Page 4 of Ransomed to the World
Ah, nothing like fatherly love.
Her dear old dad just oozed it.
Feeling like the world was spinning out of control, she turned and headed toward the guys where they’d gathered at the head of the trail. Half of the wolves had already shifted and were spread out, patrolling the area. Camden and Xander were hovering over the waterproof map, discussing strategy. Edgar was talking with Willa, no doubt plotting more ways to torture her with their lessons.
When she scanned the area for her kitsune, her eyes came to rest on a sleek fox with an inky black face and a dark crimson undercoating.
Logan.
Since he’d been taken, he’d been avoiding getting too close to her.
Not that she could blame him. He needed time to heal, but it was killing her not to go to him. She missed his affectionate, mischievous nature.
He peered at her, his crystal blue eyes glowing, his fluffy tails weaving around him almost hypnotically. The tips shimmered red, like the ends were ready to catch fire at any second.
He was still skittish, still underweight, but he was getting better. Every night, he held her tight, as if afraid something might happen if he wasn’t touching her, and every night, the nightmares faded a bit more.
She wished she could do more for him. Thanks to her sadistic uncle who raised her after her mother died, she knew physical pain was easier to deal with than the mental scars that remain unseen. She walked toward him and ran her fingers over the tips of his ears, smiling when he brushed his face against her palm for more snuggles before he darted off into the woods.
Prem quickly gave chase, determined to bedevil the guy no matter what form he took, and she laughed as the two of them tussled. When she turned away, she saw the rest of the guys were ready and waiting for her.
Inhaling deeply, she took the first step that would take them deeper into the forest and up a freakin’ mountain. Everyone wore backpacks except for the girls. Loulou laughed and chased butterflies, the wolves doing their best to corral her, while Willa put on her sunglasses and popped in a set of earbuds, as if they could block out the rest of the world.
After the first hour, they fell into a rhythm. As the morning turned into afternoon, the guys pushed them along relentlessly, their never flagging energy making her more than a tad cranky. To keep herself busy, she called on the afterworld, pulling a couple of butterflies into existence. They floated around her, beating their wings slowly as they waited for her command.
Prem stretched up on his hind legs and sniffed at them curiously, but otherwise ignored them. Not wanting the others to notice, she sent them scattering in every direction, including into the sky. While she trusted the wolves to scout for them, they might not know about all the possible dangers.
She fed the ravenous insects tiny pulses of energy, getting a glimpse of the surrounding world in return. Her influence was limited to only a few miles before they faded back to the afterworld, but each time she tested them, she discovered she could push them farther and farther.
Edgar glanced over his shoulder at her with knowing eyes, but he didn’t scold her. Now that the phantoms knew about her, there was no point in keeping her abilities a secret. He slowed his pace until he was next to her.
Though he appeared as unruffled as the others with the recent turn of events, she knew he still hadn’t regained his full strength. She suspected it had something to do with his refusal to visit the phantom realm to recharge. Not that she could blame him. She knew what it felt like to be trapped. It took more than a few months to get over being left to die.
She reached over and laced her fingers between his, allowing the dust from the phantom world to lick at his skin. He sucked in a startled breath, his hands tightening on hers, and she watched his fathomless blue eyes darken until the gloom of the afterworld stared back at her.
“You’re getting better at that.” He blinked away the darkness, the sharp angles of his face softening as he gazed at her.
Annora reached up and stroked his brow. “And you worry too much.”
Instead of answering, he helped her climb over a fallen log by swinging her over as if she weighed nothing. Before she even landed, he’d leapt over it in a single bound. He moved differently than the shifters—with the effortless self-awareness she associated with phantoms. It was like he knew and could control every atom of his body.
Knowing him and his control freak tendencies, she wouldn’t be surprised if he could.
She just wished it was one of the abilities she’d inherited.
Instead, when the others weren’t looking, she ghosted herself through objects instead of using her limited athletic ability, saving her energy in case she needed it later. From the slightly reproving look Edgar cast her, he knew what she’d been doing.
“What? You wanted me to practice.” She gave him an innocent shrug, avoiding the stubborn look to his jaw that said he wanted to argue. “I’m practicing.”
As so often in the past few weeks, he gave a sigh and conceded to her without an argument. It was starting to piss her off. What happened to the grump who fought her every step of the way? The one who argued with her for the sake of arguing?
She tightened her grip on his hand, dragging him to a stop, then placed her hands on her hips and glared up at him. “Now that we’re away from the campus and the others, maybe it’s time for you and the guys to tell me what the hell is really going on.”
Chapter Two
Edgar’s lips twitched as he gazed down at Annora, pretending it didn’t bother him that she pulled away. He clenched his hands, hating how empty they felt without her touch. “I’m surprised it took you so long to ask.”
“I was giving you guys the benefit of the doubt, waiting for you to confess, but my patience can only be stretched so thin.” She scanned each of them, her reprimand encompassing all the guys. “It’s not safe to go any farther while keeping me in the dark. Tell me what you’ve decided.”
