Chapter 33

"Go, Kelly," Brooke whispered and Kelly lunged at Kierlan's mother. A tear traced down Kierlan's cheek and he gripped Sarah's hand tighter with a tremble as he watched his mother furiously stand against Kelly, trying to push him back. But he was a powerful young lion, unstoppable and powered by two witches as well as his own energy. He pinned Kierlan's mother and growled as he made a decision no one else would be able to stop.

A light entered Kierlan's mother's eyes: a strange, sad light: she knew she was facing death.

It looked like Kelly was going for the killing bite: to sever the neck column like any sensible feline does when hunting. But Kierlan's mother shoved herself back, blood travelling down her clothes. She didn't glance at her son once. She just vanished in a ripple of magic.

Kelly transformed back slowly, confused.

"I'm sorry," he said finally to Brooke and Susie. Brooke smiled at him, came to him and laid a hand on his arm. "You did wonderfully, love."

He smiled faintly, and got up, trembling. Then he looked at Kierlan and Sarah. "And what are you two going to do about that...portal?"

"We don't know where Kierlan's mother is," Blade said reasonably, eyes hard. "Shouldn't we find her?"

"She won't be found unless she wants to be found," Kierlan said softly, shaking his head slowly. Then he looked back towards the portal. "I keep feeling like...there's something in the portal that I've never seen before. But that I need to see."

"Do you feel the same way?" Brooke asked Sarah keenly. Sarah shook her head. "It's amazing," she said, looking back at the portal. "But it just feels...weird to me. But a...pleasant weird."

"I'd love to see what's in it," Susie said wistfully.

"Anyone who went in, who hasn't got their Soulmate, would go insane," Kierlan reminded her bitterly.

Finally, Blade took out his phone from his jacket pocket. "I'm calling Daybreak," he said tersely. "Does anyone object? They ought to know what's going on."

Sarah nodded and looked at Kierlan. "I agree."

Kierlan nodded too, his eyes giving her a clear message, an invitation that he pleaded her not to resist or refuse. The way her lips quirked up in an acknowledging smile was her answer.

"See you later," Kierlan murmured, so it took a second for them to realise what he was doing, even as he spun on his heel and leapt forward, Sarah beside him, vanishing into the portal: they both vanished.

"Sarah!" Susie shouted, Blade managed to push her back just before she might have mindlessly followed. "They needed to do that," he said heavily.

"She left me behind again," Susie whispered.