In the Shadow of Dragons (Aftermagic Book 1) Page 10

  He faced her with a raised eyebrow. “Thought you said I wasn’t getting any thanks.”

  “I changed my mind,” she said. “Thank you for helping Mr. Robinson this morning. And me, with those officers.”

  “Swain and Pearce. They’re still on my list.” One corner of his mouth twitched. “You’re welcome.”

  She nodded and fell silent while she applied the steri-strips. The gash was fairly wide, almost deep enough for stitches, but it would probably heal without scarring if he left the bandages on. “All right, that’s done,” she said. “What about the rest of you?”

  “The rest of me’s fine.”

  “Sure it is.”

  He huffed a breath. “Look, I’m not going to get undressed and wear one of those paper gowns, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said. “Trust me, my face is the worst of it.”

  “Really. There’s nothing wrong with your side, the right one.”

  “How…” He blinked in surprise. “Okay, maybe. But it’s not that bad.”

  “Show me,” she said. “If it’s not that bad, you can show me, right?”

  “No, thanks.”

  She frowned. “Mr. Volk … Sawyer,” she said. “I can’t force you to accept treatment. But I am trying to help you here, and you’re making that very difficult. It doesn’t have to be.”

  “It’s not that simple.” He closed his eyes briefly. “All right,” he said. “I’ll show you, but I already know there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  “Maybe I can.”

  He shook his head, and lifted his shirt to reveal a massive bruise that completely covered his ribs. It wasn’t Magesign — she could tell easily, because he had plenty of that in addition to the bruise. A dark maroon pattern that looked like Celtic tattoos marked his entire chest and stomach, and part of his back.

  She sucked in a quick breath. “How did that happen?”

  “Horse kicked me at the stables this morning. Not mine, of course. He’d never do that to me.” His smile was almost sheepish, but there was something strange about it. Something that seemed calculated. And there was a sudden, penetrating watchfulness in his eyes. “Dumb, right?” he said. “Getting myself banged up before things even get started.”

  It didn’t look like a horse kick. Unfortunately, it did look like cracked ribs — and he was right that there wasn’t much she could do about it. Still, not much wasn’t the same as nothing. “Well, I can at least help with the pain,” she said. “Tape you up with a cold compress, get you some pain meds. All right?”

  He nodded slowly and lowered his shirt, his features relaxing. “That sounds fine,” he said. “Thank you. Naomi.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  She headed back for more supplies, wondering if she was thinking too hard — about Sawyer, about Scott, the Eclipse, everything. Reading too much into ordinary reactions, seeing things that weren’t there.

  If she didn’t stop this, she’d end up just as paranoid as poor Scott.

  CHAPTER 15

  The Badlands

  August 8, 3:15 p.m.

  Noah wasn’t all that thrilled to learn he’d been right about Indigo. She did have wings. Silas and Peyton had gotten her back to the caves and out of the Eclipse as fast as possible, but it didn’t stop the growth. That, at least, was probably for the best — half-stunted and useless wings would’ve been worse.

  Of course, they could still be useless. Right now they were a damp mass of bone and feathers folded against her back and reaching to her knees. At least she knew she could move them, control them. They weren’t just there, like a costume that would never come off. And she wasn’t in pain now that they’d stopped growing.

  She seemed okay with it for now. He’d left her and Silas in their room, debating over whether she was turning into a Valkyrie, a harpy, or a swan princess, which was Silas’s vote. Noah didn’t bring up his own concerns, less about her transformation and more about how cut off she’d be from the rest of the world now.

  There was no way to hide those wings. She couldn’t go into the city, or anywhere there might be patrols or Knights. She’d be killed on sight.

  He entered the main cavern from the tunnel and found everyone the same as he’d left them — listless, dispirited, gloomy. Sledge and Isaac had gone out when Sledge claimed he wanted to kill something, and Peyton rested in her room after she’d exhausted herself healing Indigo, and then Blake. The rest were in here. Diesel and Darby at the table, Oscar sprawled on a beanbag by the bookshelves, Blake slumped on a couch.

  Noah felt like he should say something. He just had no idea what.

  He was headed for one of the chairs in the sitting area when Blake straightened and turned toward him. “I guess I’ll say it, since we’re all thinking it,” he said. “Where’s this key we’re supposed to have?”

  Noah stopped. “I told you before, I don’t know what it is.”

  “And you still don’t know. Right?” Blake stood with a slight wince. “Because he didn’t give us shit. There is no key.”

  “Calm down, Blake.” Diesel pushed back from the table, but made no move to get up. Yet. “You know Noah’s visions aren’t always obvious. It’s going to happen.”

  Blake folded his arms. “Yeah. Says the psycho headcase.”

  “The what?”

  “All right, stop,” Noah said, looking hard at Blake. “I’m sorry I don’t know anything else. But I’ll fill you in as soon as I figure it out.”

  “No you won’t, because there’s nothing to figure out.” Blake’s jaw clenched. “Visions, my ass. You’re just as crazy as he is.”

  Now Diesel stood with a low growl. Darby was right behind him, a hand on his arm to hold him back. “Ashcraft, what the hell crawled up your ass and died?” she said. “You get knocked back once, and you need to blame it all on somebody else? Or are you just pissed off that you’re not a were-tiger?”

  “We should’ve fought them!” Blake shivered and lowered clenched fists to his sides. “Bishop was right there. Damn it, I hit the bastard. We could have ended all this today, but we just ran the fuck away!”

  “Come on, man. Didn’t you see what happened?” Oscar pushed up and walked toward the incensed Blake. “I saw it, and I was only looking through binoculars. Diesel’s blast should’ve crippled him. But it did fuck-all.”

  Blake’s hot gaze darted to Oscar. “I had him,” he said. “I made the bastard bleed.”

  “Yeah, you got a shot in. And he swatted you like a goddamned bug for it.” Oscar reached him and gripped his shoulder. “You really think he wouldn’t have killed you if you managed to hit him again?”

  Some of the fire went out of him. “Hell, I’d gladly die if I could take Bishop with me.”

  “I know that. We all know that,” Oscar said. “But two rocks ain’t gonna kill a regular guy, much less Julian Bishop. And back there today? That’s all you would’ve got.”

  Noah relaxed slightly when he noticed Diesel backing down. The last thing they needed was a rift in the group. United they’d stand, divided they’d kill each other and save BiCo the trouble of hunting them down. “You did great out there, Blake,” he said. “You rattled him. That was exactly what we needed. Now, we just have to be patient and figure out what comes next.”

  Blake snorted. “Sorry, man. It’s just hard to wait,” he said. “Patience isn’t my thing.”

  “Yeah, we noticed,” Darby called. “Bet you have the same problem in the sack.”

  “Come back to my cave any time and find out.”

  “In your dreams, slingshot boy.”

  He tossed a grin at her. “Your loss.”

  “Okay. Nobody wants to know what you two are doing in your free time,” Noah said, trying not to laugh at Darby’s scowl. “For now we’re going to wait. Business as usual, but we need to stay alert. Something wasn’t right out there today.”

  Diesel grunted. “You mean the way Julian didn’t murder us all on the spot?”

  “Yeah, man,” Oscar
said. “When that Liza chick came back with all those patrols, I thought we were dead for sure.”

  “He let us go.” Noah caught Diesel’s eye. “I heard him order them to stay back.”

  “Not good,” Diesel said. “You think he’s planning something?”

  Noah frowned at nothing in particular. “He must be. And we need to know what,” he said. “So I’m going into the city tonight for supplies … and to try finding out.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Darby and Blake said at almost the same time.

  He shook his head. “Not tonight. It’s too soon after the attack, and we need as many as possible here to protect the place. I’m going alone.” Again he looked at Diesel, and the big man gave a slight nod. It was understood that he might not be back in time for the nightly fireworks. But Diesel could handle it. “This’ll be easier once we get a few recruits,” he said. “You sent that message to Goddard, right?”

  Darby nodded. “Yesterday.”

  “Good. Let’s hope he finds someone.”

  More than ever, they needed all the help they could get.

  CHAPTER 16

  BiCo Training Facility

  August 8, 8:20 p.m.

  At least Julian hadn’t been lying about excluding Carola from dinner. It was just the two of them in his office, wine and candles on the table, soft music playing in the background. And the seared tuna and saffron risotto was incredible.

  Unfortunately, it was settling like wet sawdust in her stomach.

  Teague set her fork down and picked up her wine glass, but didn’t drink it. “I’m sorry, Julian,” she said. “I let you down today.”

  He stopped in the middle of bringing a bite of steak to his mouth. Lowered his hand to the table and shook his head. “I’m the one who let you down, Tee,” he said softly. “You weren’t ready. I know that now.”

  “No, I could’ve handled it. At least I could’ve done better. I just…” A shivery sigh escaped her, and she sipped the wine to cover it. “It’s been five years,” she said. “I should be able to deal with it by now. Put it behind me.”

  Julian reached across the table and took her free hand. “What happened to you isn’t something you can put behind you.”

  “I know,” she whispered, closing her eyes. It was hard to remember. Harder to talk about. Even now she could see the beast wearing her father’s clothes, her mother’s bloody, misshapen form on the floor at his feet, still twitching and trying to morph into something else. Hear her brother’s screams from the next room as he Changed. She could still taste the fear, slick in her throat and heavy in her gut.

  And the photo. They’d run it in every newspaper and magazine, plastered it all over the internet — the sole survivor covered in blood that wasn’t hers, on her knees and screaming in front of the blazing house where the bodies of her family burned. Captioned with the words she couldn’t stop gasping out between sobs.

  They were monsters. I killed them.

  Julian Bishop, the demigod, the savior of the world, had taken her in when she’d lost everything. He’d trained her, sheltered her … and, she thought, loved her. Apparently she’d been wrong about that last part.

  But she wouldn’t let thoughts of Carola spoil tonight.

  She looked at him and gave a sad smile. “My brother was the worst part,” she said. “Ricky. He was only twelve, and…” She broke off with a shudder.

  “Hey, you don’t have to talk about it,” Julian said. “Trust me, I understand.”

  She squeezed his hand. Today was the anniversary of a lot of deaths, including Julian’s father — though Royce Bishop had died a year before her family. “I meant to ask. How was the memorial service?” she said.

  “Same as always. Long, sappy, and mostly bullshit,” he said with a smirk. “But it helps people feel better.”

  “Sure. Everyone but you.” Julian had confided in her many times about Royce. The man wasn’t exactly father of the year, especially after BiCo exploded onto the global market with cloned organs. The more the money poured in, the colder and crueler Royce Bishop had become. Julian had loved his father until the end, but he wasn’t quite as broken up about the man’s death as people thought.

  Julian gave a slow shrug. “He would’ve wanted me to keep going like this.” A distant look came over him, but after a moment he shook himself back. “I had a brother,” he said. “Did I ever tell you that?”

  “No, you didn’t.” She almost asked what happened, since had implied the brother was past tense for some reason. But she waited for him to tell what he wanted.

  “It’s been a long time. I almost … wow. Eleven years.” He released her hand almost absently and toyed with his wine glass. “His name was Mathias,” he said. “Three years younger than me. Eighteen when he died.” His throat worked once. “Badly.”

  “Oh, Julian,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thank you.” The response was flat, automatic. He stared at the glass, drank half of it at once. “He burned to death.”

  “My God. That’s awful.”

  “Yes, it was.” Julian looked blankly at the table for a moment, and then raised his head and smiled as if they hadn’t just been talking about dead little brothers. “You’ve done so much for me, Teague,” he said. “You know I trust you more than anyone, right? That I believe in you?”

  The change of subjects was fast enough to make her dizzy, but she didn’t blame him. She knew how hard it was to experience memories like that. “I guess so,” she said.

  “You don’t sound convinced.”

  “Okay … yes. I know that.” No bringing up Carola, she reminded herself firmly. “Why?”

  His smile faded. “Do you trust me?” he said. “I mean, really trust me. With your life.”

  “I do,” she said without hesitation.

  “All right. Good.” He let out a long breath, as if he’d been steeling himself for her response. “I need you to do something for me,” he said. “It’s going to be hard, and dangerous. But I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  She wasn’t sure she liked the sound of this. “What is it?”

  “You know what happened today with the Darkspawn,” he said. “Destroying my shipments was bad enough, but now they’re trying to kill my Knights. Assassinate me. They have to be stopped. And we have to get them all at once, or they’ll just regroup and come back harder.”

  “Yes, that’s probably the best strategy,” she said slowly. “So where do I come in?”

  “We don’t know where they are. No one does.” He looked away for an instant. “I want you to join them.”

  She was too stunned to reply.

  “Their recruiters hang out in the Warrens.” Julian snagged his wine glass and drained the rest. “There’s a bar they use a lot, a place called Five Cowboys. It’s a dump, but everything is, around there. If you go there tonight—”

  “Are you crazy?” she finally said. The Warrens, a rotting pocket neighborhood at the north end of Casper, was a lawless cesspool of rebels and magic users. Patrol officers didn’t go in the place unless they absolutely had to, and when they did, it was in serious numbers with full SWAT gear and shoot-to-kill orders. And all that was beside the fact that he’d just asked her to become a terrorist. “I won’t last a minute in the Warrens, unless you want me to kill anyone who looks twice at me. And the Darkspawn will never buy … what, that I’m switching sides? I’m a goddamned Knight!”

  “No one has any idea who you are, Tee.” He tried to take her hand again, but she pulled away. “Don’t you think I’ve considered that? You’re never in the news, never out in public. The patrol captains at the gate didn’t even recognize you.”

  She gave him a dry look. “Great point. Except someone had me running all over Casper today, remember? People saw me.”

  “And how many of those people are still alive?”

  This time the reminder of how many she’d killed stung. “One,” she said. One terrified girl who knew she’d slaughtere
d her boyfriend.

  “The girl at the warehouse.” Julian shook his head. “Tee … she’s dead. She killed herself before the patrols got there. They found her outside.”

  She sucked in a breath. “Jesus, no,” she whispered.

  “I’m sorry. I know you tried to get her to safety,” he said. “We don’t know why—”

  “I killed her boyfriend.” Teague shuddered and composed herself. “He was Changing, and I chased him into the warehouse. I didn’t know she was following him.”

  “You did the right thing. It wasn’t your fault.”

  Yes, it was. She wouldn’t say that out loud. “Anyway, I can’t join the Darkspawn,” she said. “It’s never going to work.”

  “It will work. And you’re the only one who can do it.” She recognized that determined look in his eyes, the one that said his mind was made up. “All you have to do is get them to bring you to their base,” he said. “It’s somewhere in the Badlands. Once you have the location, I’ll get you out of there and we’ll take them down. Together, all of us.”

  Goddamn it. If she didn’t agree to this insanity, he’d just order her to do it. And she would. Because she was the world’s biggest sucker.

  Because she loved him.

  “Please,” Julian said. “They tried to kill me today. They almost killed Grogan. I know you can do this, Tee. You can save us all.”

  It took almost a full minute, but she made herself say, “Fine. Tell me the plan.”

  “Thank you,” he said.

  She decided not to acknowledge that. He could thank her by not letting her get killed.

  CHAPTER 17

  Talbot Home; Casper, Wyoming

  August 8, 9:12 p.m.

  Naomi sank into the big chair across from the television, both hands wrapped around a warm mug of valerian tea. She hadn’t bothered turning the set on. Nothing she wanted to watch tonight, especially since most of the programming would be endless rehashes of today’s events, memorial services, clips from Eclipses past, and of course, the Knights.