Dimension Fracture by Corinn Heathers Page B

into the center lane, keeping pace with the rest of the traffic but resisting the temptation to stomp on the accelerator. I closed my eyes briefly and let out a slow, weary breath. As I chased the negative emotions of fear, despair and heartbreak from my soul, I felt a glimmer I hadn't noticed before—a faint tingle of astral energy that pulsed through me.
    I stiffened in the driver's seat. The battle and the sudden and unexpected betrayal almost blinded me to what should have been obvious. It was at that moment that I knew the soldier had been wrong.
    No, not wrong, just lacking critical information. Under normal circumstances, he would have been correct, but he had no knowledge of the other link. The healing link that I forged six months ago bound us together as surely as the Relic once did. That bond was capable of functioning in either direction.
    There was a chance. Even if it was a small one, I could use that chance to save my love from those who betrayed us. We would be together again.
    I just had to figure out how.

reunion
     
    I knocked on the door. It was late afternoon and I hoped someone was actually at home. If need be, I would wait here for their return.
    My fears turned out to be unfounded. The door opened and Yoshiko stood at the threshold. Her bland expression suddenly faded upon seeing me, her eyes widening in shock as she took in my battered and battle-weary form.
    “Misaki, what—what the hell happened to you?!”
    I felt myself sway on my feet. Exhaustion was taking its toll; without the ability to draw upon more than a trickle of mana from the secondary link, I couldn't restore myself from the battle and the subsequent emotional turmoil. The narrow conduit could only pass enough astral energy to barely keep me alive and little else.
    Yoshiko pulled back the screen door and grabbed me by the upper arm, yanking me inside none-too-gently. She shut and locked the door behind her and nearly dragged me into the living room, helping me lay down on the couch. The soft cushions felt wonderful and I was having even more trouble keeping my eyes open.
    “I… Karin is…” My words came out muddled together and slurred. Yoshiko gazed down on me with a worried expression and she placed a hand on my forehead. My ears flicked weakly and I tried to move my tail, but most of my body didn't want to obey any of my mind's commands.
    “Shh, you're safe here, little fox,” Yoshiko murmured, her tone soothing and gentle. “I can tell you're about to keel over any minute.”
    I groaned and blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to keep awake. “Need to… need to tell you—Karin. They took Karin!”
    Yoshiko's worried expression became more intense. “What? Who took Karin? What happened to my daughter?”
    I opened my mouth to respond, but it was no use. Without the ability to refresh myself by drawing on Karin's astral energy, I couldn't fight my own need for rest any longer. The combined stresses of the battle and the aftermath were simply too great for me to bear. Consciousness faded from me and I fell into a thick, dreamless darkness.
    When sleep began to recede, I could faintly make out the sound of worried voices. I opened one eye and then the other. Yoshiko was in the room, but she was no longer alone. So-yi and Nicole were both sitting on the other couch across from the one I lay upon. I struggled to sit up, but weakness stole over my limbs.
    “You should sleep some more, little fox.” Yoshiko was kneeling in front of me, her hand brushing the hair from my eyes. “You were only out for a little over an hour.”
    I shook my head. “N-no, I'll be… okay. I need to tell you… to tell you what happened.”
    So-yi glanced at her mother and her partner in turn. “What's going on, Mama?”
    “I don't know. I suppose the little fox will be able to tell us, but she's so exhausted that I'm afraid she'll just pass right back out in the middle of the telling. We need to do what we can to help her.”
    “Yeah,” Nicole