“Okay. That answers how you found me. Now what do you want?”
“Is that any way to talk to your grandfather?”
“I guess not. So, how have you been? And what do you want?”
“I want to know what you’re doing here.”
“Taking a break.”
“From what?”
“Life as I knew it.”
“Evasive. Why all the secrecy? Your mother worries.”
Rosie looked uncertain. “Oh. Well. Tell her I’m fine and that I’ll come see her soon.”
“And tell her where you are?”
“No. I want to be on my own for a while.”
“Not sure that’s the best choice. You can be ‘on your own’”, he did air quotes, “without being AWOL.”
“Maybe not.” She lifted her chin. “But it’s my choice.”
“Not sure you’re old enough to make your own choices. You’re a baby demon.”
Carnal looked at Rosie like he was seeing her for the first time. “You really are a demon?”
She looked at Carnal like she was trying to decide how much to tell. “Sort of. I’m half demon, a quarter witch, and a quarter human. Or something like that.”
Carnal nodded then smiled broadly. “You’re hybrid. Like me, except you’re…”
“Yes. Go on.”
“You’re made up of creatures that don’t exist. Myths.”
“Myths!” Deliverance nearly sputtered. “Very well. Since I don’t exist, would you mind staying out of the talk I’m trying to have with my granddaughter?”
“Look, Grand,” Rosie interjected. “Thanks for stopping by. Please don’t make trouble for Kell or these,” she looked at Carnal, “people.”
Kellareal appeared in his guise as Finrar, the elf. “Oh. He’s not going to get me into trouble. I’ve got too much on him.”
“Do you mind?” Deliverance said to Kellareal. “This is a family matter, which means you are not included.”
Kellareal, as Finrar, smirked at Deliverance, then turned to Rosie. “Did you know that he…?”
“We’re going,” Deliverance said quickly. “If you stay too long, I’ll be back to check on you.”
At that Carnal and Rosie were once again alone together in his former bedroom. Carnal didn’t move or take his eyes away from the spot where the angel and the demon had been. “Did you see the ears on that guy?”
Rosie suppressed a smile. “That guy was Kellareal. He likes to dress up. And, yeah. It’s one of his most attractive guises.”
He jerked his gaze in her direction and spoke gruffly. “You think that’s attractive?”
She laughed. “You’re taking this pretty well if your most pressing question is about whether or not I think the angel is cute when he’s dressed as an elf.”
Carnal’s brows were raised. “So you can vanish and appear anywhere? Any time?” She nodded. “And you can make a wrecked bike look new?”
Her lips twitched. “I’m not going to become your super-mechanic, Carnal. And I’m not going to stay if anybody else finds out. I’m just a girl who cleans up and serves drinks at a pub. Sometimes I watch the children and cook for them.”
“The Extant doesn’t know?”
“All your father knows is that he’s doing Kellareal a favor. He doesn’t know what I am. Only you know.”
Carnal stared at her for a few beats, then grinned. “That you’re a sex demon? What exactly does that mean?” He ran the back of his hand down her bare arm, making her shiver noticeably. “Is that why I’m having this reaction to you?”
She walked across the room and pulled the shutters closed, acting like the shiver was the result of cool night air. “If you mean that the way I think, I hear it doesn’t take much to interest you.”
“What have you heard?”
She turned to see him prowling toward her with a grace that reminded her of the way big cats move when they’re not in a hurry. He stopped just short of touching. She thought he seemed even bigger when he was standing so close and looking down at her with that intensity that she’d come to think of as purely Carnal.
“I heard you’d been screwing around in the city.”
He chuckled . “So, Rosie, who’s just a girl who cleans up and serves drinks, I like you.”
“I like you, too, Carnal. So I guess we’re done here?”
She started to step around him, but he pulled her back and held her in place, his hands on her waist. That was the first time she heard it, the low rumbling vibration.
“What is that?” She looked around, trying to locate the source of the sound. Her eyes snapped wide open as they jerked up to his face. “Are you…? Are you purring?”
He smiled slowly. “I can’t control it. I know you think it’s an obnoxious noise, but…”
“I didn’t say I think it’s obnoxious.”
“Yes. You did. About Catty Kay.”
“The cat is a monster. Everything she does is obnoxious.” Rosie moved closer, pulled in by the sound. “It’s different coming from you.”
His smile broadened. “I’m glad you don’t think I’m a monster. Does that mean you don’t hate it?”
“I don’t…”
Whatever Rosie was going to say was swallowed by his kiss. It started slowly, tentatively, but within seconds she was swept up in the moment and pressing her body into his. When he broke away to nuzzle her neck and collar bone, the purring grew so loud it reverberated through her entire body. Apparently either the witch or demon in her liked it. A lot.
She’d thrown her head back and was struggling to breathe when there was a loud knock on the door.
“Ignore it,” Carnal ordered.
What she ignored was Carnal’s order. She pushed away from him, strode toward the door, and opened it wide.
Looking from Rosie’s flushed face to Carnal’s irritated glare, Charming sized up the scene in a flash.
“Oh,” he said. “Sorry. They started the bonfire. I thought you’d like to come down. For an ale?”
“Thanks, Charming. I’ll be down in just a minute.”
He nodded, but it was clear that he was disappointed about finding her with Carnal. He stepped toward Rosie. Speaking softly he said, “Hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Figuring it out one day at a time. Like everybody else.”
Charming glanced at Carnal, not attempting to disguise his concern, then turned away.
Carnal had come up behind her. When he reached out to close the door, Rosie put her hand up and stopped its progress. “I’m going to the bonfire. Want to come?”
“Had something else in mind.”
“Maybe you can be flexible.”
“Maybe. We’re not done talking.”
Rosie looked up, her hand still holding the door open. “What else do you want to know?”
He reached up and traced her jawline with his thumb. “How long are you staying?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there anything that could convince you to stay?”
Rosie searched his eyes. “I don’t know.”
“Okay.” He smiled. “Like that the answer isn’t no.”
She pulled a shawl from her dresser. “Okay.”
When she reached for the door, he closed it. “One more thing. The day Charming was hurt. I saw his leg broken. You fixed it, didn’t you?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that.”
He laughed. “You think I can’t tell if you try to pad your feelings with words? I saw his leg. Before it was fixed.” She shrugged. “And that day with Catty Kay…” When his thoughtful expression took on a hopeful glimmer, she knew what was coming next. “So, my brother, Crave…”
She turned to face him because she wanted him to fully absorb the truth of her answer. “No, Carnal. I want to. So much it surprises even me, but something that big… I can’t.” He nodded and looked disappointed, but not disappointed in her. “I’m sorry.”
“No. Stop. I just had to ask.”
He pulled her back into him. “So am I. I’m right behind you,” he growled.
Sitting on the ground in front of the bonfire, leaning back into Carnal, his arms around her keeping her warm while she drank red ale, she thought that place might be as good as any place. Perhaps she could be persuaded to stay.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Carnal’s fascination with Rosie hadn’t been gradual. It had hit like a jolt of electricity in the midst of the single most horrific event of his life. It had haunted him throughout his period of self-loathing and mourning over what had happened to Blaze. Eventually the desire to find out if his reaction was a fluke pulled him home again.
He felt a similar tingling sensation the second time he saw her, when he’d found her sleepy and in his bed. Her eyes had sparked with an interest that had made it almost impossible not to grab and claim her on the spot. He’d known instantly that every female he’d ever seen up to that moment was inferior in every way. Since then, he’d tried a variety of approaches that should have caused her to want to get to know him more intimately. The most successful, by far, had been the picnic date, but that had ended with a battle summons.
He understood without being told that Rosie wasn’t ready to be claimed. He knew she wasn’t put off by him. She was receptive, and his intuition informed him that she was attainable. He just had to bide his time until he understood the way her mind worked and what she needed.
It was a relief to find out she was probably even less human than he was, but it also presented a puzzle. What kind of guy did demon girls go for? He hoped they liked strong young hybrids who were alpha of their crew, with influential parents, and an impressive track record pleasing females sexually. If not, he’d find out what she wanted, and try to be more like that. He could be flexible, he told himself.
So he’d walked her back to the house after the bonfire then disappeared into the night leaving her wondering what had just happened. His intuition had also told him that leaving her a little confused might get more of her thoughts directed his way. And that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
The next morning, Free was waiting for Rosie in the kitchen.
“Eat,” he said. “Have coffee. You’re coming with me to Farsuitwail.”
It was short, but couldn’t be said to be sweet. In fact, it was gruff. So gruff that Rosie thought it best not to question the Extant. She hurriedly ate what Serene left for her standing, and drank half a mug of coffee while Free watched.
“Should I go tell Dandelion I won’t be in this morning?” she asked.
Free shook his head. “She knows. Serene left these for you, said to put them on under your skirt.” He handed her a pair of leathers like the ones she’d worn on her date with Carnal.
She took them without argument.
“I’ll be waiting outside,” Free said as he was walking out.
She dropped her boots to the floor, pulled the pants on under her skirt, and relaced the boots as fast as she could. Once she stepped outside, she understood why Serene had been thoughtful enough to provide leathers.
Carnal and his crew were waiting on their bikes, while Free mounted his own. “Carnal says you can ride with him.”
She looked questioningly at Carnal, hoping for an explanation. “We’re escorting the Extant and his guest to Farsuitwail.” He held out the fur and leather jacket she’d worn on their date. She took it and put it on gratefully, knowing the wind would go right through her shawl like she was wearing nothing.
The Rautt had not forced human tech workers to simply disable every power source. They’d forced the destruction of the technology foundation before they’d killed everyone who worked in a tech or power capacity. That destruction included all knowledge recorded digitally, on drives, or discs. Everything that required external power became history.
The surviving humans depended on fire for heat, light, and cooking. They depended on looms to weave clothing. They depended on wildcrafting for medicine. They depended on draft horses and oxen to plow the fields. Most huddled together in and around Farsuitwail, hoping for safety in numbers. Some lived on farms with the city as a quasi-barrier between them and the wasteland.
To a cultural observer, or a Rautt raiding party, the humans would appear to be living in preindustrial times, with the exception of transformers in tangled ruins and former nuclear facilities rising from the sands of the wasteland, standing in small clusters like sleeping sentries.
What the Rautt failed to do was destroy the bound books with paper pages. And since most of the people left alive could read, the human population was motivated to secretly begin reconstructing the lost knowledge.
They’d constructed hidden rooms with soundproofing, moved all the books to basements with access perfectly hidden unless you knew where to look. Adults who were interested in self-educating could spend time there, but could not remove books. After thirty years, a system of underground colleges had developed in Farsuitwail. They were so well-hidden that even Exiled didn’t know about them.
Children were openly taught reading, writing, and math, but all studies that hinted at science were esoteric. They’d developed means for identifying children with aptitude for science or mechanics. Those children were given a solid foundation in mathematics so that, when they reached puberty, they would be moved into an accelerated program of study, the goal being twofold. To reharness the lightning for ease of living. And to build a self-defense system to protect them from their enemies.
Rosie had guessed right. Though the Exiled had done a fair job of protecting humans from the Rautt for twenty-five years, some of the Farsuitwailian authority figures saw them more as a problem to be solved than as benign protectors. A variation on the cure being as bad as the disease. Because there was significant dissent on whether or not to trust the Exiled, they were as ignorant of human industry, and plans, as were the Rautt.
The first hint that a human-generated storm might be brewing was presented by the unlikeliest source, a visiting girl, human by all appearances, presently working as a bar maid.
The ride down the foothills was fast, but it had been so long since the roads had been repaired that it was impossible to miss all the holes and cracks. After a couple of uncomfortable bounces, Rosie surreptitiously improved the suspension on Carnal’s bike. That left her free to enjoy the ride, the smell of Carnal, and the feel of holding onto his rock-hard torso. Even with those distractions, her mind was preoccupied with questions about why she’d been brought along.
They slowed when they entered the outskirts of the city. The streets were wide because they had once accommodated motor vehicles, but were in poor repair like the rest of the territory Rosie had seen. People on the streets stopped and stared even though Rosie was sure they must be accustomed to seeing Exiled in and around Farsuitwail.
Free and his escort stopped outside a stone building with an impressive number of steps, columns, and guardian statues of some sort of beast Rosie wasn’t familiar with, which meant they were mythical.
“What’s here?” Rosie asked Carnal so that only he could hear.
“The mayor and his fools,” said Easy.
She’d forgotten that hybrids had really good ears. She looked over at Easy, then back at Carnal, who was completely non-committal.
“Do you know why I’m here?” she almost whispered.
“You don’t?” Rosie shook her head. “The Extant has a circle of confidantes. I’m not one of them. All I know is, we’re here to keep you safe.”
Rosie looked around. “Safe from humans?”
He bowed slightly from the waist to bring his face closer to hers. “Safe from anybody who means you harm.”
“Rosie! You’re with me,” Free called.
She moved toward Free, glancing back at Carnal once over her shoulder. She rushed to keep up with Free’s long strides. “What’s this about?”
“I told you I would be bringin
g you along when I came to have a talk about the future of Exiled and Farsuitwail.”
“Oh,” she said. “What do you want me to do?”
“Keep your mouth shut, eyes and ears open.”
“Okay. I can do that.”
Free came to an abrupt halt and looked down at her. “You’d better.”
Rosie was fairly certain that she didn’t like the gruff, bossy version of Free, but given what she’d learned about Exiled, it didn’t surprise her that he sounded like ‘he who must be obeyed’. The real surprise probably should have been that he was able to check those aspects of his personality at the door of his home and show up for dinner appearing to be relaxed and laid back.
Climbing the steps from the street to the giant portico of Farsuitwail’s City Hall, she asked Free, “How do handicapped people access this building?”
He looked at her as if to say that was a strange question, but didn’t answer.
Carnal and the four other members that made up his ‘crew’ followed close behind.
The mayor had apparently been alerted that Free and company had arrived because he stood in the middle of the octagonal foyer with his entourage. Rosie noted that there were no clues that would give away the fact that he was the most powerful person in the city. He wore the loose-fitting hemp and wool clothes that Rosie had seen on most of the other humans they’d passed on the way into the city.
He was around fifty and appeared to be on the fit side for men of his age. He was plain-looking, brown hair, brown eyes, not remarkable in any way that Rosie could tell.
Free walked directly to him. Rosie thought the mayor looked wary about an unplanned visit, but covered it with a smile as he held his hand out to welcome Free.
“Mr. Mayor,” said Free without returning the smile. “I’d like a few words if you can manage the time.”
“For you, of course.” The mayor turned and walked in the direction of a conference room near his office and held the door open. The room was light because of a wall of windows. A small fireplace at one end took some of the chill out of the room, but Rosie kept the fur jacket on. Carnal, Clash and Yellow entered the room with Free, but Easy and Joy remained outside.
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