Chapter 37
Vaughn staggered in a circle, like he'd unloaded a gallon of brandy into his gut. "Where is she?" A vice grip cranked down on his brain. Remaining upright had turned into a hell of a chore.
He stopped fighting and his knees gave out, dropping him to the floor.
Shelby gasped for air in the chair as she pinched her nose. "Dude, stop."
"Quit hurting her," Eric growled.
Vaughn held his head in two hands, as if he could keep it from exploding. "I'm trying."
Desperate. The power wanted—needed—to find Mariah. Needed Vaughn to protect her.
Was she hurt? He tried to use his power to try and locate her, but the damned mental ability couldn't tell direction.
Maybe this was the reason his power had shifted. So he could help Mariah when she was in danger.
He glanced up. Ruth's wide-eyed expression iced his blood. Underneath, though, there was more. Like she understood how he felt. Like she'd experienced something similar herself. He rubbed the goose bumps on his arms. He'd deal with Mrs. Sphinx later.
Another wave of pain hit him. His ability stretched his mind, reached out farther than he thought possible, pulling him in all directions with its clawing need to find her. He lifted his head out of his hands and met the horrified stares around him.
"Find her," he said, the words tearing out of him.
No one moved.
"Please, Shel." Still on his knees, he turned toward his sister. "I'm begging you."
Eric knelt and got in his face. "No. No way are you doing that to her. She's barely recovered from a damned coma. We don't know what using her power will do to her."
"I know. Shit." The words ripped out of the back of Vaughn's raw throat.
"It's okay." Shelby motioned Eric back. "I get it. When someone I loved was in danger, there was nothing I wouldn't do to help them."
"Geezus—" Eric bit off as he stood up.
Shelby's deadly expression made him bump back against the wall in a huff.
"Let me try," she said.
Garrison stood up. "Just don't go all the way into Mariah's head. That nearly killed you the last time you tried it on someone."
She rolled her eyes. "Trust me when I say you don't have to remind me."
Another blast of agony shot urgency through Vaughn's skull and he groaned. "Shit. Hurry."
"Okay, then. Help me up, sunshine," Shelby said.
Eric clenched his hands into fists, but as soon as she tried to stand on her own, he was right there at her side.
Ruth clutched the wall near the entrance to the living room.
Shelby pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. With the hardware on her leg, movement took extra effort and extra time that Mariah might not have. Slowly, Shelby rotated until she stopped, facing the back of the house. "She's that way."
"Wait. Her house, the hospital, and town are all over there," Vaughn protested, pointing in the opposite direction.
She raised her orange brows. "And I'm telling you she's that way."
He shook his head, trying to shake sense into what she was saying. "Nothing's out in that direction, except forest and..."
The blood drained to his feet.
"The Brand ranch," Kerr spat.
"Damn it."
"Well, let's go." Garrison pushed to his feet, grim set to his mouth. "With Shelby, we'll keep a bead on Mariah."
"The hell you will." Eric helped Shelby to sit again. Her face had gone white, either from the pain of standing or the effort it took to force her over-taxed radar.
"I can go," she mumbled.
"Sorry, no. Not happening." He crossed his arms. "And you all better not ask her, or I won't be responsible for what I do. She has a freaking broken leg and was in a coma not a week ago. And you're seriously considering sending her out there into potential danger? Forget it."
Ruth's voice came out icy and smooth. "He's right. Do not go together. Not all four of you. As I said, don't go until you're ready to confront it once and for all." Her hazel and gold eyes unfocused, like she peered far beyond every last one of them and saw their souls.
Vaughn ground his teeth. "I don't have time for riddles, Great-Grandma. Time's ticking."
Ruth paused, then shook her head. "One of you must stay back."
"Okay, okay, I'm staying. Problem solved," Shelby said.
Garrison rubbed his jaw. "Don't we need you for the radar?"
"Not if we're just going to the Brand ranch. We all know where that is." Vaughn danced from foot to foot. Damn it, he needed to get moving. Mariah was somewhere out there. In danger.
"What if she's not there?" Garrison asked. "Shelby can tell direction, not distance."
Vaughn pressed the heels of his hands to his burning eyes. "First of all, that's the most likely place where she is. Second of all, if she has left there, Shelby can tell us if the direction changed. We can track her."
Garrison shook his head. "Lots of variables. And no phone coverage out there."
At the same time, Kerr and Shelby's heads swiveled toward each other.
"Got it," they said together.
"We're 'lost and found,' remember?" Shelby grinned.
Kerr winked. "Twin brain!"
"Talk English!" Vaughn roared.
"I'll work with the maps while you are heading out," she said. "Should be able to get you a feature or location to aim toward, even if it's not the Brand ranch."
Kerr pointed a thumb toward his sister. "And she can nudge me in the right direction."
"With our link!" Shelby finished.
"You know this how?" Garrison scowled.
"Dude, how do you think we always won at capture the flag and hide and seek?" Kerr tipped his chin. "Teamwork."
Eric looked like he'd eaten a lemon. "But your brain, Shelby."
"Like it can get worse."
"Uh, that's not the right answer," he muttered.
"It's going to have to work. And if it hurts you, Shelby, you have to break the connection and stop using your ability. We can go back to old-fashioned tracking. And rely on the fact that Kerr can't get lost." Garrison studied Vaughn's face. "We'll get her back, big brother."
"So what's the game plan?" Vaughn struggled to focus.
"Storm the castle." Kerr grinned at the horrified expressions. "What? Sounds good to me. Tell me a location. I'll get us there."
His ability didn't allow him to find a person like Shelby's power did. But Kerr was right—he couldn't get lost. As long as he had an end point, he could spin in circles yet somehow find the place. Great plan, as long as Mariah was at the place they homed in on.
Vaughn clapped his hands together. "Let's go."
"Wait." Ruth's clear voice sliced through the energized air, stopping them all cold. She tilted her head, like she detected a scent. "Be ready for that creature. It's out there."
"Done. What else?" Garrison motioned to her.
She opened her mouth, then shut it. "That's all."
"I just bet," Vaughn muttered.
Eric stepped forward. "Want help?"
"No. Stay here and keep everyone else safe," Garrison said.
"I can come with you," Odie appeared next to Ruth and slid his arm around her waist.
"No," she said.
"Yes, cher. I will add my strength to theirs."
Her eyes went wide. "But you're no longer im—"
"Impressively good looking as you? Mon dieu, it's a cross you must bear, being around someone as hideous as me." His beard framed a rakish smile, and he kissed her on the forehead. "Well, gentlemen. What are we waiting for?"
Ruth's smooth face went marble pale as she backed out of the living room. "I'll get Zach and Mr. Taggart sorted out for the evening."
Garrison brushed a kiss over Sara's lips. "Be safe, please."
Urgency drove Vaughn. In no time, they had the horses saddled and moving in the direction Kerr indicated. If the end point changed, they had only Shelby's ability to redirect them. A few miles into the National Forest, the cell phone signals wouldn't work well enough, even to get a text out.