Page 28 of Tethered to the World
She didn’t tell them she was terrified that whatever was waiting for her in the afterworld would eventually find her. She’d gone over the plan a thousand times, and she was willing to risk facing whatever waited for her if it meant that she would finally be free of her uncle…even if it resulted in her death.
She couldn’t live in fear anymore.
She needed to take a stand.
She’d been avoiding the afterworld, but maybe that was a mistake. While she could heal with a touch, she also knew she could kill. Maybe it was time to learn the extent of her abilities.
No one in the kitchen moved. They simply watched her, and the temptation to run scorched her mind.
She’d said too much.
She began to retreat when Camden pushed back his chair, the scrape of wood on stone ringing loud in her ears. “We’ll teach you whatever you need to know.”
The rest of the guys didn’t hesitate to agree, and the tension in her shoulders relaxed slightly. She wasn’t sure she trusted them completely, but they offered to teach her how to fight.
It was enough for now.
“What are your abilities?” While Camden might have asked the question, everyone glanced at her curiously. When she remained mute, he shrugged and warned, “We’ll find out eventually. Working and living together doesn’t leave much privacy.”
She pursed her lips, unable to refute his words.
“You can jump small distances.” Logan ran a hand over his hair and flashed her a smile, then turned and began to discuss with the others. “And she can take people with her if she chooses.”
“She can either see or sense other paranormals by using her gift,” Camden added.
Xander ran a hand along his jaw as he studied her clinically. “I’m not familiar with any such species. She could be a cross between a shifter and magical creature.”
Annora snorted while they continued to discuss her as if she wasn’t there. She wandered down the stairs toward the living room, then headed toward the wall of glass. She couldn’t take her eyes off the forest surrounding the house. She glanced over at the guys to see they were still in deep discussion, then pulled open the door.
She immediately tipped back her head, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. For some reason, the air outside almost hurt to breathe. It felt fresher, almost too strong, but she couldn’t help but enjoy the unique smells that eddied in the air.
Being outside was one of the biggest adjustments to escaping.
The air.
The sun.
The freedom.
And so freaking many people and noises.
She admired the large patio, then circled the fire pit, wandering closer to the intimidating tree line. She couldn’t afford to be afraid of anything. She couldn’t afford to be weak.
The ground was littered with leaves, twigs and needles, each step seeming to release a fresh, woodsy autumn scent she found relaxing. The towering trees blocked out the sun, leaving her to enjoy the cool air. It was the silence, the complete absence of the city background noise that stopped her dead.
When she turned to go back all she saw were trees. “Shit.”
Chapter Nine
The snap of a twig sent Annora whirling. Her best guess was she’d been gone close to an hour, much too soon for anyone to notice her missing. She wanted to try and find her way back, but she feared she’d end up heading farther into the maze of trees instead.
After a few seconds of searching her surroundings, she spotted a small face peeking at her from behind a large trunk. It looked like a fox. His face was inky black, but his eyes glowed a crystal blue. When she twisted to get a better look at him, she noticed a dark, deep crimson undercoating.
His tail seemed to wave, like it was moving from a breeze, almost hypnotic to watch. When he saw her watching, he curled it around him, and her mouth dropped open when she realized the fox had more than one. They had been moving so incredibly fast, she’d thought there was only one. They fluffed around him, puffy like a rich woman’s fancy scarf, the red seeming to shimmer, the very tips looking like they were dipped in fresh blood.
Something about the fox was achingly familiar, and she stilled when he padded closer, not wanting to scare him off. Frost seemed to swirl around him, and she gasped. “Logan?”
He promptly sat, then gave a regal nod. Behind him, she saw her two ferrets tumbling over each other as they scrambled across the forest floor. One would blink out in an explosion of black smoke and reappear a few feet later to ambush the other critter, only to have that one vanish in turn.
