Bound by Legend: A Bound Novel (36 page)

MORGAN WAS IN
the bedroom of her last foster home again. Fear beat in her chest and tied her stomach into knots. Her foster father raged somewhere beyond the closed door. Morgan closed her eyes and tried to will it all away. Though she knew it was a dream, she couldn’t stop the sensations that continued to overwhelm her.

The door burst open, sending splinters of wood flying into the room. Instead of her foster father, a hound filled the doorway. Its reeking breath filled the room and Morgan froze. It glared at her; saliva dripped off its tongue and burned holes in the carpet. The hound lunged, Morgan closed her eyes raised her arms, prepared for the impact. When it didn’t come, she opened her eyes.

Jax stood in the middle of the room, his arms squeezing the thrashing hound in a vice-like grip. His voice came out in a rough growl as he said, “I told you not to attempt this.”

Morgan wasn’t sure if he was talking to her or the hound and frankly, couldn’t care less which it was. Rage flushed through her and she leaped off the bed, uncaring what he was or what he was doing. He would pay for what he did to Jake.

A firm grip on her arm made Morgan turn to see what she faced now. Tara stood in front of her, worry clear on her face. “Come with me, it isn’t safe here anymore.”

Confused, Morgan stared at her sister, the rage at Jax temporarily forgotten. “It’s never been safe for me here.”

“The real-life place wasn’t safe,” Tara replied. “This, while not pleasant, was safe when it was only a dream.”

“Only dream?” Okay, this was getting weird now. “What are you talking about?”

“This isn’t your usual nightmare, Morgan. This is one that can kill; the kind people don’t wake up from.” Tara tugged on her arm. “Come with me, I will explain when you aren’t in danger of being eaten.”

Morgan glanced at Jax still struggling with the hound as another appeared in the doorway.

Jax turned to look at Tara, an unreadable look in his eyes as he said, “Go, before it’s too late.”

The second hound leapt into the room, slipping past Jax’s grab for it. It opened its mouth. Morgan felt the hot breath of the hound in the same instant there was a hard jerk on her arm and darkness surrounded her.

And then she was standing. Golden light filled one side of the night sky while a deeper black tried to swallow the starlight on the other side. The flat rock of the ground beneath her feet was smooth as water worn stone and stretched in all directions to the horizon without change or definition.

Tara stared into Morgan’s eyes, her expression serious. “You must be very careful when you sleep. Some demons, like the hounds, can walk wherever they wish. Even in dreams. Have your dark angel shield you when you sleep.”

Morgan looked away and slowly took in the strange scenery, or rather lack thereof. “This is the strangest dream I’ve ever had.”

It even topped the one where Jax saved her from her foster father turned demon-possessed.

“This part really isn’t a dream. It’s a reality within reality,” Tara said, still holding Morgan’s hand.

“Of course, because that makes all kinds of sense to me.”

Her sister smiled. “This is where I come every night when I sleep, and sometimes where I’m pulled even when I’m awake.”

“Sleep? Awake?” Morgan almost rolled her eyes; she was starting to sound like a parrot. “How can you do either when you’re dead?”

“Dead?” Now Tara sounded like a parrot. “Why would you think I’m dead?”

Thoroughly confused by this dream now, Morgan sighed. “Because that is what I was told. You were killed in a car wreck eight months after we were sent to foster homes.”

“Morgan.” Tara frowned, her brows coming together to make a slight furrow between her eyes as she grasped both of Morgan’s hands in her own. “I am
not
dead. I went through two foster homes before I found my adoptive parents. I
was
in a wreck. One that killed my adoptive mother, severely injured my adoptive father, and left me in a coma for nearly a year. I’m alive and well and still living with my adoptive father.”

“Sure you’re alive,” Morgan sighed. Though she desperately wanted to believe this dream Tara, she knew better. This was her mind’s way of trying to lessen the blow of Jake’s death. A way for her subconscious to try and believe that she hadn’t lost almost everyone in her life. She was becoming unhinged, that’s all there was to it. As much as Morgan wanted it to be true, she knew better. “I need to wake up and quit talking with an imaginary Tara.”

Tara pursed her lips for a moment then pinched Morgan’s arm so hard she flinched.

“What the hell?” Morgan rubbed her arm with the hand Tara had let go of. If this was real life, she was sure it would leave a bruise. Since it wasn’t, the pain should fade quickly. Morgan ignored the fact it wasn’t fading.

“Tell your dark angel to call Eli.”

Wow, her mind was getting pretty creative. “Sure, whatever.”

“I’m serious.”

And Morgan had to admit, her dream sister did seem pretty serious. This just got stranger by the moment. When this was all over, she was going to need to be committed to the loony bin. Maybe a padded cell was just what she needed to find reality again.

“I live in Montana now,” the dream Tara continued. “I tried to find you, but you fell off the map. You were listed as a runaway and no one knew where you were.”

This was getting ridiculous. “Just stop.”

Tara seemed taken aback by Morgan’s sharp tone.

Morgan pulled her hand from Tara’s and stepped back. The minute they were no longer touching, the scenery began to fade.

“Pay attention when you wake up.”

“Wha—” Morgan began.

Tara shoved her, hard. Morgan stumbled and fell into darkness. Her stomach flew into her throat and then her eyes snapped open. She sat up with a gasp.

Lucian turned from the window. “Morgan?”

She didn’t answer him; instead she rubbed the sore spot on her arm then reached to turn on the lamp next to the bed. On her arm, right where the dream Tara had pinched her, a small bruise was beginning to appear.

Morgan looked up into Lucian’s worried face, her fingers trailing over the bruise. “Is there a dark angel named Eli?”

Lucian frowned, confused. “Yes, why do you ask?”

“Who is his channel?”

“I’m not sure.” Lucian sat on the bed and took her hand in his. “I haven’t been in contact with him since he was assigned a couple of years ago. Why?”

Morgan struggled to come to grips with her dream, or maybe possible reality. “I think my sister may still be alive.”

MORGAN PACED ALONG
the sidewalk, taking long drags off her cigarette while Lucy sniffed around in the grass beneath a light pole and Lucian held his phone up to his ear. Morgan wasn’t surprised Eli had answered his phone in the small hours of the morning. She’d never known a dark angel that slept more than three hours a night, unless unduly strained in battle.

What was Eli saying? Her nerves twisted up until she felt more on edge than any other time in her life. Facing Hounds again would be better than this waiting. Waiting to see if her sister was alive. Waiting to see if she was losing her mind.

Her hand trembled as she put the cigarette to her mouth again, leaning on the sensation of the smoke drawing into her lungs. A nervous glance at Lucian’s face showed nothing. Damn it, why couldn’t he look surprised, or worried, or
something.

After what seemed like was forever, but was really only a couple of minutes, Lucian stepped toward her and held out the phone. Morgan eyed it like a poisonous snake before finally reaching for it. Slowly, she raised it to her ear afraid what the person on the other end would say. “Hello?”

“I’m glad you listened to me.”

Emotion swept through Morgan in a rush. Relief made her knees weak and with a hard plop, she found herself sitting on the sidewalk, fresh tears filling her eyes. There hadn’t ever been a time when she’d cried so much as these past few weeks.

Lucian lowered himself to sidewalk and gently ran his hand over her back while she sobbed into the phone. “I can’t believe you’re really alive.”

“I can’t believe I finally found you.”
Tara’s voice was thick with emotion as well.
“So many times I ended your nightmares, but you always woke before I could find out where you were.”

“I want to see you. For real, not in a dream.” To be close to her sister again, the thought was almost too much for Morgan. More than anything she had ever dreamed possible.

“We will soon. I really can’t leave my dad right now and it sounds like you really can’t leave there right now. It won’t be long, I promise. Just please, please, Morgan be careful.”

“I promise.” What else could she say? That there was no guarantee? Tara was a channel, she knew that.

“I know things have been hard for you. I could see it in your dreams. Just don’t forget going into to your fight that you still have me.”

“How could I ever forget?” Her sister was alive! Only one thing disturbed the happiness filling her heart. “Tara, why was there a demon hybrid in my dream helping you? Why does Jax keep showing up in them?”

“I have to go now. I love you, Morgan. Know that I always love you.”

Morgan stared at the phone as the call abruptly ended. What on earth was that about? A small thread of unease wormed its way through her. Did Tara know what Jax was? Surely with having a dark angel she would. Was Jax after her sister? Was Tara his next target? Did Eli know?

“Everything all right?” Lucian asked, his voice gentle with concern.

“I…” Morgan shook her head. “I’m not sure. I think Jax may be following my sister into dreams. What if he’s going after her because of me?”

Panic flashed through her like a wildfire as she twisted to fully look at Lucian. “I can’t have her taken away now. I just got her back. I’m really not sure I could handle that, Lucian.”

Lucian cupped her face in his hands, his eyes full of reassurance. “She has Eli. He’s a younger dark angel in the grand scheme of things, but still a very good one. Tara is well protected.”

Morgan tried to believe he was right and that Eli was up to the task. Jax was no ordinary demon.

They needed to get Kalona put down. A faint howl rose in the distance, sending a shiver down her spine. She turned to look to the southwest. “They were in my dreams. Tara pulled me out of it. She said they could have killed me.”

Lucian’s expression tightened. “They won’t get in again.”

It was said with such conviction, Morgan could only nod, believing him absolutely. It was a strange feeling. To know with complete certainty that Lucian would always stand beside her, would always do everything in his considerable power to protect her. Not just her life, her heart as well. It wasn’t something she was used to, but she liked the idea of becoming used to it.

Morgan handed the phone back to Lucian, wishing she could have talked for longer. Why had Tara been so anxious to end the call?

The rest of the night crawled by in the slow fashion time does when one is watching the clock. Morgan didn’t even bother trying to lie back down in the bed. Beds were sinister things.

Instead, she sat on the floor with her legs crossed and her head leaned against the wall as memories of her sister and their childhood tumbled through her mind. Of staying awake past bedtime in their shared room telling wild tales, of the many hours spent playing together. Until their parents died and they’d been separated, Tara had been Morgan’s best friend in the whole world. Though a year younger than Morgan, they had practically been connected at the hip. To know she was alive had Morgan’s thoughts and emotions all mixed up. It was exhausting and yet she couldn’t give into sleep.

Occasionally she dozed lightly, still hyper-aware of her surroundings even as she faded in and out. It was comforting in an odd sort of way. So much had changed in her life that the simple act of sleeping as she had on the streets brought unexpected relief from her anxieties.