Page 102 of Tethered to the World
It didn’t take Annora more than two seconds to understand what was happening. “What do you want?”
“You know what I want, Annora.” Her uncle’s voice came from the speakerphone on the desk. “Give yourself over to me, and I’ll leave your furry pets alone.”
Logan tightened his grip on her, preventing her from speaking, as if terrified of what she might say.
He knew her well—she would agree to anything to keep them safe.
A heavy sigh came over the speaker. “Very well, but remember what happens next is your fault.”
There was a hiss of pressure being released, then a white cloud began to billow out from underneath the desk. The familiar scent of chemicals stung her nose, burning the back of her throat. Panic clawed through her guts, and she shoved Logan away from the smoke, pushing him lower to the ground.
She was still too weak to ghost them both, and she refused to go without him.
“The drug is going to knock you on your ass. It’s a paralytic. You’ll be able to see and hear and feel everything, but you won’t be able to move.” She knelt next to him, cupping his face until they were only inches apart. “Don’t panic, don’t fight it. It will only make the effects worse.”
Logan reached up and grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands away. “You have to ghost. You have to get away.”
Annora shook her head, her throat tightening at the thought of leaving him. If her uncle got ahold of him, she’d never see him again. The guy she was starting to have feelings for would no longer exist…no one came out of hell the same. Her uncle had a way of taking a person apart, not just in body, but soul as well.
A tickle caught the back of her throat, sending her into a coughing fit.
“Baby, you have to do this for me.” Logan shoved his face close, brushing his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear. “I can survive anything if I know you’re safe.”
He lifted his head and gripped the back of her neck, refusing to let her duck away. She had trouble catching her breath, and it had nothing to do with the drug.
She couldn’t leave him.
He was her family now.
“Don’t ask that of me.”
But he shook his head, a racking cough catching him off guard. His face was chalky, sweat leaving his skin clammy. He crawled toward the wall with the secret panel, pulling her along with him. When she tried to jerk away, he grabbed her jaw hard enough to leave bruises. Pure desperation darkened his eyes. “If you stay, they will take you and kill me.”
She frantically tried to reach the guys, but the drugs made the connection echo loudly in her head. Though she could feel them, no matter how she strained, she couldn’t breach the barrier to communicate with them. Panic grabbed her by the throat, threatening to squeeze the breath from her.
“Camden! Mason! Xander!” She screamed, her voice hoarse and frantic, but the sound rose barely above a whisper. She called them again and again until her throat was raw, knowing she was inhaling more and more of the drug with each breath. When she could barely see a foot in front of her, she even called for Eddie.
But received no response.
“Stop. The room must be soundproof.” He began wheezing, his body swaying as he struggled not to collapse. “Annora…”
Tears burned her eyes, knowing what he was going to say…and he was right.
Alive was better than dead.
She reached for the darkness, determined to take him with her, but it only scattered at her touch. No matter how hard she tried to force the dark particles around him, it dissipated in the white smog. She knew from experience that the chemicals weakened her ghosting abilities. That, on top of her injuries…she was screwed.
She was not strong enough to take them both.
And he knew it.
“It’s okay, baby.” He dropped down to the floor, a gentle smile on his face. It took two tries for him to reach out, his fingers lightly brushing her face. “Go. I’ll be fine. Stay strong for me.” His voice began to slur. “I’ll stay alive long enough for you to rescue me.”
He smiled even as his eyes slid shut, and her heart shattered.
She could barely make out his features as the drugged smoke filled the space between them. She pulled herself upright and crawled toward the wall, knowing from experience that she would only be able to ghost for a few seconds.
She would only have one chance.
