“It’s not just the four of us. The rebellion that is attacking the castle is part of the Svikari. I will contact Orn and tell him what is going on. He can crush that army, then come to help us. We will have an army at our backs, and…”
I interrupted him. “Kait, that won’t work. There is no way to find every member of the Svikari. The rebellion will always grow again. This is going to be a never-ending fight. We need to find a way to end it forever.”
He stared at me. “The only way to end it forever is to give them what they want, and since they want you dead, that is not happening.”
“Why do they want me dead? Their original plan was to put me on the throne as a puppet. What changed? Obviously, Alarr came out of hiding. Maybe they want him on the throne now as a puppet king?”
Kait shook his head. “Alarr will never be a puppet. He is too strong for that. They know that. If he is not working with them, they probably want him dead as well.” He jumped up, grabbed his phone and dialed.
“Alarr, get to a safe place. The Svikari are moving, and I am concerned for your safety.” Kait’s face went white. I could hear evil laughter from the phone. Kait hung up before grabbing my arm again. “Let’s go. We are going to the safe room.”
“What was that, Kait? Did Alarr not answer?”
He didn’t say anything as he pulled me to the basement room. Once he shut the door, he stared at it for a minute and I could feel his magic flare. When he turned around to me, his face was an impassive mask, which told me he had a tight rein on his emotions.
I sat down on the couch while spinning my braid again. Almost in tears, I said, “Kait, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”
He knelt in front of me. “Whoever answered the phone said Alarr was dead. It sounded like a Lorgaire that answered, so I believe them. Whatever is happening is their end-game, Princess.”
“What about David and Travis? Did they answer your text?” He closed his eyes briefly before he answered.
“Not yet.” I gasped as I fought the tears. “Princess. You are bonded to them by their magic and yours. Close your eyes. Go to the place inside you where your magic resides. Once there, you should be able to tell where they are and if they are safe.”
Fear shot through me. I had never attempted to go to that dimension without Sibhre’s help. He rubbed my arms.
“You can do it, Princess. I will go with you.”
I nodded as I closed my eyes. Kait started walking me through the process, just as Sibhre had done, and in no time we were standing in the hallway. There was no glowing thread now. I glanced around, and suddenly Kait was standing next to me. I took his hand.
“Okay. Now that we are here, open your mind. Your magic knows the feel of David’s and Travis's magic. It will be able to find them.”
I pictured my happy place next to the lake that I used before to find my magic. The feel of nature helped relax me, and suddenly it felt like I could feel an echo of both David and Travis. But David felt far away, while Travis felt like he was right next to me. I said as much.
“That means Travis is probably at the safe house. We will have to let him in to the safe room. Focus on David. What do you feel?”
“Fear, and pain.” My words were a whisper. “He’s hurt, Kait. You have to go to him!”
“Open your mind and let me in.”
I gasped. “How do I do that? He’s hurting, Kait, and it’s getting worse.”
“Focus on me, and the feel of my magic.” I did, and suddenly I could feel him. It was odd, like I was in two places at once. I could see what he saw, as well as what I saw. There was a gorgeous woman standing in front of him. I looked around, looking for her. The woman’s head moved at the same time as mine. Was that how he saw me? I touched my face and she touched hers.
Kait chuckled. “This is no time to get distracted, Princess. Focus on David again. I need to feel what you felt. I may be able to connect with him through your bond.”
I was having trouble focusing beyond how Kait saw me, despite the danger David was in. Eventually, he sighed and closed his eyes. “Is that better? Focus on David.”
I was finally able to connect with David again. I felt Kait call out to him. David had been in a car accident and was arguing with the police. They wanted him to go to the hospital. The paramedics that had shown up were Shadoewynne, and he thought they were part of the Svikari. Kait cursed then promised to be there shortly.
“Take us out now, Princess!”
I concentrated on returning to my body. By the time I opened my eyes, Kait had a gateway open.
“I am going to jump into Shadoewynne and out again near David. I will bring him back the same way. Say your full name to the door, and the enchantment will release. Travis knows how to reset it. Stay safe!” I kissed him quickly before he jumped into the gateway. It closed quickly behind him. Shortly after, there was a pounding on the door, and I heard Travis's voice calling out to me.
I said my full name and the door opened. Travis came in, shut the door firmly behind himself, and stared at it for a second then, his magic flared briefly. It took him a little longer than Kait, but it seemed to be the same steps. He turned and gathered me in his arms. I trembled as he held me.
“What are we going
