My heart slammed painfully against my ribs. Not Talakai. He wouldn’t have done this.
Right?
We couldn’t see the gate from here. It was disguised by the fence as well as the forest.
“They came this way.” Matt’s stride hitched as he sneezed. “Everything reeks of pepper.”
A lump rose in my throat. A part of me hoped I was wrong. Because if I was right, we were already far too late.
47
Anna
The wrought-iron gate at the back of the field stood wide open. The lock dangled from the frame—it had been cut.
Sebastian met us on the path. His eyes gleamed silver. “What’s happened?”
“The twins,” I gasped the words—my chest was so constricted. “Someone’s taken them.”
He uttered a single, barked word in a language I couldn’t understand—had to be a curse—and then asked, “Kitani?”
“She was darted,” Matt growled. “But she’s not deeply under.”
The Bellati inquired. “Can you get a scent?”
Matt shook his head. “Cayenne pepper,” he explained. “I can’t identify the source, but I can follow the trail.”
Sebastian turned away and ran up the path so fast we struggled to keep up.
The gate lit the surrounding forest with seething, chaotic energy. Bess stood before it, her glowing hands spread. On each side of her stood Alex and Neil. Both were in beast form.
“Whoever used the gate has taken the twins,” Sebastian told them.
Bess flinched, and Neil snarled. Alex cursed in what sounded like Spanish.
“I’ve almost got it.” The Watcher’s hands flared as she focused everything she had on the gate. A ghostly equine image shimmered around her as she called on her power.
My eyes scanned the area, frantic. Trix. Where was Trix?
“Your dog be over there.” Sebastian pointed to a small lump lying on the grass. “Bess healed her. She’ll be fine when she wakes. She be brave, must have attacked them.”
I ran to crouch beside her, my hand in her fur. Blood coated her side, but her breathing seemed stable. Who had done this?
Relief coursed through me, but it was short-lived. As I stood, I asked, “Do you know where they took them?”
“Working on that,” Bess said through gritted teeth. “But it’s an underworld realm, I’m pretty sure.”
Underworld. My heart slammed to a stop, and I looked up into Matt’s emerald gaze.
No. I couldn’t believe it. Wouldn’t, not until we had absolute proof. “There was a group,” I said.
Sebastian shot me a look.
“I saw them, through Trix’s eyes,” I explained, struggling now to remember. “They were in human form, though.”
“Was Talakai’s friend alone?” Matt asked Sebastian.
“Aye.” The Bellati answer reflected his anger, which only confirmed my worst fears—Talakai was on his suspect list, too. “You saw them through the dog’s eyes?” He assessed me.
