Deadly Connections: Connections, #3

By Rebecca Graf

It is time for the two forces to meet. The past will have to help Brenna as she stands against ultimate evil and deal with the pain within her heart and the evil that wants to posess her. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rebecca Graf
• Release date: Oct 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201735548

Book preview

Chapter 1

He stared at the newly-formed wall in front of him. The shimmer of the stone reflected the sun’s mocking rays. Jolon reached out and touched the rock with just his fingertips. He jerked back as the burning from the still warm rock stung them. The heat radiated out and wrapped around him. Realization of what had happened sunk in. His eyes darted all around the area that had been an opening into a system of caves, an opening he had faced just moments before. He couldn’t believe it. Once again, she had been within his grasp. Once again, she had eluded him.

Where had all that power come from? She had so much of it. Sakari had never shown that much energy. Her power had been more defensive in nature. Brenna had taken on the offense. He had watched Sakari from a distance, plotting his next move, knowing he could have her. He did not have to be so involved with her at first. Biding his time seemed viable. Things didn’t work out for him there either—thanks to the spirits interfering. Without them, Sakari would have been his. She had been good, but not this good.

Brenna was proving to be a complete surprise to him. First, her courage to kill him came out of nowhere. Not just making the moves to kill him, but to actually devise the plan was impressive. Then the connection between them was unexpected though he wouldn’t complain about it. His ability to feel her presence and enter into her head was beyond what he had hoped to have with her. All of that only had him wanting her more. But it was her power with nature that had him amazed. Everything about her now was screaming power at him. What he could do with all that power was beyond even his wildest dreams.

She taunted him with what he had been denied over and over again: the power to exact revenge. It was always within his grasp and yet so far away. Foolishly, he had assumed she’d be easy to get. Since she wasn’t Native, he had pegged her as being weak. Now, he was the one on the outside while she was tucked safely away from him. For now.....

He could feel her presence behind the rock. She was right on the other side. Though it was faint, the connection was still there despite the barrier between them. He reached out to feel her mind but could find nothing but a sensation of her. She was alive. He knew that. Her heart still beat. That was one consolation;he would not have to wait for another to possess the mark.

Hope had taken root within him when Slaton had continued down the cliff and into the rushing waters below. It was only because of Jolon’s special powers that he was able to grasp onto a ledge and hold on tight. Watching Slaton’s body collide with the rushing water sent a wave of exhilaration through him. He had smiled the whole way up the cliff, knowing that the only obstacle that had existed was gone. She was his now. But she had surprised him yet again. There were more obstacles hidden within her that he would have to contend with. It seemed information had been held from him again. Jolon was not pleased with that. The deal he had made was not as much in his favor as he had thought. Brenna was not such an easy target.

Jolon tapped his knuckles on the cooling rock. He knew it was solid. He could feel the extension of the rock to know it was not a mind trick. She had indeed melted it. A mere woman had melted rock into a solid wall. It had merged and become part of the mountain as if it had been there for thousands of years. The woman who would be his did all that. He now had to find another way in. He had to find Brenna. She had to be his.

********

As the fire disappeared from her hands and the rock solidified, Brenna’s eyes rolled back into her head. Her body turned to rubber as it began descending to the floor. Layford moved quickly, catching her just as her head was about to slam into the stone. He looked down at her using the light from the hot stone that was still hot to see that she had passed out. As the rocks dimmed, darkness flooded into the sealed cave. Layford pulled one of the backpacks they had brought in toward him and placed it under Brenna’s head as a cushion.

Her breathing was shallow. Panic seized Layford as he feared death was approaching them again. He couldn’t lose her after losing Slaton. His own breathing came in quick bursts. He felt the sweat trickle down his neck. The edge of his vision began to blur as his chest tightened. It was only the sound of feet running behind him that stopped him from a full-blown panic attack.

He turned toward the sound. The shape of Miakoda rushing out of the darkness toward him was revealed by the dimming light from the rocks. She had flown in just as the rocks began to cascade down to close the opening and had proceeded further down the cave to transform. Now she was moving toward them back in human form. Thinking the worst, horror was written on her face as she looked at Brenna’s limp body.

She’s not...? Miakoda knelt down beside Brenna, scraping her knee on the rock as she fell. She put her cool hand on Brenna’s neck, checking for a pulse. The heat from Brenna’s skin burned her hand.

No. She’s breathing but barely.

Layford looked around them. He had no idea what to do now. Nothing had played out the way they had expected. The realization of what had happened was just sinking in. He felt himself start to shake. It was more than Brenna’s possible death. It was everything they had just faced and what they had yet to think about. He pulled his hand tight against him to stop it from shaking. His gaze moved toward the newly-formed wall as his thoughts reached out for his brother only to find emptiness. Before he could think further on everything, Miakoda spoke.

We can’t stay here. She noticed the darkness closing in on them. We need light. She reached for the closest backpack and rummaged through it, hoping to find what she was looking for by touch. Just as she was thinking it wasn’t there and she would have to grab another backpack, she felt the cool metal with her fingertips. Ah, got it. She pulled out a flashlight and clicked it on. The beam hit Layford in the face.

Hey, watch it! He pulled back and covered his eyes with his hands.

Miakoda grimaced. Sorry. She moved the light to look beyond Layford at the spot where they had come into the cave. She shook her head in wonder. Wow! How did she do that? Her voice came out in a whisper.

Layford looked over his shoulder. I have no idea, but I’m glad. He almost had us. He turned back to Miakoda. But now we’re stuck.

She moved the light around, stopping where the light disappeared further down the cave. She had come from there after her transformation. We keep going. Miakoda looked at Layford and smiled sadly. That’s worked for us so far.

********

Grey stopped the truck. Gravel shot up in the air as the tires came to a standstill. Jumping out and leaving the door open, he sprinted over to where Tahnee knelt in the grass, clutching her stomach in anguish. She rocked back and forth. Grey fell down beside her, unmindful of the pain in his knees at the impact and pulled her tight against him. Her body shook as she pressed against his.

Pain knifed through her body which he could feel alongside his own. He had felt the connections sever when she had. It had been severe as he gripped his chest. His sons and daughter were ripped from him. It felt like a part of him had been torn from his own body, but then Tahnee’s own pain had shot out across the distance filling him even more. He had plummeted into his own hell, knowing that all might be lost.

Through her sobs, Tahnee gasped, He’s gone. They’re gone. Tears flowed down her face that was twisted in an agony only a mother could experience. Her hair hung limp around her face with several strands across her nose and eyes, sticking to her wet checks. Grief consumed her.

He pulled her tighter against him, caressing her head with his hand in a feeble attempt to soothe her. No amount of comfort was going to get through the pain right then. We don’t know that yet. We don’t know that yet, he repeated softly. It was mostly for his own benefit that he said those words. He didn’t know what else to say. There were no words that could really comfort either of them.

Nature seemed to mourn with them as the sky released its tears. Grey and Tahnee remained kneeling on the grass as the rain fell down on them, soaking them completely. Tahnee’s tears were lost in the rain from above that washed over her. Her body shook with each sob as she tried to bury herself within her husband’s arms. Grey allowed his own tears to disappear within the rain as he reached out toward his son who was no longer there. He could not find his firstborn. He was gone.

Chapter 2

It was agreed they would not move Brenna until she came around. They had no idea what was ahead of them in the tunnel. Carrying an unconscious body could prove dangerous to them all. But they had no idea how long she would be out. Layford decided to scout the area out on his own. It would be quicker and safer that way. He figured that if anything happened, he could also call telepathically to Miakoda to come help. They couldn’t just sit there and wait.

Miakoda settled down next to the sleeping form as Layford took the flashlight and began his exploration of the tunnel that led deep into the mountain. She’d watch over Brenna and be there in case the woman woke up.

Layford moved down the same tunnel Miakoda had flown down when they first entered. She had only gone in a few yards so did not know much about it. Her entire focus had been on getting back to the others. He shone the flashlight around him and saw nothing but rock. He walked away from the other two. At his six-foot-two height, the rock was another three inches above him. He could reach his arms out and just touch the tunnel’s sides with his fingertips. Room was not an issue as he continued walking. The only problem was the uneven floor that caused him to stumble periodically. He had to keep the flashlight held in a way that he could always see what was in front of his feet while trying to see anything above that could possibly hit his head.

Time seemed to crawl. He felt like he had been moving down the dark tunnel for hours but knew it had only been about fifteen minutes. Just as he looked at his watch for the umpteenth time, he found the walls around him disappearing. He was standing in a large room. Moving the flashlight around, he found the room to be about the size of his own bedroom back home but of a rough, round shape. It was empty. Across from where he stood, he noticed two dark areas that appeared to lead out of the room. Two exits waited on him. The question then became which one to go through.

Layford stepped further into the room after seeing that the floor was clear of any objects or holes and solid. The light bounced around the room as he checked every portion for more openings or anything dangerous. He saw only dry rock. It appeared to be clean with no cave animals or anything that could hurt them. It might serve to be a good place to camp until they investigated the caves some more. As he turned, he jerked the light back toward the other exits. He looked intently at the one on the right before shaking his head and backing out of the room. It had to have been his imagination though he could have sworn he had seen something shimmer at the entrance. Everything was getting to him. His imagination was going wild. He needed to sleep.

*********

Tadi rushed through the woods, pushing toward his ancestral home. He had felt the connections break. He had felt the pain from his sister slice through him. Her pain along with that of the rest of the pack were almost more than he could bear at one time after being away from the deep connections for so long. Thoughts of losing his own child intensified the pain. He would not be able to go on if he lost any of his children. That caused his legs to move faster and propel his body forward at a speed he had never achieved before.

Emotionally, he was a wreck. He had not realized how much he had missed being a wolf. He had felt exhilaration at transforming and running through the woods. Connecting mentally with the others filled a void he had been ignoring for years. Even the plea of his wife, who knew about the supernatural part of his heritage, had been nagging him to go back home and reconnect. If she only knew what she had been asking of him. It was like he had found the missing part of himself that had been calling for him.

From the emotional peak of returning home to the devastation of losing his nephew, his heart was in deep turmoil. Anger was mixed in, too. He wanted to rip the heart out of that monster who was tearing his family apart. Tadi was back with them; he didn’t want them to lose now. To do so would be like dying himself.

He tore through the woods, dodging limbs and rocks. His fur rippled against the wind. Tadi was back and things were going to change.

********

Miakoda sat still looking at Brenna. She really couldn’t see her. There was no light at all. Miakoda could only see inky blackness, but she stared at the place where she knew Brenna to be. To reassure her that Brenna was alright, she kept her hand on the unconscious woman’s arm. Periodically, she moved her hand up to Brenna’s neck to check her pulse. The skin began to cool and that scared Miakoda. Even Miakoda’s normal ability to see in the dark couldn’t penetrate what the cave had to offer. The darkness was too thick. They were in a whole new world now and had to be careful.

She took in a deep breath as she moved her head around. She kept trying to see the room she was in despite the thickness of the dark. It was also an attempt to extinguish the panic rising up within her. She had always been slightly claustrophobic but the darkness and the knowledge they were sealed in pushed her fear to the surface with force. She pushed it back down by reminding herself that she had to focus on Brenna. She couldn’t lose it when she needed her sanity the most. Brenna was depending on them. Slaton had entrusted her to them.

Miakoda bit her lip to stop the tears from escaping her eyes and flowing down her cheek. Now was not the time to mourn over the loss of Slaton. If she did, then Layford would, and that couldn’t happen either. Though, they should really get it out of their system before Brenna woke up and had to deal with her own grief. They had to cope with what was before them.

She shook her head. Slaton was gone. He had gone over the cliff. They had felt the connection break. It was just them now against the demon right outside that cave. They had to face it alone. With that thought, Miakoda looked at the rock wall. He probably was on the other side trying to find a way in. Apprehension built at being alone with Brenna and so close to the enemy. Miakoda’s ears strained to hear any sign of his movements. She prayed she didn’t hear anything because he was gone, but she knew he would not give up. Brenna was still alive, and the baby was not born yet. He would not give up until it was too late.

Nothing could be heard down the tunnel Layford had disappeared into. She turned her head in that direction for any sign but heard nothing. She had been able to hear his footsteps and his muttered curses as he stumbled along for a few minutes, but that had died away slowly as the distance between them grew. Now, there was nothing coming to her from the darkness. The eerie silence sent a chill down Miakoda’s back. She tried to get her mind off of the fear creeping up on her. She couldn’t focus on the thought of being trapped or being alone with an unconscious woman. The only thing that came to mind were the events that had occurred before they were sealed in the caves.

She had been flying low, not really sure what to do as Slaton and Jolon began their fight. She was limited on her ability to help them aside from keeping an eye out and giving them information. She had tried to transform at first, but Slaton had ordered her to remain in the sky. Any interference from her could have had the opposite effect than what she had wanted. The fighting was hard between the two men. They were well matched. She had felt the pulse of energy flow from Brenna. The power of it rippled through the air and the earth. It took her full concentration to stay in the air and not fall to the ground as the pulse moved across her. She hated being so far away from those she had grown to love. What could she possibly be able to do in the air?

Her own fear grew as the intensity of the fight escalated. Several times she thought Jolon would win as he pushed Slaton back. Then Slaton seemed to get the upper hand, and the tables would be turned with Jolon being pushed back. She had never expected them to go over the edge. Never had she thought it would go that far. She had hoped Slaton could end it right there on the level ground and save his wife and child. Nothing had gone as they had hoped.

She had seen it all from high up in the air. The feet moved back and forth over the earth as first one pushed forward and then the other. As they moved closer to the edge, she had swooped in hoping in some way to push them back from the edge. At least they might pull back from her movements and thus save themselves. She was ignored. Closer and closer they moved until they tumbled over together.

Miakoda’s heart had froze as the men fell. She had even stopped trying to fly and let the wind carry her. Jolon had been the first to fall as he was closer to the cliff. He had fallen about ten feet when he had reached out and grabbed a sapling growing out of the cliff. As his hand had closed over the small piece of wood, his body had jerked up from the fall and swung against the cliff. He slammed into the cliff sending rocks cascading down.

Slaton had continued to fall. He had been too far away from the cliff to grab onto anything, though his arms had reached out to find  something to grab onto. His body went straight down into the raging river below. Water shot up as his body went in. Miakoda had flown down right behind him, scanning the water for any sign of him. The water surged forward over and around boulders and wound through the canyon until it disappeared under thick trees against the mountain. Back and forth she went hoping to find something she had missed. The trees were too thick with vines that hung down for her to enter and follow the water. There was no sign of him anywhere. Nothing beneath the water appeared to be him. He could not be found at the water’s edge. She would have continued if she had not looked toward the cliff and seen Jolon pull himself up. She quickly flew forward but her wings faltered as another power burst swept under her

The sight before her was shocking. Fire burst out from Brenna’s hands and surrounded Jolon. Grass burned as a sea of flames licked them. Rocks caught on fire and held the inferno. It only lasted a few seconds until the blaze sputtered and stopped shooting out, though it remained burning around them and Jolon, reaching high into the sky. Miakoda had to fly higher to avoid the intense heat. Her eyes scanned the area, and she spotted Layford behind Brenna.

Come on. Into the cave! Layford’s voice floated up to her. He