Chapter 9

Philip!

Philip looked up from the files they'd brought home from ITS. Both he and Iason were sitting in Iason's living room, in front of the wood stove. While it didn't have the same ambiance as the palace's fireplaces, it made the room warm and cozy.

"Something wrong, Philip?" Iason set down his own file.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Iason reached for another file.

"I could've swore I heard Sara calling me."

"Why don't you go up and check on her? She's been holed up in her room since this afternoon."

"I think I will." He closed the file and set it aside. "I'll be back." He stood and left the room, smiling absently at Auntie Clara.

"Gabriel, baby, open your eyes. Look at Momma." Sara felt his pulse, her fear increasing as she monitored it's weakened beat. "Damn it. I promised I wouldn't go back on the shadow plane until Clara could find a way to make it safe for me. Come on baby, open those beautiful eyes so I don't have to break my promise." She lifted him until his head was cradled on her lap. As he remained unresponsive, she realized she didn't have any other choice. I'm gonna have to go and bring him back. Sorry Clara. She focused her energy and slipped easily onto the Shadow plane. Turning she studied herself and her son, searching for anything which could help her. She examined her son closely. The last time this had happened on Venus, she'd found him huddling at the edge of his body. This time she didn't see him but instead saw a silvery thread leading away from his body. Placing her hand on the thread, she was nearly brought to her knees as intense pain and fear swamped her. She released it with a cry.

"Gabriel, baby, you've got to help me."

"It hurts, Momma. Hurts so bad." His voice came from a distance.

"Keep talking to me, baby. I'll find you and take the pain away."

"Help me, help her, make him stop!"

His cries of distress sent a surge of determination through her and she returned her hand to the thread, using just her fingertips for contact. The pain flared through her again, but with ease of long practice she pushed it away and followed the fragile thread. She kept her eyes focused on the thread as she followed it away from the farmhouse.

Philip knocked on the bedroom door. When there was no answer, he pushed the door open. Standing in the middle of the room, he didn't see her.

"Tarta?"

A soft moan from the floor on the far side of the bed alerted him to their presence.

"Sara!" He fell to his knees beside her and Gabriel. He yelled for Iason. Running his hands over Gabriel, he was puzzled when he found no injuries.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Iason hurried into the room followed by his chosen.

"I came in here and found them like this. What in the name of Mica is going on here?"

Iason crouched down next to them. He carefully examined them.

"The boy's trembling concerns me, Philip. As far as Sara is concerned..."

" ... she's on the shadow plane." Clara's voice was tight. "After I warned her of the dangers. Damn that girl." She planted her hands on her hips.

Philip's head flew up. "What dangers? She never said anything about there being any danger."

"Unlike Venus where everything is shadowed, here on Earth the shadow plane is filled with vibrant colors and intense feeling. It's completely foreign and a shadow walker can get intoxicated on it very easily."

"She risked going there when she could've called for any of us to help her. I just don't understand why she won't ask for help!"

"She's been on her own for a long time, Philip. She is used to doing everything on her own with no one to rely on." Clara didn't voice her accusation but he could feel it's condemnation nonetheless.

"Enough Clara. He already feels bad enough. We need to focus on helping them." Iason laid his hands on his chosen's shoulders. "First we're going to see if Philip can coax her back."

"And if that doesn't work?" Philip wasn't at all certain his link with his chosen was strong enough to reach Sara on the shadow plane.

"Then if it doesn't I'll have to go out on the shadow plane myself and find her." Clara crossed her arms across her chest. "She better pray you can bring her back because I'll be truly angry if I have to go after her."

"So how do I go about bringing her back?"

Sara trembled with fatigue as she continued to follow the fragile thread under her hand. The need to observe her surroundings was growing stronger. The thread was nearly burning her hand with the agony coursing through it I have to find Gabriel. He needs me!The thread thickened in her hand and she knew she was closer to finding her son. A tall dark building came into view. After moving through the open gate, past the guard who was reading a book, she followed another guard into the building. She glimpsed a small plaque on the door before it swung close in her face. Brig: Solitary Confinement, Authorized personnel only. Just as the shadow plane on Earth was bright and colorful compared to the one on Venus, and objects which normally were immovable for her, here on this planet she pushed through with ease. Stumbling as her body fell through the closed door, she found a man pulling his pants up. Horror ripped through her as she saw the bloodied and beaten girl who lay huddled on the bed.

"What in the name of Mica is going on here! Are you all right?" Rushing to the girl's side she never saw the face of the man who'd attacked the girl. The door opened and closed behind Sara, but her attention was on the girl who continued to sob while her body was racked by tremors from the drug she'd ingested.

"You came." Gabriel's voice drew her around the bed. She found him kneeling on floor cupping the girl's hand within his. His pain filled her as she saw the terror mixed with horrible suffering and tears flowing from his eyes.

"Of course I came. I'll always come, Gabriel." She knelt down next to him. Touching his chin, she lifted his head to meet his eyes. "I love you and would never leave you. Are you ready to go back?"

He nodded. When she took his hand and turned to leave, he cried out.

"What's wrong, Son?"

"I can't leave her. We're connected. She's scared and hurting, Mom. We've got to find her. She needs our help."

"We'll find her."

"She was raped at least twice and that evil man gave her something."

Fury built inside of her at her son's words. No girl deserves to be abused! Even as she struggled with the strong emotion, she felt herself fading. Damn it! Not now! She'd pushed herself to the edge of her abilities to find her son but now her body was demanding she return to it immediately. The only other time she'd been outside her body this long was the night of her son's conception.

"I'll be back, baby."

"Hurry, Mom." His voice was a whisper as she started to fade away. "Mom will make everything okay, I promise." His assurance to the girl made her eyes tear even as she disappeared from the shadow plane.

"Come back to me tarta. I need you."

Philip's words sent both warmth and physical desire spiking through her system. Now he needs me. Typical man. Opening her eyes, she tried to focus on him., He was holding her. Placing her hand against her pounding head, she tried to sit up.

"No. Don't move, Sara." His arms tightened around her.

"We have to help them."

"Help who?" Clara's voice drew Sara's attention. The look on the older woman's face told it's own story.

Damn, I really stepped in it this time. She may look calm but I know she going to chew me out. She's just bidding her time. Rolling out of Philip's arms she staggered to her feet, heading towards the connecting bathroom as her stomach heaved, a usual unpleasant aftereffect of being on the Shadow plane too long.