Нора Робертс - Key of Knowledge

It muffled the sound of her running footsteps. And his, she realized. God, and his.

If she could reach the house, just reach the house, she could find somewhere to hide until she caught her breath. She could find a weapon, defend herself.

For he meant to kill her, he meant to wrap that long white scarf around her neck and pull, pull while she struggled for air, while her eyes wheeled frantically in her head, while her veins burst with her blood.

Because he was mad, and she had seen the madness too late.

No. No. Those were Kates thoughts. The thoughts of a fictional character in a fictional world. It wasnt a fictional killer who hunted her now. It was Kane.

If he could, he would take something more precious than her life. Hed take her soul.

At the last moment she veered away from the door. She remembered now, remembered this last chance and battle. Kate had wasted precious time battering against the wood, pounding on it and calling for help before shed snapped back and accepted that there was no one to help.

so?

Edit out that bit, Dana thought, and setting her teeth, she smashed her elbow through the window. She ignored the shock of pain from jagged glass scraping her arm as she reached in, flipped the latch. With a grunt she shoved the window up, leaped onto the ledge, and rolled inside.

She landed hard enough to hear her own bones rattle, and lay stunned, gasping against the pain as she struggled to see through this new layer of dark.

The air was stale and damp, and the heels of her hands skidded on dust as she pushed herself up. No glossy floor, no dripping chandeliers or stunning antiques. No fire roaring in the hearth.

Instead the room was dank and chill, with the gray spill of cobwebs and the breath of ghosts.

This wasnt the Peak of her world, but the Watch of Jordans. She gained her feet, holding her throbbing right arm with her left, and limped across the room over boards that creaked and groaned.

Good job with the atmosphere, Hawke, she thought, fighting to steady herself. Class A haunted house you built here. The perfect place for our plucky heroine to battle the homicidal maniac. Wincing, she reached down and rubbed her tender knee. Kate had banged up her knee, Dana remembered, but it hadnt stopped her.

She drew a breath as she came to the entrance hall, saw the shadows facing off with the streams of moonlight that snuck through the grimy windows.

She liked nothing better than diving into a book, Dana reminded herself, but this was a little more than shed bargained for.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took stock. Shed jammed her knee, jarred her shoulder, sliced up her arm some. She was scared, so scared it hurt to breathe.

But that was all right, that was allowed. She could be hurt, she could be scared. She wasnt allowed to panic, and she wasnt allowed to give up.

“Well see who pulls this story out in the end, you bastard. This goddamn ex-librarian is going to kick your ass.”

She heard the sly tinkle of glass being crushed underfoot and made a dash for the stairs. And the big climax.

“YOU came.”Zoe released Malorys hand, reluctantly let go of Danas. “Do something.”

Rowena stepped forward, touched her fingers lightly to Danas wrist as if checking her pulse. “What happened here?”

“Youre the god,” Flynn shot out. “You tell us. And you get her back. You get her back now.”

Jordan nudged Flynn aside, stepped between them. “Why dont you know what happened?” he demanded of Rowena.

“Hes capable of blocking certain actions from us.”

“And you from him?”

“Yes, of course. He doesnt have her soul,” she said, gently, to Flynn.

“Whatever hes got, get it back.” Flynn shoved forward again, pushing Malorys hand away. He only flicked a cold, hard stare atPitte when he moved to flank Rowena. “Do you think you worry me right now?”

“You waste time in your fear for your sister.”

“Shes cold. Her skins like ice. Shes barely breathing.”

“He took her into the book,” Jordan said and had Rowenas attention snapping to him. “How do you know?”

“I know.” He picked up the book hed set on the night table. “She opened this and she was gone.”

She took the book from him. “Its gone. The key is gone from here. It was not to be this way,” she murmured. “He crosses too many lines, breaks too many pacts. Why is he not stopped? This is not temptation, intimidation, or even threat.”

She turned toPitte , and there was a spark of fear in her eyes. “Hes changed the field, and somehow hes moved the key.”

“It was in the book?” Jordan interrupted.

“Yes. Now, somehow, hes taken it into the story, and her with it. He should not be permitted to do so.”

“Shes alone in there. Whether its the story or whether its Kane, her lifes in danger” Jordan gripped Danas hand. “Bring her out.”

“I cant bring out what he put in. Its beyond my power. He must release her, or she must free herself. I can warm her,” she began.

“The hell with that.” Jordan snatched the book back. “Send me in with her.”

“Thats not possible.” She turned away from him to lean over Dana, to run her hands gently over Danas face.

On an oath, Jordan grabbed her arm, spun her back to him. “Dont tell me its not possible.” He felt a jolt, a shock that sang straight up his arm to his shoulder, but he kept his grip firm.

“Take your hand off my woman,”Pitte said very softly.

“What are you going to do, smite me? My womans lying there helpless, going through Christ knows what, because she gave her word to you. And youd stand here and do nothing?”

“He conjured this world he took her into. Its his power that holds there.” In a rare sign of agitation, Rowena pushed at her hair. “Theres no way of knowing what hes done there, or what would become of you if I attempted it. And Im not permitted to take you beyond your own world. To do so would break the vow I took when I came into this place, when I was given charge of the keys.”

“I conjured this world,” Jordan tossed back, and threw the book on the bed beside Dana. “Thats my mind in there, my words, and Ive got a real problem with some self-serving god threatening the woman I love, and plagiarizing me to do it. I dont care how many vows you break, youre not leaving her in there alone. Youre sending me after her.”

“I cant.”

“Rowena.” Taking her shoulders,Pitte turned her to face him. “He has the right. Listen,” he insisted as she started to speak. “A man shouldnt be stripped and bound while his woman fights alone. It was Kane who broke an oath, and doing so crossed beyond all honor. He was not meant to take her life. He was not meant to touch the key by hand or mind or sorcery. Its a different battle now. We fight on his terms or we lose.”

“My love.” She curled her fingers around his arms. “If I do this, even if I succeed, you know what it may cost us.”

“Can we live, in this prison, and do nothing?”

The sigh ached in her breast as she lowered her forehead to his heart. “Ill need you.”

“Youll have me. Always.”

She nodded, drew a deep breath, then looked at Jordan with eyes that seemed to burn. “Be sure. If I do this thing, her life, yours, and all are at risk.”

“Doit.”

“Send us all.”Zoe grabbed Danas hand again. “Send all of us in. You said were stronger together, and we are. Well have a better chance of getting her back if we all go.”

“Valiant warrior.”Pitte smiled at her. “This is not for you. But if gods are willing, youll have your turn.”

“Give him a weapon,” Brad demanded.

“He can take nothing with him but his mind. Lie beside her,” Rowena told Jordan, then picked up the book. She closed her eyes, and it began to glow. “Ah, yes, I see. Take her hand.”

“Ive already got it.”

Rowena opened her eyes. The blazing blue was nearly black against the pure white of her skin. Her hair seemed to lift in an unseen wind. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah, Im ready.”

“Bring her back.” Flynn drew Malory close to his side as he looked down at Jordan. “Bring her home.”

“Count on it.” He felt that wind blow through him, fast and warm. He felt it whirl him through time, through space, throughshimmery silver curtains that parted with a sound like the sea.

And he was standing in the moonstruck night, staring at the black peaks and towers of Phantom Watch.

He sprinted toward it, noting the smoking fog, the scream of an owl. A dog would bay at that fat, full moon, he remembered, and felt a curious satisfaction when the sound echoed through the air.

Last chapter, he realized, and confirmed it when he saw the broken window.

Time to do. a little revising, he thought, and climbed through the shattered glass.

WHAT can we do?” Malory held tight to Flynn. “There must be something we can do besides stand here and wait.”

“Keep close,”Pitte told her.

“Perhaps theres a bit more.” Rowena sat on the side of the bed, with the book in her lap. “Weve already broken our vow,” she said toPitte . “If there is punishment, it wont change if we do more.”

“Watch, then.” He ranged himself beside her. “But they deserve the chance to win this on their own. Read.” He laid his hand on her shoulders and merged his power with hers. “So the others can watch as well.”

She nodded and opened the book to the last chapter.

“She took the stairs at a limping run, and the fear was all around her, crowded close in the shadows of the Watch.”

AT the landing Dana started to veer right. There were dozens of rooms, hundreds of places to hide.

But for how long?

He would find her. The dark was no barrier for him.

Would he kill her? Could he? Kate had saved herself in the end, but she had fought a man, flesh and blood against flesh and blood.

How could she know how much of this was Kanes world and how much was Jordans? Even, she realized, how much was her own creation brought on by bits and pieces she remembered from the book, spiked by her own fear?

At the sound below, she whirled to see the shadow of Kane and the long white scarf glowing faintly blue in the path of the moonlight.

And she saw the fog, now cold and blue, begin to crawl up the steps toward her.

“Ill find you, Kate.” He crooned it. “Ill always find you.”

The killers words, she thought. She heard her answer spill out of her mouth without conscious thought. “I wont make it easy for you. It wont be like the others.”

She pivoted on the landing and charged up the next flight of stairs.

She needed distance, she thought frantically. Enough distance to buy enough time to clear her mind. Fear was clouding it, making it harder for her to separate herself and her actions from the characters.

She batted madly at cobwebs, had to stifle a scream as they clung to her hair and face. But somehow the innately human disgust steadied her.

Find the truth in his lies, she remembered, as her breath began to puff out in thin vapors.

“Im Dana!” she shouted. “Im Dana Steele, you bastard from hell, and youre not going to win this one.”

His laughter chased her down the wide corridor where doors swung open, slammed shut withbulletlike snaps. The mist was sneaking along the floor, added a hideous glow to the dark and curling ice around her feet. The sweat sliding down her back and temples went clammy with cold as she stumbled into a maze of hallways.

Breathless, she turned in circles. There were dozens of corridors now, and each seemed to stretch for miles like some mad dream.

He was changing the story, she realized. Adding his own flourishes to confuse her. And doing a damn good job.

“Choose. His voice whispered inside her head. Choose unwisely, you might tumble off the edge of the world, or rush toward a pit of fire. But stand, only stand and yield, and all this will be no more than a dream.”

“You lie.”

“Run and risk your life. Surrender and save it.” “Choose,” he said again, and she felt the hot silk of the scarf wrap around her throat.

Horrified, she clawed at it, raked her own skin with the frantic swipes of her nails. She was choking, fighting the illusion of the strangling cloth as the blood roared in her head like the sea.

Then suddenly she was free, and there was only the single corridor leading to the last staircase.

Tears leaked from her eyes as she ran for it, dragging herself up by the banister as her injured knee gave out under her.