Catalyst Page 0,1

what he's saying? It can't be.

"What did you do?" she asked, but she already knew. Her revulsion to him, to vampires, to their kind was tantamount in a single act. Her heart pounded, slamming into her ribs as she waited for an answer. When she couldn't take it anymore, she said, "Tell me, Will. Now."

"We're blood bound, Kahli. You fed me your blood to save me. I did the same thing - " he couldn't look at her when he said it, and turned his face back to the fire. "I force-fed you my blood, enough of it to heal the wound and keep you alive."

Kahli knew it. She could feel him, Will's thoughts, brushing against the inside of her mind. It was like a subtle breeze, one that barely lifted a wisp of hair, but could still be felt as it slipped across her skin. Once Kahli recognized the sensation, it didn't matter what she did, she couldn't push him out - she couldn't make it stop.

"That's what this is?" she asked, her finger pointing to her temple. "That's what I feel?"

Will stared into the fire watching the red and gold flames flicker. Kahli got to her feet and stood, moving away from him, horrified. He could feel it. He could feel everything.

"You can feel me? My thoughts?" The statement fell from her lips in a hushed whisper. Her heart was pounding so hard. Could he feel that, too? Did he know how terrified she was right then?

Glancing up at her, Will nodded once. "I can. But it's not one-directional. My thoughts are visible to you, especially if I'm emotionally agitated, like now. It's more than a sensation, Kahli. The blood linked us. I can see your thoughts. Your dreams flicker behind my eyes when you sleep. It's a direct link to your mind, and mine."

Kahli's face blanched. "Linked us?" Will nodded. The pit of her stomach felt hollow. Kahli wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling them tighter to make the panic stop. There was no way being linked to Will was ideal, but there was another vampire she was concerned about, "And the King? Are we linked the same way?"

"Not unless you drank his blood."

Relief washed over her and the death-grip on her arms loosened a little. Kahli leaned forward slightly, taking a breath, and shook her head saying, "Thank, God."

"Indeed," Will replied. He stood and walked over to her, stopping just out of reach. "However, you have to realize, that had to be the King's intention. If your blood wasn't so powerful, they would have consumed more. That's what I couldn't tell you before. The first drops the magistrate consumed nearly had fatal side-effects. They weren't used to human blood like yours. You nearly killed them, which is why I'm concerned about the King. He drank from you, didn't he? I mean, he didn't just rip open your throat and not taste you, right?"

Kahli's stomach twisted when she thought about it. "The King was hard to resist. I couldn't think around him. It felt like I was drugged." A flush reddened her cheeks. Will was watching her, but she couldn't look at him as she said it. "He bit me, and I let him."

She pressed her lips together hard, her gaze vacant like she was reliving the nightmare, and she was. The images and sensations blazed brilliantly in her mind, making her shiver in response. Kahli smoothed her hands over her arms, trying to chase away the fear. She stared into space as she spoke, "For a second, I was able to think. I don't know why. I realized what was happening and that if I didn't do something..." she sucked in a breath and looked up at him. "I stabbed him, Will. The King wasn't at my neck for very long, but he did drink from me - way more than a drop."

After everything that had happened, she didn't want to second-guess Will, but they were connected now and it didn't make her feel more secure. It made her feel vulnerable. He knew exactly what she was thinking. He could sense her thoughts and had access to everything inside of her mind. It wasn't something she wanted with anyone. Ever. It was too much. There was no time to process things, no time to react to what had happened. They'd both been so close to death. While losing Will wasn't an option, she didn't mean for this to happen, either. It was partly her fault