Silvertongue, page 13
part #1 of Remnants of Magic Series
“Only because they were-”
“You know, I’m sorry,” Aedan said, his voice conversational. “I let you go, before.”
It was Matt’s turn to eye him, beginning to scowl. “You didn’t let me go. I broke both your legs.”
“And yet, here I am,” Aedan said, waggling a finger under Matt’s nose. “And here you are, alone again. I would tell you it’s time to throw in the towel, but it was time for that two years ago.”
Matt’s face went paler the longer Aedan talked, his eyes following the point of my friend’s knife.
“I thought the cop getup was a nice touch,” Aedan said, casting a look back towards the still-uniformed bodies of Matt’s friends. “Good use of resources. Very creative. No one would think twice about a cop asking some questions, after all.” He snorted. “Well. Just Jon. Don’t think either of us planned on that one. You kind of fucked things up, Jonny.”
Matt was still trying to ease himself back, to gain another few inches. I put the brakes on, sinking deeper and deeper into the relic as I held him. It hung heavy around my neck, burning with enough heat that I was a bit worried I’d have burn marks across my shirt.
“Aedan,” I said, pushing the words out.
His head snapped over to me. “What, Jonny? Bit busy here.”
“Jon,” I said, locking my eyes onto his. “And stop. Playing.”
He sighed, the sound loud and dramatic. “Kids these days,” I heard him mutter, shrugging helplessly. “They’ve got no respect, I tell you.”
“Aedan.”
“Who knows you were coming this way?” Aedan said, his voice snapping back to a cold, businesslike tone quickly enough that it was all I could do to keep from rocking in place. “Who’d you tell?”
“Everyone,” Matt spat, his dark hair hanging limp and matted with sweat around his face. “I told-”
“Wrong,” I gasped, seeing the way he stiffened. The curl of his fingers, the way he blinked, as though his eyes were suddenly dry.
Aedan didn’t say anything. He just sank his knife into Matt’s shoulder, hardly seeming to move.
The man shuddered, not so much as a groan slipping past his lips. I stared, taken aback by his restraint, his composure. That had to hurt.
“Jonny says you’re lying,” Aedan said, heaving him a step back - a step towards the van. “I don’t like it when people lie to me, Matt. We’re friends. Friends shouldn’t lie to each other.”
“Fine. It was my secret,” he said, his voice tight with pain underlying each word. “No one knows.”
“Uh,” I said, beginning to sway in Keira’s arms. Her grip on me tightened as she pulled me closer, mute and wordless in the face of the spectacle playing out. “Wrong.”
“Ok, ok, ok,” Matt said, holding a hand up even as Aedan’s hand tightened on the knife in his shoulder. “I-I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t.”
“Good,” I said, my voice dropping lower by the second.
“O...kay,” Aedan said, his brow furrowing as he glanced between me and Matt. “Then, what? Tell me straight, you little-”
“Anke was watching,” he said, his eyes twitching as Aedan gripped the hilt tighter. “She was- very interested in the plans I was making. That’s- That’s all. Swear."
“Anke. That bitch,” Aedan said, a crooked grin blossoming on his face. “What’s the old hag up to these days?”
“Aedan,” I spat.
“Right, right, not now. I get it,” he said, holding his hands up. Matt shivered, the tension sliding out of him as Aedan’s hands came free of the knife. “Sell her the info, did you?”
“No,” Matt said, licking his lips. “Wouldn’t sell information like that.”
“No, you thought you’d keep it for yourself,” Aedan said, nodding. “You almost had it this time, too. Good effort. Good showing, I have to say.”
Matt only chuckled, leaning back onto the frame of the van as the strength sagged out of his limbs. I crumpled too, trying to hold onto the world around me as my energy flagged.
“Jon?” Keira said, twisting until she sat over the top of me. Her blue eyes glowed in the dark, staring down into mine. “Just- Take it easy, ok?” She was as lost as I was - more so. Her eyes flicked back to Aedan and Matt, her lips pressing together as she gulped. I gave her a tiny smile, the best I could offer. We’d be fine. We had to be.
I had to wonder - why was Matt saying all this? Why was he just handing Aedan all the information he wanted? Was he hoping that Aedan would bargain with him, agree to turn him loose? Seeing the look on Aedan’s face, I couldn’t believe that was likely. Of course, with a knife stuck in him and Aedan’s fingers tap-dancing on the hilt, it could be a simple matter of pain.
“She’s following, then?” Aedan said, patting Matt’s shoulder.
He nodded. “Probably. I’d expect it. She- she wanted me to let her men into the crew.”
“And you told her no. Good man,” Aedan said, still painfully cheery. “Appreciate it.”
“Anything for a friend?” Matt said, his voice little more than a whisper. His eyes were fixed on Aedan’s, his expression a little more hopeful. “I-I get it. You win. I give up. Really. I-”
“Oh, you give up, now,” Aedan said, chuckling. “Right. Like you gave up last time. You know, I’d ask why you do this, but I think I know.” He was still patting Matt’s shoulder, growing in strength with every repetition. It was beginning to look more like a punch than a friendly gesture. “It’s because you’re a bitter, petty, jealous little fuck, Matt. And that’s never going to change.”
“Jon. Jon, hey. Eyes on me.” Someone was tapping my cheek. Right. Keira. I recognized her voice, although it was too filled with fear to be her. Keira wasn’t supposed to be afraid like that. “Come on. Wake up.”
I couldn’t move, couldn’t take my eyes off the pair. The strength I had was fleeting, sliding down the drain like a tub with the plug pulled. Aedan was still pressing closer to Matt, and Matt was still backing away. I had no control over either of them anymore, but I didn’t think it mattered.
Matt’s voice rang out, wavering with fear. “Aedan, I-”
Aedan was already turning, taking Matt by the shoulders as he steered him towards the van. “Come on, then. Blood’s messy, and I don’t want Jonny getting arrested for murder tonight.”
“Please. Aedan, please, just listen, and I’ll-”
“Jon! Hey, come on. Wake up. Don’t- Come on, Jon.” Keira’s voice was more insistent, demanding that I listen, that I look at her, but I couldn’t move a finger.
The sound of a knife tearing through flesh cut across the quiet, unmistakable and horrifying. It was followed by the distant, wet thud of Matt’s body hitting the floor of the van behind us. The sound of Aedan going about his work blended together into her fearful tones as I finally lost the fragile grip I’d held on reality and fell away into the black.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The world slid in front of my eyes in flashes, half-seen fragments that appeared and went with absolutely no input from me on the matter. I clung to them as best could, trying to pull myself back to awareness, but every time I tried to grab hold they just dissolved away under my fingertips.
“Jon. Come on. Don’t do this to me.” The woman’s voice was tight and worried, hovering just on the edge of tears. A face filled my vision, her dark hair hanging in unkempt, dirtied waves.
Keira. I tried to open my mouth, to say something, anything, but the world was already blurring again.
There were hands under me, grabbing my shoulders. My legs. The ground fell away from underneath me. My stomach churned, rejecting the idea of ‘moving’.
“Don’t let him hit the door.”
“I’ve got him. Stop whining. It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine.”
Who was arguing? Names flitted at the edge of my memory, names I should know. They vanished behind a wall of pain as my leg slammed into something hard. Something sharp.
“Look what you did!”
“Would you just pick him up higher? Jesus fucking Christ.”
“Why can’t I just call an ambulance, exactly?” Keira’s voice rose over the other two. It was her again - I knew that much. I latched onto the name like an anchor. My shoulders settled against something a moment later, something softer than the ground had been.
Someone groaned, the sound filled with relief, and the pair of hands on my shoulders slid free. “Look, woman. It’s not a far drive - it’ll be faster this way. Believe me. And if you want the cops to come tear your apartment to shreds, be my guest.”
I heard her sigh, the sound lurking on the edge of my awareness. “Who the hell are you, anyway?”
“That’s not important. Would you just-”
My head rolled to the side as one of them shoved me. Hard. Someone groaned. It might have been me.
“Woah, woah, stop that. Pull him from the other side.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Both of you shut up,” Keira said sharply. I could feel her hands slide across my shoulders, and then I was moving again.
“What’s wrong with him?” one of them said.
“He got shot,” Keira snapped.
“That? That’s hardly a graze. And you bandaged it and everything. He’s fine,” someone else said, down by my feet. It sounded like they were laughing. “He’s just gone and tired himself out. Poor little Jonny.”
“It’s not fine. He could-”
The sound of their voices drifted away as something slammed shut between me and them. Whatever I was lying on swayed gently in time with it. The tension slid from my limbs as I lay there, feeling the blissfully welcome brush of something soft under me. Fabric.
They were still arguing. Their words were soft and hushed, as though they were trying to be discreet, but emotions were high. I couldn't make out the words. There was no way I was going to be able to summon enough focus for that.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the argument died away. Distantly, something rumbled - an engine. And another. They revved to life, accompanied by the harsh sound of tires on asphalt, and then vanished entirely.
The sounds of the night filtered back in, accompanied again by the gentle shifting of whatever I lay on.
“Assholes,” Keira muttered, the words little more than a whisper. A motor shuddered to life. For a long moment there was only the sound of the engine, and then I felt a hand brush my shoulder. “Hold tight, Jon. We’ll get you there.”
The fog laying thick and heavy over my mind wouldn’t let me respond. She wasn’t waiting for an answer, though - moments later, the world spun around me again as I shifted. We were accelerating, and fast.
She was muttering something, the words tight and anxious and completely inaudible under the sound of the motor. I gave up. There was no way I was going to be able to hold on any longer, and the black around me was so tempting. The gentle rocking of the seat under me pulled me in, coaxing me back under.
***
The car lurched. We’d stopped.
Voices. Someone was calling, beckoning. The cold night air washed over my face again. I shuddered.
There were hands - lifting, tugging, pulling.
The feeling of something firm and solid underneath me was a comfort, a reassuring presence after so long spent rocking back and forth.
It was too much. There were too many voices, all calling things to each other, listing off numbers and terms that made no sense whatsoever. The pain in my leg was gone, wiped clean by the cool numbness that was taking over. Something pricked my arm, even as a hand grasped my wrist, pulling me this way and that.
I tried to pull away. I’m very sure of that. What Matt and Christian had said rung clear in my mind - I couldn’t go back with them. I wouldn’t let them take me.
But no matter how hard I tried to fight, to get away, nothing seemed to work. Someone’s hand settled on my shoulder, a comforting warmth.
Something cold flooded my veins, and I was gone again.
***
The soft sound of something beeping rhythmically was the first thing that clued me in that I might not be dead just yet. I was pretty sure heaven wouldn’t have something as annoying in it.
Slowly, I cracked my eyes open. Much to my surprise, they actually listened to me. The world around me was painfully bright. I’d no more than slit my eyes when I was forced to squeeze them shut again.
Again and again I tried. Finally, I was left staring at a grid of dingy, off-white ceiling tiles. For a long moment, I could only stare, completely confused. This wasn’t the parking lot. It wasn’t my apartment. It wasn’t even the forest.
The forest where we’d been attacked. The forest where we’d killed people. My blood froze as the memories came rushing back - the things that had happened. The things we’d done. That I’d done.
I could still see that man’s face, half hidden behind the barrel of my gun before I-
My stomach heaved, threatening to bring everything I’d eaten over the last day back up. I shuddered, half-rolling over. Focusing on keeping it down was effective at keeping the thoughts away, at least.
“Jon!” someone said. I could hear the way their voice lit up, the excitement in their tone. “You’re awake! Jesus.”
“Keira,” I rasped, rolling flat again as I peered across to the foot of the bed.
She was too pale, still bearing the bruises that our enemies had left. But despite the dark circles under her eyes, the smile on her face was genuine. She crossed the room in an instant, flying from her seat to stand beside me.
I smiled back, feeling the way every muscle seemed to stretch at pull at the slightest motion. My head pounded. No, that was putting things too lightly. It thundered, my pulse beating in my ears and sending waves of pain through my body. It was like every hangover I’d ever had in my illustrious college career, rolled together into one spectacular, head-splitting shriek of agony.
“Hey,” I said, licking my lips. My mouth was dry, like I hadn’t had water in a week.
“Don’t ‘hey’ me,” she muttered, beginning to scowl.
“We made it, eh?”
Her eyes softened as a bit of the irritation melted out of her expression. “Just about. How do you feel?”
I chuckled, immediately regretting it as new hurts presented themselves. “Like someone ran my head over with a truck.”
“Right. Right. He said that might happen.”
I furrowed my brow, staring at her. “Who said what?”
She shook her head. “That guy. Aedan. He told me- well, almost nothing, but he said you’d be in a lot of pain.”
“Of course he did,” I said dryly.
“Who the hell was he?” Keira said, leaning in closer. It was hard to tell if she was trying to be secretive, or if she was angry. Either were entirely plausible, from the frustrated set of her jaw. “What exactly was all that stuff?”
I lifted a hand, pressing it to my forehead a moment later - my hand that now had a cast wrapped around one finger. The broken finger was the least of my worries. God, it felt like my skull was cracked wide open. “Look...Keira, just-”
“Oh. Oh, god, you just woke up. Right. Sorry. Hold on. I’ll- I’ll find someone.”
Before I could so much as say a word she was gone, dashing from the room in a blur of brown hair.
I leaned back, the explanations and excuses I’d been about to make dying on my lips.
There was no time after that - it was just a mess of nurses and doctors, all wanting me to take this pill or checking the bandages on my leg. I’d lost a lot of blood, I was informed. As though I hadn’t figured that much out already. I sat dutifully and listened to lecture after lecture, tolerating the near-constant flow of people in and out of the wing where I lay. The brief window of opportunity I’d been given to have an honest conversation with Keira had been lost.
I knew exactly how out of reach it had become when I saw the man walk through the door, dressed in the crisp brown uniform of the local sheriff’s office.
My first instinct was to shy away - it wasn’t my fault, dammit. I’d been burned too recently. But he only held a hand up, seeing me stiffen at his approach. “Relax. Nurses say you’ve been a while in snapping out of this. Don’t force yourself for my sake.”
The nurses had been quite puzzled, in fact. I’d seen the confusion plain on their faces, read it in every line of their bodies and heard it in every sentence they said to me. I still had my relic, sure, tucked under my gown. I’d reclaimed it just as quickly as I could, finding it sitting on my bedside table along with everything else I’d had on me. Even still, I didn’t need my strange new variety of magic to see how confused my coming to them in a near-coma had made the nurses.
Aedan hadn’t seemed surprised. I could remember his voice, lingering on the edges of my memories. And from the few sentences I’d been able to share with Keira without being disturbed, he’d said something like this would happen.
I’d overexerted myself. So Aedan said, and right then, he knew more than I did. The blood loss hadn’t helped things, but it looked like it was my own stupid fault for winding up exhausted and feeble.
I put a smile on my face, doing my best to look like I didn’t mind the policeman’s presence. “S-Sorry. Didn’t expect you, that’s all. Was there...uh, something I can do for you?”
He chuckled politely, letting it die away a moment later. The humor never seemed to reach his eyes, as though it was unable to breach the crisp, professional front he’d put up. “Well, maybe, maybe not. I just had a few questions for you, Jonathan.”
“It’s Jon,” I said, resisting the urge to sigh. Or roll my eyes. Or both.
“Jon, then,” he said, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I’m Officer Baldwin. Really, we just had some questions about-”
“I swear to god, the coffee here is going to kill me,” Keira said, stepping back into the room with a cup clutched in each hand. She froze, seeing us both staring back at her. “Oh- uh. I’m, well, I’ll-” I could see her swallow, her cheeks beginning to flush. “I’ll just leave you two be.”
