by Ruby Dixon
So I give him space.
I try not to talk to Gabe too much, either, though I have a million questions. I study him as he walks. He’s dark haired and handsome, with a short beard covering his lower jaw and tattoos up and down his arms. He’s built pretty nice, and he’s tall, but he doesn’t compare to Liam. I guess I’m ruined for human guys after being around him. He’s clean, though, and friendly, and he has a dog. I can see why Benny went with this guy, for all that he’s a stranger. At least, he’s a stranger to me. Has my brother had a secret friendship with this man that I’ve been unaware of? I want to ask, but with Liam being twitchy, I suspect it’s best if I pretend like I’m not interested in Gabe at all.
I’m only interested in the mystery of him, really. As a man? Not so much.
“Not too much farther,” Gabe says as we turn down another street. He points up ahead, and I see an old multi-level parking garage up ahead, a familiar sight for fort dwellers. In the After, parking garages allow safety from the skies above while still giving space and relative freedom, so they’re natural shelters from the dragons who never really land, just flame overhead when they’re in the mood.
And as if the distant dragon can sense my mood, it lets out a bloodcurdling shriek that carries on the wind. My skin prickles and I automatically move a little closer to Liam for protection. His hand goes to my waist and clenches there, and I can practically feel the tension and body heat coming off of him.
Gabe turns back to look at us, grinning. He gestures at the sky. “I think she likes me.”
“How do you know that it’s a she?” I ask, feigning ignorance. I never thought about the gender of the dragons that attacked regularly until Rast and Amy showed up. Then, I found out that the smaller reds—the more frequent, more vicious attackers—are female and the big golds are males. I’m pretty sure it’s not common knowledge, though, so I’m curious how he knows the distant red dragon is female.
He shrugs. “Just a hunch. Come on. Her usual method of saying hello is to bellow a few times and then swoop in for the kill. We’d better hustle if we don’t want to be dragon appetizers.” And he begins to jog forward, Scooter bounding at his heels, tongue out.
As he jogs, I notice he has a bit of a limp, a leg he seems to favor more than the other. Interesting. I glance at Liam and then jog forward myself, mentally assessing the situation. It doesn’t look like an ambush, but then again, an ambush never looks like an ambush. I didn’t come this far to just get fried by a passing dragon anyhow.
We make it into the parking garage’s safety and follow Gabe farther inward as he heads down one of the ramps that lead underground. The moment we do, the entire parking garage seems to shake and the dragon overhead roars wildly, as if angry her prey’s gotten away.
Gabe just laughs like this amuses him. “Another day, lady,” he calls at the sky.
I slide a little closer to Liam as we walk and touch his hand with mine. “You okay?” I whisper.
“It’s a lot,” he murmurs, and there’s strain in his voice. “I just need to focus.” His gaze is distant, and he scratches at his arm absently.
Oh. I know what that means. I let a bit of space between us and release his hand. “If it’s too much for you, let me know and we can leave.”
“Not with a dragon overhead,” Liam says, his tone harsh. “We’re stuck here until she leaves. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” Before I can respond, he reaches out and grabs my hand. “Just one request.”
“What?”
“Don’t touch him.” He nods at Gabe, ahead of us heading down the ramp.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask why on earth I’d touch him anyhow. Does he think that the moment another human man shows up, I’m going to fling myself at him? I’m a little offended. “I don’t plan on it.”
“Good, because I think if you did, I’d have to kill him.”
I laugh at his weird joke, but when Liam doesn’t smile, I realize it’s not a joke. Oh. My laughter dies away quickly and I give Liam just a bit more space. I’m crazy about the guy, but right about now, I’m realizing I don’t know him as well as I should. There’s always going to be a part of him that’s completely alien and foreign, no matter how hard he tries to pass as human.
And I rub my arms, suddenly cold despite the muggy heat.
There’s a fire up ahead in an old metal barrel, the only light underground, and it illuminates the area around it in orange. I can vaguely see three men sitting near it, and instinctively, I hitch my shotgun a little closer to me.
“It’s me,” Gabe calls out.
“Just in time, boss,” one of them replies, getting to his feet slowly. Judging from the scratchiness of his voice, he’s an older man. “Your ladyfriend is up to her old tricks.”
Gabe just laughs, and his dog bounds ahead, all wagging tail. “Nothing in the traps,” he tells them as he approaches the fire. “But I did make a couple of new friends.” He turns back toward Liam and me. “What did you say your names were again?”
“I’m Andi,” I say, stepping a little closer to the fire. As I approach the light, I see that the three men sitting there are all old and frail. There’s one in a wheelchair who watches us with narrowed eyes, and next to him, a man with a lined brown face and snow-white beard adjusts a lawn chair, his weight leaning heavily on a cane. Across from them is the speaker, who has a long, scraggly beard and wears a white tank top and shorts and looks a bit like Santa Claus on vacation…and a diet.
I don’t need my gun around these men, I realize, and put on the safety, feeling ashamed. I glance behind me and Liam has his arms crossed, still hanging out in the shadows with his sunglasses on. He looks a little forbidding, and I can see they’re casting him suspicious looks.
“This is my boyfriend Liam,” I say, gesturing at him. “You’ll have to forgive him if he’s not much of a chatter. The After fucks with all of us, you know?”
The one with the cane nods and sits down in his lawn chair again. The moment he does, I’m surprised to see a scrawny cat immediately jump into his lap and butt her head against his hand. Another one emerges from the shadows and begins to clean its paws, and I catch a gleam of cat eyes off in the distance. More pets?
“We know how that is,” Santa says, stroking his beard. “I’m Major. The one with the cats is Charlie, and that’s Lester.” He gestures at the man in the wheelchair, and then at Gabe. “And you met him, of course.”
“Him and Scooter both.”
Charlie just shakes his head, petting the cat in his lap. “Worst damn guard dog ever.” But he chuckles.
I move a little closer to the fire, pretending to warm my hands even though it’s stifling underground with no breeze. Gabe unfolds a lawn chair and sets it down next to Charlie’s, and then finds two more and holds them out to me. “Help yourself.”
I take them and offer one to Liam.
He shakes his head, his mouth hard, and I get the impression his gaze isn’t focused entirely on me. Overhead, the dragon roars again and I inwardly wince. This has to be hard on him. I set my chair up and sit down across from the others. The moment I do, Liam is suddenly at my back, his hand stroking my braid, his other one on my shoulder. It’s like he’s staking me as his claim in front of the others, and I notice that they see the movement, too.
I touch Liam’s hand briefly and then smile at the men. “So, um, you guys are…nomads?”
The word doesn’t fit, not exactly. Every nomad I’ve ever met has been hard and rough and would sell his own mother for a chocolate bar. Most are criminals and rapists, and cluster together with other criminals and rapists because they’ve all been booted out of every fort they come to. That’s why it’s so dangerous to meet up with strangers in the After. The only ones that travel are the ones no one wants around.
That’s why I’m so terrified for Benny.
“Nomads?” Charlie scratches the ear of his cat absently. “That makes it sound like we do a lot of moving around.”
The one in t
he wheelchair—Lester—snorts.
“Let’s just say we left the last fort when we had a difference of opinions,” Major says.
Charlie laughs. “That’s a nice way of saying they didn’t want to feed the elderly anymore.”
Gabe’s mouth draws up in a half-smile, but he isn’t as amused as the others. Scooter puts his head on Gabe’s knee and he strokes the dog’s muzzle, his expression hard to read.
“Forts can be pretty shitty places,” I agree. It doesn’t surprise me that they booted out the elderly. In a place that doesn’t have a lot of food, people start looking for excuses not to share. I can see them wanting to get rid of those that can’t contribute. It doesn’t make it right, but I know it happens. “You guys seem to do okay for yourselves. How many cats do you have?”
“Six,” Charlie says proudly. “Some of ’em are in hiding though.”
“Six?” I gape at that. “Six and a dog?”
Major nods proudly and reaches over to clap Gabe on the shoulder. “This boy’s a damn good hunter. He’s able to keep all of us fed and happy.”
“I have a soft heart, what can I say,” Gabe drawls, but he gives Major an affectionate look.
Something tells me he really does. “I’m looking for my brother,” I begin again.
“Before we get into that,” Gabe says, and sits forward in his chair. “I think we should bring out the big guns.”
“Company time,” Lester crows, clapping his hands. “I like this.”
I look at them, confused, and I can feel Liam’s hand tighten on my braid. Am I missing something?
Gabe gets up and I automatically reach for the hilt of my shotgun again. He rummages through one of the many boxes of goods they have stacked around them, and then pulls out a small dark bag. “Tadaa. How long has it been since you had coffee, Andi?”
I gasp. “Shut the front door!”
All of the men hoot with laughter, except Liam. If anything, I can feel him getting tenser than before.
“It’s a little warm for coffee, but we save it for guests,” Gabe says, admiring the bag. “We don’t have much, so we try to make it last.”
“I’d love a cup,” I tell him, my mouth watering at the thought. One of the cats—a pretty tortoiseshell with only one eye—wanders close to my leg and rubs against me, purring. I reach down and pick her up, and she cuddles in my lap while Gabe gets out an old percolator pot.
This is downright cozy. If it wasn’t for how stiff and uncomfortable Liam is, I’d be having a wonderful time. As it is, I’m acutely aware of him, and I ache for him. I know this has to be hard. I pet the cat for a few moments and then ease it back to the ground. “Can you tell me about Benny?” I ask again.
Lester points at me with a trembling finger. “Sat right there not two days ago and drank a cup of coffee himself.”
“Scrappy kid,” Charlie says with a nod. “I liked him.”
Major studies me. “You look like him. Except the tooth, of course. Same face, though.”
My heart flutters with excitement at the mention of Benny’s tooth, as if that small detail brings him that much closer. “How was he? Was he okay?”
“He was real tired. Been riding his bike for hours, he said, but it was hurting his ass.” Lester cackles with amusement.
Well, that explains why he abandoned it.
“Told us he came up from Fort Orleans,” Charlie adds. “Said they booted him after his sister died.”
I gasp. “That lying little shit!”
They all laugh. “He’s a teenage boy,” Gabe says, ruffling Scooter’s ears. “Not sure what you expect.”
“He had a home at a perfectly nice fort! We’re from Fort Shreveport and it’s not like most of the others. Everyone’s welcome there. We’ve set ourselves up to be a haven from shitty forts like the one we came from, because everyone deserves to have a safe place to live and something warm to eat.”
They’re silent, and I’m not entirely sure they believe me. It probably sounds a bit like a fairy tale. I scrub my hand over my eyes, frustrated and tired. “I didn’t know Benny was so damn unhappy. Not until he just up and left. I knew he was lonely but…not that bad.”
Charlie pets his cat a bit more and shakes his head. “Benny wanted to stay with us. Said he liked hanging out with us.”
That surprises me a little. There’s old Grandpa Steve back at the fort and Benny never showed any interest in him.
“More like he liked the dog. And the cats. And Gabe,” Major counters.
“Everyone likes Gabe,” Lester agrees.
I look around at them, trying to hold back my frustration. “You didn’t let him stay? You kicked him out?”
Gabe narrows his eyes at me. “Do we look like monsters to you?”
“I’ve seen a lot of monsters in the After,” I tell him bluntly. “They don’t always look like monsters.”
A low, ominous sound starts behind me, and when the hand on my braid tightens, I realize it’s Liam and he’s growling. Oh fuck. The sound is low enough that I don’t think the others have heard it yet, but one of the cats skitters away and Scooter’s ears prick. I put my hand over Liam’s and twine my fingers with his, giving him a squeeze to remind him that I’m here. I hope some of my calmness bleeds over to him…and then I remind myself I need to be calm. Chill.
These people don’t realize Liam’s a dragon and far more dangerous than they’re aware of.
But Gabe starts speaking again. He crosses his arms over his chest, slouching in his chair. “We told him this wasn’t any place for a kid. It’s hard enough out here for the four of us, but if he got into trouble, I don’t know that we could help him out of it. And with that dragon that’s got her eye on me like I’m her next snack?” He shakes his head. “Just didn’t make sense for him to stay. So we took him to Fort Justice up the road.”
“Fort Justice? I’ve never heard of it.” I bite back my disappointment. Part of me was hoping that Benny would pop out from behind some of the boxes scattered in this garage, that he’s just been in hiding, waiting to trick his older sister. Instead, we have to keep going, and this hunt is starting to feel endless.
“Fort Justice,” Gabe drawls, and I don’t miss the sour looks on the old men’s faces. “The place that kicked us out. They take kindly to children there, of course. Lots of families. And Benny’s young and strong. They’d like him.”
I want to protest. Why on earth would they take him to the same crappy fort that booted them? But I know my answer before I even speak. A fort won’t kick out a strong, healthy kid that can turn into a provider and a protector. It’s the elderly and weak that they don’t want. It’s different for Benny. Awful, but true. “So you think he’s there?”
“Unless he packed up and left in the last two days. It’s only a couple hours’ walk from here. I took him there,” Gabe says, with a slow nod. “Seemed like the best place. Bunch of families split off when Fort Eureka bit the dust a few years back, and they’re real strict on rules but there’s a lot of kids his age. I thought he’d be okay there. We can head out in the morning if you like. I need to do some trading with them anyhow.”
Another delay. I squeeze Liam’s hand because he’s been so utterly silent, and try to sound cheerful. “That’s really nice of you, but if you can give us directions, we’ll be on our way.”
“With a dragon attacking overhead?” Gabe shakes his head. “Sorry, but I know this gal.” He points at the sky. “You’re gonna be pinned down until morning. And besides, you wouldn’t be able to find Fort Justice. The place is hidden and near impossible to find without help.”
“I appreciate the help,” I admit grudgingly. “Is there a price?” Everyone always has a price, and I want to know what I’m getting into.
Gabe’s eyebrows go up. “Nice offer, but I’m not interested in fort pussy.”
I bite back my gasp, but it’s too late. Liam surges forward, a snarl on his lips. I barely manage to get to my feet and block him before he can tackle Gabe, who’s al
so on his feet.
“Liam!” I put my hands on his chest. “Hey! Calm down. Look at me.” I tap a hand on his chest. “Look at me, Liam. You know I wasn’t offering that. No one’s going to touch me, babe.” I emphasize the nickname, trying to remind him of what we’ve shared.
I’ve never seen him so wild. His entire body shivers, as if trying to hold back pent-up rage. For once, I wish his sunglasses and baseball cap weren’t hiding his eyes entirely—I need to know how dark they are. I can guess, though.
“Babe,” I whisper again. “Come on. Focus on me. Take deep breaths.”
He jerks his gaze toward me and scratches at one arm furiously. “Andrea.” The word is breathless and half-growled.
“It’s all right. I promise. No one’s touching me.”
“If you’d let me finish,” Gabe begins, and I want to slap him across the face for being an idiot. “I was gonna say that there’s no price. We have everything we need and I don’t like using people. If you’ve got extra bullets, I’ll take a few off your hands, but other than that, we don’t want anything.”
Liam doesn’t even glance in his direction. His fists flex, clenched tight at his sides.
“See?” I whisper. “It’s okay.” I give him a tremulous smile, my heart aching for my poor dragon. He’s never been this wound up in the past and I can’t help but feel responsible. I’m the one that insists on kissing and touching, after all. His lack of control has to be my fault.
Liam’s head tilts slightly, and I realize he’s glancing down at me. I can see myself in the reflection of his sunglasses and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Just tonight,” I murmur to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Tonight and then we’ll be on our way tomorrow, okay?”
“If…anyone tries to touch you…” His voice is all gravel, all danger.
“They won’t,” I promise him quickly. I release him and turn around, looking at the others. There’s wariness on their faces, the open friendliness from earlier gone. The distrust and resignation on their faces—as if they’re looking at their doom—breaks my heart. “Do you have some place we can sleep tonight in privacy?”