Healing Ties (Ties, Book 2) | ✓

Chapter 39

"So... how do we do this?" Duran asked. He had a bag full of clothes packed and slung over his shoulder and his shoes on.

"I'm not sure," Fanner admitted. "Before I came here, I was telling the cat about that time we found a kitten and you convinced the wardens to keep it. So... maybe we need to tell the cat about where we want to go? Or think about it?"

"I can't believe I packed my bag and put my shoes on before asking this question, but... where do we want to go?"

"To the spire, I guess? That was where everyone was supposed to meet up."

"What's that?"

Fanner made a face. "Well... I don't really know. I've only seen it from a great distance. Maybe the cat has heard of it?"

"Maybe the cat has heard of it," Duran echoed, just staring at Fanner for a moment. "Well, I guess that wouldn't be the strangest thing about all this."

Fanner guided Duran over to sit on the edge of the bed and took hold of his hand just in case anything happened, then he turned his attention to the cat. "So, there's this spire. It's quite tall and it's... blue, I think? Slone said it was near the sea and a lot of important people live there. Have you heard of it?"

The cat was grooming itself, but its tongue was so comically small that it didn't seem very effective.

"I don't think it's working," Duran said.

"Well... it was able to take me here, to you, even though I hadn't ever been here before. Yore is at the spire. Maybe I could try thinking of him instead?"

"I guess I could think about him as well, since I have met him."

"Did he tell you he was a werewolf?"

"He did. I still regret telling him he didn't have to prove it."

"He's helped me so much. He was the one who found me, brought me back. He never once took advantage of me or asked for anything in return. He's a truly good man."

"Those are rare. Or maybe they're just all werewolves, and I've only met the one."

"I have met some other nice werewolves. And some not so nice ones. Yore, though... he feels so safe. It always feels like... I don't know. Like he's trying to meet me on my own terms. In this world, it feels like everyone wants you to be something, either for their benefit or for your own good. Yore never made me feel like I needed to be anything but what I am."

The cat was watching them now, its tail swishing back and forth.

"Shut your eyes," Fanner whispered as he shut his own.

Fanner felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, and then all of a sudden the bed fell out from under him and his ass hit the floor. Duran's hand was still clasped in his, but when he opened his eyes he found they were no longer in Duran's room.

The room they were in was small and windowless, the only light coming from under the door. The air smelled like blood and dust, and small, shadowy figures stood in clusters. Duran threw up a ball of magelight, illuminating... tiny people dressed in oddly formal clothing?

"Oh, shit," Duran said, and Fanner turned to look at what he'd seen. Laying on the floor in one corner was Yore, naked and covered in blood, his wrists and ankles cuffed together. He was breathing, but other than that he wasn't moving.

Fanner rushed to his side, but one of the tiny people waved a shoe at him threateningly as he approached. Well, as threateningly as someone of that stature could manage.