Twisted Souls (Edited) 3rd Edition

Chapter 16

It took another two weeks for Kaya to heal. Once Kaya returned the links, it went smoothly. Her muscles returned and her spirit followed swiftly.

Betsy was pissed at her as usual, being her bitchy self. "I haven't been free in two and a half months, you moron. How could you be so fucking stupid all of the time? Why am I paired with you, you absolute fucking . . .?" And on the rant went, for the two weeks she laid in bed, resting. First her voice returned then her connection to Betsy. Betsy was beyond pissed at that as well.

"I need to stretch my soul before I implode, Kaya," was her final exclamation before Ian stumbled his way back into the medical ward. Elise had him stay away for a while because his presence seemed to irritate Kaya's healing. In truth, Kaya merely wanted to be able to talk to him and that was detrimental to her vocal cords. The doctor wasn't having that. So, Ian was forced to not see his mate, which caused friction between the two.

When he appeared, Kaya sat up too quick for her body to handle and she collapsed back into the bed frame, exhausted. "You can't leave well enough be can you Ian?" Elise said, coming in behind him. "Just look at your poor mate!" She threw her arm out, pointing at Kaya's form.

Said mate held both tattooed arms up in defense, hands showing palms. "Hey, Elise, calm down! I'm fine." Kaya slowly got up into a sitting position. "Besides, two weeks in this bed and I'm going insane."

Elise sniffed, busying herself with something. "Just be sure you know how lucky you are, Ian." Ian looked away from Kaya to Elise. "I wouldn't have let you come in yet if Kaya here didn't bug the crud out of me since she got her voice back."

Kaya flushed when Ian beamed. Rolling her eyes, she insisted, "It wasn't that bad." Hesitantly, she added, "Was it?" Elise just shrugged and left the room.

Ian came forward and sat down next to his mate. She was in the white dress that Jazzy gave her all those months ago. It felt weird to Kaya, but she wouldn't admit it to anyone. Missing Jaz wasn't something people spoke about. From what she knew through her link with Tamin, Jaz wasn't being harmed anymore. In fact, it felt like she was calm. Tranquil. Almost like she was doped.

"We need to talk," Kaya and Ian said simultaneously. The man before her chuckled. Motioning for her to go first, Kaya settled herself into the mattress before looking stubbornly at her mate. What she had been discussing with Betsy (when Betsy wasn't bitching that is) was finally to be talk to him. It was not going to be easy.

Sighing, she started. "I'm going to meet Michael." Ian interrupted but Kaya shushed him with a look. "Don't. I've made up my mind." She sighed again, looking away to the window. "Ever notice the odd purple curtains in this white, sterile room?"

"Uh . . ." He drifted off.

Looking back at him, Kaya huffed out in annoyance. "If I go with Tami, then you'll get your sister back."

A moment later, Tamin came in the room with Jer. "And he'll get Ray." She nodded at Jermoni.

"Tami," Her voice was dull, almost apologetic. She looked at Ian for a moment before she drew away from all that was gathered. Not just emotionally, but physically. The three kind of drifted away after that.

A few days later, Elise let her free.

Kaya managed to skip away from everyone, without even Ian noticing, to the forest. Once there, she stripped the white dress and erupted from her skin into a being of majesty. Betsy exploded down the familiar path, clumps of dirt and weeds being flung into the air with ferocity. Two and a half months was too long in her opinion.

The air was chilled. Winter was here, and there was nothing anyone could do about that. Not that many wanted to. Summer heat had had drenched those in Salt Lake City, bringing forth an overheated population that craved the cold.

Tree flew past them. Winter made the plants look dead. Animals didn't skitter away this time. There was a light incline, not enough to hinder the fleeing wolf though. It was a perfect slope for Betsy to climb. Something that was much needed to burn off the excess energy she gathered during her hiatus as a human.

Betsy was in control, but Kaya was in the background. She provided an awareness that Betsy lacked, being only a young spirit herself. Not even a year old yet, the wolf spirit had a lot to learn.

The incline sloped less and less. The trees bared away, providing more of a rough terrain that looked more like red dirt. She was at the little cliff side. There the wolf sat for way too long in one position. Stiff joints met resistance every time the beast made a slight movement. It was not for naught at least. The two were in communion, discussing ramifications of the upcoming battle. Was it a mental one as Kaya predicted or be it more physical as Betsy proclaimed? It was all up to Kaya. What they knew was . . . it was going to be a doozy when it happened. Their momentous conversation came to end rather abruptly. In fact, Kaya was mid-sentence to Betsy when it just slipped away into nothing-ness. One thing rolled around their combined minds and that was: After all those years of captivity, of running, of never being free–Kaya was not going to let all those years go by giving into Michael that easily. Not a chance.

"Ian." Kaya said as she sat down at the kitchen table. Ameli was there too, cooking. Something she seemed to do a lot whenever she was around the cabin. Though her and Miguel lived within the city limits, it seemed after whatever tiff that the trio of siblings were in was over, they lived here instead.

Ian looked up from doing a crossword puzzle, something to keep his mind busy and at bay from all the worry and stared at his mate. The white dress was no longer clean. It looked like she rolled in the dirt.

"Why are you so dirty?"

She ignored him. The look he was awarded would have fouled another, weaker, soul. Ian, used to this after the month they were incognito together, smiled. "I know what needs to be done."

Ian raised an eyebrow. "You do?" Ameli placed a bowl of steaming chili in front of the stoic native girl. She too sat down and looked between the two with avid interest.

Kaya nodded. "I do." No other words were drawn out. It was a simple statement, but one Ian knew the meaning of.

"Ok." He set his pencil down and closed the puzzle book, not caring about knowing his position whatsoever. "If he kills you, you realize I'll die along with you too?" She nodded but didn't say anything. So, Ian continued, "You're alright with that outcome?"

"No." Tucking into the chili, starving after her run, Kaya began her explanations. "Tamin and I are going to meet Michael while you," She paused for dramatic effect. "Tell everyone what Michael has done."

Ian tilted his head in response, uncertain on what that could mean. Kaya finished her chili in silence before leaving the dish behind as she stood up and walked away. At the kitchen door, she stopped for a moment. Not looking back to say, "In two weeks, I'll have a plan ready."

And in two weeks she did. It wasn't perfect, because hell, it wasn't ready for combat use anyway. She wasn't one for militaristic shenanigans. Running and hiding, that was all she knew. Not outward force, not a show of power: not anything to do with taking a stand.

The gist of it was that she was going with her twin to meet their tormentor while Ian went around and met up with the different packs. Someone somewhere had to help. It wasn't much of a plan; it was barely a concept. But it was the best they had.

Two days before the eventually white-haired natives set out to New York City, Ian left.