Chapter 14

Kenzi stumbled backward and looked up quickly as all her mobility came back. Dyson was stepping over the black line and into the Dal, Hale right behind him. Duchess scoffed and gracefully got off the ground, if that was even possible. Kenzi was more than happy to see Dyson, all she wanted to do was hug him. She gave him a quick once over, he had some cuts on his face that were still bleeding, a few cuts on his chest and back, some bruises up and down his arms, and his knuckles were bruised and bloody. Duchess chuckled and shook her head.

"Trust me on this one Kenzi, Leila will come out of you one way or another. My way will be much easier. If I report back to Aros without her, then he will send others, and they will not be nearly as kind as me."

"Let them come." Dyson said. Kenzi swallowed hard, she really was starting to get worried.

"So protective wolf. But the real question is, can you protect her from something that is inside her own body. Have you noticed how tired and exhausted she is? It's not just from what you did to her Dyson." Duchess said wiggling her eyebrows. Kenzi's eyes widened and Dyson looked relatively shocked that both Hale and Trick had heard that.

"Has she started throwing up yet? Heart beating really hard? Hard to catch your breath sometimes?" Duchess asked. Dyson glanced back at Kenzi and she looked at the ground. How did Duchess know all these things?

"I've seen what Leila does to human bodies. She hides inside them until they die. Her power is too much for a weak human to take on. Her power sucks the life and energy from the human. Her power makes them sick, they can't eat, and they can barely move in the end. She sucks humans dry and moves on to the next. She will kill you slowly and you'll beg for the day I offered a short quick death." Duchess spun on her heel and disappeared. All eyes turned on Kenzi. Everyone staring at her like she'd just swallowed glass.

"Stop looking at me like that." she turned and walked back into the bar, the others following behind.

"Come on, let's get you guys a beer and fixed up. Looks like you both took some bad punches." Trick said, trying to lighten the mood. No one seemed to want to talk about what had just been said. Kenzi was freaking out on the inside, she desperately needed to know what was happening inside of her. But she had to put on her brave face, no time for scared faces and worry, strong was her only option.

"Here Kenzi, you need one too." Trick slid a glass full of beer her way. He gave her a knowing smile and she nodded a thanks.

"Let me get the first aid kit." Kenzi said. She grabbed the kit Trick had used on her and she walked around the bar to stand in front of Dyson who was staring off into space seeming very out of it.

"Are you ok?" Kenzi asked as she opened the kit and got out some alcohol swabs.

"Kenz, this is serious." Dyson said. Kenzi sighed and gently began to wipe at the cuts on his face. Always the serious one.

"I know that. But right now we're not focusing on me. We have to find Bo and Lauren. From the way Duchess talks I have a while until I start to decay. So we'll find them, and then worry about me." Kenzi smiled.

"Stop it, don't talk like that." Dyson said.

"Like what?" she shrugged and wiped the blood off his forehead.

"Like you don't care, like you're not scared of anything." He said gently. Kenzi glanced at Hale and Trick who were immersed in conversation, probably about her.

"I don't have time to be scared Dyson. I've got to help my friends."

"You've got to help yourself too."

"Dyson." Kenzi said his name slowly.

"You don't have to be so brave all the time Kenzi. I know you're scared. I can see it in your eyes." he said quietly. Kenzi looked into his eyes and frowned.

"Ok, yeah, I'm scared. But I've been scared plenty of times and you know where that gets me? Nowhere. Being afraid and scared of shit doesn't help at all. So yeah I'm scared, I'm really fucking scared, and I wish I wasn't, because if I'm worried about myself then I can't help Bo and Lauren and if I'm worried about them then I can't help myself." she felt tears sting her eyes and she turned her face to the ground.

"Hey…hey." Dyson lifted her face, cupping both her cheeks with his hands. She looked at him through her tears and she saw something there. Something she liked, determination.

"Listen to me. I'm scared too, terrified, but I can promise you something, I'm not going anywhere. We're going to find Lauren and Bo, and then we're going to get you better." He pulled her against his chest and held her there for a few moments. She let her head rest against his chest where she could hear his heart beating. It was loud and strong and she knew that what he said was true. He would do everything in his power to find Lauren and Bo and then he would also help to get her better. Kenzi pulled back and smiled up at Dyson.

"Alright, here we go guys!" Dyson called out to Trick and Hale before he turned and grabbed both his and Kenzi's beers up. He placed hers in her hand and nodded. Hale and Trick gathered around for the outpouring of ideas. Dyson turned his drink up and Hale quickly stopped him.

"Whoa, whoa, we have to toast to something." Hale said.

"Toast to what? We're pretty much a big mess at this point. Not really anything good going on to toast to." Kenzi shrugged.

"We're all together, that's good enough." Trick said. Kenzi smiled a small smile and nodded slowly.

"You're right." She said.

"Ok, ok, I've got one." Hale smiled and held his glass in the air.

"Here's to getting the gang back together and getting our Kenzi better." He said. Everyone chuckled a little and then clinked their glasses together. As much as Kenzi wanted to celebrate, she just couldn't under the circumstances. Bo was not here, and she needed to know Bo was safe, and even though she and Lauren didn't see eye to eye all the time, she wanted the young doctor to be safe also. She hated the fact that half her heart was missing right now. She needed Bo, she needed her right now especially. She was sick and she didn't know how to be strong without her here. Her heart was starting to sink and when she thought she was about to fall to pieces in front of them all, she felt a hand run down her arm, gently caress her wrist, and then slide into her hand, carefully and slowly intertwining their fingers. Kenzi looked up at Dyson and he was looking straight forward. It may not have meant a lot or anything it all, but it meant the world to Kenzi in that moment.

"Are you guys aware that the front door is missing? It's actually kind of blown to pieces."

Kenzi looked up quickly to see the blonde haired woman staring back at them as she walked through the second door to the Dal.

"Tamsin!"