I watched as he paused outside the door. I couldn’t see his face, his back to me, but it was obvious his attention was on Asher.
I had run. I’d sacrificed a good situation, and it was on the verge of being for nothing in the next two minutes.
I stood with my hand gripping the open car door, debating whether I should try to call him again or try and tackle him. Then he walked in the building and it was too late for either. I followed in on his heels, forgetting all else and leaving the door to the car open.
There was immediate tension, and I wasn’t sure if it was in my head or if it truly existed. Kane didn’t know who Asher was. Right? He’d made mention of a boyfriend, but no one had said anything to make me believe they thought this boyfriend wasn’t human. Why would there be a problem? But as I watched them standing about a dozen paces apart, it was hard not to feel as if I’d just gone back in time and it was a showdown at noon.
I moved quickly in between them, wishing I was a bit taller and wider and could block Kane’s view better.
“Who’s this?” Kane asked me, but didn’t look away from Asher.
Had I ever told Kane Asher’s name? I couldn’t remember. If I called Asher “Jon” instead, would Asher go along with it?
“I’m Asher.”
Why did nobody in my life listen to me? So many things could be averted if they did. But no, no one had wanted to believe in the monsters, and Asher wouldn’t go upstairs when I told him to, either. Now look. I had enough to worry about without this blowing up in my face.
“Well, let’s let Asher get back to his painting.” My little encouragement wasn’t acknowledged as Kane stood stony in his appraisal of Asher, his eyes narrowed, tilting his head back as if trying to smell him or something.
Kane was concentrating way too hard on Asher, and I had no idea what Asher was doing, as I was afraid to turn my gaze from Kane.
Just as I was sure I felt the buzz of impending doom flittering in the air, Kane relaxed. He nodded in Asher’s direction and turned toward the door.
That was it? I nearly had a heart attack for nothing? Kane didn’t realize he wasn’t human.
I didn’t turn back to look at Asher until Kane was walking through the door. Asher was watching me, and I waved my free hand, letting him know everything was fine. Not that I thought he’d be able to do anything if they weren’t.
Crisis averted, but man, that had been close.
Kane climbed into his car and I got in the passenger side, afraid to speak, afraid I’d blow it and reveal the secret, or he’d smell my nervousness somehow. I swore he could, too. He had some sort of nervous meter. He always knew when I was off, always had. It was a miracle that he hadn’t sensed something when he was back there, and it would probably take me a good week to calm down from the close call.
Before the end of today, I was going to have to come up with some excuse to meet Kane at the Underground from now on. That disaster—the almost showdown—could not happen again.
Kane switched gears and the car surged forward.
“What happened to you yesterday?” Kane asked.
Isabella happened. Or Isabella on Kane, to be accurate. “Oh yeah, sorry about that. Something I ate must’ve been bad.”
He didn’t say another thing about it.
We pulled up to an old building about ten minutes away, and I got out of the car, trying to sturdy up the jitters still lingering in my knees. I walked a few paces and took in the landscape and the crawlers available, wondering what spell I could get that would reap the most cash, not even worrying about what Kane needed. If I’d had some warning, I would’ve tried to call Zee and ask her what she thought she could sell now that I was back in action. How hard could it be, though? There were always things people wanted, like eternal youth. That had to be worth some money.
I took a few more steps and then looked around for Kane. He was still by the car, head tilted down as he typed into his phone. I wouldn’t have been so impatient, but I needed an escape, even if it was into the Shadowlands.
“We doing this?”
“Hang on a second.” Kane was still looking down at his phone.
“Can you do that later?” The earlier tension was leaking out as annoyance. Better that then nervousness.
He didn’t budge from his spot, as if he hadn’t heard the impatience.
He had. He just didn’t care. He was one of those people. He didn’t get annoyed unless he felt like getting annoyed. Apparently, he wasn’t in the mood tonight, so I could throw an outright hissy fit and I wouldn’t move him along any quicker. It was one of the things that drove me crazy about him, and a trait I wished I had.
I turned my back on him, determined to waste as little of my time as possible. He might not be ready, but I’d get everything lined up in the meantime. Over in the corner, there was a really big crawler. Perfect. Kane could text one-handed, couldn’t he?
I turned, prepared to drag him over if needed, when I found him only a few steps away.
“I need your phone. My battery died and I needed to finish that message to Butch.”
His phone died? That seemed so…normal. Maybe even human? This was Kane. How could he have a dead battery?
I glanced quickly at his car. I hadn’t seen a charging cord. It was completely plausible that his phone was dead. I mean, even the mighty Kane couldn’t keep a phone charged all the time, right? Just because he could do other inhuman things didn’t mean he could magically keep his phone charged. There were limits to even superhuman powers; a battery that didn’t die might be the one impossible feat. Now that was a spell that could get me some cash.
Kane put his hand out, as if it were a forgone conclusion I would give him my phone.
I pulled it out and glanced down at the battery on mine, stalling for time, not wanting to hand it over for no logical reason. It wasn’t like there were messages on it from Asher. He hated electronics.
“Is there a problem?” Kane was looking at me as if I’d donned a clown hat and a red nose.
I couldn’t say no. Well, I guess I could, but it would blow my relaxed and everything is super cool cover. If I hesitated even a second longer, it was going to be obvious I didn’t want to share my phone.
I handed it over to him, fighting the urge to yank it back as soon as his hand closed around it.
He held it and looked like he was dialing someone as he walked a few paces away. Then he pocketed the damn thing and turned on me.
“Why did you pocket my phone? I need that.” I pointed at the pocket he’d just put it in, praying I’d been wrong and it hadn’t been a setup. I knew I shouldn’t have given him my phone. I should’ve said it was dead. Why hadn’t I? Dumb, plain old stupid and dumb. Always follow your instincts. I knew that. How many times had those instincts kept me alive? Now look at me? Phoneless, and I had a bad feeling that was the only the beginning of my problems right now.
His hands stayed relaxed at his sides as my phone stayed out of reach. I could try and grab it from him, but who was I kidding? I didn’t have a chance. I was screwed.
What was he up to? He was staring down at me in the most unpleasant way, like…ever. His eyes were narrowed again and his attention was intent, as if he was stripping away my layers.
I felt as if someone had slapped me upside the head as it hit me. He’d known Asher wasn’t human back at the building. Bile started sloshing around in my stomach like a bad water park ride.
Stay calm. Play this out. Maybe he was just testing me. And even if he suspected, he didn’t know. This wasn’t as bad as I was imagining. He didn’t know who Asher was. It might be paranoia on my part. I took two very confident steps toward him and held out my hand, as he had. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I need my phone back.”
He didn’t budge, except for maybe a tensing in his shoulders and the veins popping out of his forearms. And the little one in his neck.
This might’ve been more than paranoia on my part.
“What you ne
ed to do is tell me what that thing back at your building is.” His words were clear and clipped.
It was a warm day, but not warm enough for my sweat-coated palms and the surge of heat I was generating. If my forehead started beading, I’d really look guilty. I was lucky my shirt wasn’t sticking to me like cling wrap. “What are you talking about? He’s a friend helping me paint. I want my phone back.” And hopefully I’d be able to send Asher a text he would read for once and he’d hide.
Breathe, don’t stop breathing. He’ll notice if your face turns blue for sure. Stay limber; don’t tense. He doesn’t know anything or he wouldn’t be asking.
“What is he and where did he come from? And don’t say something stupid like New York or Virginia, because I know he’s not human.”
“You know nothing of the sort.”
He walked toward me, and I didn’t realize I’d been walking backward until I hit the car. Okay, so much for holding my ground.
“What is he?”
The game was up. I’d stupidly believed when I got Asher out of the Underground and the weeks had trickled on by that I’d succeeded in protecting him. I should’ve left the city when I had the chance. Why had I stayed in Boston?
The chance to flee was gone. Brain scrambling up quicker than eggs cooked, I thought back to just a minute or so ago. Kane had definitely messaged someone before his phone had “died.” Butch or Leon, probably both, were most likely on their way to my building right now. Would they kill Asher? A hundred percent, if those were their orders. Did Kane tell them to?
What if I ran back? It had been a ten-minute drive to get here. I looked in that direction, and then there was an arm on either side of the car.
“Even if you could get past me, which you can’t, you’d never make it.”
He’d sent people there.
He straightened, giving me my space, and looked east, the direction of my building, and then back at me, before he did a single slash of his head, telling me that trying to take off would be a bad idea.
Message received. I was desperate. Not stupid.
Stand my ground. Then threaten and bluff with anything I could think of if that didn’t work. There were no other options.
“If you kill him…” I left the rest of the sentence hanging because I couldn’t think of what else to say. I’d shown up at his office begging for scraps not a week ago. What would I do? Say I wouldn’t shadow walk now? I guess, if that was all I had. “I’ll never shadow walk for you again.”
He took his not dead phone out of his pocket and held it up, its screen glowing with a healthy charge. “They’re going to call me after they have it secured. You can explain or you can roll the dice and see what happens if you continue along this path of denial. Work with me, or work against me. Your choice. I won’t bore you with the stories of those who’ve worked against me. I think you’re smarter than that.”
I didn’t realize I was biting my lip until I tasted my own blood. How much to tell him? What could I say that would get both me and Asher out of this? My snug black t-shirt was now stuck to my damp skin. Not even dwarf clothes could conquer this sort of nervousness.
If I told Kane everything, he might kill him. If I told him nothing, he might kill him.
“You’re running the clock.” He pointed to a nonexistent watch on his wrist.
His phone rang and I could see the look on his face, daring me to move from my spot.
He answered it and held it to his ear as he stood facing me. “Hold on.” He dropped the phone and looked at me. “Well? What’s it going to be?”
“I’ll talk if you promise not to hurt him.” I took a few steps toward Kane, getting ready to tackle the phone out of his hand if need be. They do say adrenaline can make you super strong. I might be putting that to the test.
“Waiting.”
I looked around at all the crawlers. “I don’t think here’s the place.”
Kane was smart enough to understand immediately.
“Tell me it’s not what I think.”
I went back to biting my lip as he swore into the air and took a few steps away from me. Finally, he lifted the phone back to his ear. “Keep him secured but unharmed…for now.”
I knew what the for now meant. Pony up some answers, ones that would make it advantageous for Kane to leave Asher among the living or his time was up. I’d seen Kane kill for less.
Chapter 13
He didn’t question me as we drove back to the Underground. He was probably saving them all up to torture me with when I couldn’t fling myself from the car. I didn’t care. Every minute was a gift to come up with a feasible explanation of who Asher was, other than the complete truth. Considering I’d been fearing this for the last three months, one would think I’d have come up with something brilliant. Every story I’d devised had been based on him being human, and that had been blown.
I was still praying for a burst of inspiration as Kane pulled the car in front of the Underground.
He parked the car, got out without looking at me, and headed toward the building. It would’ve been less insulting if he’d grabbed me by the arm and dragged me in. Walking ahead of me, so confident I was going to follow, was a slap in the face, because we both knew I was so outmatched that it didn’t matter.
“I could do it, you know,” I said, referring to running, as he opened the door.
“Sure you could.” He didn’t even bother to turn around. He could at least pretend!
Maybe it wasn’t so bad to just have it out with Kane over my leaving and what Asher was. Get it all out in the open. It was inevitable, in a way. But I always circled back to the same issue. Then Kane might kill Asher.
All eyes were on us as we walked toward the office. It was either because I appeared to be walking toward my death or because Kane looked like he was about to commit murder. Probably a combination of the two.
I walked into his office first and heard the door shut behind me.
“I’d make yourself comfortable.”
His threat was couched in polite terms, but I understood exactly what he meant. I wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while.
I walked toward the windows that overlooked the main floor, thinking that if it came to it, I’d probably survive the fall. It might be my only chance of getting out of here. If I landed well, Kane would probably opt for the stairs, because he was dignified like that, and give me a lead.
He sat behind his desk, reclining and propping his feet up. “If you managed to land with your bones intact, you still wouldn’t make it out the door.”
I leaned against the nearby filing cabinet, pretending I was as relaxed as he was. “I wouldn’t be so confident.”
He crossed his hands behind his head, still looking pretty confident. “Well? He’s not human. Who is he? Or, more accurately, what is he?”
“I don’t understand why this is any of your—”
“He’s in my city.”
“It’s not your city. There’s lots of other people who live here.”
“Would you like to keep debating this?” He reached over and lifted his phone off the desk. “Because I think whatever that thing is, it’s better off dead. I’m giving you a chance to keep it alive, and you’re wasting your opportunity.”
He would, too. I’d seen him kill before, and he hadn’t been nearly as angry as I feared he was now. He didn’t even know who Asher was yet, but he was looking for an excuse to finish this.
I opened my mouth, debating how much of the truth I could feed him to make it believable but still save Asher. It was a tough call. Kane’s homicidal threshold seemed to be lower these days.
“The entire truth.”
I opened my mouth, but fear blocked the words in my throat like I was in a chokehold. I knew it was an accurate description because I’d been fortunate enough to find out exactly how a chokehold felt recently. The clock was ticking on Asher, though, and I had to give Kane something or he’d definitely kill him.
“I’ll help you out,
since you seem to be struggling so hard with this.” He dropped his feet and stood, walking halfway across the room toward me. “I very rarely come across a creature I don’t recognize. That means he’s something I haven’t encountered before.” He narrowed his eyes, putting a world’s worth of accusation behind them before he added, “But you’ve somehow become close with this thing in a short time. The possibilities are becoming very limited.”
The way he was asking, I had a hunch the size of Antarctica that he already knew. I was holding out for nothing. Still, a couple feelers before I spilled might be in order. “He’s what you think.” That was, if it was what I thought he was thinking.
His jaw tensed and a strange cord in his neck was popping out. The last time I’d seen that one come out, a body had lost its head.
“Do me a favor and clarify it anyway. Then, after you do that, tell me why I shouldn’t kill him.”
His phone rang, buying me precious moments.
He held the phone to his ear and listened, watching me the whole time. “Sit tight. I’ll let you know how to proceed shortly.”
He tucked his phone in his back pocket and glanced at the clock on the wall. “You’ve got one minute to start speaking.”
“He’s the man from the Shadowlands.”
He walked away from me.
“You brought him out of the Shadowlands?” The words were gritted out in a mixture of shock and anger.
He stepped back and walked around his desk, and I had this strange feeling that he was looking for a physical buffer between us. I might’ve been wrong, but I decided to back up closer to the windows in case I was right.
He really thought I’d bring Asher out? “I didn’t bring him out. He showed up on his own.” I wished my voice was stronger, more confident sounding.
He raked both hands through his hair before he dropped them to his side. “What about the missing items?”
“He had nothing to do with it.” I rambled on with more details, hoping to plant enough doubt to keep Asher alive. “He’s been out three months. When did their things go missing? It had to be recently.”
Walking in the Dark: Ollie Wit, Book Two Page 8
