I stepped back, giving him room to swing his leg over the bike. He didn’t.
“What?” I barked.
“Would it be the worst thing in the world to make sure? Let’s face it, you could use some people on your side.”
This from the man who’d nearly bitten his friend’s head off? “Excuse me, but you weren’t very nice yourself not too long ago.”
“It was different and Dax understands what was happening.”
“Oh, so for you it’s different? But when I try to save everyone from chasing a fantasy I’m an ass?”
“I didn’t say you’re an ass. What I’m saying is you’re running scared. Would it really hurt to—”
“Yeah, actually, it would be excruciating, so back off.”
He didn’t say anything else for a few seconds. It looked like I’d actually won the argument.
Then he stared in that way that said he thought I was being an ass. He shook his head, punctuating the stare. It was worse than words.
I turned my head, silently letting him know what I thought about his disapproval.
He finally got on the bike.
Twenty-Four
We pulled up to the lodge right before sunset the next day. I climbed off, legs stiff and butt sore from riding for too many days with barely a break.
Zink was walking out toward us before Callon killed the engine.
“How much did it move?” Callon asked.
“You’re not going to like this answer,” Zink said.
“Is it closer?” I asked before Callon could respond.
Zink looked at me with utter contempt. “No. It moved a little southeast.”
What was opposite of northwesterly? Southeast. At least, I thought so. “That’s the direction we came from, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Zink answered with a bite to his tone that could’ve taken off a few fingers.
The stuff was following me. There was no denying it now. It would keep heading toward the lodge as long as I was there. It would head wherever I went until it finally got me.
The door to the lodge opened again, and Tuesday ran out. She took one good look at me and jerked her head back toward the lodge. Callon had already fallen into conversation with Zink over the exact coordinates of the Hell Pit, so I slipped away. I didn’t need any more details on that right now.
Tuesday ran up the steps of the lodge and headed right to my room.
“What happened? You look like someone threw you in a barrel and rolled you downhill for miles,” she said as soon as we were there.
She was right. I was shaken, and I didn’t know which part of it was messing with me the most. “Did you know the Hell Pit turned directions while we were gone?”
She cringed but there wasn’t any surprise.
“Yeah, well, that’s not all.” I filled her in on everything from Bitters eating the sludge and Dal and Dax thinking they were my parents, leaving only one important piece of information out.
She let out a whistle of sorts after I finished. Koz was really the whistler. Tuesday was merely in training and hadn’t quite nailed the knack or finesse of the gesture, but I appreciated the attempt.
“Did they feel like they could be your parents?” She asked.
“I don’t think so? Neither of them look old enough to have a kid my age, that’s for sure. That weird wizard is the one that started it, and he might’ve been making it all up. He was definitely crazy. Maybe he had the wrinkled-brain disease.” I flopped back onto the bed, wondering if I’d be able to get any sleep tonight. I really hoped so.
“You mean like Betty back at the village, where she kept asking the same questions over and over again and never remembered your answers?”
“Actually, no. More like just making shit up.”
“Maybe it’s an elaborate setup with all of them? They know what you can do and they want to win you over somehow by being your lost parents.”
I shook my head. “No. They’re good people. I could tell even when I didn’t want to. I’ve spent years watching and listening. You learn to see the signs.”
There hadn’t been too many people who’d wanted to interact with me at the village, even before Baryn had ruined my existence thoroughly. There’d been even fewer willing to chance his anger by engaging in any kind of contact. It had taught me one very important thing: how to really listen. When you really listened, the world opened up like a book. People showed you their true colors, their motivations, their hates and loves. It was all there to be learned if you could just shut the hell up for a couple of minutes.
Bitters might be crazy, but he’d believed what he said, whether it had any truth in it or not. Dal and Dax wanted to believe. And when I saw Dal’s face at the mention of her lost daughter, I saw an agony that surpassed my own misery when I’d been chained to Baryn.
“They might’ve been misled, but if they clung to the idea, it was out of desperation to get back something that had broken their hearts. Almost made me wish I could be this person for them.” I needed to stop thinking about them, or what it might’ve been like to grow up there with them for parents. They were the type that would’ve loved me no matter what I was or did. Made me wonder what I might’ve been like if I had? But I hadn’t had that life, and dwelling on it accomplished nothing.
“You know, even if they aren’t your people, your people might still be out there somewhere,” Tuesday said wistfully.
Sometimes it seemed she would’ve rather her father be missing than dead. Then she could pretend she still had a living parent somewhere, waiting for her.
“No. My people stopped being my people when they sold me. You’re my only people.”
“Don’t get me wrong, you could do worse than me. But Baryn said they sold you, and how many times did he lie? It’s not as if he’d be above stealing a child or paying for one that was stolen. Come to think of it, instead of focusing on what this mud is, maybe we should be focusing on what exactly you are? What is it about you that it wants? Maybe if we could figure out where you came from, it would help?
“You need to go back to the village and get as many details as you can about who sold you. There’s still someone around that would know Baryn’s secrets. Baryn might be dead, but Turrock is still alive. He’d know where you came from. You might be able to negotiate for answers, or the guys could torture him instead.” She shrugged, as if it didn’t matter.
There was no faulting her logic. But if Turrock was tortured for a year, it wouldn’t be enough to make up for what he’d done through his lifetime.
Tuesday was right about going back, but the idea gave me chills and made my stomach heave. Sweat was breaking out on my forehead and my room hadn’t seen a fire in days.
I sat up, clenching the bed cover in my hands. “I don’t know if I can do it.”
“It’s different. Callon won’t let anyone hurt you, and I’ll come with you.” Her skin was about three shades paler than before we’d had this discussion. Not one part of her wanted to set foot back in that place either.
If I didn’t go back, I’d have to leave Tuesday, the only family I had. I couldn’t make her leave this place with me. I couldn’t even tell her she had the choice. It would tear her apart. If I had to leave, I was leaving alone.
She had a life here, and a decent one, like we’d always hoped was possible. I wouldn’t let her come with me and throw it away to live a life on the run.
“Hey, you didn’t tell me if Bitters could break the Death Spell.” Tuesday was already gnawing at a cuticle like it was an eight-course meal after a week-long fast.
I sucked at lying to her, so I stuck as close to the truth as I could. “Callon found out from Dax that Bitter didn’t deal in those kinds of spells.”
She stopped chewing. “I’m sorry, but I’m relieved that didn’t work out. I don’t think leaving is the right answer.”
“Yeah, I can see your point,” I said, smiling.
Twenty-Five
For the first time since I’d lived
there, I didn’t head straight to the great room for breakfast but went into the kitchen. I didn’t want to see anyone, and I’d rather they didn’t see me either. I was running on fumes when it came to keeping a stiff upper lip. I’d used the last of my energy not falling apart in front of Tuesday last night and hadn’t gotten any replenishment with another sleepless night.
I found a few biscuits sitting on the island and some pieces of bacon that hadn’t made it out to the rest of the crowd yet.
“A bacon sandwich?” Issy asked as she walked in.
“Yeah, I had one recently, and it wasn’t half bad.” I tried to scrape the bottom of my tank to give her a smile.
She stopped in front of me and her brows drew in. “I heard the trip didn’t go so well, but you look even worse than I imagined.”
“No, I’m fine,” I said, giving her a wave of my hand. She grabbed it and pulled me after her toward the root cellar.
“No one can hear anything down here,” she said, pulling up two crates for us to sit on. “Me and you, we’ve got a link. You saved my life, and if I could save yours, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but I don’t know how to save you from this.”
I got up. “Issy, it’s fine, really.”
She grabbed my hand again and tugged me back to the crate. “No. You have to hear me out because it needs to be said. I’m going to pretend not to know what’s probably coming for you. Callon is still trying to fix it, because he can usually fix everything and he can’t believe otherwise. Tuesday, well, she’s going to think it’ll be okay because that’s how she thinks. But me and you, we know how things might work out, and I’ve heard whispers of things I shouldn’t.”
I turned my head and swiped a hand over my cheek, catching the only tear that had slipped away from me. That was it. I was cracking.
“It’s okay to let a little steam out. It’ll make it easier to hold it together later when you need to,” Issy said.
I gave a short laugh. If I let out what was bubbling up, there’d be no holding it together of any sort. Keeping a lid on it was the only thing saving me, because once I blew, it was going to be epic.
“So, what are you thinking? I can see something brewing,” she said.
I sniffed so that I didn’t end up a teary, snotty mess. Then I pulled it together because I had to.
“If we can’t find a solution to the Hell Pits soon, I’m going to have to leave, and I’m going to do it alone, one way or another. This stuff, it might follow me to the ends of the Earth. I can’t make anyone else live that life with me.”
She nodded as she looked down at her folded hands, devoid of shock. She let out a sigh. “I won’t try to talk you out of your choice, but know that I’d gladly go with you. I’ve lived most of my life here. Would’ve died here if it weren’t for you. I’d be happy to go see some more of the world.”
“I thought we were dealing in realities? I won’t have you give up the best place I’ve ever heard of to live like a nomad with me. Plus, the people here need you. No. I can’t have you come.” I shook my head, never surer.
She reached forward, gripping my hand hard. “You already undid the spell, didn’t you?”
“Issy, don’t ask me a question you don’t want the answer to. It’ll put you in a bad spot.”
She nodded, but her smile slipped and she leaned back. “I figured you might try. I guess I was kind of hoping that you wouldn’t be able to.”
“Like I said—”
“You won’t burden me with secrets. I know. Is there anything I can do?”
“Yeah, not act depressed while I’m still here and try to be a friend to Tuesday when I disappear.”
“I can do that.” She nodded, keeping her grip on my hand. “Just know I’d take your place if I could.”
“Come on, I’m sure you’ve got other things to be doing today.” I stood, knowing this wasn’t going to get any less emotional the longer we talked about it. If we kept going, I really might start bawling, and that was pointless. I’d keep trying to find a solution until I couldn’t. And then I’d do what I had to.
She didn’t try to stop me and stood with a new determination. “Actually, I do. If you’re not going to be here too much longer, I’m going to make sure you have the best days possible.” She strode up the stairs and back into the kitchen.
She was already talking to Hess before I made it all the way up.
“We’re having a roast tomorrow. Spread the word,” she said.
I could tell by their expressions that this was a good thing.
“We are? We don’t usually do that for another month,” Hess said.
“We’re doing it early.”
Koz appeared a couple of seconds later. “Isn’t it early in the season for a roast?”
Issy wiped her hands on her hips, making her way over to Koz like a warrior.
“This place might not be here much longer. I want a roast, and I’m throwing a roast.”
“All righty, then. I’ll spread the word,” Koz said, smiling.
“What exactly is a roast?” I asked Issy after they’d left.
“It means we’re going to roast something while everyone gets completely fall-down drunk and has a good time.”
“Oh. That sounds interesting.” I’d never gotten to go to any of the parties back at the village. And drunk? I’d never done that either. My life was going to shit. That was what people did when they hit hard times, right? Get drunk? Issy was brilliant.
Twenty-Six
The light in the great room was the best to read at night, but I was regretting my choice. I looked over the edge of my book, watching Zink as he leaned against the other side of the mantle. He was watching Koz and Tuesday. He tilted a bottle to his lips and shook his head, a deep scowl on his face. The pair was oblivious, but my blood was boiling and it wasn’t because of the fire beside me. I wasn’t sure if it was the laughing Zink found so offensive or their happiness in general.
Him scowling at them lit the fuse on a powder keg, and I was having a hard time smothering it. I might be leaving here soon, and Tuesday would only have Koz. If Zink thought he was going to ruin it, I’d kill him before I left.
“Is it all happiness that upsets you, or that she’s someone near and dear to my heart that you find it so offensive?”
Koz and Tuesday didn’t blink in my direction, so absorbed in each other that they didn’t hear.
Zink narrowed his eyes as he turned my way. He took another swig.
It appeared as if he were going to ignore me until he said, “Despite our mutually low opinions of each other, my current distaste is not their happiness but that it is not the time to be marking a mate.”
“Marking a mate?” I looked back to them, and they didn’t seem to be doing anything other than snuggling and kissing.
“Yes. He’s fucking marking her, and we have enough problems. What if…” He shook his head and took another sip. I didn’t need to be a mind reader for this one. If they had to kill me, Tuesday might not be so content here after that.
“If marking is anything like a dog pissing on something, I’m sure she can wash it off,” I said, hoping Zink took the insult I’d intended.
He huffed. “Yeah, you think you’re so clever. You don’t miss a thing, do you?” He took another sip.
I shook my head and went back to my book, pretending Zink wasn’t in the room. If he was worried about how Tuesday would take my death, it meant she was probably safe enough, or he wouldn’t care at all. Fighting with Zink right now wouldn’t do me any good, even if it did feel fantastic.
I tried to read the words of the next paragraph. Then I had to keep rereading them, because I couldn’t get past his stupid face in my peripheral, agitating me. I slammed the book closed. I was better off with less light and no Zink.
Zink narrowed his eyes as Koz darted his tongue out and licked the skin on Tuesday’s neck. His fingers grew whiter where he gripped the bottle.
Wait a second, was that part of marking? Was he putting his
scent on her somehow?
Holy fuck. Callon had licked me right after the mud had gotten on me. I wouldn’t have remembered if the guys hadn’t gotten all weird about it, but they had. It had cemented the action in my memory.
No. It couldn’t be. Why would he have done that? Now I really couldn’t concentrate on anything else.
“What exactly does marking entail?”
Zink looked over with a smugness that made me want to rip his face off. “You mean you don’t know? I thought you had it all figured out.”
The look in his eyes, the taunting. Zink wasn’t going to come out and tell me directly, but it was all there if I wanted to open my eyes and see the truth. Callon had marked me as his before we’d even made it back here. But why? He’d hated me, especially back then. Had it been to protect what he thought was an asset?
No. This couldn’t be. Zink was screwing with me.
I looked at him again.
He laughed in a way that was meant to belittle me. “Yeah, you don’t miss a trick, do you?”
No. I’d offered myself to Callon and he’d ignored me, completely. This made no sense.
Either way, I was done with the current company. I was going to get some answers. Zink laughed again as I walked away. Callon was here somewhere, and I was going to find him.
I barged into his office first because it was closest. When he wasn’t there, I made my way up to his room. The door was open and Callon and Hess were standing in his room. Both of them spun to look at me.
I took a single step inside but then froze in deliberation.
“Did you…” This was almost more awkward than when I’d asked him to sleep with me. It was ludicrous, too. Zink was probably fucking with me, setting me up to get laughed at, and I was walking right into it.
Except Callon had licked me, just like Koz had done to Tuesday. My gut screamed that meant something. I had to put it out there and be damned if I was a spectacle. I’d been one before and I’d surely be one again.
I crossed one arm around me and pointed into the air with the other. “You didn’t do anything I didn’t know about, such as marking me as a mate or something? I know it’s an odd question and it sounds bizarre, but I’ve seen some things that are making me wonder, and…”
Savage One: Born Wild Book Two Page 16