Silver at Midnight: A Paranormal Romance Urban Fantasy (The Keepers of Knowledge Series Book 5) by Bridgette O'Hare (best large ereader .TXT) 📕

Twenty-Six

Turned out, Kage was smarter than I had initially given him credit for. I’d gotten my hopes up when we stopped to change the busted tire and Kage agreed to undo my bindings so I could go do my business in the woods—who said chivalry was dead? But when I saw what he’d removed, I knew I had nothing to fight with. My hands had been bound with The Sorek Shackles. What that meant? It meant my power was being dampened. The longer you were bound by The Sorek Shackles, the longer it would take before your power returned once they were removed. If my guesstimate was close, I’d likely been wearing them for at least twelve hours.

While I knew The Sorek Shackles would dampen my Fae powers, I didn’t know they would also leave me feeling physically weak as well. But they did. I hadn’t noticed while sitting in the back of the SUV, but once I was walking through the woods, it hit me hard. I wouldn’t even be able to defend myself the old-fashioned way until my strength returned. Certainly Kage—who was looking smarter every minute—knew this or he wouldn’t have agreed to let me wander off alone while they changed the tire. For the record, I’d give it zero stars. Not a fan of feeling vulnerable.

Between Kage and Doppelgänger Cian, the tire was sure to be changed fairly quickly, so I took my time. Stalling was really the only tactical move I had at the moment, and I fully intended to make the most of it. After I had finished my business, I simply walked in a different direction than the SUV. About fifteen minutes later, I heard the footsteps faintly crunching through the forest floor. Running crossed my mind. Instinct does that, urges you to escape a potentially harmful situation. Sometimes you have to go against that instinct. I had initiated a plan to establish trust, and if I tried to run and didn’t succeed, it all would have been for nothing. And I knew my odds if I ran.

“Hey! I’m over here!” I called out. “I hope you used a tracer t’ find your way back,” I said when Kage was within eyesight. “Because I couldn’t, and I got a little turned around.”

Kage stopped where he was and waved me toward him, slightly annoyed. “I can get us back. C’mon.”

Slowly, I made my way toward him. I had to be satisfied with having stalled nearly a half-hour—I made a mental note of the amount of time I’d bought. It was better than nothing. I tried to make small talk back to the SUV and walked slower than my usual pace. Would my stall tactic make a difference? No idea. But I had to do something. And the longer I could manage to be without The Sorek Shackles, the more likely I would be able to draw upon my powers when the time came.

When we arrived at the SUV, Kage reached for the shackles.

“Do ya think we could forego those?” I requested. “You and I both know what they are, and as weak as I feel, I’m guessin’ I had them on for a while before I woke up. So, however long that was, ya know I got nothin’. Besides, I’m not a hostile. I’m open t’ hearin’ your plan for makin’ the world a better place. There’s no point in me trying t’ run. So, whaddaya say we let me sit in the back seat without my hands fallin’ asleep again?” I reasoned.

Kage pressed his lips together and glared at me with one squinted eye. It seemed my efforts to establish trust were working. “Fine. But even a hint that you’re up to something, the shackles are back on.”

“Seems fair. Thank you.” I climbed into the back seat and buckled up. Doppelgänger Cian had left me a snack and a bottle of water next to my seat. He glanced at me and I gave an appreciative nod as the SUV roared back to life and we started back down the road. Seemed I was also gaining favor with the natives.

Overhanging branches sunk lower as the path disappeared deep into the forest. For a brief time, a smoky mist hung thick in the air. Wiper blades swished the mist aside and then just as quickly as it had begun, it was replaced by a clear, but darkening sky.

According to the clock on the dash, we had driven forty-two minutes when Kage stopped the SUV. That meant it shouldn’t be getting dark already, yet there it was. It also meant I’d gotten another forty-two minutes without the shackles.

“Are we there? Or here?” Doppelgänger Cian asked as Kage shoved the transmission into park.

“Sort of,” Kage offered. “We go on foot from here.”

The minute he shut off the engine, the headlights began to fade, and an unsettling darkness closed in around us. We weren’t in Kansas anymore.

“Not sure how I feel about this,” Doppelgänger Cian mumbled.

“Same,” I whispered under my breath as I stared into the darkly foreboding trees. I closed my eyes and said a prayer. “If you’re listening, please send help.”

“We should get going. I’m not sure how long it will take, but we need to find it first,” Kage insisted.

Kage got out and opened the hatch of the SUV. He handed the shovel and rope to Doppelgänger Cian, then grabbed the backpack, shuffled through the books, and put the two Keeper journals into the backpack. He stuffed a few bottles of water in the mesh pockets on the sides before slinging it over his shoulder. The water made we wonder just how long he thought this would take.

He attached The Sorek Shackles to a clip on his belt and shifted his gaze to me. “Just in case.” I made a mental note to keep an eye open for the opportunity to get my hands on those shackles.

No more words were exchanged.