“In that case, I better continue my search.” Lucien tucked the heartstone away in his shirt. “Hopefully, when we get back, I can point us in the right direction.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN—KELLER
Keller didn’t have much time.
The vampire left not long ago. Trevor was still painting. Keller could smell the paints from the dungeon.
Holly may or may not still be awake, but he couldn’t take another shot at her. Not with everyone on high alert. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to take another shot at killing her. If he hadn’t felt so angry, he never would’ve put his hands around her throat.
When he thought back on what had happened, the memories were fuzzy. He didn’t remember getting onto the deck. He didn’t even remember trying to strangle Holly.
One moment, he was in the woods, thinking about that strange, snowy place, and the next, he was chained up in the old dungeon listening to Holly speak.
He couldn’t remember strangling her, but he knew he had. How was that possible?
Holly said some lovely things to him when he—
Don’t fall for it, the voice barked in his head suddenly enough to make him jump. His arms strained against the chains.
“Can you not?” Keller snapped.
Shut up unless you want to get thrown in a real dungeon. They’d do it if she asked. You know it’s true.
Why don’t I remember strangling her? he demanded. I’m not the kind of person who strangles someone.
You mean, you’re not the kind of person who does what needs to be done. It’s ugly. Some would call it cruel. That doesn’t change the fact that some things have to be done for the greater good. I should’ve known you weren’t ready.
I am ready.
You don’t even know what you’re not ready for.
I know who you are, Keller snarled into his mind. You’re the real Maiden.
Bravo, the voice hissed. I hope you don’t expect an award. It wasn’t supposed to take you this long to figure it out.
You only just began speaking to me. It should be expected that I’d need some time to process. You still didn’t answer my question. Why don’t I remember strangling her?
If you want answers to your question, you need to come find them for yourself.
How? he asked.
You know what to do.
Once again, Keller felt that deep, undeniable pull. He saw the same mountains as he did before. Whatever he needed to find, whatever he needed to do, it was there.
Which meant the chains had to go.
There were no windows in the dungeon, which wasn’t a surprise since it was completely underground. The only way out was at least two levels above him. He’d have to go through Johnny’s study to get out.
The occasional creak and the persistent smell of paint told him Johnny still hadn’t gone to sleep.
Keller didn’t have any time to waste. The pull inside of him picked up again. He was surprised it hadn’t ripped his heart right out of his chest. It certainly felt like it was going to.
I’m waiting, the Maiden, the real Maiden barked into his mind.
I’m thinking!
Let me help. Her voice sounded so sweet, so soothing. Then the pain came.
Searing pain streaked through his veins as if someone poured molten iron right into his bloodstream. It was so painful, it forced him to shift. That had only ever happened to him once before, when he’d first discovered his powers. He’d been five at the time. He broke his leg while riding his trike down a hiking trail.
“Keller?” Johnny appeared at the top of the stairs. “Dude, what the hell? You can’t shift inside!”
Surrounded by broken chains, Keller focused on Johnny.
Dark, terrible urges rose up inside of him. He saw himself tearing out Johnny’s throat with his teeth.
With a roar, he charged forward.
Johnny leaped to the side but not fast enough to avoid getting body slammed by Keller as he dashed up the stairs.
Everything inside Keller screamed at him to leave no survivors, but he couldn’t do that. He didn’t want to kill his friends, not in Pearl’s house. Besides, that would take too long. He needed to get to those mountains now before he lost his mind completely.
He broke through the basement door and scrambled up the stairs to the main level. The living room and kitchen were empty.
He turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that led out to the deck. It took him three days to fix the window Elise broke before the silver mine battle. That didn’t stop him from charging through the glass onto the deck.
“What the hell is going on?” Garret roared just as Keller leaped off the deck.
He landed hard on the forest floor but didn’t care. He needed to keep going. He’d die if he didn’t keep going, of that he was certain.
Something sharp managed to lodge itself into his paw, but he didn’t stop. He ran harder than he’d ever run in his life. He barely saw the forest in front of him. Everything in his being was dead set on those snowy mountains.
Time stood still and flew by all at once. He thought he’d only been running for a few minutes until the sun came up. When what felt like five minutes passed, the sun had set again.
He didn’t need sleep. He never stopped to eat. He simply kept pushing.
Everything would be fine when he reached wherever it was he was meant to go.
The forest gave way to a road. He nearly slammed into a car. The passengers looked at him, wide-eyed and delighted. They’d clearly never seen a bear before.
