“No, I just…figured…you know, since I told you I never wanted to see you again…well, that maybe you actually listened. Although I didn’t mean it…” I add hurriedly.
He places his hand under my chin and looks into my eyes. “Nothing…nothing could be further from the truth. I hate how we left things between us, and I haven’t stopped thinking about you for one moment. But we’ll get to that later…right now I do need to tell you what I was doing.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
His face is grim as he stands up. “We can’t do it here. I have to take you somewhere. It’s a risk...a big one, but one I have to take.”
“Take me where? Kieron, I don’t have much time left, if there’s something you need to say…”
“We can talk more when we get there. I need you and Lucky there. I’m not sure she’d be as cooperative, so I need you to come with me.”
My heart pounds. Why is he being so mysterious? Is he just using me? Lying to me again? And why wouldn’t Lucky listen to him? The idea of him going through me to get to her makes me extremely uncomfortable.
I press my lips together and frown. “So let me get this straight: you want to take me somewhere so that when Lucky wakes up, she’ll be there?”
He nods emphatically. “Yes, and we must go now if we hope to make it in time.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “Clearly, you’re not aware of the ginormous massive flaw in this little plan of yours. I’m pretty positive she won’t like that one little bit, especially if she’s already mad at you—which I’m under the impression she is. It’s really not a good idea to get her angry. I really like you and would hate to see anything horrible happen to you—”
“I need both of you there, please…We don’t have much time. Please,” he repeats, looking past my eyes and into my soul. “Please, trust me.”
“I trust you,” I whisper.
With that, he whisks me off my feet and cradles me in his arms as if I’m a baby. I feel tiny and weightless in his powerful grip.
“Hold on to my neck. I won’t let you go, but it will be easier if your arms are safely out of the way.” I lock my arms around him the same way I had with Bones.
We dash away at a dizzying speed until the forest becomes nothing but a greenish blur. I don’t want to even think what would happen if we should crash or if he should trip. I close my eyes tight, but even though I’m completely dependent on Kieron for my life, I’m not afraid. I never feel safer than when I am in his arms.
He runs—if you could call it running—for several minutes—through the forest, over mountains, down a deep valley. I open my eyes once, long enough to see that we’re somewhere in Thiberoux, but the landscape doesn’t look familiar... not that I’d be able to tell, the way the scenery is whizzing by.
Finally, Kieron slows his breakneck pace, gradually coming to a halt. He sets me down gently and places his arm around my waist to keep me steady on my wobbly legs.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah, but I think my liver and spleen are still back there somewhere.”
He smiles. I take a quick look around and almost wish I’d kept my eyes closed. Gone are the lush trees and shrubs that populate my homeland. All I see is miles and miles of sickly yellow dirt and piles of rocks. There is no sign of life anywhere; even the air is dry and stale.
During our mad run, I’d been too worried about the suicidal speed we were travelling to give much thought to where we were travelling to. But I’d assumed it would be somewhere. This vast, barren desert is nowhere...as if we’d fallen off the ends of the earth and landed in one of those creepy, post-apocalyptic TV shows on the Sci-Fi channel.
“Where are we?” I whisper, not sure I want to hear the answer. This place is beyond depressing. I’m glad it’s almost time for me to fall asleep; I don’t like being here.
“We’re in Thiberoux, but not Dryndara,” he says, confirming my suspicions. This place…it’s very special and carefully shielded from outsiders.”
“Why? It’s not exactly prime real-estate; it’s just creepy and barren. I’m pretty sure I speak for all humans and demons when I say no one will be lining up to visit here anytime soon.”
“This place serves a very important function. Inside those caves are rooms for holding fugitives and other demonic prisoners for transport to the underworld kingdom.”
Suddenly I feel nauseous. And very afraid. “Why are we here?” I demand, not even trying to hide the panic in my voice. “Why did you bring me here?”