Chapter 63

Someone was yelling. The sound sent waves of pain echoing in her head, and she reached up to clutch her head with both hands. She groaned and tried to open her eyes but it only added to the pain. She rolled over on the sandy floor of the cave and tried to push herself up. She blinked to clear her vision but in the blinding glare of the lanterns along the wall, all she could see were moving shapes on the other side of the cavern.

Some instinct urged her to get up but when she pushed herself up onto her knees the room whirled at such a rate she nearly fell over. Feeling with outstretched hands, she found the wall and balanced against it and waited till the dizziness passed before she turned to see what was happening behind her.

Reece stood between Sam and Alaina, his arms stretched out as an ineffectual shield. Alaina faced him, her back to the pit, pointing the gun at Reece.

“So help me, Reece, if you don’t move I’ll shoot you. I don’t want to, but I will.”

“No. I’m not going to let you do this. She’s done nothing to you. She’s your family. And her disappearance will create too much attention. Her family knows she is a Sounder. I suspect her brother knows about a lot more. He has connections to the Council. We can’t afford to draw the attention of the Council.”

Sam was surprised at the apparent calmness in his voice. She couldn’t see Alaina’s face but her voice was taut. “I’m not afraid of the Council any more than I am of you, Reece. No one can touch me. You know this.” Her voice dropped in timbre. “Get out of my way.”

She stepped forward and attempted to side step around Reece. He shoved her and she staggered back. Sam gasped and held her breath, certain Alaina would fall but she stopped a few feet from the chasm and never even looked behind her. The tightness in her chest lessened and she breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

The relief was short lived. Alaina’s face contorted and she opened her mouth and howled with rage. Sam clutched her head as a dagger of red-hot pain streaked through her mind. At her cry of pain, Reece turned and looked down at her. Alaina darted forward.

Sam looked up violently shoved her hands forward and screamed, “NOOOOO.”

The single word seemed to echo forever and time stretched and slowed, and they all looked as if they were moving through a thick viscous liquid. Sam watched as Reece turned back to face Alaina, shock, and horror spreading over his face. Alaina rushed forward but in mid-stride, she appeared to slam into a wall. The impact propelled her backward with such force that her feet left the ground.

Sam watched as Alaina flew back, out over the pit, her rage filled face contorting in horror as she realized she was falling and then, she disappeared, screaming into the darkness.