“Alora transported me? She’s here?” Arista jumped up, dancing with excitement. “Where is she?”
“She’s right here—” Graely’s voice trailed off. “Where did she go? And where’s Kaevin?”
*****
“Where are we?” Alora whispered. “It’s dark in here.” She tried to clear the fuzz from her mind.
“I believe we’re back in the dance hall,” said Kaevin.
“In Montana?”
“Yes, I believe so.” His laugh echoed in the dark empty room. “At least we’re not in the lake.”
Alora groaned. “Ohmygosh! I’m a klutz. Did we get Arista?”
“I’m certain I saw her on the ground before you took us here. Can you take us back now? Just go to Beth. It’ll be easy.”
“I feel kind of drained and dizzy.” Alora considered lying down to sleep on the floor, but decided against it.
“Yes. I’m tired, too. And my head is pounding.”
“Mine, too. Okay, I’m gonna try to take us to Beth.”
“All right.” Kaevin gave her hand a squeeze. “And then we’ll sleep.”
Concentrate. Go to Beth. Go to Beth. Alora closed her eyes and imagined standing in front of Beth. She almost fell asleep when she heard Beth’s voice.
“Oh! Where did you two disappear to?” Beth turned to Graely. “Here they are! They’re back!”
Alora saw Beth’s face grow dim as the world started spinning. “Alora? Are you okay? Kaevin? What’s—”
She felt Kaevin falling to the ground, pulling her with him, but she never felt the impact.
*****
“You idiot!” Vindrake railed. “You knew she was a bearer! Why did you not put a chain around her? Of course she disappeared!”
“But Master—” The man shielded his face with his hand, wrapped in a bloody rag.
“Silence! I don’t want to hear your voice again.” He swirled to face Abaddon. “I hold you responsible for sending these incompetents after the girl! Now, I have lost two men, and Graely is forewarned!”
Abaddon fought to appear confident. “Of course those men were expendable, as are the two who returned empty-handed.”
“That does not change the fact I’ve lost my opportunity to seize Lena.”
“However, Sire, we did confirm Graely’s party was continuing northward. Had we merely waited for them to come this way, they would have journeyed beyond our reach. Now we know we must follow them, and capture the girl.”
Vindrake advanced aggressively to tower over him. “You fool! Now they will be prepared. The girl will simply transport to a safe place, since she has obviously mastered that ability.” His face contorted with contempt. “And Graely has already influenced her against me. Our only chance is to take a hostage, and capture her when she tries to free them.”
“But Sire,” said Abaddon, “surely, she would not make such an attempt on her own.”
“I’m certain she will, because she believes she can influence me.” He spoke in a sickly-sweet voice, “I am her father. I could see her emotions clearly when we spoke. If I promise her I will let the prisoner go free, she will come to me willingly enough.”
“And if she refuses?”
He shrugged. “Then we will kill our hostage and take another. Eventually, we will find someone valuable enough that she will relent. She is softhearted, but I will soon rid her of those weak, sentimental feelings. She will come to appreciate my values and utilize her gift for my purposes.” The blue of his eyes darkened to deep obsidian, devoid of emotion. “But mark my words … should she refuse to come or refuse to cooperate, I will kill her. I won’t let Graely BarManasae use my own daughter’s gifts and throw that fact in my face.”
“Of course not, Sire.” Abaddon, having never had a child of his own, thought the sentimental attachment of most parents to their children to be a foolish weakness. He was glad to see Vindrake wasn’t softened in the face of his newly discovered fatherhood.