Page 20 of The Night Vision
Tighe seemed like he was coming around to the idea. “How long will it take us to get there?”
“Let me see…” Nelson checked his watch and the trail map. “It’s about another half hour to the welcome center, then about five-and-a-half hours to Georgetown. We should get in around…nine or ten tonight.”
“That isn’t so bad,” Tighe said and smiled bravely at Silas, then at Nox. “And you think you can help me control the frenzy?”
“I do, but isn’t this fascinating? You could be the closest thing to atrueWerewolf of Ossory since the 1st or 2nd century,” Nox said, looking around excitedly.
Silas shook his head. “No, it’s concerning. Taking Tighe away from the Trail could be shocking or even traumatic,” he worried and Nox made a sympathetic sound.
“I’m one step ahead of you and I’m doing what I can to monitor his aura and reduce his stress but we might hit a snag in the parking lot if he’s never been inside a car.”
Tighe stopped, frozen and instantly pale.“We’re going in a car?”
“It’s okay! It’s perfectly safe and nothing will harm you,” Nox insisted soothingly but his charm or spell hadn’t done enough, unfortunately.
Thankfully, Silas was standing close by and caught Tighe when he fainted. “I was afraid of this,” he said, gathering Tighe in his arms and lifting him. “He’s already so confused and he said he’sneverleft the Trail.”
“Need help?” Nelson went to grab a limb but Silas shook his head, carefully adjusting and putting an arm under Tighe’s neck and behind his knees.
“I’ve got him and it’s not too much farther. Just lead the way.”
They resumed their hike but Silas barely paid attention to where he was walking, hypnotized as he stared down at Tighe. He was even more beautifully wild and his spirit was even purer and gentler than Silas had dreamed. Every feature was precious and Silas was determined to keep Tighe safe at all costs.
“I hate doing this to him,” Silas grumbled when they eased Tighe into the backseat of Nelson’s Continental and climbed inside. He got them buckled but held Tighe, cradling his head and covering his ears when Nelson started the engine.
“We can’t protect him out here,” Nox sighed, grimacing when Tighe started to come around. “These mountains are formidable enough at night, filled with plenty of spiritual mischief without a warlock haunting its shadows.”
Nelson cleared his throat, nodding at the mountain behind them. “Or men with muscles and tactical gear. I have a feeling we got here just in time but let’s not push our luck.”
“If you say so,” Silas said begrudgingly.
He didn’t doubt Nox and he agreed with Nelson. Silas would feel better once they got to the townhouse too, but he hated that Tighe had to be traumatized in the process. “Just do whateveryou can to help him feel better. He’s going to be scared shitless when he wakes up if this is the first time he’s been in a car.”
Chapter Ten
“No!I don’t want to be in a car! Please, let me out!”
Tighe was distraught when he regained consciousness and found himself strapped to the inside of a roaring metal beast. It was evening and they were flying over a highway with a flock of gleaming metal beasts and Tighe felt nauseous as warm, dry air and chemical fumes swirled around them.
“Please! I can’t be in this metal monster!” He reached for the door but Silas caught his wrist and wrapped around him.
“I’m so, so sorry!” he whispered into Tighe’s hair. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
“Make them stop! I wantout!” Tighe begged, holding onto Silas’s arms and closing his eyes.
“Come on! It’s not that bad,” Nox repeated. He kept saying that but Tighe didn’t agree.
“It’s worse than I ever imagined. I haven’t been in anything this dark and cramped since I left my mother’s womb.”
“I’m sorry,” Silas said as he rocked them. That part was nice and Tighe would have beenso happyif they weren’t in an automobile. “We aren’tcompletelysafe because there’s alwaysa risk to traveling in a vehicle. But Nelson is a good driver and it’s a damned good car. There’s only a tiny chance we’ll be hurt or killed tonight. As much as us getting struck by lightning, alright?” Silas asked, his tone and presence calming Tighe.
“Thank you.” He took a deep breath and nodded. “I didn’t realize Georgetown was so far.”
“Just a few more hours.”
“Hours?” Tighe whimpered and pushed his face into Silas’s shoulder, trying to make it all go away. “Why couldn’t I have walked? I’m good at following a map.”
“That would have taken days and it wouldn’t have been safe for you,” Silas explained while scratching circles over Tighe’s back and kneading his thigh. It was magickal, the way his touch soothed Tighe and eased his fears. “A dangerous man is looking for you and you’re too vulnerable outside, especially in the woods.”
