AIR Series Box Set

by Amanda Booloodian

  Trying to stand up and follow was a mistake. My stomach swam almost as much as my head and I quickly sat back down. Listening intently, I tried to decipher what was happening downstairs, but it was quiet.

  After a few minutes, there were soft footfalls on the stairs. Relief flooded over me when Vincent appeared in my doorway.

  "We need to call Logan," he said.

  I took a mental note that he didn't enter the room. "Everything okay downstairs?"

  "Einar's gone. Get some rest. I'll call."

  Rest was something I could do. It was probably the only thing I could do. Trusting that Vincent had things covered, I slipped back into bed. I had barely tugged up my covers when I realized that Vincent hadn't said that everything was okay. Still, I trusted that he would let me know if he needed me.

  Thunder rolled in the distance. The voices in my head were quieter, and focusing on the thunder helped me block out anything they might be saying.

  After that long day, I should have slept like the dead. The real dead, not hopping-zombie-bunny dead. Instead, sleep came in fits of stilted dreams. I went from protecting my daughter in one dream to fighting Henry in another. When I woke up and saw the sun had come up, I decided to rise with it. The dream of running with the wind blowing through my fur left me feeling a little refreshed, but uneasy all the same.

  The feeling of fur stuck with me so intensely that I checked the mirror twice to assure myself that there was only skin showing. After my shower, I had to resist the urge to shake myself dry.

  My mind was too muddled from the night before. It was necessary to get up. I had to check on things, see what my partners were doing, and make sure everyone, especially Vincent, knew I was fine.

  Then I could go back to bed.

  Halfway down the stairs, the doorbell rang. "Come in!" I hollered, not wanting to be bothered with actually answering the door. Thankfully, Gran wasn't here to see me do that.

  Rider came in. He looked almost as tired as I felt, but there was something else too. I narrowed my eyes and saw him do the same. Carefully, I moved towards him. Something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it. He looked, I don't know, darker somehow, like a cloud was casting a shadow over his entire being.

  Rider glared at me. His lip curled back and he let out a snarl that caused me to pause, but I returned a scowl and continued moving towards him.

  It was the animal in him. That was the difference. I could sense the beast that hid below his skin. Taking a wide circle around him, I could sense the shifting wolf. Rider's skin stretched around his hands as they began to change shape. He didn't turn as I stalked around him, but when I stepped closer, he growled.

  Chapter 26

  The growl from Rider reverberated through my bones, making me want to step back, but I stood my ground.

  "Move back." It was a command that Rider issued, not a request.

  There was something inside me that wanted to move away, but another part, the stubborn, stupid part of my brain, made me take a step forward. The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood up. Rider, looking furious, took a step towards me. His hands were elongating, and sharp, thick nails protruded.

  "Hey!"

  Startled, my eye contact with Rider broke and I looked up at Vincent's glowering face. It felt like I had been doused with cold water.

  "Cass, move back," Vincent said. There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

  The stupid part of my brain was still in charge, though. I glanced up at Rider and met his gaze. My face grew hot as embarrassment took root.

  What the hell was I doing? "Rider-" I started.

  Rider's hand shot out with speed that I couldn't follow. He gripped my arm, and pain flared where his nails dug in.

  My mind whipped forward almost as quickly and plunged into the Path. With as much strength as I could muster, I shoved a wedge between us. Rider didn't let go of my arm, but I could make certain that's the only part of me he'd reach.

  But it wouldn't last. In moments, my grasp on the Path started to waver while Rider's became stronger.

  "What's going on?" Vincent asked. I could see his eyes starting to darken.

  "I don't know..." I started, but I wasn’t sure how to finish the thought.

  A loud, high-pitched whistle filled the room.

  Wincing, I looked up and saw Logan making the noise.

  The sound caught Rider and Vincent's attention as well. Rider's grip loosened and I let the Path fall away.

  The wolf looked down at me as the world went dull. Aside from his nose flaring, as though I smelled bad, there wasn't anything different about him. He was Rider and nothing more.

  The noise stopped.

  Rider looked down at his hand in confusion before drawing it away. He didn't meet anyone's eye, and he didn't look happy.

  "Someone needs to tell me what happened." Vincent looked like he was having a harder time letting go of his frustrations.

  "I think I started something," I said, trying to draw Vincent's ire away from Rider, "I'm not sure what, though."

  "Rider?" Vincent asked.

  "Something is different." Rider still wouldn't look at anyone. I could sense his irritation, but his hands were back to normal.

  The uncomfortable silence spread throughout the room.

  "I'm getting some coffee," I said. Even the small reading of the Path had wiped me out. And besides, I really wanted out of that room. I felt as though I had broken some unwritten rule with Rider, which made my stomach squirm.

  Logan followed me into the kitchen, but the others stayed behind.

  "Vincent told me you had quite the night," Logan said.

  "Yeah." I thought about Vincent's arms around me and felt my face grow warm. I put those thoughts out of my head and poured my coffee. Once I was situated at the table, Logan started again.

  "Seems to me, there might be some blanks in the story." When I didn't say anything, he went on. "Vincent said there was a long span of time where he wasn't sure what was happening."

  I glanced towards the living room. Nothing could be seen or heard from Vincent and Rider. "I'm not sure I know what happened myself. It was... I'm really not sure. I read Einar's Path and think I know what he is. He's a golem."

  Logan frowned. "You mean the creature from Lord of the Rings?"

  Could it be that I knew of something that Logan didn't? "Um, not exactly. It's something created. Out of clay."

  "You mean he’s not a Lost?" Logan asked.

  All those voices that had called out from Einar. They had all been Lost. Henry had taken their essence and poured them into the clay man, along with himself. Henry had been a Walker. I looked towards the living room again. Would Vincent get upset if he knew? How would he feel if I told others?

  "Uh, I don't think we can rule that out yet. Did you all find anything last night?"

  "There was an old church, but nothing looked out of order. If you know what we're looking for, we should probably stop by again."

  "I'm not exactly sure."

  "I'll call Hank and see if he can-"

  "No!" I hadn't meant to be so adamant, but it popped out of my mouth that way. "I mean, let's research a bit before bringing this to the office."

  Was that approval on Logan's face? He doesn't like AIR knowing too much, so maybe he thinks I’m siding with him. Maybe I am. Sometimes I wondered why he works with the agency.

  "It's not a big deal." I fidgeted with my cup of coffee. "I should go check on the rabbit."

  "Your rabbit is gone."

  "What?" Instinctively, I picked my feet up off the floor.

  "According to Vincent, it seems like Einar took him last night."

  "Why would he take the rabbit?"

  "Maybe he was the one who sent it?" Logan suggested.

  That thought wasn't appealing. If last night was any indication, Henry had the ability to put a soul into something.

  "There's something you're not telling me." Logan didn't mean it as an accusation, only a stateme
nt. "Does it have anything to do with what happened between you and Rider?"

  I shook my head. "I don't know what happened between Rider and me."

  "Looked like the two of you were about to duke it out."

  "I wasn't...I mean, I wouldn't..." I was stammering and had no real idea of what to say.

  "Good." Logan's voice lost its musical tone. "Tell me what happened in there."

  When I looked at Logan to repeat my answer, I saw that he wasn't looking at me.

  Rider leaned against the kitchen entryway but didn't come any closer. "She is different."

  "How so?" Logan asked.

  "Her smell has changed," Rider said.

  I rolled my eyes and went to get another cup of coffee. "I don't smell," I mumbled under my breath.

  That got the first grin I had seen from Rider this morning, but he still seemed to be unwilling to look at me. "Everything has a scent."

  "Great. Do I smell like Einar? I took a shower," I said. It seemed like a wise move to put a bit of space between Rider and myself, so I stayed behind the counter.

  Rider shook his head. "I smell werewolf."

  My mind flashed to the dream of the wind blowing through my fur as I ran. I felt rooted to the spot.

  "Werewolf?" Logan asked.

  "There are other smells. For me, the werewolf stood out. Especially when the wolf started to circle."

  "You were going to attack her because her smell changed?" Vincent came in keeping his face blank. "I thought you two were friends?"

  "I would have attacked the wolf." Rider glared at Vincent.

  "Really? It certainly looked like Cassie you had hold of," Vincent said.

  "It looked like Cassie, but the wolf was stronger."

  "You only-"

  Logan cut Vincent off. "Enough." They looked at the elf, but his gaze was on me. "Cassie?"

  I felt like a teacher had called me out at school to 'share with the class' what I had been doing.

  “My smell has changed before,” I said, trying to stall. “Why is this different?”

  “Her scent has changed before, but she was still there,” Rider said, not looking at anyone.

  “So what’s different now?” Logan asked, his gaze fixed on me.

  Glancing at Vincent, I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping he wouldn't get upset when I told the others about the Walker. About Henry.

  There was no use hiding it, though. Filling them in took a while. I described how I stupidly delved into the Path and then what I had learned. Vincent's cold face became stiffer the longer I talked.

  Glossing over the details of what the Lost suffered at the hands of Henry seemed like the best idea. Sadly, things don't always work out the way I want them to.

  "You saw this through Henry?" Logan asked.

  "No.” I struggled with what to say. “Well, part of it I saw through Henry."

  Vincent's anger was whipping around the room.

  "The rest...” I took a deep breath. “The rest I saw through those that he took. Everyone.”

  "Walkers can't do what you described," Vincent said flatly.

  "I'm sorry, Vincent." I meant it too. I was so sincerely sorry to have to tell him about Henry in front of everyone else. "But I think this one can."

  "You've been tricked," Vincent said, his voice still level.

  "Tricked?" I hadn't really thought about that. Was it even possible to trick a Path? "I don't think so. Einar didn't know what I was, or what I could do."

  "If he thinks he did all those things, really believes it, his Path would show you what he thinks." Vincent sounded so sure of what he was saying. It was starting to throw me off balance.

  "I went into those lives. The old witch who put up a fight, the werewolf that thought of his wife. There were others too. They were jumbled and confused, but they were there."

  Vincent crossed his arms and shook his head. "It's easier for you to believe a Walker is a monster than it is to believe that you might be wrong."

  Logan raised his eyebrows at Vincent. Even Rider, who still hadn't looked at me, was watching his partner with uneasiness.

  "I don't think I'm wrong here," I said. "I'm not saying you would do this. I'm saying that Henry did this. He thought he was helping. At least in the long run."

  "You don't take more than one soul at a time, and you can't animate a statue with what you have." Vincent's voice was starting to confirm his bitter anger.

  Except we knew that Walkers could take more than one soul at a time, because we had seen it happen. Bringing up Vincent's friend now would only make things worse.

  I tried a different tactic. "I don't think Henry tied their souls together with the clay. There was another man-"

  "We heard what you said about the other guy," Vincent said.

  My eyes began to sting. This was not the time to start tearing up. "This happened in the Civil War, right? Is it possible that Walkers could do different things back then?"

  "Maybe what he is does not matter." Rider was watching his partner carefully. "Cassie could be wrong. I think we have to take that as a possibility. But, does it matter either way? He is a killer. We know that as a fact."

  The doorbell rang. I hesitated, not knowing if I should walk by Rider, but then I decided it didn't matter. Anything was better than being in this room. Vincent and Rider both seemed to think I was wrong, my best friend wouldn't even look at me, and I had no idea what Logan thought about the whole situation.

  When I yanked the door open, my spirits lifted. "Morning."

  "I wish I could say it's a good one," Ethan said. "Is your team here?"

  My heart sunk a little. "Everyone's in the kitchen." I closed the door behind Ethan, and when I turned around, he hadn't moved. "What’s wrong?"

  Ethan tugged me into him and gave me a kiss. I had momentarily guilty thoughts about last night, but I shook them off. Vincent and I hadn't done anything wrong, and we had gone through a life-or-death situation. It was enough to stir up anyone's emotions.

  By the time the kiss ended, I was smiling.

  "I thought we should fit that in before business got in the way," Ethan said, looking down at me in his arms.

  "It's a shame that can't be the business of the day."

  "I wish it could be. Once all this is over, we should go away for a few days. Unwind, just the two of us."

  "That sounds like an excellent plan." Inside I was jumping up and down.

  Ethan glanced towards the kitchen.

  "Come on," I said, "I'll get you some coffee."

  The guys had been talking at the table, but stopped when Ethan and I entered the room.

  Logan tipped an imaginary hat at him. "Morning, officer."

  "Sorry to stop by like this," Ethan said, "but we have another body."

  Frowning, I transferred the coffee cup to a to-go tumbler, one for Ethan and one for myself. I thought about preparing more cups, but then figured the last thing my partners needed right now was coffee.

  "Government agent?" Logan asked.

  "A local judge. Found in his home last night," Ethan said. "The thing is I'm not sure that this is the same perpetrator.”

  "There are differences?" Logan asked.

  "No missing body parts, but I have to cover all my bases," Ethan said.

  Logan nodded. "We'll gear up."

  "I'll finish getting ready. Give me two minutes." Vincent didn't waste any time leaving the room.

  Rider followed Vincent, but hesitated. He turned his gaze on Ethan and studied him to the point that it became uncomfortable, and then Rider left the room.

  Ethan didn't look happy. Then again, if I had just come from a homicide, I wouldn't be happy either.

  It was going to be a long day. "I need to run upstairs and get my bag."

  "Ethan, mind if I talk to my partner for a minute?" Logan asked.

  "Yeah," Ethan said, "I'll be in the other room."

  Frowning, I looked at Logan and waited for him to talk. I could tell from the tilt of his head that
he was listening for the others.

  "I think you should sit this one out," Logan said after a few moments.

  My mouth dropped open. "What? Why?"

  "You had a rough night last night and a rough morning," Logan said.

  "Vincent had the same night and morning," I snapped.

  "He hasn't been running himself ragged for the past few days."

  "I haven't been-"

  "You've been pushing yourself too hard. Take the day. Let Vincent and Rider cool off, or whatever it is they need to do."

  I crossed my arms and glared at Logan. "You're sitting me out because of them?"

  "Mostly for you to get some rest, but it won’t hurt for you three to spend a day apart." Logan looked intently at me. It felt like he was reading my mind. "You know I'm right about this."

  This morning I had told myself I would get some rest, but that was before a body showed up. Now I felt like I was being moved aside.

  "It's probably not even connected," Logan said, "not if the signature is different. You could go out and check on Essy."

  "You know that things could have changed after the confrontation with Einar last night," I said.

  "It's possible. Last night he also said he had things to think about. We'll check it out. If he's our perp, we'll see about calling you in."

  I shrugged. "Sure." What else could I say? He wasn't wrong, and we both knew it. "Tell Ethan I have his coffee ready."

  Logan nodded and left the room.

  Ethan came in with a look on his face that I couldn’t place.

  "What's wrong?" I asked, handing him the coffee.

  "Did Vincent stay here last night?" Ethan kept his voice quiet.

  I could feel my face flush. "He did."

  "I see,” Ethan said. “Something happened last night, didn’t it?”

  I still couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but I took a guess. “He stayed in the spare bedroom.”

  Ethan gave me a wry smile. “I appreciate that, but that wasn’t what I was thinking.”

  Nothing was making sense this morning. “Oh. Um, yeah. Something kind of happened last night. ”

  "We've got a case right now," Ethan said. "Can you fill me in on the way?"

  “I’m sitting this one out,” I said.

  Ethan looked confused, but I could see some concern mixed in there, both of which were better than the unrecognizable look I had been getting. “You’re alright, though?”