“No.” Ryker shrugged. “It didn’t feel like much of anything.”
My face scrunched, and I wanted to lob every curse I had at him. How was this possible? Of all the unfair, rotten things. He was supposed to be miserable right now. Like I’d been. This was supposed to give him a taste of what he’d done to me. I wanted to scream, but the injustice of it all turned me mute.
Burn wrapped an arm around my shoulder as he told Ryker and Sneak, “We’ve got this. We’ll be there.”
Ryker jerked his head to the trees before turning to Sneak. “You’re sure we’re clear?”
“Positive. Snow was fresh. No hint of magic,” Sneak said.
Ryker kept his attention keen on the distance for another minute. If there was magic nearby, I wasn’t feeling it, and Sneak would’ve seen a dull a mile away.
Ryker turned and took a step toward me. He paused, his eyes narrowing as he stared at my midsection.
“You didn’t bring the stones?” he asked, as if he couldn’t quite believe it.
“I couldn’t. I didn’t want to break the ward I set up at my place. That took a lot of work.” He had no idea how many times I’d thought about running back and grabbing them. Only with every step I’d taken. I’d forced myself out of my room by sheer will.
He cursed under his breath and stared off at the trees as the rest of us watched on. It did nothing to cool him down, because his eyes were still burning up, along with his magic when he turned back around. “I didn’t give them to you to leave behind.”
At least the air was warming up. That was something.
“Actually, I gave them to you first so you were only giving them back.” The swell of magic told me that probably hadn’t been the reply he was looking for.
The line of his shoulders told me he was still annoyed, but he turned to leave with Sneak.
“Don’t be late,” Ryker said as he was walking off.
As he left, a great swell of cold filled in behind him.
* * *
I leaned closer to the fire, poking at it with a branch to adjust the logs.
Burn dug into his bag, pulling out something covered in cloth. “When you can’t have comfort booze, there’s only one alternative left.” He unfolded it and held out some biscuits. “It’s a poor runner-up but they’re already buttered, and Ryker won’t kill us if our stomachs are full of these.”
I plucked one from his hands. “Thanks.”
“What’s going on with you and Ryker?”
We had at least an hour before the second moon rose. An hour was going to feel like a month if this was the topic of conversation. “Absolutely nothing is going on between us other than some missing stones.”
“You know I have eyes in my head, right?” He took a big bite of his biscuit.
“I’m not sure who you’re looking at with them. Maybe the other women coming and going out of his place?” I edged closer to the fire, but that wasn’t what caused the burn inside. Every vision of Ryker with someone else lit its own little torch inside me. If it hadn’t stopped bothering me by now, it probably never would, which was why I had to get away from him. I could live my life or I could continue to watch him live his.
“But not the right kind of woman.” Burn stared into the fire. Clearly he’d been giving this a lot of thought and was thinking it over again as we sat there.
“I don’t know. There were a lot of coming and going. I find it hard to believe they were all wrong for some crazy reason.” Not to mention Ryker didn’t want my company, not like that. There’d been a blip, but it had disappeared after the merge and never come back.
Burn shrugged and then swatted an ember away. “Not wrong, per se, but not right for him.”
“And what’s right for him? Is this a Wyrd Blood thing? You’re not some sort of secret purist, right?” I’d heard about people like that back in the ruins. Wyrd Blood who would only sleep with other Wyrd Blood and thought others should do the same. Burn had plenty of dulls he’d been interested in, but maybe he held Ryker to a higher standard?
It wasn’t only a Wyrd Blood thing, either. There were dulls that said they’d only sleep with other dulls. That was a lot easier to accomplish, since there were many more of them. Of course, there were also dulls that said they were holding out for a Wyrd Blood, and Wyrd Blood who hated having magic so would only be with dulls. People got really weird when it came to sex.
“He needs someone who’s more…” Burn took a deep breath, trying to find the word, but only exhaled air as he rolled his hand.
“More what?” Couldn’t wait until he figured this one out. What was I more of? Crazy? Desperate? Destitute? The options could roll on and on if I wanted to dig myself right into a depression.
“Just more. Like you. Like how when you walk into a room, you’re instantly the center of it.”
“That’s hard to believe, since I don’t talk half the time and I prefer the wall space.”
“It just happens. Everyone is always checking on you because there’s this thing you do that is hard not to notice.”
“But I’m not doing anything.” All I’d ever wanted was too lie low and not be noticed. Hanging toward the back, not speaking a lot, and definitely not saying anything too provocative unless I got pissed off. I’d perfected not doing anything for years. The only glitch in my game lately was that Ryker pissed me off an awful lot.
“You don’t have to. It’s there in the way you talk, or don’t talk. The way you move. It’s like the magic in you is bubbling up and spills out, and waves its hands at people and says, Hey, something interesting is going on over here. Maybe you’d be like this without the magic too. I don’t know. But you’re more, and Ryker was never going to fall for someone normal. He needs you.”
Oh, damn it all. He thought I was going to save his friend’s soul or heart or some goofy shit. This was what happened when you hung around mushes. They contaminated you with their softness and tried to make you think a lion was a pussycat.
“I hate to break this to you, but Ryker isn’t falling for me, and I’m not sure he needs anyone’s help.”
“He’s hardened, but he needs this. When he commits, it’ll be different. You’ll see,” Burn said, as if we lived in a world filled with doves and rainbows.
The last rainbow I’d seen had been after a week of horrendous storms. Hadn’t seemed worth it.
“Maybe he’s better off being hardened. Love, marriage, family—that’s not who I am, and it’s not who Ryker is either. We’re not meant for that kind of life. Live lean, that’s who we are. Who we have to be.” My life couldn’t take any more complications. My head count couldn’t increase any more either. I’d lost too many people too quickly. Best way to stop the loss was to limit the lineup of possible casualties. I needed to become harder, not softer.
Burn didn’t say anything else, letting me have the last word. I didn’t care if he was tired of arguing or agreed. I’d take the silence.
We passed the rest of the time with idle chitchat about who was on latrine duty, who was moving out, and who was looking to move in.
By the time the second moon began to rise, I was antsy to leave. I hadn’t walked in the place of my birth for many years, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about doing it again. Better to be done with the mess.
Burn pointed to the second crescent. “You ready for this?”
“Yep. Time to go to work.” I got to my feet and kicked out the fire. I slung my bag over my shoulder but couldn’t kick Burn’s words out of my head. He acted like I was this great catch, and yet other than Knife and Ryker, no one was pounding down my door.
“If I’m so special, why isn’t every man in the Valley falling all over themselves to get me?” I asked him about fifteen minutes into our trek as we entered a field.
“I didn’t say special, I said more. First off, even if they were interested, you’re too connected to Ryker. No one is touching you when they aren’t sure what’s going on there.
“The other issue is not
every man is going to want more. You’re a lot. You’re always on the verge of dying. That’s a real buzzkill.” He softened it with his signature Burn smile.
I couldn’t help but laugh. It was surprising I heard the twig snap at all. I paused but managed to catch myself before I swung toward the noise. If we were being followed, better if they didn’t realize we knew.
Burn continued walking beside me, but I saw the look he threw out of the corner of his eye.
“See that silhouette of a building up ahead?” Burn asked.
It was a partial remains a couple of hundred yards ahead. In the center was a room that looked somewhat intact, roof and all. It might be a trap or it might be our salvation. It was also our only shot. We’d never make it back to the tree line.
“We get into that thing and we blowtorch whatever comes close,” Burn whispered.
“Is it smart to back ourselves into a corner like that?”
“You have any other ideas?”
I looked around. “Nope.”
“Then it’s barbecue time.” The words were followed by the sound of a stampede. There had to be at least thirty men, all running toward us.
Burn grabbed my hand, forcing me to keep up with his longer stride. We didn’t slow down until we were slamming into the wall of the building.
In a split-second move, we switched grips. I had his arm in my hand, and he lit up like a dragon breathing fire. Thankfully, my magic had replenished while we’d been waiting, but I still wasn’t operating at a hundred percent.
The fire kept them at bay as it arced around us. I heard footsteps above our heads as they climbed onto the partial roof.
“Who are you? What do you want?” I yelled.
No one answered. Another two edged closer, and it was hard to tell who was in charge. Their clothes were nondescript, but that didn’t mean anything.
“I don’t think they’re local,” I said to Burn. I remembered the army at Crisp enough to know they’d be wearing a grey and gold uniform. This group looked like hired mercenaries. Or an army disguised.
“No, I don’t think so either.”
One by one, they’d come at us and then backed away as we shot flames at them. We waited until they were closer this time before we blasted fire in their direction. We caught an arm here or there, but no serious damage.
They’d fall back and then come again, like a scripted dance. Over and over again, coming just close enough that we’d have to use our magic. This was planned. They were draining us intentionally, and there was nothing we could do about it. If we left our protected spot, they’d swarm us. I didn’t have enough magic left in me to make it worth the try. I’d been running low before we started. I wasn’t sure how I’d managed this much.
Another one came close, and there was only a whimper of a flame this time. I’d barely juiced Burn at all.
Burn glanced at me, and I launched into action before his shock blew our cover.
“We know you’re trying to drain us, assholes. It’s not going to work. We’re not that stupid.” Couldn’t believe we’d been that stupid. I’d let them drain us. To Burn, I whispered, “Don’t light your flame at all, and get that nervous look off your face before you broadcast it.”
They were watching, edging closer. Waiting. They hadn’t bought my story.
“Come on, take a few more steps, asshole,” I yelled, taking a step toward them and dragging Burn with me.
The attacker paused, but I didn’t know how much time I’d bought us. At least Burn wasn’t broadcasting the oh fuck look anymore.
One of the men was making hand signals, and then they all edged in together. They weren’t as stupid as I’d hoped.
“When they rush us, which will be any minute now, you need to run,” I said to Burn.
“What the fuck you talking about, Bugs? I don’t run from a fight.”
“They’re here for me. They don’t care about you. You need to run. It’s our only shot. You break free, get help, and come back for me.”
From the second they cornered us, it had been clear they were hunting me. Their eyes never left me. If they glanced at Burn, it was only for a few seconds, as if he were a nuisance to get around, not the target.
I didn’t think I’d be alive when he returned if the past attempts on my life meant anything. It didn’t matter. At least one of us would live, and I didn’t want Burn to die for me.
They edged in closer. Minutes were dwindling to seconds. It was nearly over. “Promise you’ll run.”
They charged. Time was up. They were almost on us, and then all I could see was a black cloud around us, whipping as if we were in the eye of a tornado.
The familiar feeling of greasy, oily magic was everywhere. There was nowhere to run. Every direction led into the greasy magic. We’d gone from a bad situation to worse.
Burn was spinning beside me. “What the fuck is this?”
He didn’t know, but I did. My monster had decided to make an appearance.
I grabbed his arm, dragging him back to the center of our eight-foot circle. “Don’t touch it.”
I could hear screaming beyond us but couldn’t see what was going on. All we could see was the dark cloud surrounding us.
“Bugs, I’ve seen a lot of shit, but this is creeping me out.”
“It’s okay. It’ll be okay.” No. Nothing would be okay. Not if this thing was after me. My fingers were dug into Burn’s arm—for his sake, of course. I didn’t want him to do anything foolish and touch my monster’s inner bowel somehow. Couldn’t believe I had nothing left. Nothing in the well.
“We’ve got to get out of here. This doesn’t feel right.” Burn wouldn’t stop circling, forcing me to turn with him. “Bugs, we have to get out of here.”
“I know.” There was Ryker’s magic. I could feel it churning beside my empty well of nothing. Would he want me to use it to save Burn? Probably. But what if he was in the weeds right now and I took it? I could cost him his life.
There were screams rising on the other side of the dark magic. Burn stepped closer, nailing one of my toes. I didn’t care.
“Bugs?”
Burn was about to lose his shit, and I had to get us out of there now. Ryker said I hadn’t drained him before. What if I took just a little? That might be all I needed. I braced myself and gripped Burn’s arm, ready to blast us out of there. I hadn’t been ready last time. I could do this.
“I’m going to try and pull from Ryker,” I said, hoping he’d be good with it too.
“Do it!” he screamed.
A whoosh of power surged into me, and my magic went from depleted to overflowing. I was ready for it this time. I channeled it all into Burn’s arm, yelling, “Make a flame.”
I couldn’t hold on to it. I had to let it out. Ryker’s magic was just like the man, aggressive and impossible to subdue.
Burn’s eyes lit up a second before his hand.
The burst of flame that shot out nearly knocked me backward. Burn managed to keep to his feet, and I didn’t let go of his arm.
White-hot flames pierced the wall of my monster. A howl, so loud it was nearly deafening, filled the air. I didn’t need to tell Burn to keep it up. I didn’t think he’d stop until we were back in the Valley. It was a good thing, because I didn’t think he’d hear me over the roar of agony that was all around us.
A hole appeared in the black cloud of magic. Beyond it were dead bodies that looked like they’d been thrown around like rag dolls, misshapen and broken, limbs askew. The only ones still alive had their backs to us as they fled the scene.
We burst through the hole we made as the thing continued to roar in pain. We circled together as a team to see what had surrounded us.
It was immense, its form shifting and flickering in the moonlight, as if it were struggling to hold its shape. What a shape it was. It stood on two legs with leathered grey skin that looked like arrows would bounce off it. Horns twisted out of its head, eyes glowing white and red. It opened its mouth, and the howl of pa
in was ear-piercing.
Burn and I took a step backward at the same time. Its gaze focused on me for just a second before the creature was gone.
“Holy fucking magic. What was that? I’ve never seen anything like it,” Burn whispered, as if the creature would hear him and come back.
“That was my monster.”
Nineteen
“This is a mess. What are we going to do with all these bodies?” Burn sounded like a novice to killing, like he hadn’t been hanging with the Cursed King for probably a solid decade and had at least a bucket of blood on his hands.
“Can you manage to get past your shock and awe and help me search them? Let’s see if we can find something that tells us who they are.” I was already on my third corpse, checking pockets and avoiding fleshy bits, while Burn tiptoed around the place like he was afraid to stain his boots.
“Burn.” I called his name as a teacher would to an errant student. And people said spying was bad? If I hadn’t spent all those hours peeking through the school room window in the Valley, I never would’ve mastered the tone that got Burn moving.
He bent down by the nearest body, using two fingers to lift a jacket away from a shirt. “Then what? Do we leave them out here?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far.” I glanced over from my fourth body while he worked on his first and looked like he’d be there a while.
A small smile lit his face. “Maybe we should torch them?”
I ignored the part of that suggestion that made my stomach flip-flop and focused on the man who’d turned into a large kid acting as if he’d discovered a new toy.
“The torch was very cool, but I’m not sure a bonfire of bodies would be better than leaving them as is. Their friends who got away will be back. We’re already late, and I don’t want to draw more attention to us than the big demon in the field might’ve.”
I was on my sixth body and still hadn’t found anything. It wasn’t like people usually walked around with identifying objects, but there wasn’t even a coin to hint at an origin. It was as if they were told to empty their pockets before they attacked. How had they planned this when we’d only decided to come last night? Had they been lying in wait for days hoping? Figuring we’d eventually come this way in search of clues? My gut had screamed that this was a bad idea from the start, and now it was chanting, I told you so.
Blood Binds: Wyrd Blood Book Three Page 11
