GAHRYE

The images that had been in his mind vanished, the voices howling and hissing, their screams echoing in his ears.

Gahrye gasped at the pain of the gash on his knee, but he blinked as the sensation of all that resistance that had kept him moving so slowly just fell away. Suddenly, he could think. He could see.

He could run.

The voices threatened. They called to him. They would take his life. They would take Kalle's… But he pushed to his feet and sprinted, straining, pushing himself to the limit of his strength and speed.

"She cannot be yours without us.

"

"You will never own her except through us…

"

…Gahrye shuddered and Kalle cupped his face.

"What is it?

"

What it was was the terror he'd felt ever since that moment that he was going to lose her, a terror that was far starker now that he knew her, now that he'd had her.

But he couldn't put that on her. Not when he thought he knew the real answer they needed.

"It's my blood,

" he rasped, shaking.

"What?

"

"I fell, while I was in the traverse. I fell and cut my knee on a stone and it was as if… as if they fled from me. There's something in my blood, Kalle. That's what keeps them away. That must be why I can take someone else through. They're scared of my blood.

"

She went very still, staring at him.

"What is it?

" he asked breathlessly.

Kalle became a tornado of flying limbs, and sheets, scrambling out of bed.

"I just remembered something. I need to check…

"

Without warning she clicked on the lamp at the side of the bed and Gahrye hissed as his sharpened sight was blinded by the light.

"Sorry! Sorry!

" she whispered. Face in his hands, he could hear her trotting across the room, picking something up—a book, because she fluttered pages, then the sound of her stabbing a finger into it.

"I knew it! Gahrye, look at this.

"

She threw herself onto the bed and put both the story books in his lap, each open to the same page.

When he could blink his eyes to adjust, he squinted at them. In both stories the one who took the Princess through the traverse—a Protector in one version, and a Guard in the other—were pictured, leading her into the portal, one hand extended before them, holding a sword and…

Kalle pointed to the male's wrist and Gahrye sucked in.

In both images, though neither made it terribly obvious, there was a patch of blood on the sleeve. As if he'd been cut and it continued to bleed.

And in both images, he held her hand as the dark spirits whipped through the dark in front of them, but didn't attack.

Gahrye blew out a breath, then sat back against the wall, staring at the images.

"Is that it? Just bleed?

"

"Isn't that enough?

" Kalle asked, hushed, her face saying she was both fascinated and revolted by the images.

He swallowed hard.

"Do you think… do you think this would work for me to take you across?

" he asked, the question they'd both been thinking, but avoiding ever since this came up.

Kalle bit her lip.

"I don't know. The curse… the vow… whatever you call it. It's really specific. That they have a right to us if we enter. Don't you think… I mean… I don't know.

"

Gahrye nodded and rubbed her back, both of them still staring at the books.

"I think I should try tomorrow.

"

Kalle sighed heavily. She didn't agree with him, but she also didn't tell him not to. She just curled up into his chest.

"Kalle, I'm so sorry,

" he breathed into her hair minutes later.

"For what?

"

"For having to put Elia ahead of you in this. I just… she's my responsibility. And if I don't do this, we're going to lose her, I know it. I don't know if it's on the winds, or just an instinct. I just know, every time I think of sitting here, waiting for Reth, I go cold. I have to get her over to Anima. If I don't, we'll lose her forever.

"

"I know,

" Kalle said, her voice shaky.

"It's okay. I know.

"

*****

KALLE

Gahrye sighed and she heard it in his chest.

"I don't think you do,

" he said, his voice that graveled honey that she loved so much, and she clung to him and burned the memory of how it rumbled in his chest into her mind.

"I don't think you do, because I didn't even until now. I finally… I finally understand why Reth forced her to come here. Because even though I can't bear the idea of leaving you, knowing you're here when things over there are so uncertain… it makes me feel like I can breathe. You'll be safe. You'll be here. If I can just get back to you…

"

"I know. It's okay, Gahrye.

" It wasn't okay. Not at all. But she was fighting that. She agreed with him. She wanted him to do the right thing. She just didn't want to lose him herself. There was no point putting more guilt or fear onto him when she knew he was doing what he thought was right, not what he wanted.

But did it have to start the very next day?

She was opening her mouth to ask him when the door into the bedroom suddenly swung open and a naked Elia stumbled into the room, clearly blinded by the light.

"Elia!?

" Kalle gasped.

Gahrye was already out of the bed and rushing to her as she stumbled to her knees, shuddering, her teeth chattering.

"Elia, what's—

"

"I c-can't do it anym-more,

" she said, her fingers clawing into the thick carpet.

"Can't do what?

"

Gahrye tried to bring her to her feet, but she shuddered and her back rippled, and she shook her head.

"I'm trying to stay here, but I can't. I… I gave over and… and it keeps calling me back. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Gahrye. I got w-weak and n-now I can't get s-strong again.

"

"Elia, stop worrying. Just… relax. I have a plan. Just give me a day or two.

"

But she lifted her face, her eyes wide and pleading with him to understand. Kalle started to cry and she wasn't even sure why, as Elia gripped his hand.

"It's too late,

" she whispered.

"I don't th-think I can come back this time. There's no way to stop it. Don't b-blame yourself, okay? Make s-sure R-Reth knows I said that. It's n-not your f-fault!

"

"Elia—

"

Gahrye clasped her hand in his, and wrapped his other arm around her side to try to bring her to her feet. But she shuddered again, then growled,

"No!

"

It all happened so fast. Gahrye started to speak to tell her that he was helping her, when one of her hands clawed out, slapping him off.

Kalle heard her hand—paw?—land like a blow with a great whump!

Gahrye was thrown backwards and Kalle squeaked, leaping off the bed to run to him, but before she got two steps, Elia had finished shifting, and her lioness was backed up, tail lashing, mouth open in a hiss, squinting into the light of the lamp.

And before either of them could do anything, she'd whirled and darted out into the darkness of the next room.