The little girl said ‘bad men take.’ I don’t know what has happened to her. I didn’t see her in any of the chambers, and Catrine has a ring again. They must know that someone knows how to take them off.”

Karn grimaced. He’d been afraid of that.

“Well, all we can do is try to save as many as we can.” He shifted his weight from paw to paw. He looked at the other wolves and Seri signaled the Sprites with a few flashes of light. When they were all together again, Karn laid out a careful battle plan. He looked at Roo for conformation. Roo’s nod was all he needed to continue.

As the MoonSkins dispersed, each to their own task, Karn changed into his battle form. His thickly muscled, upright posture made it easier to battle humans head to head and gently took Seri off the branch, settling her on his shoulder. He and Roo followed her directions around the house. There they found a small door partially concealed with shrubs. Frowning, Karn pressed cautiously forward. It looked too convenient.

Karn was about to grasp the door knob when he felt Seri tug on his hair. The Sprite motioned that she would go first. She slipped inside through a crack near the base of the door.

A short time later she came out again and nodded to Karn, giving him the go-ahead. Karn breathed a slight sigh of relief that they wouldn’t immediately be detected, given that they were pretty far from the dungeon.

He eased the door open, careful not to leave claw marks on the door. He didn’t want any sign of their presence. He looked right along the hall as he slipped inside. The passage had a dusty, unused feel. He wondered why no one had been in this part of the manor. He picked a direction and heard Roo fall in behind him. He wondered at that, too. Roo hadn’t said much since the previous night, and he was acting distracted. Karn would ask him what was bothering him after they got out of this mess. Then again, he could simply be worried about Kayla. Fact was, Karn couldn’t understand why he’d let her leave without him. He thought that perhaps their relationship was changing, and maybe the Guardian was needed more here.

Karn was so distracted that he didn’t realize he was feeling disoriented. He reached out for the wall only to find that his arm went through it with a sticky slurp. He tried to pull it back out, but the wall resisted and he stumbled against it. His whole body sank into the substance.

His lungs burned from lack of oxygen and his eyes blurred. He fell into unconsciousness.

Karn blinked his eyes rapidly as he came awake. He groaned and shifted his weight. He ached in places he didn’t know that he had. As he looked around in the dim light, he could faintly make out the thick, stone walls. They must have fallen into the dungeon. He reached out and found that Roo lay beside him, his head propped on his paws. He knew Seri was there, too, when she made nervous twittering noises with her wings. He reached up and rubbed his face and realized that his hand was human. Shit. He must have shifted when they fell through that wall.

Karn tried to shift back into half form, but he couldn’t find the energy.

Stop, Karn
. Roo whispered in his mind.

He let it go, unable to disobey the direct order from his Alpha. What the hell had that wall been, anyhow? Now that he thought about it, he was more confused than before. It must be some latent security measure. Whatever it had been, it left him feeling utterly drained.

“How long have we been in here?” He asked weakly.

Long enough. Shush now, Karn, and listen.
Curious now, he tried to do as he was asked, though questions about what was really going on burned through his mind. Karn wasn’t sure what was coming, but the others seemed to have a better idea, so he decided to settle down and wait for answers.

He drifted off after awhile, unable to keep his eyes open. Roo nudged him awake.

It is time
.

Karn didn’t know what he expected, but the hooded creature that stood outside the thick iron bars wasn’t it. He couldn’t make out the creature’s features. All he saw was darkness under its cloak.

26

 “Roo, what’s going on?”

I think it’s a reaper. Avert your eyes. It can’t control you if you’re not looking it in the eyes.