my skittering mind an anchor.

Theoretically, if I could convert an entire forest into a desert panorama, then

it shouldn’t be that hard to get out of this godforsaken alley of my nightmares.

Silly though it was since it was already dark, I closed my eyes and rebuilt the

red rock spires and rolling desert vistas in my mind. Confident in the image, I lifted my lids. Darkness stared back. My heart dropped. “Shit!”

What had Wolf said? If it belonged to me, I could change it. So, if it didn’t change, it meant this wasn’t my creation. Which meant… “Son of a bitch, you bastard,” I muttered, wishing I knew who the hell had been with Tito in that building.

An unexpected chuckle bounced around me, and I spun in a tight circle.

“Where are you?” My question hissed out as I tried to see through the murky darkness.

“What are you doing, Cyn?”

The whisper at my back rattled me so badly, I jerked forward in a frantic attempt to get away. Instead, I almost knocked myself silly against the mud wall.

I turned, keeping the wall at my back, and tentatively reached out in the emptiness in front of me. My hand passed through air, hitting nothing.

Fear tripped over me, but I reminded myself the alley had been big enough

for three, so the other wall was just out of reach. Keeping one hand on the wall, I

stretched the other out as far as I could. Nothing. Okay, so whoever belonged to

the voice wasn’t really here.

Think. If I couldn’t change my surroundings, maybe I could change my available tools?

First, light.

I pushed back my fear and the unsettling sensation of someone watching my

every move and concentrated on a flashlight. A cool, metal cylinder dropped into

my hand, and relief broke through. I flicked on the flashlight and quartered the

area. No one was there.

I aimed the light above my head. Inky blackness swallowed the light, leaving

no sign of the opening. Fine then, I’d pick a direction and hope for the best. I moved the light in front of me. The alley stretched out in both directions, no signs of an exit on either one. Forward or back?

Wolf and Kayden had to be looking for me. Did the connection I shared with

Kayden still work? Or would there be a physical representation of it here somewhere since we were already inside my head to begin with? My brain

cramped with the paradox, and I forced my mind to blank and not think for a moment. First rule, don’t over think things. Too much thinking hurt, so I’d keep

it simple.

Step one, check the telepathic line to Kayden.

I dropped into a crouch because my legs were shaking. The answering

twinge in my thigh barely made a dent. I flicked off the flashlight so I wouldn’t

burn through the batteries. It took precious minutes to locate the link to Kayden

through the static in my head. Those creepy whispers were still there, heavier, louder, more real. The little spark of gold that I associated with Kayden’s

presence flickered. I reached out and tugged at it.

No response.

The dull thud of my heart echoed in my stomach like a lead ball. Okay, Wolf

said to trust Kayden to be there, that our connection should be able to keep us linked. Maybe instead of tugging, I should call out? I swallowed against my suddenly dry mouth, and sent a hesitant, “Kayden?”

A rush of emotions roiled back and found a spot to settle into before

Kayden’s voice came through, vivid in relief. “Cyn? Where are you? You were here and then you just winked out. ”

“A hole of some kind opened under my feet. I haven’t moved, so I should be

straight down in front of you. ”

There was a noticeable pause, then, “There’s nothing here. No hole, no opening, nothing. ”

Okay that was not good. “It’s a trap. ”

“How do you know? ”

“Because I’m staring at mud walls that should only be in Pakistan. ” Fear bubbled up. “I can’t change my surroundings. ”

As connected as we were, I couldn’t miss his rising frustration and anger.

“Wolf says he can’t sense you, so whatever it is, it’s blocking your presence. We need you to find a way out. ”

I tamped down my instinctive snap of sarcasm and tried to hold it together.

“It’s an alley. Forward or backward. Any suggestions on how to choose the best

one? ”

“Flip a coin? ” he growled.