Is that why you called for us? Ria asked.

Yes, for some reason our combined power expels it. But I need to figure out how to keep myself protected.

Is it like, reading your thoughts? Does it know what we're planning? Fury's angry power washed through me.

I thought about her words. No, I think it's more like a projected voice. I never felt that it was delving into my mind. It wasn't that intrusive. I guess I'll just tether to you all if it happens again.

I didn't know what else to do right then.

Alright, I know you have to leave, Abbs, but definitely connect to us the moment it comes back. Talina's cool worry washed away Fury's fire.

You got it, I promised, before preparing to disconnect the tethers.

Delane had been very quiet, but I could feel her there still. Ria was quiet too. She liked to sit back and take in the information. I was starting to think the sign of a good leader was one who listened more than they spoke.

Alright, I'm severing the ties now, I said. I'll see you when I've convinced Delane to leave.

Stay safe.

Bye, Supes.

Keep us updated.

Their words washed over me as I directed my energy to sever the bonds. When my mind was free, the Isle of Souls came back into focus. While I was tethered to the girls I could still see what surrounded me, but I was also sort of stuck in my head. It was a strange sensation, and I still wasn't very good at the multi-tasking effort of watching my surroundings and having multiple voices in my head.

"What happened, Abbs?" Lucy asked.

I was glad that everyone recognized mind-speak. I never had to explain where I'd mentally disappeared to.

"I was tethered to the other girls," I said. "Delane too." I gave her a nod.

And then with a deep breath I quickly explained about the first Seventine stalking me. Which resulted in lots of muttering and some black eyes from Brace. But at least the information was out in the open now. I was starting to detest the world of secrets I was forced to keep. Anything I could share was one less thing weighing me down.

"I find this all odd." Delane looked her usual unruffled and fierce self. "But I do think that tethering would be a useful way to communicate in battle, if you could co-ordinate how it worked."

A grin tugged up the corner of my lips, a strategic battle-orientated mind was certainly a useful a.s.set for us to have. Maybe the half-Walkers were going to be a well-rounded group by the end.

"But before we focus on that problem, we need to ... fix this." Delane gestured to the cage. "No warrior would leave their world behind to be destroyed. On my honor I cannot leave until this is resolved."

"Trust me. It's in our best interest not to let the Seventine have this power." I moved closer to the abyss separating the lands. "But to destroy the cage, we need to figure out where it originates."

"It almost looks as if it's coming from the gaps between the lands." Lucy was next to me, fluttering a foot off the ground.

She was right. The visible cage of energy appeared to emerge from the large crevice. But Delane had said that no one had ever returned from there. Well, no Angelica. Walkers could possibly be a different story.

"Someone is going to have to go down there," Colton said, peering over the edge. "Someone that is not a little pixie," he finished in a low growl.

"You're not Walker, Lucy." I backed him up. "It's too dangerous."

"I'll go." Brace, as always, was brave and honorable.

"No," I said, shaking my head from side to side, my braid flicking out. "I'm the one who can trace. It makes sense that I go."

In a swift movement Brace captured my chin in his large hand. "You're important, and you're only a half-Walker." He leaned in closer, his scent was.h.i.+ng over me, forcing my eyes to close. It was that or I was going to kiss him; I couldn't have stopped myself. "We don't know your vulnerabilities, and you're too special to risk."

My eyes flew back open then. "You don't get to decide that, Brace." He kind of did, but he shouldn't remember that. "The gathering of the half-Walkers and saving the worlds has fallen on my lap. This is my responsibility."

"You're my responsibility," he blasted back at me. "And nothing in this or any of the worlds would make me risk you."

It was a really b.i.t.c.hy thing to do, but I had to pretend his comment was over the line. I narrowed my eyes at him, giving him a moment to back down on his stance. Poor Brace rubbed his hands over his face in frustration after realizing what he'd said. He was so d.a.m.n confused.

"Sorry," he muttered, "that came out a tad crazy and possessive. And I know I haven't earned that right." He shook his head. "I don't even know why I'm reacting so strongly."

He was going to kill me when he learned the truth.

Delane snarled, "None of you can go down there. Did you not listen to me before? There will be no returning." She clearly had her doubts that Walkers were superior to the Angelica.

"What about if we tie like a rope around one of us and lower them down? That way someone can bring them up if they need help," Lucy said, peering over the edge for a few minutes before Colton hauled her back toward him.

"Yes," I declared. "I'll go down, and if things get too crazy you can pull me up, or I'll trace back to the land."

Brace, Colton and Delane all shook their heads.

"I'm not comfortable with this," Delane said.

"Not happening, Abigail." Brace glared in my direction.

"No." Colton was short and sweet.

I burst out with chortles of laughter. "Good thing I'm an adult and can make my own decisions then." I turned to face Lucy. "I'm going to need some rope or chain. Any idea where to get this?"

A big huff of breath emerged from Brace. "Stay here." His exasperation was made clear by his voice and pointed finger.

His eyes were black as he opened a doorway and took off. While he was gone the rest of us strolled up and down the abyss searching for the best spot to lower a person. Finally, we decided on one with a prominent edge. There seemed to be a few more handholds in the cloud there. Brace was back in about ten minutes, and I knew that he'd probably been to his place on Abernath. In fact, I was almost sure I could smell the scent of the flowers that coated the side of his beautiful home. He held a coiled rope in his hands.

"Come here, Abby." His voice was still low, but he seemed less upset. Slivers of brown were back in his eyes.

I stepped closer and he pulled me into the heat of his body. His arms went around me and I felt him loop the rope across my back. As it wrapped around my front I could see it better; it was different to a normal rope, and sort of looked like it had wire or something unbreakable increasing its tensile strength.

"You will trace, scream or mentally let one of us know the moment something is weird down there." He lowered his face to speak directly into my ear while he finished securing the rope. "Do not be a hero." I realized how truly worried he was then. "Heroes die; and you have to live."

I swallowed down my tears. He was the sweetest, most over-protective man in the worlds. And I loved him more than life itself. I lowered my lashes to hide the emotions I'm sure were blaring in my eyes. Brace took the other end of the very long rope and secured it around his waist.

"I'll be careful," I finally said, still studying his chest.

Brace huffed but didn't speak again. Once we were secured to each other, he stepped back.

Lucy moved in and gave me a quick hug, and Colton followed with a pat on the back. They looked worried but didn't say anything else. Delane had her arms crossed over her chest, and the look on her face told us we were too stupid for words. It was a good look. I wished I could pull off that level of condescending haughtiness.

"Alright, let's do this." I moved over to the edge of the abyss. Looking down, I could see no further than five or six feet. The mist was thick and still.

Brace grasped my hands and lowered me slowly down the side of the cloud land. With my fingertips gripping the edge, I let my feet fall below.

"Okay, I'll slowly release sections of rope. Just push off with your feet and drop in small increments."

Without much hesitation I let go of the side, gripping the rope instead; Brace supported my weight with ease.

Alright, it was time to suck up my brave words and move down the cliff.

"I admire your courage," Delane said to me just as I was bending my knees for the first step.

Okay, maybe she didn't think I was the stupidest person alive. Or it could be that she thought I was stupid and courageous.

I gave her a smile before taking a deep breath and pus.h.i.+ng off with my feet. Brace loosened some of the slack and I dropped. I wasn't a big fan of the fact my feet were descending into the unknown. I wished I was going head first.

I continued to drop, over and over until there was no view of my friends above. The somber planes of Brace's face was the last thing I saw, as the mists closed over my head. It was cool as I descended, although there was no breeze. If anything it was deathly still in the cloudy abyss. I was looking down as I lowered my body further, but still there was no clear view. This went on for a long time. I wondered if we were going to run out of rope before I found anything.

What are you doing, Abigail?

I shrieked as the voice of the Seventine surrounded me. In my head and through the misty air, it flooded my being.

You shouldn't be here. You're ruining our plans and, as much as I need you to join us, I dare not annoy my brothers any further. We are angry about the dark mountains.

Before I could do anything to dispel its presence, the rope jerked a few times, and then with a loud tearing sound the cable snapped. I scrambled to grab the wall, my frozen fingertips screaming as I lodged them into small crevices, my body slamming against the hard cloud.

I groaned, my breathing harsh in the silence. The lump in my throat made it impossible to call for help, and I knew I couldn't hold on for much longer. There were just not deep enough handholds. My weight was slowly dragging me down.

I was just about to reach for a tether to take myself back to the surface when something hard struck me on the side of the head. That was all I needed to be knocked off my precarious hold. My arms and legs scissored in free air as I started to plummet through the eerie white mist. And after a few terrifying moments the white world turned gray around the edges. Again, I searched for a tether, but before I could find anything the world went dark.

Chapter 13.

"Oh, my G.o.ds above, a Walker."

Words started to penetrate the hazy darkness surrounding my mind. I lay there for a few minutes, enjoying the dark and calm. I hoped that voice would go away so that there was nothing to disturb me.

"Can you hear me? You have to open your eyes."

Okay, clearly it was not going away. The female voice was determined to disturb my inner peace.

"Open your eyes now."

The command had my lids flying up. The blinding light was the first thing I noticed, and it took me quite a few blinks before anything else came into focus. A beautiful woman was leaning over me. She had raven-dark hair that fell across her shoulders, and her dark-brown eyes flashed at me as she leaned closer.

"We only have a few moments before it's all gone," she murmured close to my ear. "How are you wearing Walker marks? You're from the ..." She paused, before rubbing her head. "I can't remember the clan, but you need to open a doorway before you forget how."

I stared up at her. My blinks were slow as I attempted to think around the fuzziness in my head. Walker. The word was vaguely familiar, but I really didn't know what she was talking about. My confusion must have been obvious because her head fell forward. I frowned as tears sprinkled her eyes.

"Too late." She sobbed a few times, her chest heaving as she fisted large handfuls of gra.s.s.

I pulled myself up to a sitting position and the woman scooted back from me, taking the clutched greenery with her. I went to ask her what was wrong, but just as I opened my mouth the scenery captured my attention. I scrambled forward, getting to my feet.

I was in a gra.s.s field and beyond me was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. Well, I guessed I'd ever seen; I couldn't exactly remember any other place. That thought worried me a little, but I wasn't sure why it worried me. Oh, well. My troubled mind cleared as I stared around again. The land was green enough to be blinding. Beyond the immediate landscape were flowered mountains, lush fields of gra.s.s and picturesque waterfalls.

It was beautiful.

Gee, I was saying that a lot today. But I seemed to be lacking the words to describe this place I'd just woken in.

"Can you speak?" the woman asked me.

"What is this place? It's so crazily ... beautiful."

She looked surprised when the words fell easily from my lips. Her brows drew close together as she gave a harsh, grating chuckle. "Yep, welcome to Utopia, the one place you'll never want to leave." She stood and I realized she nearly matched me in height. Actually, she was a little taller.

"And you'll never want to leave, because you won't remember anything of your life outside of here."

I wrinkled my nose as I stared at her. Why was she so angry? And what was Utopia? I forgot my questions then as a breeze blew in to surround us, bringing with it the most delicious scent.

"Oh, my G.o.d, what is that?" I was distracted again as I started to laugh and twirl my way toward the tasty smell. "I love Utopia."

I stumbled a little as a brush of unease entered my happy thoughts. Why couldn't I recall arriving here? My thoughts were very scattered at that moment: one minute happy and tranquil, the next confused and worried.

"What's your name?" the woman asked me. "I'm Caty."

I stopped my twirling and faced her, tilting my head to the side as I observed her perfect face. She was dressed in what looked like two-piece, purple-striped silk pajamas.

"Your name?" she reminded me.

"Oh, right. Well, my name is ..." I paused as I shuffled through the compartments of my mind. Surely I had a name? Everyone had a name, right?

"Try to remember your name," Caty encouraged me. "It's taken me a long time, but I'm slowly piecing together what happened to me. I still can't open a doorway, but I'll figure that out eventually."

Slivers of panic started to wind their way around my brain and down my spine. s.h.i.+vers wracked me as I searched harder for some answers. Caty said it had taken her a long time to simply remember her name, but for some reason I knew I didn't have a long time. There was something important I needed to be doing.

"Are there others like us here?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes, there're quite a few. Some Angelica have fallen, and my mother and I are Walkers; I don't recall everything." She sighed heavily. "But I think I was stashed here to be out of the way."

"Fallen?" I was turning into a parrot, repeating her words. I glanced up into the sky, which was a perfect blue, although there looked to be some clouds very high up. "Who would have stashed you here?" I couldn't imagine why that would happen.

"My father." The tears were back in her familiar eyes.