赤裸裸的滑稽故事

It took three more sedations before Ashleigh could stop herself from losing her mind in the fear and panic of her memory.

Fiona and Corrine came to see her first. She told them everything that had happened in Summer after the wolves had made it through. And everything that she witnessed inside the ley line. She was glad to hear that Galen and the other soldiers left behind had survived, that Summer had survived.

She insisted that they needed to go to the mountainside to look for any way that they might be able to open the connection once more.

“We have been to the way gate,� Fiona said, sitting at the end of the bed and looking at Ashleigh with tenderness. “Myka has gone daily and tried to listen for anything at all.�

“What did he find?� Ashleigh asked excitedly.

Fiona lowered her gaze.

“Nothing,� she whispered. “The connection is gone; the ley line is gone.�

Ashleigh shook her head.

“It can't be,� she said. Fresh tears gathered in her eyes. “The ley line is always connected to our world. It's a part of us. It can't be gone.�

Fiona didn't respond.

“Ashleigh,� Corrine called to her. “The ley line may still be there, somewhere. But we have no way of reaching it.�

“You don't know that....� Ashleigh's voice broke in a whisper.

Corrine came around to the side of the bed. She hugged Ashleigh and held her close.

“I'm sorry, my sweet girl. I'm so sorry,� she whispered.

Ashleigh let her mother hold her as the tears fell. But she closed her eyes and saw Caleb being dragged back into the darkness.

“No!!� Ashleigh shouted, pushing her mother away. “He's not gone! He can't be!�

Corrine brought her hand to her mouth quietly.

“We can't just give up on him!� Ashleigh shouted.

“We're not,� Fiona said, turning to look at Ashleigh with a gentle smile. She reached out and took her hand. “We will keep trying to find a way.�

Ashleigh nodded her head.

“I'll go,� she said, pulling the blankets off her legs. “I'll go to Spring, I'll check the ruins of the mound and--�

“There are still fae out there,� Corrine interrupted. “You are not strong enough yet.�

“I don't care!� Ashleigh shouted. “I will go even if I have to crawl on my hands and knees!�

“No,� Fiona shook her head, “right now, the best thing you can do is focus on yourself. You need to get better. Your family needs you here.�

“What?� Ashleigh questioned. “My family... Caleb is my family!�

“I know,� Fiona replied. “But right now, your brother and your mother need you. I am sending scouts to the mounds and to search through the records. We will try to find an answer.�

“No, I need to go,� Ashleigh insisted. “Your scouts don't know what they're looking for. They won't feel him or the ley line. I need to go. I need to find him.�

“Do you feel him now?� Corrine asked.

“Corrine...� Fiona whispered.

Ashleigh clenched her jaw and lowered her eyes to the bed. She took slow deep breaths through her nose as the panic crept over her like an early frost.

“Do you?� Corrine asked.

The truth was, she didn't. She felt nothing. He was completely cut off from her.

“No,� Ashleigh whispered. Then she quickly raised her head and looked at her mother angrily. “But that doesn't mean that he--�

“It means,� Corrine interrupted her loudly. “That you won't be able to feel him either. Because while he is inside the ley line, your connection is cut off. I know.�

Ashleigh swallowed and chewed her bottom lip.

“It will do no one any good to have you throwing yourself at the mountainside, or the mounds, breaking your own fingers against the stone in a desperate attempt to reach the other side,� Corrine said sternly.

Ashleigh turned away, wiping her tears angrily.

“When you have fully recovered, you may join in the efforts. Until then, you need to rest.�

Corrine turned and walked out the door after finishing her sentence.

Fiona stood from the bed. She looked at Ashleigh.

“Were you given a report on what happened here in Winter?� she asked.

Ashleigh turned and looked at Fiona. She shook her head.

Fiona nodded.

“I will send someone to give you all the details,� she said softly. “But for now, you should know that your brother was severely injured. Even now, his fate is uncertain.�

Ashleigh's eyes widened. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Axel was hurt.

“Your mother is scared. As anyone would be,� Fiona continued.

Ashleigh swallowed her concern and turned away.

“At least Axel is here and being cared for,� she said. “But Caleb is lost out there, and no one is looking for him!�

Fiona clenched her jaw.

“You are not the only one that cares, Ashleigh,� Fiona growled. “Caleb is an alpha, beloved by his pack. He is a son, a brother, and a friend. We all want him to come back.�

Ashleigh lowered her eyes to the ground.

“We have a team at the mountainside,� she said. “They are taking readings, measurements, gathering all the information they can.�

“Then let me join them,� Ashleigh said.

“No,� Fiona replied. “You need to rest.�

Ashleigh clenched her jaw again.

“It's not enough,� she growled. “What about Clara? She knows a lot about the fae. Maybe she knows something to help us find another way into the ley lines.�

Fiona shook her head.

“Clara is not available right now,� she said.

Ashleigh felt an irritation in her chest, but she pushed it away as another idea struck her.

“What about the files we got from Autumn and Spring?� she said excitedly. “Maybe Nessa can find something in them that will point us in the right direction.�

Fiona took a deep breath.

“Alpha Jonas died protecting Axel,� she said softly. “Nessa and Clara returned to Broken Crag with the others to bring him home.�

Ashleigh was stunned.

“I had no idea,� she whispered, sitting back in bed.

“How could you?� Fiona said. “There has been a lot of tragedy, Ashleigh. It is all around us. But no one has given up on Caleb. We will try our best to find him.�

Ashleigh nodded.

“But,� Fiona said.

Ashleigh felt as though her heart had jumped into her throat.

“We will also prepare ourselves to say goodbye if we have to.�

“He's not dead,� Ashleigh replied immediately.

“I'm not saying he is,� Fiona said.

“I would know, Fiona....� Ashleigh said quietly. “I would know.�

“I'm not saying he is,� Fiona repeated with a heavy sigh. “For now, please, just rest.�

Fiona turned and approached the door. She looked back over her shoulder.

“It's what he would ask you to do,� she said before leaving the room.