Chapter 10

"It can't hold her under anymore," I heard someone say, as though I were under water as I struggled to open my eyes. Warm hands smelling of herbs smoothed down my hair, urging me to calm down, which wasn't going to happen. I kept up my struggles, fighting against whatever was trying to drag me back into a deep sleep. I couldn't -wouldn't- go back under where the deep, aching emptiness awaited.

"Let me go!" I ground out through an aching throat, giving a final mental shove against what had to be a heavy sleeping charm, shattering the spell and opening my eyes.

"Easy, Ramirez." Marcus was sitting on one side of my bed, one strong hand on my shoulder, pinning me down. I fought it for all of five seconds before I realized it was useless - I was too weak and he was very strong.

"We have you, Aggie," Aunt Annie assured me from my other side. "You're okay."

"No, No, NO!" I screamed, thrashing and sobbing. I felt like I had a great, gaping wound where my heart should have been. "He's gone. I can't feel him anymore."

"What is she talking about?"

"Ramirez, look at me." Marcus pressed his free hand to my face, forcing me to gaze up into his dark eyes. I felt myself calming down little by little, though my eyes continued to spill tears. "He's not dead. I promise you, Talon is still alive."

"But-"

"You've gotten better at using your link," he continued. "Try it now."

"There's nothing there anymore," I whispered brokenly. "It hurts."

"Yes, there is, you just have to concentrate. I know it hurts, but keep trying. Keep going and you will find it."

Closing my eyes, I used what energy I had left to delve into the chasm that was all that remained of the strong mind link I had to Talon. Pain flared, burning like fire but, as Marcus's urging, I kept going. Just when it felt like I was about to scream, I felt something stop my progress. I pushed against it, but it didn't budge and I couldn't find a way around it.

"It's blocked," I heard myself say, my voice and body far away.

"Yes, but it's not gone," Marcus's voice filtered down to me hollowly. "All right, come back but slowly; it won't hurt so much."

Just as I started to retreat, I felt something. Turning back, I noticed nothing different but there was something...

:Leave now. It's not safe.:

:Talon?: Hope swelled within me and I pressed against the barrier, :Where are you? Are you okay?:

:GO!: Something slammed into me, tossing me back out and away from the mind link and jarring me back into my body so hard I screamed in pain, my skull not large enough to contain my mind.

Cold hands yanked me off the bed and held me, cradling me as I wreathed in pain on par with my earlier episode. But unlike earlier, this pain began to fade almost immediately in a steady stream of relief that left me incredibly exhausted and unable to focus.

"I'm sorry, Ramirez," Marcus murmured, my ear against his chest as he gently rocked back and forth.

"What was that?" Whispering still had me repressing a whimper, the sound too much for my abused brain.