Danny jabbed his finger at me, too angry to be reasoned with. “You can’t act all indestructible when one of your Death Reapers is a joke!”
I glared up at him. “I’d like to know who you think you’re yelling at. Don’t be pissed at me. I didn’t do anything wrong. Ya’ll are constantly reminding me how down and out Terraway is, but now I’m in trouble because I’m trying to fix the problem faster than you want? Nonsense!”
Danny was instantly fed up. He threw his hands in the air and backed away. “That’s it. I can’t deal with her when she’s like this. She’s being impossible, Ezra!”
Mariang’s bell-like voice tried to temper Danny’s fury. “Danny, you’re shouting! You’re scaring her.”
I pointed to the door. “Go outside.”
“What?”
I stood precariously, grateful that Von offered his arm on my elbow to steady me so I didn’t lose my balance. “Go into the hallway and come back when you’re good and ready to act like an adult.”
Danny’s face soured. “Are you serious? You’re practically a teenager!”
“And you’re an old man who should know better. Someone has to be the adult here, and you sure don’t seem up for the task. Now, march!” I lowered my volume. “Go back out and come in with a new attitude, or I don’t say a word.”
We glared at each other until Danny realized that I held all the cards. He breathed hard through his nose like a bull, then stomped out, slammed the door and came back in with the exact same expression and edge to his tone. “October, how great that you’re alive and well. It’s great that you woke up when we weren’t sure you would! Everything’s… great. Say, do you think you could never do that again when you’ve only got one Puller on you? That would be great.”
Von laughed, despite the somber mood. “Oh, that was priceless. Why do I never get these moments on film?”
I gripped the headboard as a residual wave of exhaustion hit me. “Okay, everyone needs to sit down. I’m on the verge of passing out again, so just be cool.”
Danny stormed out of the room and came back a few seconds later with a bottle of water, thrusting it in my face and nearly hitting my nose with it. “There. Now can you talk?”
I uncapped the bottle with shaking fingers and tipped the cold liquid to my lips. The refresher felt amazing, reviving me a marginal amount. I wasn’t used to my limbs being so out of sorts, and I didn’t care for the vulnerability of it. I tilted my head up at Danny, smiling through my loathing. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a sweetie pie? I mean, you’re practically a My Little Pony with all your precious little love muffiny goodness. As soon as you grow your hair out, I’m braiding it for you and brushing sparkles in it.”
“Ezra!” Danny shouted, pointing at me like a true tattletale. “Deal with her!”
Ezra cut through our bickering with a finality in his tone. “Time to put your childishness aside, you two.” He turned his shoulders to address only me, his crisp white oxford shirt not daring to crease at the slight movement. “October, if Von is not with you and Mason, please limit the number of reapings to as many as Mariang can do.”
I balked as Von’s head whipped in Ezra’s direction. “I’m not fired?”
“Though you deserve it, no. It’s clear she can do far more with two Reapers than with one. We need to take our advantage where we can get it. Is that acceptable to you, October Grace?”
“Sure. I don’t want to babysit, though. I don’t want to have to drag a grown man out of bed or wait for him to show up to work.” I scratched the back of my left hand with the plastic cap of my water bottle. “So if you can handle that end of things, I can work with Von just fine.”
“That’s fair.” Ezra placed his hand on Von’s shoulder. Though he was not forceful, Von stiffened at the authoritative contact that subtly told him to shape up. “Von, you’ll spend every night with Mason and October. There will be no more going out. You cared about this chance at redemption enough to steal the job. Now it’s time to actually do your job. Pulling during sleep is quite effective. If she’s bent on saving our people at any cost, you’ll do everything to make certain the effort doesn’t kill her.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” Von’s blue and gold eyes were alight with new life at the second chance he had not anticipated. I could tell he was used to being fired.
This was clearly not what Danny wanted to hear. He erupted in a sea of questions and aggressive exclamations, some directed at me, though I was barely upright. I’m not sure what he was expecting me to say. “I’ll wait until you’re finished,” I said when Danny paused for my rebuttal. “I assume you eventually want to hear about the Goblin King’s threat when you run out of air?”
Danny’s small nose scrunched. “What threat? He’s dead.”
“Oh, the threat he told me that’s already in motion. The one you probably don’t want to be yelling at me about. Unless you really do want me to put makeup on you and do your hair up all pretty first. I mean, I assume that’s what all the yelling’s really been about.”
Ezra touched his finger to his forehead, centering himself. “Apologies. Do continue, dear.”
It threw me whenever he called me dear or darling, but I breezed over it when Mason sat down next to me on the bed. “It’s a family matter, so new guy needs to wait outside.” I motioned to Andy, whom Ezra dismissed with a wave of his hand. “Thanks. Titus said that if I didn’t cooperate and give him the whole stone, he had spies in the security detail you hired, Ezra, who would target Mason and Von.”
“Target how?”
“He threatened me by saying they could feed a few organs not necessary for survival to Sylvia’s people. Keep the guys alive, but slice them up. He said he could do the same to Danny if I got attached to him. He said I only needed one Duwende, so if worse came to worst, the plants in security could do away with one of you.”
At this, Mariang burst into tears and ran out of the room.
Danny glowered at me. “Did you have to be so graphic? You know she’s sensitive.”
My head tilted to the side as I looked up at him curiously. “You’re really thinking about her when your life’s being threatened? Huh. You’re sweeter than I thought. That’s actually real decent of you, Danny.”
Danny started shouting again in exasperation. “Hello! Everything she goes through affects me. I have to clean up every mess. If she’s upset, it falls to me to handle.”
I nodded at the epiphany. “Ah, gotcha. So you’re not worried about her. You’re worried about how her loving you is a burden on you. Makes sense. Prince Charming if I ever saw one. I daresay that’s a leg up from My Little Pony.”
Danny turned to Ezra and pointed at me. “Would you deal with her before I lose my temper?”
I gaped at Danny. “This is you keeping your temper? You’re yelling like a toddler.”
Ezra waved a hand in the air to clear it of our bickering. “Continue with relevant information, October Grace.”
“One of the plants in security might try to steal the stone soon to give to some guy named… I think it was Sam?”
“Sama,” Danny breathed, his head hanging in defeat. “I was hoping he wouldn’t find out about you yet. We need more time before he gets a plan into action.”
“Who’s Sama?”
Mason fielded this one. “The immortal Mangkukulam.”
For my benefit, Von added, “That’s sort of like a witch.”
“Super,” I deadpanned.
Mason continued, “Sama and another mage studied under the last Kapre – that’s a giant-like man who loves gems and enchants them with magic. They’re extinct now. Have been for like, a century.”
Ezra picked up the story for me. “Sama and the other mage stumbled upon the secret to the immortality curse, but the last Kapre punished them for using it. No one knows what became of the second mage, but Sama’s been confined to an island no one can get to in Terraway. So he’ll live forever alone.”
“Then what’s the
big threat? If Sama can’t get to us, who cares if he knows we have the sagrado stone?”
Ezra was patient with my question. “Over the decades, Sama’s been perfecting his magic. He can send his spirit out into others now. Weak-minded people are usually his targets, and do his bidding. It’s how he negotiates with the rulers of Terraway. He offers rations and relief from the famine, but with Sama, it’s never help that should be taken. His help always comes with strings that are most difficult to sever.”
Mason rubbed my back, inching closer to my side. “The sagrado stone would make Sama’s rations useless. He wants us owing him favors. He wants to be in control of Terraway. Immortality’s nothing if you can’t lord it over the mortals.”
Danny let out a huff of frustration. “All that can wait until later to be discussed. Tell me what Titus said. Was he working for himself, or was he going to hand over the stone to Sama?”
I took another drink of water, prolonging the swallows just to watch Danny creep closer to the edge of exploding again. “Ah. Refreshing. No. It sounded like Titus wanted to keep it for himself. Though I’m not sure if the plants were from just him, or from Sama, or from both.”
“Well, that doesn’t help us much,” Danny grumbled, as if the lack of information that pleased him was my fault. “If the plants in your security are from Titus, they’ll go away since he’s gone. If they’re from Sama, then we still don’t know who we can trust.”
“Sounded a little like both of them were going to target us for the stone, though I don’t think they were working together.”
Danny’s frown tightened. “Brilliant.”
I shrugged, not sure if Danny wanted an apology for something that wasn’t my fault. “Titus let it slip that they’ll target Mariang next. He said something about her being precious to you, Ezra, and that if you didn’t comply with giving the Goblins the stone, they’d start in on her non-vital organs. Now that they have me, they’re not as concerned with making sure Mariang stays alive. She’s more of a tool to get you to comply.”
Ezra gripped the wall, all of a sudden needing it to keep himself upright. “Mariang? Mariang!” he called into the hallway, going from composed king to crazed father. “Mariang!”
Though I didn’t expect her to be abducted right then, her answering call was a relief felt around the room. When she entered, tucked in her father’s embrace, Danny and Von postured. Mason stood between the door and the group as sentry. I saw just how much she was treasured by the people in her life.
Bev hugged me once that I remember. It was for a mother daughter pageant, and they needed photos of all the mothers with their daughters. I had been wrestled into a red, white and blue leotard with a giant white hoopskirt and white high heels. While I’m sure lots of five-year olds want to wear three-inch high heels, I was not that girl, nor could I walk in them. Bev wore a matching outfit that had been adulted up for the occasion. Her white skirt barely covered her butt, and instead of a leotard, she wore a red halter top that clung to her braless breasts. She shoved those babies in every judge’s face she could find. To get me to smile for the picture, she had pinched my arm hard to get me to comply. When she’d drawn blood with her acrylic fingernails, a drop of red had spilled onto my white hoopskirt. I still remember that beating.
Ollie had long since refused to go to any kind of pageanting event, so Allie had been there to chaperone. When I fell onstage because of the high heels I was far too young to handle, Allie held me while I cried for ruining Mama’s special day.
After an adolescence of that, I cared probably a little too much about ruining people’s days with my feelings, so I kept them tucked away as much as I was able. I couldn’t feel much love in hugs or truth in affection. But looking at Ezra gripping his adult daughter in fear that someone might snatch her away, I almost believed that people could love, and that there didn’t have to be a camera present for your parent to hug you.
Ezra explained everything, and Mariang paled further, which I did not think was possible.
“There’s more,” I said, bringing the scattered attention back to business. “Titus didn’t tell me who the spies were, but I assume they’re already in place. Point is, if we increase security around Mariang, it’s a risk. We don’t know who’s in Sama’s pocket and who’s trustworthy. My vote is we only trust each other. Not too many better options than the people in this room.”
Ezra clutched his daughter tight, fear etched on his face as the impossible conundrum hung in the air.
5
My Freak-out Barometer
Von sat next to me on the edge of the bed when it was just the two of us left in the room. He leaned his left shoulder against the headboard after the others went downstairs to debate over what measures should be taken. Our legs were slung over the side of the bed, though we kept a few inches of space between us. He slowly lit his cigar and puffed on the end, looking bedraggled and certainly not like he’d slept in.
“Where were you really?” I asked.
“At Katrina’s.”
“You’re a terrible liar, you know. If you were thinking of taking up a career as a double agent for the CIA or something, I’d give the want ads another browse through.”
Von eyed me. “Actually, I’m a brilliant liar. Strange that you see through it. Fine. I went over to a friend’s in the morning. It got a little messy, and took longer than it should’ve. By the time I got back, you lot were gone.”
“Oh, good. I was worried you’d be cryptic about it. You know, it sucks that you get to keep secrets and I can’t.”
“What a mess,” Von murmured, his eyes downcast. His head hung like there was a weight around his neck. “No offense, but this pulling job’s more involved than I realized. No wonder Danny’s always such a wanker.”
“Yup.”
“Ezra gave me the job guarding the mansion only a few months ago. I was trying to turn things around, but of course I mucked it up.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were that new here. What were you doing before this?”
“Nothing I was proud enough to list on a resume.”
I winced, remembering Danny’s mention of him being a prostitute. I wondered how long ago all of that was.
Von held his right hand up to show it to me, displaying its innocence. “You’re ripping your skin, you know. You’re going to draw blood, and I’m already feeling it. Can I take a little of the edge off?”
“Oh. I didn’t realize I was doing it.” I considered his offer and finally nodded, my voice quiet so no one heard my admission of weakness. “Sure. Thanks. Just please don’t—”
“I know.” Von gently rubbed my back in slow circles. “Don’t touch your hands and don’t pull too hard. I know.” It took less than a minute for my completely erect spine to slump as Von relaxed me. It was the pulling, sure, but it was also the contact that soothed me. He and Mason offered it so freely and so often – I knew it wouldn’t be long before I became a contact junkie, seeking out physical touch for no reason other than luxury, rubbing up against random strangers on the street.
Von slid me closer so I was tucked into his side, my head under his chin as he smoked, blowing out rings over my head that floated down in front of my nose. I didn’t mind the minty, masculine smell of Von, nor his cigars. That same magnetic tug in my gut erased my engrained hesitation I would normally feel at being held so close. Von rubbed his thumb down my face, and I closed my eyes. So rarely was I comforted, but the longer Von held me and found new ways to touch me, I was grateful for the kindness. “Rough day, huh.”
“What would make you say that?”
Von snorted into my hair. “You called Prince Langgam ‘Lang’. Nobody calls him that.”
“Well, he’s a tool to abduct me. He’s lucky I don’t call him a vicious blowhole.”
“You killed the Goblin King. Do you want to talk about it?”
“I’m not really a talker when it comes to stuff like mass-murder, so I’ll pass.”
“Fair enough. For
the record, I think you were quite brave to use the stone how you did.”
“I won’t sit back and be a puppet while someone threatens you and Mason. I won’t play nice when someone tells me Mariang’s next on the list. She’s a sweet girl. Doesn’t deserve that.” I cleared my throat. “But I shouldn’t have killed Titus.”
Von was quiet a few beats while he held me. If Ollie could see me now, wrapped in a man’s arms and not squirming to get away, he wouldn’t recognize me. I blame it on the drama of the day. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I should’ve been. I wanted to be. I thought I had time to run that errand, but I didn’t.” He rubbed concentric circles into my back. “How much are you freaking out right now?”
I shrugged. “I dunno. Like, a six? This pulling thing’s messing with my barometer, so it’s difficult to feel anything in the right amount.”
Von’s voice was quiet when he spoke. “I spent a fair amount of the time you were asleep studying up on OCD.”
I stiffened. “You don’t need to do that.”
“There are a lot of inconsistencies with what’s online and how you are. This right here, this relaxing you’re doing in my arms? It’s not typical behavior for someone with your condition. Are you quite sure you weren’t misdiagnosed? You come off more like an abused kitten than a mental case.”
I didn’t know whether to shove him for implying I was crazy, or if I should be touched that he actually tried to figure me out by researching OCD online. “I’m relaxed because you’re doing your pulling thing. This isn’t something I do with other people, unless I have to in order to blend in. Appearing normal is key, I’ve found.”
“But that’s just it. The things I’ve been reading say that you wouldn’t be able to blend in, but you somehow find a way. I’ve seen it. I don’t understand.”
I closed my eyes and ducked my head. “I dunno. It’s as foreign to me as it is to you. Could you do me a favor?”
“You want I should buy you a pony?”
I snorted, leaning my head to his cheek. “Could you hold me like this a little while longer? It’s… and I… Today’s been… I’m not good at this, but I want to be. Now that I have a chance to be normal? I want that.”
Tremble (Terraway Book 2) Page 3