Levi nodded. “You didn’t do anything wrong at the hearing, Keenan. You were just honest with Thea. It’s not your fault that she couldn’t handle that honesty.”
“It doesn’t necessarily follow that this is about vengeance, though,” said Ciaran. “If it’s true that Lane can transfer powers to others, maybe Thea took Khloé because she wants one or more of her gifts. It’s well known that Khloé can control most minds—that’s an ability that many people covet.”
“Right now, I don’t particularly care why Thea took her,” said Keenan. “I care about getting her back.” He touched her mind again and said, Khloé, I need you to wake up and talk to me. Come on, tell me where you are. But his words yet again went unanswered.
*
A telepathic voice hammered at Khloé’s consciousness, playing into her dream and slowly pulling her out of sleep. She would have sunk her head further into the pillow, only there was no pillow. In fact, there was no bed. She was lying on a cold, hard floor that—
Memories came crashing down on her. Lane. Thea. A strange male. A sonic scream that sliced through her psyche and made her world go black.
Khloé froze but didn’t open her eyes, unsure if she was being watched by the people she could hear arguing. Her demon shot to full alertness in an instant, ready to attack.
She might have sprung to her feet if her ankles weren’t tied together. Moreover, her wrists were bound behind her back, which was probably why her shoulders ached something awful.
Khloé let her eyelids flutter partially open so she could examine her surroundings. The world was on a tilt and … oh, dear God, they’d actually locked her in a goddamn crate like an animal. The metal glimmered blue and gold here and there. Magick, she thought. Someone had woven magick into the metal. It was spelled shut.
These fuckers were so going to pay for this shit.
Again, a telepathic voice invaded Khloé’s mind, badgering her to wake. Her heart leaped. The connection was spotty, but she recognized her brother’s voice.
She reached out to him and replied, I’m awake. Pain lanced through her head, sharp as a scalpel. Fuck. Had the sonic scream done some damage to her mind? It was possible. Her sister could release sonic screams that gave people a wicked headache. Jolene often talked of how those screams might cause lasting damage to people if Heidi grew in power as she aged.
Careful, Khloé tried to touch Keenan’s mind, but it was like there was a mental wall in place. A wall that also stopped her from reaching out to Jolene and Harper. It was as if her psyche was contained by … something. The crate?
Was it containing her mind as well as her body so that she couldn’t call for help? If that was the case, she’d probably also be unable to use her abilities while inside the crate. Containment spells hampered the mind, body, and psyche.
Testing that theory, she tried conjuring a flicker of electric fire inside her closed fist. But the power swirling in her belly, eager for release, didn’t come to her aid. Hell.
A vibe of relief touched her mind just as Ciaran’s voice breezed inside. Jesus, sis … scared … shit out of me. Where … you?
Not sure yet, she replied, almost hissing out a breath at a second shard of pain. She really needed to get out of this damn cage. It was a good thing she wasn’t claustrophobic.
There was another crackle in her mind just before Ciaran spoke again. Fucking static … Give me a minute to … She almost flinched at the sharp ringing sound that pierced her ears, but then the static eased away. Can you hear me better?
Her pulse jumped. Yes, I hear you just fine. More pain streaked through her skull. Their frequency might have improved, but using telepathy still hurt like a bitch, thanks to the goddamn containment spell. Whoever designed it should have accounted for the twin bond. She was thankful that the dumb bastard hadn’t.
It would have been much easier to use her cell phone, but she’d already seen that it was resting on a nearby coffee table, and it had been smashed to shit.
Are you alone? asked Ciaran.
No, Thea’s here. Ignoring the agony slicing through her head, she went on. So is Lane and three guys I don’t recognize. She rattled off quick descriptions of the males. Is Keenan with you?
There was a long pause before Ciaran replied, Yeah, he’s with me. He said to tell you he’ll come for you. You should know he’s mere minutes from going postal. Also, he said the guys you described sound like Thea’s Prime, Gavril, and two of his sentinels. No one can understand why she’d take you to Gavril, though.
They’re having some kind of standoff right now. Not wanting to draw attention to herself, Khloé remained very still as she discreetly glanced around. I have no clue where I am, but I can tell you that it’s fancy. I’m in a Victorian-style parlor.