Blood Binds: Wyrd Blood Book Three

by Augustine, Donna

  I’d worn that shirt at least once a week when I lived at the Valley. If Ryker had noticed, he’d never mentioned it. It was the one I was wearing the day I’d gotten caught. It was a shirt I’d never throw out because it would always remind me of my life in the Ruins, the days of hunger and the years of looking over my shoulder for threats.

  Whoever had packed my stuff up hadn’t taken much care. Had they gone through all my things? Everything? I abandoned my coffee and walked to where it sat, my face lit up like the Eternal Volcano, exploding for all to see.

  I dug a hand through it searching. It wasn’t there. Unfortunately, that might not be a good thing. Why I’d hung on to it for so long was stupid. Should’ve burned it, but I hadn’t.

  “Why’s your face red?” Ryker asked.

  If he had to ask, then he didn’t know. If he did know, he definitely wouldn’t have brought it up.

  “It’s hot. How did my bag get here? Who packed my things?” I patted it, just because someone going through my stuff deserved a firm hand movement.

  “Knife sent Switch over to do it last night. What’s in there that you were searching for?” He walked closer, staring at it as if he could see through cloth.

  “Your stones. Would you like to search it?” I raised an eyebrow, in case the sarcasm that dripped from my tongue hadn’t made it to his ears.

  I grabbed my bag and turned, calm as a sunny day. I was done letting this man rattle me. I’d do what I had to and get out.

  I walked to his table, took the last three biscuits on the plate, and headed for the door. “Let me know when you get a lead on more stones.”

  “Stop calling Dorley your home. It’s Knife’s place, and you’re stupid to think of it as anything different,” he said before I’d made it out the door.

  “Why? It is. Would you rather I say I was homeless? Does that work for you?” What was wrong with him? He might as well have waved chocolate in front of a sweet tooth. Now I was going to call Dorley home over and over and over again.

  His eyes told me he wasn’t happy with that solution either.

  “No? I guess it’s back to Dorley, then.”

  My hands were already shaking. If I stayed another second, I was going to get violent. My threshold was lower than it used to be, at least with him. I walked out.

  Ruck nearly ran me over the second I turned the corner out of sight of Ryker’s. He must’ve been lurking in the shadows.

  “We need to strategize,” he said.

  “Agreed.” That was as far as I got. My facts were too few and my mind too overwhelmed by the ones I had to think further at the moment. “Well? What do you have?”

  He squinted. Clearly he hadn’t expected to have to lead this strategy session. “Well, there’s two things we know. One, there’s an invisible monster that talks to you. Two, Ryker’s stones were stolen.”

  “If we could refer to them as the stones, I’d prefer it. I did help steal them. They aren’t exactly his.”

  “I called them the stones.”

  “No. You called them Ryker’s stones.”

  He stopped walking. “There’s an invisible monster talking to you and this is what we need to clarify?”

  I stopped as well. “If we don’t start with clear facts, how are we going to move forward upon a false foundation?”

  “Fine. From this point forward, they will be referred to as the stones.” He began walking again. “You might be Wyrd Blood, but you don’t know that much about magic. We need more resources.”

  “Agree again.” As much as I should’ve been thinking about the invisible monster, I had other worries I couldn’t shake loose. “Have you seen Switch?”

  “Switch? Why? I don’t know. What do you need him for?” He was scratching his head and not looking at me. And walking fast, which he did when he got a case of the nerves. You would’ve thought he was the one who was on the verge of a massive humiliation.

  That was when it hit me like a stone to the skull. “When you left Dorley to come back here, why weren’t you upset about not seeing your new boyfriend for a while?”

  “It wasn’t going to be that long,” he said, keeping one step ahead of me.

  I grabbed his arm, dragging him back. “It wasn’t because your new boyfriend could travel easily, was it? It’s Switch, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe. Kind of.” He side-eyed me, not holding my gaze.

  It had been me and Ruck for a long time. Even when we had a crew, it had still been the two of us at its core. From the way he was acting, we might be expanding to three after a very long time.

  I gave him a pat on the shoulder. “I like him.”

  His eyes snapped to mine. “You do?”

  “Yeah. I do. Now, enough with the mushy shit. Where is he? I need him. They sent him back to pack up for me, but there was something in my room that I don’t want to be found.” I scanned the area, knowing Switch wouldn’t be in the food building. He didn’t like people enough to be surrounded by them. The only chance I’d see him over there was when he was flashing past on his way in or out.

  “What? The note?”

  “How do you know about the note?”

  “I borrow your shit all the time. How would I not know about it? It was in your drawer.”

  “Folded in my drawer. Why would you read it?”

  “It was right there.” He waved his hand down, as if an imaginary drawer was in front of him.

  “Fine. Just help me find him. I’ve got to go tackle another issue.” I tilted my head in the direction of the food building, watching the people come and go. If Knife wasn’t at his place or Ryker’s, he’d be in there. He didn’t like to go without his breakfast. How many times had I heard him saying he thought his blood sugar was getting low?

  “Knife?” Ruck asked.

  “Keeping us all here better be a scheme, or he’s in deep trouble. I’ll see you soon.” I turned and headed into the food building.

  Last night I’d laid my hand on the door of this place, saying goodbye to my memories. I’d been brimming with emotion and drama. What a waste. Who knew I’d be back less than a day later?

  I swung open the door, and heads turned. I ignored them as they got their fill. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m back.

  Soon enough, my steps were slowing. I paused a couple of feet in, old habits dying hard.

  Don’t do it. Don’t.

  I did it. I looked. Marra was sitting at the same table as the last time I’d eaten breakfast here. Looked like she still had the same replacements sitting next to her. I guessed her new Ruck and Bugs were working out better than the originals. Only thing that had changed was shock had her looking straight at me with an expression that said I didn’t belong here. She better not push it. Made me want to move back in for good.

  I kicked back into gear and scoured the building. I found Knife quickly. He was sitting at a table with Dez, their heads bent down, glancing around the crowd periodically.

  He caught sight of me as I approached, and leaned back. I took the seat beside Dez, but my eyes nailed Knife to the seat.

  “What was that bullshit? First I get the spiel about how I shouldn’t roll over and welcome Ryker with open arms. Then you help tighten the chains to keep me here?” I leaned forward, and he was lucky I didn’t leap over the table. “What game are you playing?”

  He didn’t answer immediately and looked across the room to dead space. I waited. I wasn’t leaving here without an answer.

  His eyes dipped down before he finally turned to look at me. “It’s not a game. It was the right thing.”

  “Right thing? How so? What are you getting out of this?” I leaned back with a huff. The only “right thing” in Knife’s life was one that benefitted him.

  “Nothing.” His tone was flat.

  “He’s not,” Dez said softly. “We were just talking about it. He thinks it’s better for you to stay here.”

  “You’re telling me you don’t have a scheme or payoff?” I asked. “You threw me under th
e chugger and you aren’t even getting anything out of this? You aren’t trying to spy or trick Ryker somehow? You just kicked me out?”

  “I didn’t kick you out,” Knife said. “I’m staying here with you, and so is Dez. We’ll all be in one place in case this turns ugly.”

  “Is that what this is? Strategy? You’re afraid I’ll lure the monster back to Dorley with me and staying here lets Ryker deal with the brunt of it?”

  Knife opened his mouth, but Dez cut him off. “Yes. That’s exactly what he’s thinking.”

  Knife looked at Dez. He didn’t say anything for a second but then nodded slightly.

  I leaned back and crossed my arms. I didn’t like the plan. I liked not being consulted even less, but at least this made some sense. If anyone was good at killing, it was Ryker.

  “We hang back, figure out what’s going on, get him his stones back, and then we all go back to Dorley?” I asked.

  Dez smiled. “Yes.”

  Knife nodded but was looking across the room again.

  Fourteen

  Switch was waiting for me outside the food building when I walked out, skulking in the shadows across the way as if he were guilty of something. I made my way over and didn’t bother telling him he could’ve come inside and gotten me. He knew that.

  “Ruck said you were looking for me?” he asked, his gaze constantly shifting, as if he were about to get jumped.

  “Yeah, you packed up my room, right?” I settled into the shadows with him, hoping it would take the edge off his jitters.

  “I only did what I was told.” He instantly switched from guarded to a fear you could smell. He sidled a couple inches away.

  “I’m not mad. I appreciate your help.” I said it so fast it nearly sprained my tongue to get out. I couldn’t risk him disappearing.

  He scanned my face for a lie before his shoulders slumped an inch. “Sure. I wanted to help, and Knife said you really needed me to do this.”

  Now to the hard part. “When you emptied my drawers, did you notice a folded piece of paper?”

  “The letter to Ryker?”

  I breathed in through my nose, taking a long, calming breath. It didn’t matter if Switch read it. He didn’t speak to anyone.

  I couldn’t get mad, either. He was too socially awkward to know he shouldn’t have read it, and worse, told me. If I’d been in his shoes, I probably wouldn’t have read the whole thing, but I might’ve given it an accidental couple seconds of perusal. The only difference between us was I wouldn’t have told anyone.

  “Do you have it? It wasn’t in my bag.”

  “I left it behind, you know, just in case someone went through your stuff.”

  “You have to take me back to my room. I need to get that letter.” Who knew how long I’d be here? I had prime real estate in the castle. No way would my room sit empty. They’d be like vultures on a carcass within days.

  He inched back. “I was told by Ryker, and then Knife, that I can’t take you anywhere.”

  Those interfering fuckers. They shouldn’t be allowed to speak. They were too alike. I wondered who started this new rule. I’d have a talk with both of them, right after I got back from doing exactly what they thought I shouldn’t.

  I grabbed Switch’s arm in a death grip. He wasn’t getting away from me until he took me back there. “We’re going to be two minutes. In and out. No one will know.”

  He was shaking his head rapidly as he stared down at my fingers. “I don’t—”

  I changed my grip to his shoulders as I pressed his back against the building. “Switch, do you want to spend the rest of your life only doing what you’re told? Being controlled? Fettered? Chained? You’ve got magic that’s invaluable.” I paused for a couple of seconds as I stared at him, really trying to nail the dramatic impact of my next words. “You could be a god.”

  He shook his head violently. “Oh no! I don’t want to be a god.”

  Uh oh. Misstep. I should’ve read that one better. I didn’t want to be a god either. Back up. Different approach.

  “And you don’t have to be—you’re better than a god. You should be free to do whatever you want…” Like what? I needed a close. “Like a bird.”

  His eyes lit up. That one hit the bullseye. I should’ve guessed. The guy slept in the middle of bushes.

  I lifted a hand, waving my fingers as I raised it. “Soaring free, weightless. Above all the petty disputes and bickering and power grabs. Just you, soaring through the air. That’s how you should live. Like a great, free bird.”

  “Yeah.” His voice was a whisper as he looked at the clouds above.

  Time to strike. “So you’ll fly free and take me? And we’ll both be free birds?”

  “I’ll take you.”

  I smiled and grabbed his hands before he could change his mind and fly off without me.

  “You said only a couple minutes, right?” He cracked his neck.

  “Swear. Now let’s go, and quick.” If he started to remember he didn’t fly so well in reality, things would go south quick.

  * * *

  The sitting room was empty when we popped into it. I dashed into my bedroom, not wasting any time. Twitchy was going to be counting down the seconds, and he’d drag me out as soon as we hit two minutes. This bird wasn’t used to flying yet.

  I pulled open the drawer I’d kept the letter, cursing myself for not throwing it out. It had made no sense to keep it. Or read it over and over again. Or pretend he was hearing it and saying all sorts of words back.

  The drawer fell forward with a clunk. It wasn’t there. I pulled the drawer out all the way and shoved my hand behind it. Nothing. I dropped to my knees, looking underneath the dresser and then behind it, while Switch watched from the doorway. Where could it have gone?

  “Are you sure you didn’t take it?”

  He walked over and looked in the empty drawer. “I’m positive. It was there,” he said, tapping the inside.

  Had someone come and cleaned out the room that fast? Maybe it got stuck to some of my clothing and Switch accidentally shoved it into my bag without knowing. I looked under the dresser again and then around the back, just for the sake of it.

  I dragged both hands through my hair. “It’s gone.”

  He shrugged. “Things happen.”

  Twitchy Switch was going to lecture me on letting things go? “You read it. You know what I wrote.”

  “Only briefly.” He tilted his head, all of a sudden afraid to commit to any particular knowledge.

  “If that was your letter, would you want it circulated?”

  He sucked in a breath between his teeth.

  “Exactly. Thank you.”

  “Either way, it’s been two minutes. Can we go?” He held out the watch Ryker had given him when we’d gone to Cacoy ages ago. It was as if everything Ryker did was somehow planned out to make my life harder.

  I looked back at the dresser.

  “Please,” he said.

  I grabbed his hands. No reason we should both be tortured. It wasn’t here.

  * * *

  We didn’t have the easy landing I’d expected. Normally when Switch brought you somewhere, you were standing in one place and then you were standing in another. That was it. The only thing startling about it was the seamless transition. Better than walking, better than a chugger. He was my preferred mode of transportation, until now.

  Lying on my back in the middle of a forest, I felt like I’d been flung against the side of a mountain. I reached to my pocket. The stone was still there. I rolled to my side to find my transporter next, but he wasn’t there.

  “Switch?” I called out, getting to my feet.

  No one answered.

  “Switch?” I called a little louder, spinning in a circle. “Switch, you better not be messing around with me.”

  That wasn’t Switch’s personality. He wouldn’t mess with anyone on purpose. Maybe he’d crashed harder than I had? I ducked behind bushes and searched the immediate area, afraid I’d
find a bloodied body.

  I looked everywhere in a fifty-foot radius but found nothing, not even a drop of blood. Did he make it back without me? And where exactly was I?

  The only landmark was a mountainside. I’d never realized how similar they all looked until right now. Where had he dropped me off? Logic said it had to be somewhere between the Valley and Dorley. Did magic travel work in a linear fashion? Maybe I was on the other side of the world. At least it wasn’t too cold yet. Judging by the temperature now, it probably wouldn’t drop below freezing, another sign I wasn’t too far away.

  I could hear water flowing in the distance. If I was in between Dorley and the Valley, that would be the Chichi River that ran in between the two countries. Or I wasn’t and I didn’t know what river it was.

  Waiting wasn’t a good option, not when I knew the kinds of creatures that roamed regular forests. For all I knew, I was in the Ruined Forest. Standing still and waiting would be the worst thing possible when Switch might not know where he lost me. Nothing else to do but walk out of here, and the sooner the better.

  I’d only made a few feet when I felt the magic. There was a stone nearby. I could feel the ward protecting it. They had a distinctiveness to them I could nearly taste at this point.

  Did I try and get it? There were some serious reasons to leave it. I was alone, with no backup, and no idea where I was.

  The same reasons I had to leave it were the ones that made me think I should get it. I wouldn’t be as vulnerable with another stone on hand. I knew the kind of ward I’d be able to create with two stones. If I was stuck out here for a while, at some point I’d have to sleep.

  Go for it or not? I’d managed to get them out before, and about half of those times, I might’ve made it out alive. Barely, but that was better than falling asleep and dying in the woods.

  No, leave it. One stone was probably enough.