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”If you have any ideas, I”d love to hear them,” I told Colin. ”You”re the animal whisperer, after all.” This monster had already tried to kidnap me once before, so I was open to any advice or ideas.

Colin”s mouth lifted with mild amusement, but he remained cautious as we inched closer to the creature. It was breathing low and shallow as my other team members made sure it was still restrained.

”It”s in pain,” Colin muttered, and glanced toward the other side, where Evans and Jones hunkered down to keep watch on the Ghost”s ties. ”Captain, can you move over there? I want to check something. If you can try to tap into your connection with Kane, that might help.”

I was up for anything. Slowly, I stepped toward Jones and Evans. Kane, are you listening? We”re trying to come get you.

As soon as I started walking, the beast attempted to swing a claw at me. The weighted net and ropes stopped it, but I sprang backward just in case. Geez. This thing really wanted me for some reason.Genuine interest warred inside me against my natural instinct to get as far from the Ghost as possible.

”Do you think it”s the interplanar stuff Joseph told us about?” I asked. The creature let out a low wail. Worry made my stomach turn as I waited for an answer from Kane. None came. The creature settled down once more as I eased off trying to connect to him, but it was eyeing me as best as it could through the ropes.

”I do. I think he was right,” Colin said. ”It’s bothered by interplanar energies that are out of place, which might mean that the Ghost will take you straight to Kane in an attempt to make it stop, if you two are communicating with each other, making that energy that it doesn’t like. If not, at least we’ll get to the Pocket Space. Now, we need to get this thing back on its feet. If we can anchor the feet down, I can try to put together a quick harness to ride it.”

I stared at him expectantly. ”And me?” I had a feeling I was signing up for another ride in that mouth of spiky teeth. If I was on his back, the Ghost would probably just fight to dislodge me. Colin gave me a sympathetic shrug.Oh, yeah, it was definitely going to be that kind of plan.

”I think if you stay calm, it won”t hurt you. The important thing will be not to struggle,” he said gently.

I stared at the creature”s mouth. The idea of going back in there chilled my blood, but we needed to do something. I couldn”t let Kane die. And, hell, if Joseph was right, then I could save all my limbs and avoid his fate. I just needed to keep cool.

”Relax in a monster”s mouth,” I said. ”Got it.” Wow, no pressure at all. Kane was lucky he was worth it.

”That takes guts,” Jessie said with a whistle.It was times like these when I wished I didn”t have any of those. It would save me from ending up in situations like this.

After Jordan returned, we managed to get the creature up on its legs while maintaining its restraints. The Ghost howled, but Colin kept me in front of it as bait to distract it. He told me to keep thinking about Kane… which was easy enough.

I need you to wake up, Kane. I”m coming for you, whether you like it or not. Once again, silence greeted me like an old friend. I was growing more worried and frustrated by the second. This Ghost had better have a good idea of where Kane was, or this whole plan was screwed.

Wake up. Are you listening?

”I”ve got it,” Colin said as he scrambled onto the monster’s back. He and Jordan had fixed together a saddle with some of our old redbill equipment and weapon straps from the nearby barracks, making quick work as the beast tried to pull against the remaining ties. The saddle was crude, but it would do. ”You”ll have to put the bit in its mouth.” It was something I’d seen people use on horses. They”d arranged something around its neck, but it might not provide enough control for Colin without a bit.

”Lovely,” I said with a shiver as Colin passed me a silver bar. He was going to ride this thing like a mix between a horse and a shrieking decay, but at least he got to sit on the beast”s back. He passed me the object, and I took it. The metal was cold in my hand, something the twins had ripped off some of the old fire pistons from the anti-redbill gear. They were clever innovators, in a pinch. I wrapped leather straps around the ends and knotted them tightly.

This thing was going to put me in its mouth, and I was going to trust it not to eat me.

Here goes nothing, Kane. I”m doing this for you—and yes, I”ll hold it over you forever.

The silence swallowed me, and I presented myself in front of the Ghost. The twins released their hold on the monster”s mouth. I relaxed everything except for my hand, in which I had the bit clenched. The Ghost scooped me up lightly in its teeth, and my heart thundered as I quickly shoved the bit toward the back of its mouth. It didn”t fight the sensation. Instead, it seemed ready to go as soon as I was securely in its grasp. The teeth scraped lightly against my clothes, but when I completely relaxed, it was bearable.

The sounds of gasps surrounded me, but I was fine. I was cool and calm. This thing wouldn”t hurt me. It had better not. Are you even awake, Kane?

The Ghost let out a little groan, probably picking up on my attempt to communicate with Kane. Colin collected the ends of the reins and settled himself on the creature”s back, which I could see if I craned my neck.

”Ready?” Jones asked. His approving gaze gave me more satisfaction than I liked to admit. Maybe he truly respected me now that he”d seen me willingly climb into a monster”s mouth. Deal with it, Jones. I”m great.

”Ready,” I told them, and they released their restraints on the Ghost”s feet. It lurched forward before stopping to stretch its tired limbs. Since I wasn”t resisting anymore, my vantage point was a lot better. I held my head up to ensure that I wouldn”t be smacking my skull into any trees. Concussions were to be avoided on this trip if we could help it.

From my perspective, I got a good view of the healed cut from my earlier strike against the Ghost. It had faded to a pale pink line on the creature’s white exterior. The monster shook itself a little, giving Colin a fun ride, and then took off toward the forest. It jerked to the side, pausing for a moment and sniffing the air.

I”m trying to get the Ghost to lead me to you. We have a theory that it senses interplanar energy and tries to “fix it” by dragging the source to the right place. I think it”s working. Or, rather, I hoped it was. I hoped to all the forces in the universe that we had made the right decision. I needed this monster to save Lyra and the others.

I concentrated on my connection with Kane, telling Colin to yell out if he needed me.

”Just focus on Kane,” Colin called in reply. He kept his head low and his body close to the Ghost”s back as it surged through the forest. This time, with a relaxed body, I was able to curl slightly inward, into the monster”s mouth. Instead of getting my limbs smacked by every tree, now I had a relatively comfortable ride.

I might be better off than Colin, judging from the tree-whacking sounds. Can you believe that, Kane? No answer. Well, I don”t care if you”re passed out; I”m still going to call out for you and think about you. You can”t stop my brain.

”As if anybody could,” Kane said weakly. My heart soared.

”I hear him,” I shouted to Colin, earning a small cheer and then a grunt in response to what sounded like leafy branches hitting him.

Tell me everything. Where are you?

”Aren”t you coming to find out?” Kane croaked. Well, he still had some attitude left in him.

I”m trying right now. I crawled into this monster”s mouth for you. Anything you can tell me about your surroundings?

His voice was so weak that I didn”t catch the first part of his reply. ”—clear spaces—weird texture—”

Clear spaces? That”s all you”re giving me? My mind went to the eerie bubble world of the Pocket Space. I tried my best to describe what Lyra had told me about it. Was it something like that?

”Maybe,” Kane said. His voice grew louder for a moment. The Ghost veered left through the clearing.

In my comm, Holt called for us. ”Everything okay?”

”Fine for now,” Colin said. ”I have a few leaves in my mouth, but Roxy is safe.” He knew I was trying to concentrate on my connection with Kane. It truly seemed like the monster was responding to it.

I think we”re getting closer to you. The Ghost leapt easily over a large bush but grunted hard when it landed. The beast moved with a desperate exhaustion. If this thing didn’t eat the people it kidnapped, I had no idea how it got its fuel.

“Picking up speed,” Colin reported in our comm. The Ghost wildly propelled itself forward, using its hind legs in more of a jumping motion as its actions grew more ragged with each passing moment.

Talk to me.

“I’m tired,” Kane complained. His voice was clearer, but it was scratchy and weak. He sounded as if he might drop back into sleep any second.

Tell me a story. Please. Like the ones from when you were growing up. I was ratting myself out, but it was the only way I knew how to get his attention. Kane’s shocked inhale echoed throughout my mind on our psychic connection.

“You heard that?” he asked. I cleared my throat awkwardly.

I heard you mention a few things about how hard you worked, growing up. Look, I don’t choose when to turn this connection on and off. The Ghost turned to the left, and Kane’s reply jumped a decibel in my brain.

“Fine.” He was exasperated but interested. “Once, Dorian nearly got his finger bitten off by a redbill because I tricked him into trying to steal one of their eggs. Redbills don’t have offspring very often, so they’re very protective of them.” He stifled a yawn as best he could, muttering something under his breath that I couldn’t make out. He sounded like he was fading, even though our connection was crystal clear.

What happened then?

“Halla was furious at me,” he mumbled. “She was always furious when I made trouble. It became a game of how much I could get away with while still being better than the other kids.”

My body burned with the feeling that something was about to happen. Something inside me shifted, and I knew that the creature was about to portal us. It was like the moment at the top of a rollercoaster before the cars dropped down.

The Ghost charged forward into the open space. Instead of sailing into more forest, Colin and I gasped as the woods fell away and we were greeted by weird translucent walls. The monster rushed through so fast that I could barely make out the presence of tunnels as it darted through. Here, the ride was much smoother, as the ground beneath us was strangely soft. I lifted my head to see an intersection of three tunnels. The Ghost headed for the left one, clearly certain of its path.

“I can’t even think about the past,” Kane grumbled. He was louder than ever, but he was fading.

Stay with me. I’m almost to you. At least, I thought that was the case. Kane, was Dorian angry at you? Was he ticked off that you almost got his fingers eaten by a redbill?

Kane let out a weak laugh. “Not for long… He was too nice, under everything. I always thought it was weakness… Now, I don’t know…”

Please. My heart slammed against my chest, fear and adrenaline pulsing through me. You can’t pass out on me. I need this monster to find you. Tell me about how hard you worked. Why?

Kane breathed heavily. “Why? What else could I do?” A long pause followed as I heard him catch his shallow breath. Our connection was strong, but I worried the Ghost would soon be unable to find him if he passed out from fatigue. “I had to, Roxy.”

Warmth surged through me at the sound of him saying my name.

I like when you say my name. Is that weird?

“No,” he fired back and let out a slow exhale. “That’s okay.”

I searched my brain for any topic that we could talk about, frantic for something to keep him engaged. These thoughts—my thoughts—how long have you been hearing them?

More silence greeted me, but it was filled with guilt this time. I snorted. Oh, so he’d been hearing them longer than he let on, from the sound of it.

“A while,” he confessed. “I didn’t realize it was you at first, because I thought I was hallucinating. You were on that terrible… date with that idiot.”

The Ghost could swallow me whole at this point. My embarrassment crashed over me as I frantically tried to recall what I had been thinking at the time, but I needed to push Kane to talk to me more. Yeah, he was some idiot my mother set me up with. Guess we both have quite the characters for maternal figures.

“I hated him too,” Kane said with a grunt. His edgy tone pleased me for some reason, but I could tell his energy was waning. He could barely get the words out. I took in a deep breath, trying to focus on his face and imagine him, maybe leaning against a tunnel somewhere and trying to stay awake. I can’t let this monster fail me.

“I can’t believe you got into its mouth…” Kane faded out.

The Ghost suddenly stopped at the entrance of a side tunnel. An abandoned building, ugly and clear and weirdly reminiscent of Jell-O, sat in front of us. Kane’s voice completely stopped.

“He’s gone,” I called to Colin, and then gave a startled cry as the Ghost gracefully dumped me out of its mouth. It stopped and sat back on its hind legs. Now, it looked like a weird, massive dog. The force threw Colin off it. He rolled down its back but held fast to the reins. The monster lay down, and Colin swung back onto his seat in the saddle.

“Try to keep it calm,” I told him and patted myself down to make sure I had all my weapons. “I’m going in. If I don’t come back out and the Ghost tries something, I need you to try to find the others.”

Colin nodded and patted the Ghost’s back. “It’s exhausted… I’m not sure it’s going anywhere anytime soon.”

I would have to trust his judgment on that. The entrance into the building was too small for the Ghost to get through. Was that why it had stopped here? I took a cautious step inside. I prayed Kane was in there, because I needed him to be.

The corridor was eerily empty. I stepped through quickly but quietly, wary of any other monsters lurking about. From what Lyra had told me, though, the only monster was the one outside the building with Colin.

“Kane?” I called out, growing braver.

A dark, slumped figure at the end of the next hallway made me instinctively gasp. I rushed toward Kane and threw myself down beside him. He was unconscious, his handsome face turned weakly to the side. I ran my hands over his face and looked over his body, checking for injuries, but he wasn’t wounded.

He was starving, though. His pale face made me terribly worried.

“Kane,” I cried. “I’m here. I need you to wake up.” I tried gently smacking his face, not knowing what else to do. How does one wake a moody, unconscious vampire? I yelled his name over and over. Grabbing him by the shoulders, I shook him.

His eyelids fluttered open. Dark, hollow eyes greeted me. His hands reached for me feebly, and I gave a relieved grin.

“You’re here,” he whispered hoarsely.

He yanked me down and kissed me. It was wonderful and terrifying. His lips were hot against mine, with a hunger that made my knees faint. The air around us seemed to disappear. I resisted at first from sheer surprise, but he quickly released me and slumped back onto the wall. I froze, my fingers at my lips as I stared down at him. He just… he just…

And yet there was no pain. I believed in the curse—I’d watched Lyra nearly pass out from the pain, knew that she’d gone into a coma twice. How could he have kissed me like that and felt nothing for me? My heart twisted.

“Roxy, the Ghost’s trying to move!” Colin shouted from outside. I cursed under my breath. Of course it would try to move right after a delirious Kane gave me the most memorable kiss of my life. “We have to go.”

“When you wake up, we’re talking about this,” I growled to Kane, who mumbled nonsensical things as his eyes stayed shut. I pulled him onto my shoulder and did my best to drag him back to the Ghost in one piece. “Stay awake.”

His eyes cracked open. “So tired.”

“I know,” I said, still feeling the burn of his kiss on my lips. “Stay awake for me.”

Colin struggled with the Ghost, which kept trying to leap over him and drag him forward. We tied the reins to a pole which might have once been a streetlight, and Colin scrambled onto the Ghost’s back. He helped me hoist Kane up, and I hurried to join them, sandwiching Kane between us so his limp body could stay upright. I’d almost forgotten how tall he was.

“It’s running itself ragged. It won’t stop.” Colin ran his hands over the Ghost, trying to soothe it, but the only thing that soothed it was when I untied the reins.

Where would it bring us next? Only time would tell. We held on for dear life as the creature lurched forward. The only solution, for the moment, was to let the beast run.

Kane was alive. He was safe. I let my heart rejoice over that as the Ghost ran back down the tunnel, leaving the awful abandoned building behind us.