The Paranormal Side

Chapter 25

                                                            **(Taylor's POV)**

"Brian, I need you to calm. Down," I said, trying to keep my voice even and smooth. Instead it came out half-panicky and cracking.

He snarled in response, yanking against the chains with a force that scared me witless. They had to hold. I knew that. But God...he's so strong.

He hadn't changed yet, which I knew meant he had just a sliver of control left, just a thread that would no doubt break at any moment. I had to calm him down. 

"Look, Bri. I'm a friend, yeah? I won't hurt you...so don't...hurt me," I said, still crouched back against the wall. He gave no sign of hearing me, his growls louder than a chainsaw. This was impossible. How was I supposed to calm him down? The only person who had even the tiniest bit of a chance was-

That's when I heard it. 

Katie. Screaming. 

Brian froze, deadly silent. His eyes were wide, no longer glazed over with yellow and craziness. He seemed suspended in time. 

I was right along with him. There's no way I should have been able to hear her scream. It was impossible. She's too far away for my human ears to pick up. Brian, maybe, and that's a strong maybe. So the fact that we could both hear it?

Not. Good. 

She must have put every last bit of her magic behind that scream. And it sounded so...

Final.

"Katie.." I whispered, my heart frozen in my chest as I tried to understand what I had heard. This couldn't be happening.

Suddenly, Brian folded in on himself, clutching at his head and groaning. I scrambled to my feet, rushing over to him. My hand on his shoulder, I tried to lift him up to look at his face.

"Brian, hey! What's wrong? What's going on?" I yelled, shaking him. I didn't mean to be so rough, but I felt like any moment I was going to lose it. My sanity was on its last stand and fading fast.

"The...bond," he gasped out, looking up to search my eyes for understanding. And it clicked, a second late. My hand slipped from his shoulder, my suspicion slowly becoming a vicious reality.

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. Because it couldn't be true. I couldn't lose another friend. Not Katie.

I realize that Brian is yelling my name. "Taylor! You have to let me out. I have to find her."

I just stare at him, not comprehending. He yells in frustration. "The keys! The fucking keys! Where are they?!"

I shake my head, trying to clear it and think. Keys, where were the keys? 

It dawned on me slowly. Liam had instructed me not to let him out under any circumstances, and had given me the wolfsbane and the dagger, but what about the keys?

He'd never given them to me. There wasn't a key.

"He never gave them to me," I whispered, staring at Brian as if he would make sense of all this. He was just as confused.

"What do you mean? There's no keys?" Brian asked, straining unconsciously against his shackles. He yanked viciously at them, slamming his head back against the wall. "FUCK!" He screamed, hitting the wall again.

"Brian, Brian. It's okay. We'll figure it out," I said, but there was no conviction behind my words. I looked half-heartedly around the cellar, but what was I going to find? A conveniently placed hair pin? Could you even pick magical werewolf shackles with a hairpin?