Chapter 47

Chapter 47
Shock was apparently the word of the day. I couldn’t think straight, let alone respond to everything they’d told me.
After what Peta revealed, Nikolai decided to open his mouth and share what he knew about my father, swearing it was a plausible excuse to keep me from facing him. But I was their best chance, and I wouldn’t let them leave me behind—nor would I ever allow it.
None of the witches from my clan came with us. As much as Alice wanted to join, Grandma Blanca forbade anyone from following me, and I couldn’t let my friend put herself in danger. Everyone there was already a disadvantage for me, as I’d be too worried about their well-being, not to mention Quanah.
“How are you?” Flora approached Peta, who was carrying me on his back while marching in his wolf form.
“I’m fine.” It wasn’t true, but I didn’t want to worry everyone again.
Every time Hades invaded his mind, my scream broke the silence of the night. I was trying to stay strong and avoid screaming, but the pain was excruciating. It shocked me that Quanah only groaned and writhed while I wanted to disconnect our bodies to end the pain.
“You’re a terrible liar,” she retorted with a smile, which I wanted to return but could only manage a grimace. “Is it that painful?” Her question seemed to draw everyone’s attention around us. Even those in wolf form turned their heads toward me.
“Like a thousand blades piercing my head all at once, or like a lobotomy without anesthesia. I just want to rip my own head off.”
“I want to rip my head off with a simple headache,” Seth said, appearing beside her. He was one of the few who insisted on staying in human form, and I knew it was his way of being by my side, to distract me. “I’d definitely have exploded with something like that.”
“Always so dramatic, Seth.”
For a second, I was distracted from everything happening, but it was only a moment before I doubled over Peta’s fur, writhing in pain.
The pain Hades was inflicting on him wasn’t enough; the visions hurt as if he were experiencing them for the first time, not just reliving them. Quanah was suffering so much, both physically and emotionally. I couldn’t clearly understand what was happening in the visions or why the woman was abusing him, but I could feel the mix of emotions he experienced with each one. I could feel his heart tightening with abandonment and lack of love.
I forced my hand into a tight fist, my nails digging into the skin of my palm, but even that was little to distract me from the pain.
“Why don’t you like me?” Quanah’s child self asked the woman, and my heart sank along with his.
“Because you’re ugly, savage monsters who don’t deserve love, just a collar to control you!” Her hatred and disgust were evident in every word, and I cried along with him.
I felt his soul shatter, and I couldn’t deny that mine was in pieces like his. Her hand rose, striking his face, and the child fell to the ground. At that moment, Quanah blacked out, making the images and pain vanish. Those were the only seconds I didn’t feel pain—when he was unconscious.
“We can stop for a bit so you can catch your breath,” Seth offered, but I wasn’t worried about myself, only about the man suffering in my place.
“No, let’s keep going. We need to get there by dawn,” I murmured after taking a deep breath. It took a few more seconds before I could finally sit up and look at everyone around. “I don’t know how much longer he can take this.”
No one said anything else. The entire group started marching faster. We had a mission, and we needed to use the night to our advantage.
I didn’t know how much time had passed. It was hard to gauge with only the moon above us, especially with my body and mind as exhausted as they were. But when Kalina touched my ankle, I opened my eyes, confused. My state of sleep and reality was a mess; I came and went without keeping track of time.
“There’s a way to send him a message. Maybe if he hears from you that we’re coming, it’ll give him hope to hold on a little longer.” I frowned, lost in her words. I didn’t know why she wanted to help, nor did I understand why she’d come. She knew Quanah, but to risk this journey? It was a bit suspicious.
“I want to do it!” I decided finally. If hearing my voice could distract him from the hell he was going through, I was all for it. “But Hades will read his mind and know we’re coming.”
“No, Quanah’s sleeping now, in his refuge dream. You’d meet him in the dream. Hades would never know. If he touches his mind, Quanah will wake, and he won’t have access to the dream world.”
I had so many questions after those words, but I swallowed them for something greater.
“Let’s do it then. It might not last long, and I don’t want to miss the chance.”
“Don’t do this, Bridget!” Nikolai’s voice sounded for the first time since we left the reserve. He’d kept his distance and hadn’t said a word until now. “You need to rest to fight tomorrow. You’re already going through enough pain and torture.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, even though I could see him clearly.
“Do it, Kalina!” I ordered, still staring at him, and he just looked away.
“You need to focus on him. All your thoughts must be on him now. And remember to be persistent; sometimes it’s hard to invade someone else’s dreams.”
Kalina instructed, and I did exactly that. I focused on him, on how I’d last seen him, where he was now. I clung to him and everything I felt for him.
And then I saw him. Quanah was in a baseball field, playing with a child who looked like him—a little brown-skinned boy with long hair, running happily with a smile on his face.
“Quanah!” I called him. “Hey, over here!” It took a second for him to finally turn to me. His eyes widened in surprise, and he didn’t move. “It’s me, Quanah.”
“It can’t be. You can’t be here. No one knows this place except me.”
“We’re linked, silly. I finally did what you did, what I should’ve done a long time ago. I bonded with you, and now I can feel everything you feel and everything that happens to you.”
“Why did you do this? Why would you do that?” Quanah let the ball slip from his fingers and fall to the ground, making the little boy turn immediately.
“Because I lo—”
“Mommy!” The child shouted and ran toward me. Shock hit me when I realized Quanah was dreaming of our son.
I fell to my knees, and the boy threw himself into my arms, holding my neck tightly and pressing himself against me.
I couldn’t believe this was his refuge dream, a place he loved to play, unknown to anyone, where he could be with our son. But before I could process anything, the thunderous voice called him, and Quanah’s image began to flicker, like a broken hologram.
They were waking him up!
“I’m coming, love. We’re going to rescue you,” I murmured, stroking the boy’s hair and looking at Quanah’s fading image. “We’re close!”