Page 42 of Shackled to the World
It nearly drove her fucking insane.
Annora cupped his face, allowing the particles inside her to capture him and hold him to her, giving him all the strength she could. “We’re coming. Watch for Kevin. Trust him.”
Before she even finished speaking, he dissolved under her touch, like wisps of smoke. No matter how hard she tried to hold him, he slipped through her fingers.
“No!”
Mason’s arms wrapped around her from behind, but the warmth of him barely penetrated the ice that filled her soul. “We’re running out of time.”
Instead of comforting her, Mason tightened his hold, his head bowing under the weight of the truth. “I know.”
His grim voice made her breath hiccup in her chest, but she was infinitely glad the guys were no longer denying it. Her mind whirled with plans for how she could locate him before it was too late, and only one thing came to mind.
She would have to go into the afterworld to find where they were keeping him—even if it meant bringing her father down on her head.
Chapter Twelve
Annora was awake before dawn, unable to go back to sleep after Logan vanished. She went through her plans, determined to do what was necessary to rescue him.
She just needed to find a way to get the guys on board without them flipping their lids.
She carefully lifted Mason’s arm from around her waist, stifling her grunt when she discovered the damned thing nearly weighed as much as she did. When she didn’t make much progress, she shoved a pillow at his chest, then wiggled and twisted until she was free.
Only to find the ferret sitting on his haunches, watching her with his head tipped in curiosity.
She would swear he was laughing at her, the little bastard, and she resisted the urge to flick his nose. “You could’ve helped.”
Honest to god, the little fucker shrugged.
Panting like she just been in a wrestling match with a slab of cement, Annora smoothed her tangled hair back, but then froze when Mason shifted. He tightened his grip on her pillow, then pulled it close, burying his face in it as if trying to catch her scent. With a contented sigh, he relaxed and went back to sleep.
Instead of leaving, Annora remained crouched next to him. Lines of sleep were pressed into his face, his hair tousled, his body relaxed. He looked different…unguarded.
Vulnerable.
Not the indestructible force he was when awake.
Unable to help herself, she leaned over, brushing his hair away from his forehead. The strands swayed sleepily, curling around her before relaxing back into sleep. Mason sighed, a small smile playing about his face, and she carefully rose to her feet.
With one last reluctant look, she collected her clothes and headed for the shower, quickly shutting the door in the ferret’s face, chuckling happily when he thumped into the wood.
Payback’s a bitch.
By the time she was finished, Mason and his bedding were gone and her own bed was neatly made. A pang went through her at the sight of the empty floor.
She was already missing him, and she shook her head at her own foolishness.
He was just down the stairs.
He hadn’t left her.
But then why did her room feel so empty without him?
The ferret was resting near the stairs, waiting for her. When he saw her looking, he gave her a beckoning wave, as if to urge her to go faster, then bolted for the kitchen.
Shoving her feet into her shoes, she tromped down the stairs after him, coming to a halt when she saw the guys were already assembled, Terrance included, the breakfast waiting. With Logan gone, meals weren’t the same. He was the resident cook, and while she was sure it was only her imagination, the food just didn’t taste the same without him.
A glance out the window showed the sun just breaking across the horizon.
