Page 26 of Into The Green

Fear choked me, literally choked me, making it impossible to breathe or swallow.

I caught motion from over by the house and saw Jasper step out of the shadows, watching me. And I knew he sensed the fear, the way it made my skin tingle, the way it was almost intoxicating in its power. He wanted to run back for me. I knew it like I knew we were in deep, deep trouble. He wanted to be the good guy and come back and save me.

But he couldn't do that.

He was more important than me right then. He knew the house. He knew where Jade could be. I was useless.

I took a shaky breath, trying to calm myself down and focus.

I knew he could feel and see things if I felt them strongly enough. Though I wasn't sure how far away that power worked so I took everything in me and silently screamed through every cell of my body: Go. Go go go. Find Jade. Please.

I watched as he faltered back a step, like the words landed with impact. His brows drew together, his lips parted. Still considering, still trying to decide if he needed to save me or not.

Jasper, please go.

His head bowed then, looking defeated, and he turned and went.

Then I was alone, dreadfully alone. I took a breath and tried to think. Glancing over my shoulder confirmed what I already suspected- it was too far. I would never make it back to the tree line without being seen or caught.

"I am going to find you. You might as well show yourself now," the gruff, harsh voice called and I could tell it was in motion, getting closer.

I needed to hide. I was a sitting duck. I backed away from the corner of the barn, my hand on the stone, feeling for a door. Footsteps sounded closer and I could almost see a shadow of a man over by the well. But then I lost sight, going around the other side of the barn and my hand found a latch, the kind you'd stick a padlock through to keep it closed. I reached for it, pulling it gently, praying it didn't make some godawful metallic sound. But it didn't and I slipped inside, holding my breath, carefully closing the door behind me.

I released my breath.

Then realized I maybe should have gone on holding it.

Because it wasn't a barn, not really. True, there was a stone floor covered in straw and breezeway doors that were tightly shut. But there were no stalls, no farm equipment, no animals.

No, there was a dresser, a table, a chair, and a bed. Then, finally, there was a semi-circle horseshoe-like piece of metal sticking out of the stone floor with a large chain hooked into it.

Then I heard it, the sound unmistakable- metal chain moving across the floor.

I wasn't alone after all.

--

Jasper

I couldn't fucking breathe. Part of it was the run, my own fear, but the lion's share of the sensation was the terror overtaking Cece's body as she realized we were in trouble and she was alone. I stepped out and saw her across the field, crouched down by the barn.

And then the oddest fucking thing happened. She projected a message to me. While, sure, people unintentionally sent me messages, thoughts, fears all the time, it was something new to feel one forced upon me deliberately. But that was what she had done. She had taken a breath and screamed the words through her brain and they filled my own, loud as my own demons I was trying to ignore.

I didn't want to leave her. I wanted to run across the field, grab her, and get the fuck off the land before it was too late. But I couldn't do that. She knew that and I knew that. So I had to respect her wishes. I slunk back into the shadows and, in my head, saw her find the latch, find the door. I felt her sigh of relief. I felt her confusion and felt my own grow as I saw nothing in the barn that I had known as a child.

Then I saw as she saw, the chain moving across the floor.

A tight fist wedged itself firmly in my throat.

I threw a shield up over my mind, blocking her out. And I had never hated myself more. I should have known what was happening to her, I should have felt it all. Because it was my fault. Whatever she might go through was all my fucking doing.

But I had to find Jade. I had to get her away from our parents. Then I had to find Doyle and Cece and get the fuck out of there.

She would be okay. It was just a couple more minutes. She would be fine.

But even as I told myself that, I knew it was a lie.

I ran past the doors to the dungeon and found the back entrance to the house. Just inside, up a flight, and three doors down. That was it. I could do it. I took a breath and then I did.