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Without any further warning, he dragged me between the Twin Oaks, and I went flying along behind him as he leapt through. The crackle of energy rattled me, disrupting my entire system.
"Crap! Is this what it feels like to be a live wire?" The words jolted out of my mouth as we exited the other side.>Oh, this was just getting better and better. Ulean had really set me up. "So we go walking into the shadow and we might not come back. And there could be nasty critters. Can we fight them while we're there? You said we couldn't fight from the astral."
"We can't--not anything on the physical plane. But yes, we can defend ourselves against anything that's out on the Dreamtime. That is, if we're stronger than they are. Chances of that aren't very good." He gave me a quasi-grin. "You still want to come with?"
"Maybe . . ." Only I didn't. But Ulean thought it was a good idea and she'd never steered me wrong yet. "You mentioned something about if the spell is negated . . . what happens then?"
"Then we run like hell. If we can. If the spell's disrupted--whether by accident or design--we appear in body wherever we're at. In other words, if we're hiding out near the ceiling over a group of hungry Shadow Hunters and someone negates the spell, our bodies will resolidify and we'll fall right into the middle of the group. And probably land very, very hard. This isn't easy. Dreamwalking is dangerous." He lowered himself to a nearby windfall and leaned his elbows on his knees, whistling softly.
I glanced at the Twin Oaks. If we went through in body and there were Vampiric Fae on the other side, we were doomed. We'd never get away from them. And nothing Grieve--or anybody--could do, would save our butts.
"Okay, I'm in! Let's do this!" I sucked in a deep breath. "Rhiannon, Leo, you guys need to hide--and I mean hide but good. Whatever happens, don't come after us. If we don't come back--"
"Don't say that!" Rhiannon bit her lip, on the verge of tears.
"If we don't come back," I said again, with emphasis, "then get your butts out of this wood, tell the vamps what happened to me, and don't look back. Get out of town before nightfall."
Leo slid his arm around Rhiannon's shoulders. "Please rethink this. We can't afford to lose either of you."
"With a little luck and some common sense, you won't have to," Kaylin said. "But Cicely's right. This is our best chance to find out what's going on in there. We won't stay long, just get the lay of the land so we know what we're facing, and then come back. We won't take any unnecessary risks, will we?" He looked at me, pointedly.
I shrugged. "I wasn't planning on it, no. I'm not a lunatic. But Ulean thinks I should go with you, and she's usually spot-on. I've come to trust her over the years--she's saved my butt more than once."
"Then let's do it," Kaylin said. "Get ready to walk into the shadows. It's a cold, dark journey, and there's nothing quite like it in the world."
Chapter 16
"You'll have to lie in my arms," Kaylin said. When I stared at him, a faint grin on my face, he shook his head, his dark hair swinging around his shoulders. "No, it's nothing like that. I need to be holding you in order to help you shift over with me."
"I kind of thought that's what you meant." I decided not to make him blush any more than he was. If we weren't in the situation we were in, it might be fun to make him blush but I reined in that thought for later.
Kaylin lay down on the ground, on his back. He held his arm out and I snuggled against him. It was an odd feeling, cuddling up against a strange man. But somehow, he felt comfortable and safe and I actually relaxed as he rolled over to face me and wrap his other arm around my shoulders, too.
"Don't be frightened," he said, his breath warm and minty against my face. "First, you'll feel a shimmering inside your body--I can't explain it, but like . . . like . . . when you see the lines fluttering on the TV--bad reception. Then you'll feel like you're starting to float. Keep calm. I'll have hold of you; I won't let anything happen."
I sucked in a deep breath and nodded, closing my eyes. I wasn't sure I was ready to see my body turn to vapor. Or shadow. Or anything resembling a nonsolid gas. I could deal with the concept, but to actually witness it might be more than I was up for.
"Keep breathing," Kaylin said. "Don't hold your breath. When we're dreamwalking we don't need to breathe so try not to panic if you notice you're not." He paused. "I still don't think this is such a great idea but here we go. Ready?"
I nodded, forcing myself to inhale-exhale as though I had just laid down to take a nap. Kaylin began to chant, something low and deep and almost out of the range of my hearing. Within seconds, he went from being a geeky cute goth guy to radiating a power that felt far, far older than me. I fought to keep my eyes closed, wanting to look at him.
And then, my body started to melt.
It began at someplace in my third chakra--just above my solar plexus. A wave of water ran through me, emanating from that one spot, undulating through muscle and bone, blood and vein, like concentric ripples on a pond. My body was melting like liquid silver, like the Wicked Witch of the West, like the second Terminator dissembling.
Keep calm, focus on the feeling of Kaylin's arms around you.
But Kaylin's arms were melting, too, mingling with the quivering pool that was my body. We were separate and yet linked, blending and yet two distinct beings. And then, the rippling spread out to my hands and feet, fingers and toes, and my flesh swelled and fell away as I felt myself diffuse and spread out. That was all it took for panic to set in.
What's happening? I'm breaking up!
Calm yourself. Kaylin's whispering thoughts found their way into mine. As long as I brought you across, I can communicate with you. You're fine. This is just the process of becoming shadow. Only another minute or two and we'll be fully on the astral.
A gentle breeze blew over my melting form. And I am here.
Instead of hearing Ulean's voice on the wind, it rang through my . . . head? Mind, I suppose. Instinct taking over, I tried to breathe but there was no breath, no air to comfort me. Reeling, I turned head over heels, lost in the pull of the astral current that rose up to surround us.
I can't breathe!
