Love will find a way through paths wolves fear to prey. - Lord Byron

Eleanor:

I frantically tried to break the bond between Duke and Julia but failed again and again. When the gruesome twosome brought Duke out of the caves I knew that they were going to do something to test their ability to hold him. Nathan had been tied to a tree and had reacted violently to seeing Duke's naked body in the coffin where Noah and Julia had been keeping it. Duke wasn't in good shape, he was thin from days without eating. Blood had been used to paint the last set of sigils on his body, and it was brown and flaking. Lack of oxygen had turned his lips and fingers to a faint shade of purple and he continuously gasped in jerking breaths, his shoulders heaving and his neck distending to try to get air into his lungs. Shivers from fever and cold caused more convulsions. Worst of all was the vacant look in the man's eyes. Duke wasn't even aware of what was going on, no doubt due to the chemical cocktails he'd been given.

Duke was ordered to rise to his feet and the first time he was able to ignore it, but the power of both Julia and Noah calling him dragged him up. I absently noted Julia was using the wrong name, which was probably giving Duke a little breathing space as some awareness seemed to seep back into his face. I was glad that we'd hidden the true names of each child. The awareness didn't last long against the order to create a crack in the earth and kill Nathan with it.

It looked like every muscle went rigid in Duke's body in response to that command. In my hands, I felt the rope become more taut. Suddenly I remembered Chinese Finger Traps we used to play with when we were small: the way out of them was to push in. I tried pushing the rope binding Julia and Duke, and it separated enough that I could slide my fingers between the strands. I felt them meld into the bond. I merged myself with the bond in the spaces between the strands. I crashed against Duke's mind and soul, and felt them tearing him to pieces. I couldn't let him kill Nathan, not the boy who had been his friend. I gently tried to end Duke's suffering, and I felt him welcome it.

As suddenly as a tide shift, a new command was given. Whatever it was, it made Duke elated. I felt his power stir, and then the war between his mind and soul end abruptly. In the recoil I felt his relief at not harming Nathan, and then we crashed into the ground.

I heard through Duke's ears a comment that Julia needed to practice controlling Duke, and I realized that much more "practice" would destroy him. Even now, I could feel the consciousness that was Duke begin to scatter and drift. The repeated use of his name was keeping him mostly together, but it was causing him a lot of pain each time it was called. I felt the shockwaves of it as he was ordered to rise again. His mind was bound to break if this kept up; it didn't feel too sound, if I was any judge.

I flowed to the other end of the bond, and confronted Julia. To my horror, I had been right. Some dark shape was riding her. So I called on my fury at this thing that was controlling my daughter and fought it. It was caught off guard at having its mind invaded through the bond of what it felt was a Zombie. That was likely my only saving grace. It was so old and so arrogantly confident that nothing could harm it, that I was able to force it from my daughter's body.

However it was too late for Julia. No spark of her essence remained. I prayed that she'd found heaven before her soul had been destroyed by that thing. It also wasn't too good for Duke, as it raced back down through the bond and into his body. I followed after it, and just felt it pass through Duke's mind. Thankfully it didn't stop to take up residence. I guess if felt Duke was too valuable a commodity to be used as a mount.

It continued to flee down the only path left open to it, the blood bond to Noah. I felt the echo as Noah's mind dying and the shock wave of it drove me back through the blood ties and towards the lifeless body of my daughter.

Suddenly I felt pulled down, like when my husband used to laughingly pull me into bed. I felt something enclose me. When I raised my arm, I jumped because Julia's arm moved with mine. I felt strange, and after a moment I thought breathing might be a really good idea. It certainly felt good. Mother Nature, it is said abhors a vacuum, and decided to fill Julia's body with me. Well now, this certainly was interesting.

I would have liked to get used to having a body again, especially as it was below freezing outside. I would have liked to have had a moment to check Duke over and ascertain what exactly his condition was, which right now didn't look very good. Most of all I would have liked to stop and mourn my daughter.

I didn't have the time for any of these things. I didn't know how far out Noah had gotten before the demon had destroyed his mind. I imagine he would be coming back quickly. I could hope that it was convinced that I was dead, but while I may have startled it, I doubted it would take long to recover.

Taking a deep breath I thought about how I could get myself and Duke away from this place as quickly as possible. I didn't want to do what I was about to, but I didn't seem much choice. I just hoped he was strong enough. "Lemuiel Ephraim Crocker, take us home."

Duke was weaving on his feet, and I was amazed he hadn't collapsed yet. He looked at me with blank eyes and I prayed that I hadn't destroyed him by putting yet another command on him. It was the last thought that I had while standing under the pine trees. I took a deep breath as I watched Duke's body disappear and reminded myself that I trusted Duke.

Just when I was convinced that I wouldn't have anything left and that I'd just become the first person to be reborn and immediately destroy her new body, my kitchen solidified around us. I do mean my kitchen. Funky Mexican farmhouse chic greeted me. I reached out and grabbed Duke right before he went down for the count. I laid him down on the floor, and quickly took his vitals. The good news was that he was still breathing and his heart was still beating. The bad news was that his color was heading to plum.

Julia hadn't spent a lifetime hauling patients or corpses around and I cursed her soundly for it. I cursed Doctors Without Borders for taking my daughter somewhere where her spirit had been destroyed by whatever was currently running around in Noah's body. I wanted to curse out Duke for being heavy, but had long since taught myself not to curse the patients that were barely alive. The guilt load if they died was the hardest burden one could bear.

Thankfully the trip was a short one to the guest room/exam room that had last seen use when that boy lost his face. Certain locals that didn't have medical insurance, or who for various reasons needed more... discretion in their care were cared for here. Duke had once before stayed here for a month when recovering from pneumonia. We wouldn't have that luxury this time. I heaved him up on the bed, and then connected up the oxygen lines. I could have ordered him to walk, and he would have, even unconscious. But I didn't want to stress him anymore than he already was. As it was, it would be a minor miracle if he survived this little excursion into the twilight zone, and a major one if he came out of it sane.

I grabbed an oxygen mask and started the gas flowing. Almost immediately his gasping stopped, and he began to breathe much more normally. Also heartening was that his color began to get better. I pinched the skin at his wrist and noticed it wasn't lying back down. He was suffering from dehydration for sure. I searched under the cabinets and found the ringers solution. First I started an IV, then taped it down. Remembering the fun I had with Duke and IVs in the past, I taped it down some more. Then I covered him in thermal blankets.

I sat down on the chair and decided to take a couple of minutes to gather my thoughts. I had some time. Duke must have known at some level that I, and not Julia, was here. If he had thought I was Julia, he would have brought us to Over the Way. With luck, Noah would start hunting us there. The bad news was that it wouldn't take that thing long to come here. I needed to get Duke and myself out of here before it came, and to do that I needed help. Of the two people I immediately thought to call, I had no idea where either of them was.

A/N: Eh, not as much writing as I hoped has been done this vacation. Updates will still be slow. Sorry guys. BTW, if you missed it before, part 10 has been fixed. Thanks again to those that noted the error.