We went out into the living room and found Mariang and Danny sitting at the kitchen table eating a breakfast that looked homemade. “Lynna?” Von inquired, forking several pancakes and starting in on one without needing a plate to slow him down.
“Yeah.” Danny jerked his thumb to the front door. “Mason’s on the porch. Said he doesn’t deserve to come inside or something like that. Ezra’s ordered he only be a wolf Topside from now until, I don’t know, a long time. It’ll limit… you know, what happened last time.”
I nodded at the suggestion that seemed reasonable. Mariang handed me a plate and I filled it with probably too many pancakes. I poured maple syrup over the top and stabbed into the fluffy goodness with excitement when I realized it was real maple syrup, and not the artificial kind. Allie would’ve loved it.
“You pulled a lot from her last night?” Mariang asked of Von’s full plate. “I thought taking a day or two off from reaping would help things go smoother while you lot healed from your abduction.”
“Nah. I’m just refueling from all the raucous sex we had. Takes a lot out of a bloke. November’s absolutely bananas in bed. Took my virginity all over again, she did.” Von tossed Mariang a smile when Danny choked on his orange juice.
I kept eating, not at all put off at Von’s crass jokes. “Yes. We had lots of sex. Tell me, sweet cheeks, next time can it last a whole three minutes? I’d really like that.” Von scoffed and offered some rebuttal, but I couldn’t hear a word of it since his mouth was full of pancakes. I turned and kissed his cheek. “You can work up to the three minutes, if you like.” Then I tucked my finger into the waist of his jeans and gave a slight tug, smirking when his eyes widened. “I believe in you, little buddy.”
“Little?” Von choked out, astonished that my jokes were better than his.
“If we’re done with this, then we can drum up a plan for the day.” Danny was surly, which was to say, business as usual. We decided on going to the hospital nearby, and started an uneventful day of sucking the souls out of people.
Von stayed by my side morning, noon and night for the next week while we muddled through reaping duties. We had to store up souls so I could take the sagrado stone down to the next country in Terraway and do my thing. While I’d been able to do dozens before in a single workday, Von insisted we take it slow, meeting the minimum quota, plus one or two extra. While I’d wanted to argue, I was starting to feel winded when we hit eight reapings. I knew being starved for weeks couldn’t be fixed in a day, so I tried to be patient with our sluggish progress.
“You nervous?” Von asked me as he shut the bedroom door so we could wind down for the night. Mason roamed around near my dresser, giving the bed a wide berth while Von and I turned the covers down. “Hopefully this next journey won’t be as harrowing as the last. I mean, this one will be properly planned out.”
I shrugged, unwilling to admit that my stomach was in knots. “I’m fine.” Then I groaned when Von handed me the clear jar he’d put on the shelf of my nightstand that he’d labeled “Denial Jar”. I yanked a dollar from my messenger bag and shoved it inside.
“Shall we try that again?”
“I hope it’s not as rough as the last time. I mean, we’re taking healing to their country. You’d think that would be a good thing, but it feels like we’re doomed the second we step into Terraway.” I straightened my pillow on the bed before I climbed in under the covers, exhausted. Mason hopped up next to me, and I reminded myself to be cool. We’d fallen into a good rhythm, especially since Mason couldn’t speak, which meant we couldn’t have the dreaded talk about how it all went so wrong. I fished for an engaging topic that would distract me from my discomfort. “So, this Sama character. Super bad guy?”
“Super immortal bad guy, which is like, the worst kind.”
“Tell me about him. Long mustache to twirl? Tying damsels to train tracks?”
“Honestly, I only know the headlines. He’s like, over a hundred years old or something. He was an apprentice with some other bloke under the last Kapre.”
“What’s a Kapre? I forget.”
“It’s an extinct species now. They used to be these incredible giants who smoked fat cigars and told you riddles. They fancied gems and important stones. They were fascinated with the sagrado stones. The last Kapre was in possession of the spare sagrado stone, and when Sama and the other bloke killed him, the last stone went missing.” He flopped down in the bed next to me on my other side. “That is, until it showed up in your mum’s home.”
“That’s crazy.”
“Yeah.” Von scratched his toned stomach. “You sure I can’t smoke in here? I’m itching for a cigar right now.”
“You can smoke all you want outside. I already caved and said you can sleep in your underwear.” That was with the firm understanding that he would wear pajama pants again once Mason was allowed to be human.
“Yes, but you put your foot down on you not sleeping in just your knickers, as well. That cuts off half the fun. And now no cigars in bed on top of that? You’re one cruel mistress.”
“Oh, brother. My bedroom’s my perfectly clean place. I need one clean space in my life. You know that.”
“Yes, yes. I know. I just figured if I keep whining about it, maybe you’ll realize your long lost love for smoking cigars, as well. Then we can spend our nights smoking together before we turn in. Doesn’t that just sound sexy?”
“Oh, Von. You’re my favorite bad habit, and I only allow myself one of those at a time.” My foot found his under the covers. “Tell me more about Sama. The villain in the movie tonight died too easily. Bruce Campbell’s just too incredible for his own good.”
Von chuckled at my Bruce Campbell obsession. “Let’s see. Where were we? Ah, yes. Bedtime stories about evil geniuses who can’t be killed. When they were apprentices for the last Kapre, Sama and the other bloke found a way to make themselves immortal using a self-inflicted curse, powered by one of the magical gemstones the Kapre collected. Sama was then doubly cursed by his Kapre master, imprisoned on an island.”
“So he’d live forever, but alone? That sucks.”
“Indeed. Sama’s a powerful one, though. He’s always trying to get off the island, sending his soul to inhabit the weak. He’s got a whole army he controls without ever having to leave his island. It’s how he killed the last Kapre from his remote location, without ever laying a finger on him.”
“Yikes.”
“Sama uses the undead who haven’t been properly buried. That’s why what Mason did was so important. There were fewer zombies for Sama to call to himself.” He reached over me to pat Mason’s furry head. “Now Sama’s army is growing every day, I’d imagine.”
“That’s terrible! What are we going to do to stop him? There must be some kind of magical pill or something that can kill an immortal.”
Von tugged me close, pecking my lips. “Solving all the world’s problems in a conversation, are we? Sorry, love. There’s no such pill. Hence the whole ‘immortal’ aspect of it all.”
“Stop saying ‘hence’. I know you’re trying to turn me on with your fancy words.”
He chuckled at my humor. “Well, I had to give it a shot.” He drew my hand to rest on his stomach, sighing contentedly at the intimate contact he only enjoyed from me. He loved sleeping in his underwear, and I loved the warmth he exuded, so it was a win-win. “Must sleep, darling. We’ll figure out that whole magic pill thing in the morning, yeah?”
“Yeah, okay. Night, Von. Night, Mason.”
Mason had kept to his wolf form that entire week. He and I slept with our spines pressed together while I dozed in Von’s arms, dreaming about Philip.
11
Three Days
I drove Terence the Taurus with Von in the passenger seat and Mason sprawled out in the back as we made our way to Ezra Manor to discuss the next leg of our journey through Terraway. It was the first time Mason had not been a wolf since the incident, and things were a little tense. Von kept his hand on
my knee, maintaining a constant stream of gentle pulling until I cut the engine in Ezra’s driveway. I’d been weak for a while, but this morning, I was starting to feel more myself. I was getting stronger again, with my brain firing on all cylinders after a week of eating properly and reaping only a modest amount while I recouped.
For half a minute, I just sat in my seat, unwilling to get out of the car and face the next assignment. While I’d gotten back a bit of my strength and clarity, I didn’t feel ready to tackle Narnia just yet. Von tugged on my ponytail. “I think it’s time, Peach.”
“I know. I’m working my way up to opening the door.” I looked over at him. “You sure we can’t FedEx the sagrado stone to the next territory? I mean, does it have to be me?”
Mason answered when Von wavered. “It has to be you, and it has to be now. Terraway’s waited long enough.” It was the first thing he’d said to me since he’d pinned me down and forced me to keep kissing him. Not quite an apology, but whatever.
Ezra trotted out to greet us, opening my door and ushering me out like a gentleman – a gentleman who couldn’t wait another minute for me to get on the ball. Ezra displayed his hands before wrapping them around me in a hug I tried to get used to. Ezra’s chest was solid, and he smelled of aftershave and fresh coffee. “You’re looking much better than when last I saw you. I don’t like this distance, you living an hour away. I worry.”
For seven solid seconds, I let myself pretend that he was worried about just me, and not Terraway’s food supply. I leaned my head on Ezra’s shoulder, indulging in the paternal glow of it all. It was one of the few times I let Ezra hold me without squirming to get away. He felt the difference, squeezing tighter when he sensed I needed the boost. “I’m worried this trip’s going to end up like the last one. I didn’t like being locked up like that.”
Ezra rubbed my back to soothe me, and I let him. “We’re far better prepared this time around. You’ll be going to Kabayo’s land, and since Kabayo’s the king, he’s granting you free passage through his country. It won’t be the same war trying to sneak through. And I’ll be with you the whole time, yeah?”
“I guess that’s a little better.”
“Mariang’s coming, too. It’ll be like a family camping trip,” Ezra said with a smile.
“Isn’t that kind of hard for her? I mean, are you sure that’s best?” I tried to picture her frail body sleeping on the ground and winced.
“Not best, but necessary. Kabayo’s wife requested to see her.”
“Wife? I didn’t know Kabayo was married.” I couldn’t picture him romantic or soft. Or as anything but an equine warrior king.
“Yes, if you can believe it.” Ezra turned and led me into the mansion with one arm still wrapped around my shoulders. He dipped his head in my direction to speak quietly to me after Von and Mason went into the conference room ahead of us. “Things are okay with Mason?”
I shrugged. “I guess they have to be. We haven’t talked about what happened. Von’s a good buffer, though.”
Ezra turned to face me to make sure I was paying attention. “Should you feel uncomfortable around Mason, I want you to tell me first thing. The Omen and Puller bond is sacred; he shouldn’t have treated it so unkindly.”
“How are things going with Bev?” I wasn’t sure what Danny had told him.
Ezra forced a polite smile. “They’re alright. She wasn’t thrilled that I found out about Allie, and I wasn’t thrilled that she kept a whole child from me. We’re working through it. My forthcoming absence didn’t go over well, but that’s to be expected.” He shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about your mother. I’ll be sure to conduct myself like a gentleman.”
I wanted to tell him it wasn’t her I was worried about, but the words stayed stuck in my throat. “I have no doubt.”
Ezra led me into the room where the first thing I heard was bickering. The first thing I saw was a massive dead horse head on the round table. I gasped, taking in the foam on the horse’s maw and the lifeless glassy eyes that stared in no particular direction. The nurse in me wanted to investigate the green tinge to his maw, but Ezra stopped me when I tried to reach out to examine it. “King Kabayo, why don’t you fill our newcomers in about your recent predicament,” he said as he lowered me to a chair.
I saw Finn, Lang and Sylvia, who all dipped their heads at me in formal greeting. Kabayo stood, placing his hands on the table, towering over everyone there. He was easily seven feet tall, and his black horse head looked menacing as he addressed the group. “Ever since Sakuna received their piece of the sagrado stone, our people have been hit hard with some sort of plague. The Omens have been keeping up with their reapings, so our buhay crops are starting to grow stronger, but we’re no match for this. I’m certain it’s a curse.” He pointed to the horse’s mouth to indicate the crusted and dried foam. “We don’t know what’s causing it, but it seems to be something they’re ingesting. And it’s only affecting those of us not taking Sama’s rations, so I know he’s not poisoning us that way. If we can get the sagrado to the main water source, like you did in Sakuna, I think that could help. The stone has healing powers, and we’ve never needed them more than we do now. I’ve lost forty Tikbalangs to this plague, and it’s barely been a week.”
Lang lifted my backpack off the floor and set it on the table in front of me, so I had something to focus on other than the giant dead horse man. “Here’s what’s left of your stone, Lady October. Ruiz, Klark and I are ready to assist you on your journey.”
Sylvia shook her crescent moon-shaped head. “I wish I could help, but my land’s on the brink of a civil war. Factions have been splitting off, and the country’s divided – those who want me to continue my rule and those who would see others in my place. Me being here for this meeting is the most time I can spend away from my people.”
Ezra nodded. “Understandable. Just make sure when it comes time for our journey through your land, that it’s safer than what we found in Sakuna.”
“That’s exactly what I’m working on.”
Finn was sitting back in his chair, his long fingers folded over his abdomen. His blondish-brownish hair had just enough wave to it, and his deep green eyes and full lips drew my gaze. He always appeared outside of whatever drama was happening, and today proved no exception. His expression was hard to read, since it looked like he could have been concentrating on his favorite TV show instead of studying a dead horse. He didn’t speak, but Ezra’s eyes kept sweeping toward him as if to gauge how to proceed. While everyone deferred to Ezra, I could now see how Ezra relied on them every bit as much.
Kabayo didn’t believe in deferring, so he pushed on. “How long until enough souls are stored up? How soon can the stone come to us?”
Ezra looked to me for an answer, and I stiffened. Apparently I was the weakest link, so the journey depended on how soon I could get my act together. “Depending on how many souls we can find in a day, I can be ready no problem. How many do we need stored up?”
“At least fifty if we’re to be gone five days,” Ezra replied, his tone dubious that I could get the job done in a timeframe that would suit Kabayo. “Remember, we’re still behind on what was lacking before you were awakened.”
I’d been working at the bare minimum for the past week, but it seemed now was the time to crank it up a notch. I ran my hand over my face, adding up that cost versus the effort I had in me. “Give me three days. Can ya’ll be ready by then?”
This number seemed to please them. They nodded and some stood to ready for departure back to their homeland, but Finn remained seated, his gaze shifting to me with that same indifferent calculation. “You and Mariang can reap that many in three days? You look on the edge of collapse.”
Whatever weariness I felt at the mere act of sitting while I was still on the mend, I shook off in that instant, bristling as I met his gaze with probably a little too much defiance. “You’re not so beautiful yourself,” I lied. Finn was gorgeous in that “how should I care
what I look like, I hit the genetic lottery” kind of way. “I was held in a prison for weeks and starved while my Duwendes were tortured. What’s your excuse?”
Finn’s answering smile was heard. The ‘oh, snap’ looks that fizzled and spun around us from the others were ignored. “Apologies, milady. I only meant to ask if you were sure three days was enough time for you and Lady Mariang. You look terrible.”
I leaned back in my chair, mirroring his body language. I knew his type. I’d seen enough mafia henchmen and upper management in prison to know they only respected the ones who disrespected them to their face. They revered unwavering strength, which I had in spades when my abilities to get a job done were questioned. “I don’t plan on Mariang working these next few days. She’ll be resting and packing for the journey. I can do fifty souls on my own in three days just fine. Or would you rather I drag it out so I can go get my nails done? I haven’t scheduled a manicure in ages.” I tried to appear bored as I studied my nails that had never actually seen the inside of a salon.
Finn examined my small movements. “You always give me something pretty to look at.”
I ignored what I’m sure was supposed to be a compliment. “This is the part where you say ‘thank you’ and move along to your little underwater friends.” He opened his mouth to reply, but my raised eyebrow told him not to push it. “Have a good one, guys. See you in three days.”
12
A Fourth Wheel
Finn remained in his seat while the others shook hands or vanished on sight. When it was just Ezra, me and Finn, Ezra spoke more openly. “Darling, I’m not sure it was wise to promise such a high number in so short a time. You’re barely upright.”
“I can handle it. No point in letting more of Kabayo’s people die while everyone waits for me to feel better. I’ve powered through and gone to work half-cocked before. This is no different. Same rodeo, different horse is all.”
Torture (Terraway Book 3) Page 6
