He sat on the edge of the bed and slipped something from his pocket. When he poured a white powder into the palm of his hand, Kira knew instantly what he was about to do. Octavion had used that powder on her before and no way was Luka blowing that crap in her face. She took in a deep breath and held it. When he put his hand up between them, she leaned forward and blew. The fine powder flew right into his face. He tried to wipe it away, blow it off his lips, but he’d already drawn it into his lungs.
“Kira, what have you done?” Genuine fear flashed in his eyes and for a moment Kira almost regretted doing it. But the adrenaline raging through her blood made her certain she’d made the right choice. She had to get to Octavion. He was the only one she trusted.
Luka stumbled back, collapsed to his knees, then crumpled to the floor. “Kira. . you will die.”
Kira knew she didn’t have much time, so she jumped off the other side of the bed and told her shaky legs to run. When she got to the door, she grabbed the handle and gave it a tug, but it didn’t open. “No!” She ran back and searched Luka’s pockets for a key, but found nothing. “Luka, where is it?” She returned to the door and tried again. When it didn’t open, she slammed her fists against the door and screamed. “Octavion!”
Off in the distance, she heard the ferocious cry of a wild cat. It echoed through the castle, but didn’t seem to come from the other side of the door. She followed the sound, creeping along the bookshelf to the corner of the room near the arched doorway that led to the closet. She called out again. “Octavion, where are you?” Another roar rang out, but this time she recognized it.
Then she heard it-the solid slap of metal hitting stone. All she could think about was Octavion being injured in her world and the way Altaria had chained him to a tree so Kira could heal him without him lashing out. The sight of him bound like that broke her heart. She didn’t care how much of his beast controlled him now, she had to be sure he was all right.
She ran her hand around the outside of the book case until she felt a cool breeze coming from a small crack between the wall and the wooden frame. Bracing her shoulder against it, she pushed as hard as she could. It gave way, folding back into a small room. A blast of cold air hit her. She squinted into the inky black, but only dark shadows filled the space before her.
She ran back to the table and retrieved the candle, stepping over Luka’s paralyzed body. As she turned and took another step, a sharp pain pierced the bottom of her foot. She stumbled and fell against the dresser, almost dropping the candle.
“
Grabbing the hem of her slip, she cut it with her teeth and ripped off a small strip. She wrapped it around her foot, grabbed the candle and limped toward the opening.
“Ki-ra.” Luka groaned. The effects of the powder were wearing off. Luka would get his strength back soon and keep her from finding Octavion. She was out of time.
Kira squeezed behind the bookcase and pushed the shelves back in place. Once inside, the candle gave enough light for her to see she was under a large staircase. A narrow corridor ran down one side, a small wooden door at the end. She slid the large metal bolt and pushed the door open. She’d only taken one step when she heard another painful cry.
“Octavion? Where are you?” Kira called.
“Kira, no!” Kira could barely recognize Octavion’s voice through the deep raspiness of his transformation. Another roar rang out, followed by the clanking of chains. Now she was sure-someone had locked him up. Determination fueled her focus-she had to get to him. She had to set him free.
The walls of the room were curved, making a perfect circle around her. A narrow staircase wound around the room going up and down. His voice came from below her, so she began her descent. Half way down, the brief surge of adrenaline she’d used to get herself moving started to fade and her knees trembled. “Al, if you're still with me, I need you. I can’t stop now.” Subtle warmth filled her chest and she knew she could keep going. “Thank you.” She braced herself against the wall and continued downward. She heard Luka above, calling her name, but ignored him. The further she went, the more light filled the staircase. When she reached the bottom, it opened into a large room. Her first impression reminded her of Octavion’s lair.
There were shelves filled with bottles and books like she’d seen in his cave on the mountain. Along one side, dried herbs and flowers hung from a large wooden beam and below that were trunks and boxes. Unlike the tidy order of the cave, clutter and debris littered the room. A table lay in splinters against one wall. Books, tools and paper were strewn everywhere.
Kira took a deep breath and continued forward. She scanned the room, but found no sign of Octavion. Then she heard the chains crash against the stone and Octavion growl.
“Kira, please. You must go.”
“Not until I know you’re okay.” She turned toward his voice and finally caught a glimpse of him in the shadows. Completely transformed, she barely recognized him-half man, half beast and far more terrifying than she remembered. Even his facial features were slightly mutated. The shackles that bound his wrists cut into his skin and blood trickled down the tips of his fingers-and claws.
She put her hand to her mouth to keep from screaming. “Octavion, who did this to you?” She stepped closer, but stopped when he lurched forward, his teeth reflecting the light of her candle. He took in a deep breath and the fire in his eyes intensified. He pulled against the chains with so much force, one of them snapped, sending rock and mortar flying into the air.
“You are. . bleeding.” This time when he looked at her, a sinister grin crossed his face. He lowered his head, arched his back and sprang at her. She jumped back and took off running toward the stairs. Luka appeared in front of her, partially transformed, most likely from the smell of her blood. He grabbed her around the waist and yanked her out of the room. Kira closed her eyes and screamed. She’d almost forgotten what it was like to leap with a Royal-how he could see a place in his mind and be there an instant later. Leaping with Octavion brought feelings of excitement and exhilaration, but the violence of traveling with Luka terrified her. She’d heard Octavion say traveling through a structure caused discomfort. Extreme pain described it better.
When they finally appeared somewhere in the village, Luka threw her to the ground and vanished. The darkness pressed against her, making her feel utterly alone and vulnerable. Kira barely had the strength to pull herself up to stand. There were no lights in the windows and no discernible sounds. She backed in between two cottages, wrapped her arms around herself and tried to get Octavion’s image out of her head.
“Kira?” a voice whispered. “Is that you?” A small, shadowy figure appeared in front of her.
“Ussay?” Kira leapt into her arms. “He’s chained up. They chained him up.”
“I know,” Ussay whispered. “Come with me. We must be very quiet.”
She led Kira to a doorway that opened into a small room. A single candle burned in the far corner where an older woman sat in a rickety wooden chair. Even from a distance, Kira could see the hollow look in her eyes-a blank stare that made Kira wonder if she’d suffered an emotional crisis in her life. But at the moment, Kira thought simply living in this world could cause that.
“This is my mother, Narrisa.” Ussay pulled Kira into the center of the room and motioned for her to sit on the edge of the bed. The cottage seemed to have only one small room. Two windows flanked the door, both covered with a thick, black cloth. A cold fireplace sat opposite the only bed.
“Why is it so dark?” Kira asked.
“Shh. Whisper, Kira. They will feed soon and we do not want to attract them.”
A shiver ran the entire length of Kira’s spine. “Ussay, I think we have a problem.” Kira pulled up the hem of her dress and raised her foot so Ussay could see the blood soaked bandage. “Octavion didn’t clean up the mirror very well.”
“Oh, Kira.” Ussay looked at the floor where Kira left three faint blood stains leading from the door. “Mother- be quick. Get the Sevrin.” Narissa stood and walked to a small cupboard next to the fireplace. She opened it and took out a large brown bottle with a cork in it.
“Kira, remove the bandage,” Ussay said. “We will have to cauterize the wound. Be careful not to get blood on
