Page 37 of Beautiful Madness

As though she knew Sam was withme, Lucy called. If Joe had been with me instead of Remy and Sam, I would haveput it on speaker. I missed my sidekick.

“Kait,” she said, when Ianswered. “I just had a dream.”

“Jared?” I asked, trying tokeep the fear from my voice. I failed. “Is he…?” But I couldn’t get the wordsout. I couldn’t ask her if he were alive, because that would mean I doubted,and the universe would hear me.

Yeah, I was a mess.

“He’s alive,” she saidimmediately. “He’s alive, Kait. But he’s in a very dark place, and I don’t…”

I pushed through my giddyrelief. “What? Tell me everything you saw and felt.”

“He’s in agony, terrible agony.I barely could handle the pain, and that was what pushed me awake. I woke uptoo soon, and I didn’t see everything I should have. I don’t think he’llsurvive for much longer, Kait. It was that bad.”

“Fuck,” I whispered. “Tell methe rest.”

There was a sob in her voice,but she continued without hesitation. Her dreams were real to her. When she wasdreaming about someone else’s pain, she was that person. I didn’t know how shedealt with it day after day, but Lucy was strong. “Look for caves. I feel likehe’s in a cave. And Kait…”

“He’s with the daywalkers,” Isaid. “In a fucking cave.”

I could feel her shock. She’dbeen gearing up to tell me that awful fact. “How did you know the daywalkershave him?”

“I fought them, and I caughthis scent. It was tangled up with theirs. Lucy, are they biting him? Are theywhy he’s in so much pain?”

“No,” she whispered.“Youare why he’s in so much pain.”

I was pretty sure my heartstopped beating at that moment. “What does that mean?”

“He has physical pain. Horriblepain. He’s struggling to break free, but he has no strength. His body is so veryweak. But the agony, that’s in his heart. He believes you are in danger. Hebelieves that he will die before he can save you. He doesn’t want to fail you.He believes you are afraid.”

“I am afraid,” I whispered.“I’m terrified.”

“But he’s alive,” she said,“And you will find him.”

“I will absolutely find him.”And I asked the question again. “Are they biting him?”

“I simply don’t know,” sheanswered, finally, her voice soft. “I don’t know what they’re doing to him orwhy he’s still alive. I just feel his pain, and I feel the dark damp coldnessof what I believe are caves. He’s so cold, Kait.”

“Thanks, Lucy,” I managed.

“One more thing,” she told me.“He’s silvered, and it feels like shards of ice in his body—but there’s magic,as well. I feel it. But I think it’s weakening.”

“That, then,” I said. “Themagic is what’s keeping the daywalkers from him. And do you know who would takehim out but would want to keep him alive because of love and guilt and hope?”

“Eli and Lennon,” Remy said, atthe same time Lucy did.

“Yeah,” I told them both.“Fucking Eli and Lennon.”

When I ended the call, neitherRemy nor Sam asked me what had been said. They’d heard enough to know. Neitherof them said a word when I made a U-turn and headed back to Shadowfield,either.

It was time for Sam to getinside Eli or Lennon’s brain—because that was how we’d find the alpha.

ChapterNineteen

There was still chaos inShadowfield, but I didn’t care. Even as acting alpha, I didn’t care. It’d besorted out, and the chaos of the pack was the least of anyone’s problems.

But the warriors had a right toknow what I’d learned, and I paused before I strode into Jared’s house to talkto them—not only to tell them what I’d discovered, but to get Eli’s code fromthe warrior I’d told to create it.

He gave it to me, and I made amental note to change it as soon as I got to the dungeon.