Page 68 of These Deadly Dreams

“Don’t. Give. In.”

It’s hard. It’s so fucking hard to keep my mouth shut as Grace screams. Tears roll freely down her cheeks, and her entire body trembles. Sam is ruthless. Cuts and burns. Broken bones. Bile climbs up my throat and chokes me. I shut my eyes, unable to watch as Grace is tortured. But her screams echo in my head until her voice is so hoarse, no further noise escapes her open mouth.

I want to cave. I want to tell him to stop. But I can’t. I can’t let him know where Ellis is. I pray she’ll forgive me for this. I pray she won’t hold this against me. But my mate’s safety will always come first. Even if this tears me up. Even if this leaves a scar so deep, I’ll never heal from it.

Sam only stops when Grace passes out. He uses his magic to heal all of her injuries. A fresh slate for the next torture session. That’s when I notice the tears on my own cheeks.

Forgive me, Grace. Forgive me, Ellis.

I close my eyes as the guards come to haul Grace back to her room. I welcome the darkness. And I hope it stays this time.

29. Ellis

I’m going to puke. My anxiety is so high my entire body is vibrating. Each breath I take is shallow, and I’m breathing out more than I’m breathing in. I’m a live-wire, and it won’t take much to set me off.

Back in the abandoned office building, feet away from the warehouse, we’re going over the details one last time. I can’t focus on what Cade is saying, though. There’s a buzzing in my ears and it’s the only thing I can hear—besides my heartbeat pounding against my ribcage.

This is it. This is the moment that can forever alter my life. I slowly back away from the group until my back hits the wall. I close my eyes and press my fingertips to the plaster, using a grounding technique I learned in therapy years ago. It doesn’t work. Tears burn the back of my eyelids, and I squeeze them shut tighter. A gasping sob crawls up my throat, and I can’t keep it contained.

I catch a whiff of cherries and spice a second before Kai rests his forehead against mine. “We’re going to get him back. I won’t settle for any other alternative.” He grabs my hands and places them on his chest, where his heart is beating as erratically as mine.

“I’m so scared,” I whisper, leaning into him.

“I know, baby girl. But you need to trust us. We know what we’re doing, and we won’t let anything happen to you.”

Shaking my head, I open my eyes and look into his gray orbs. “I’m not scared for me. What if something happens to one of you?” My voice catches, and I have to swallow back the despair that threatens to drown me.

“You can’t worry about ‘what ifs’. It will consume you. Live in each moment, and know that whatever happens, you’ll be okay. We will always make sure you are okay.” He wipes a tear away with his thumb and kisses me gently. “Do you want me to use my thrall to help you calm down? I need to stay focused in there.”

For some reason, his asking me calms my nerves. I guess it’s just the proof I need to know I will always be taken care of. “Not yet. I think I’m okay for now. But if I start to panic, just do it.”

He nods and searches my eyes. “I love you, Ellis.”

My lips wobble and I have to press them together. The words I want to say get stuck behind the tears. But Kai smiles and nods, picking up on my emotions. I don’t need to tell him I love him. He knows without words.

Cade approaches, and Kai steps to the side. He doesn’t say anything, because he knows nothing will truly make me feel better until I have all three of my guys back at the cabin with me. Instead, he frames my face in his hands and kisses me. I melt under his touch and let it soothe the jagged pieces of me that fear and anxiety have chipped away at. When he steps away, he squeezes my hands.

“Is everyone ready?” Kai asks, glancing at Drew and Connor.

Allie stayed back at the cabin with her medical supplies ready just in case. I don’t want to think about the reason why we would need her instead of Cade’s healing abilities.

With everyone’s confirmation, we file out of the abandoned office with me sandwiched between Cade and Kai. Drew strips out of his clothes and shifts, taking to the skies to ensure the coast is clear. At his signal, we approach the ward.

It’s invisible—to me at least. I squeeze Kai’s hand as Cade and Connor step away. This is the first part of our plan. Connor raises his hands and red light flares around him as he closes his eyes and focuses on the ward. Violet shimmers up Cade’s arms and he waits for Connor’s nod to add his magic to the ward.

I have no clue what they do, I can’t see anything happen. But sweat beads on Connor’s brow, and Cade’s face is twisted in concentration. When they finally let their magic fade and step away, both are breathing heavily.

“We’re good,” Connor rasps quietly.

Before Cade can take a step forward, Kai grabs his forearm and forces Cade to look at him. “You good? Do you have enough left to be safe in there?”

Cade nods. “Yeah. Connor did most of the work.”

Kai pulls him in for a quick kiss. “Be careful.”

“You too.”

A crow waits on the ledge of a window, and we make our way to it. They picked this window because it’s close to an intersection with the basement stairs. The hope is to surprise the guards before they can signal for help. Cade carefully slides the glass up, and I hold my breath. We wait in tense silence as Drew flies in and scouts the room and hallway beyond. He comes back and lands on the ledge. Three clicks of his beak. Three mages in the hallway.

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