I tiptoed to a stair rail. Oh no. Not the second floor. I was on the hundredth floor. Okay. That was me being sarcastic, but seriously. I tried to count the floors. Six, seven. I was on the eighth floor, and I twisted my head to look...and it kept on going.

I grumbled under my breath, “Couldn’t keep it simple, Dad? Had to bring me to the building that never ends?”

“Why? So your boyfriend could swoosh in, grab you, and you’d both be gone again?”

His voice was clearer. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I didn’t move, still hunched over the stair rail, but my hands let go, and I started looking out from the corner of my eye. It was just darkness. The walls were white with black streaks from explosions. The floors had been stripped down to their oak finishing. Moonlight filtered in from somewhere. I could see enough to move around, but mostly, everything was shadowed. Still, the hairs on my neck were telling me my asshole father was close.

I had powers. I needed to use my damn powers, and soon.

“You are not bonded to him yet.”

His voice echoed against the walls, bouncing all around me.

“I am. He’s my soulmate.”

“Your connection should be stronger. He’s been with you almost all your life.”

I frowned. Was he upset by that? “Where are you going with this?”

“You’re supposed to be more powerful.”

I twisted to the right. His voice came from there. It was less wall-bouncy, but I still couldn’t see him. “That’s your problem? I’m not more powerful? Are you kidding me?”

“You were supposed to have bonded with him by now.”

Damien chose his words carefully before. “Just that it would be smart if you strengthened your bond.”

My mouth went dry at that. “What do you mean by that?”

Then he grinned, crookedly. “You can take it any way you want. Kellan will know, but if the two of you are strong enough, your father will know not to even try to break the bond. If you two work together as a team, you could be powerful, more powerful than you could imagine.”

“Yeah…” I spoke slowly, turning so my back was against the stair rail. I crouched down. “Or so I’ve been told.”

“I can’t do anything with you. Not with how you are right now.”

One foot scooted back. The other followed behind. And repeat. I moved at a snail’s pace toward the stairs, but when I stepped down, the entire floor screamed. I winced. The point of acting like a ninja was to be silent like one, too. This abandoned building wasn’t working for me.

“Uh.” I raised my voice. “Sorry?”

“I could take both of you.” His voice ricocheted from the left now. “I could make you bind together.”

“Shay.”

I perked up. That was Kellan’s voice, but I looked around and it was the same darkness everywhere. I whispered under my breath, “Kellan?” That was ridiculous. Like he could hear that? I rolled my eyes at myself.

“I’m in your head. Your dad shouldn’t be able to hear us.”

“You are?”

“Just think to me. You don’t have to actually speak.”

“Oh yeah. How’s this possible?”

“Aumae is helping me. She’s strengthening our connection. Where are you?”

“Some abandoned place. I’m on the eighth floor, if that helps?”

“It doesn’t, but hold on.”

“What are you doing?”

“Shay!” Suddenly, Kellan was in front of me. I didn’t know how that happened, but I wasn’t complaining. He reached out, and I grabbed his hand.

“NO!”

My dad roared, but it was too late. We had poofed away. I held onto Kellan’s hand, not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but my dad’s voice never faded. It kept going, and it was getting louder. I looked over my shoulder, and I could see him.

We were in a tunnel, and he stood at the opening. All white with black eyes. I made out a chin and a neck, but that was it. I could feel his power, and it was reaching out to me. “Shay, come back to me.”

“Kellan!” I squeezed harder onto his hand.

Whatever was going on, I wasn’t in the safe zone yet. My dad’s power was reaching after me and I felt it start to slip around me. It was like invisible tentacles. One wrapped around my neck, another my waist, and still another around my arm. He began to pull me backward, yanking Kellan to a stop.

“Shay?”

He couldn’t see what was happening to me. I tried to tell him, but another tentacle covered my mouth. I couldn’t speak. Kellan shook his head and tightened his grip on me. My dad was winning. I was starting to go backward.

Kellan’s eyes darkened. The same black cloak that emanated from him when we rescued Aumae rippled from him now. His eyes were black, but an outline of bright red formed. I couldn’t look away. My dad’s hold on me stopped, like he hit a wall and Kellan’s black cloak reached over me, enveloping me. He was fighting against my dad. Of the two, my father was more powerful...I thought? But Kellan was winning. He completed cloaking me and trailed behind me, reaching to where my father still stood.

“She’s my daughter!”

Kellan’s fury whipped back at him. “She’s mine!”

“You cannot have her, demon. You are an abomination of nature. You deserve to rot in hell where you were born.”

“Shut up!” Kellan’s mouth never moved, but he roared back. My eyes clung to his. He wanted to murder my father. If he could’ve, he would’ve right then and there.