A Heart of Bones, page 15
***
“So, what’s the plan?”
I was sitting in front of a crackling campfire, with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, and a plate of mashed potatoes smothered in vegan gravy clutched in my hands. I’d already had two helpings. And now, about halfway through my third, I could finally stop stuffing my face long enough to get a few words out.
Richard, now sans iron collar, was sitting across the fire, holding a beer. Tamara was there too, her own beer in hand, along with Ivan the lumberjack, and two other members of the Pure Blood. A blonde, middle-aged woman named Molly and a bespectacled man with pasty skin and long, greasy-looking hair named Tom. The two of them looked exactly like a pair of hippies, though they were a few decades too late.
There were other Pure Blood members milling about, doing camp things, I supposed. I’d counted twelve people, in all. They’d pulled their motley collection of RVs, trucks, vans, and trailers into a loose circle at the KOA, set up a central kitchen-slash-work station under a canopy near the middle. It all looked very efficient.
The night in Klickitat or thereabouts was cold and clear. A dry fall wind blew through the pines around us. The moon was already dipping down below the crest of the mountains. I could hear a river rushing by, somewhere out there in the dark. The water sounded wild, like the rain had swollen it to almost overflowing its banks. I wondered if the water was muddy. I shivered and stuffed another bite of lukewarm mashed potatoes in my mouth before they could get any colder.
Tom spoke first. “We’ve been tracking the, uh, the group for at least a week. But we lost their trail yesterday.” He kept clearing his throat and glancing over at Molly. Maybe sitting around the campfire with a couple of demons made him nervous. “We’ve got, uh, an idea where they might have been, though.”
I looked over at Richard, then Tamara. “How long have I been asleep?”
“A whole day,” Tamara said. “I was worried you wouldn’t wake up. But Zuraw here assured me you were just sleeping off a magical bender.” She smiled at Richard, like they were old buddies. “Turns out he was right. Good thing we didn’t leave you behind.”
I gave her a tight smile. “Yeah, good thing.” I still wasn’t sure if we could trust these people. Even with a common enemy. There was just too much history between us.
“Tonight we got word of a bunch of new ghost sightings in a place called Brewster. That’s in north central Washington.” She took a sip of her beer, glanced over at Tom and Molly. “We’re heading out first thing in the morning to check it out. That’s our best lead right now, but we don’t know for sure if it’s them. Or the Heart. We’re kind of flying in the dark here.”
Richard spoke, his voice somber. “There’s a Black House up there. Right near Brewster. House Lanius. If what we’ve learned so far about the Heart is correct, they’ll need a Black Mage to use it. Could be a dead end. But it seems too neat to be a coincidence. I think I can convince House Lanius to talk to us. They might have heard something.”
Tamara said, “That’s not all that’s up there.”
Richard nodded. “Right. There are a few gateways up near the Canadian border. All within a couple days’ travel of each other. They could be heading to any of them… Or none of them. The whole Northwest is a hotspot for dimensional travel—there are gateways up and down the coast. We’re one step behind the Enfants. And we have no idea where they’re going next.”
The gateways to Aprexis. There were hundreds of them, maybe thousands, scattered around the world. Many of them had been built along magical fault lines in the earth, places where working gateways were easier to power with local energy. A big one lay across Southern Canada, slashing down into Montana and Washington, and then Oregon. That would’ve been my guess, too, about where they’d go. Too bad that particular magical line was so huge.
“Most of those gates are broken for good. And the ones that aren’t all have guardians, right?” I was still chewing, but I figured no one would mind if I talked with my mouth full. “Wouldn’t the Vis know if people were trying to access them?”
Richard stared across at me, eyes troubled. “Yep, they would. Strange that I haven’t heard anything about it.”
I nodded at him.
Tamara was watching us, obviously sensing that whatever information had been relayed wasn’t meant for her. She cleared her throat. “We’re going to stop in Brewster first. See what’s up with this new ghost outbreak. If they’ve used the Heart again, I want to know why. I got some of our people up near the gates, keeping an eye out. So far, they’ve seen nothing. No evidence that anyone is interested. It’s quiet. Maybe too quiet.” She took another sip of her beer, stared into the fire. “I’m worried we might not catch up to them in time.”
Molly and Tom huddled closer together, like the warmth of the fire might stave off the end of the world. Assuming anything would actually happen when one of the Dead Gates was opened. Or if the Enfants could even open one at all. Which was a big if. I had to remind myself again that the Pure Blood were true believers.
Hell, I was starting to believe it.
I shivered and set my empty plate down by my chair. “I’m pretty beat. I’m going to head in.”
Richard chose that moment to stand up and stretch. “Guess I’ll call it a night, too.”
Did he think he was being subtle? I honestly couldn’t tell.
The lines around Tamara’s eyes crinkled. “Best get some sleep, boys. Need to get an early start tomorrow.”
***
Okay, so I thought he just wanted to talk, you know? About all the big important things we probably needed to talk about.
But Richard had other ideas. He stepped into my personal space as soon as the trailer door was shut behind us. “Now… Where were we?” he said. And then he grabbed me by my biceps and pulled me in for a searing kiss.
And, hell, it was good. It was very, very good. I promptly forgot about all the stuff I thought we needed to talk about. None of which could have been as important as the way his body felt against mine, or how he smelled like warm skin and smoke and old magic.
“I’ve been waiting to do that for two days,” he said, when he finally came up for air.
“Huh?” My brain might’ve still been a little addled from all the kissing and stuff. But admittedly, so much had happened in the last few days I’d almost completely forgotten that I’d pounced on the guy like some kind of feral, horny leopard. “I thought you—”
He cut me off with another brutal kiss. I almost lost my balance when Richard reached down and squeezed my ass.
At this rate, things were going to get out of control fast. I pulled my mouth away enough to say, “Hey.”
Richard just tightened his grip on me. His hot mouth moved down to my neck, leaving a trail of electricity along my skin.
“Stop,” I gasped.
That did it. He let me go instantly, like I’d stung him, and stepped back. Then we both just stood there, panting, staring at each other.
Wow, I was becoming a master cockblocker. Too bad it was my own cock I was blocking.
“Look,” I started. I pulled my hands through my hair in frustration, resisting the urge to yank some out. No one had ever died from blue balls. Not yet, anyway. “I’m sorry I started this whole…” I gestured at the two of us. “This thing between us. It was wrong. It can’t work out. I don’t even know why you’re attracted to me.”
Richard’s eyes roamed over my body, a hungry look on his face like he was considering licking me from head to toe. “Why wouldn’t I be attracted to you?”
I could feel my cheeks flushing under his scrutiny. It was so weird to have someone look at me like that, with such naked, undisguised lust. I’d been tall and skinny and awkward ever since I’d hit puberty. And I was still tall and skinny and awkward. This sort of attention was pretty new for me.
I tried to ignore the irritating tightening in my pants. Now was not the time. “Because I’m a felon,” I said. “And you’re a cop. Plus, I’m a Black Mage. I’m evil, remember? You said it yourself—I steal the fucking life from people.”
Richard shook his head. “I know you don’t do that. And I know you’re not evil.” He paused, considering me. “You’re smart. And funny. And you’re genuine. And you’re insecure, and scared as hell. And I like you a lot, Jack.”
“You…?” What? That stopped me for a moment, but I wasn’t going to let my resolve crumble. I shook my head and tried another angle. “You barely know me. And I barely know you. This is all just some kind of weird…trauma bonding thing. But it doesn’t matter what we think of each other, does it? I mean, I’m your prisoner, right? This has gotta be a violation of prisoner’s rights or something. It’s, like, a war crime. It’s kidnapping!”
“You’re not my prisoner.”
“What?”
He was still breathing hard, but he managed to give me a small, sad smile. “Did you think I didn’t know what was up when you suddenly wanted to get a sandwich? I knew what you were gonna do, Jack.”
I frowned at him. “Why did you let me leave, then?”
“Because I didn’t want you to be my prisoner. Not anymore.” He shook his head, muttered, “Not from the start. I suppose I always knew deep down that what I’d done was wrong, even if I’d convinced myself that I was doing it for your own good. And I figured…maybe I’d already put you through enough.”
I could’ve left this whole time? I had to swallow down the anger that threatened to bubble up again. It came out like a cross between a laugh and a cough. “Oh, yeah?”
His face became somber. “Yep. You’ve done everything that I asked, and then some. You kept your promise to me. And you’re free to go if you want. I’m sorry for how I treated you. I’m sorry I got you involved in this. Just… Just be safe out there.”
“That’s it? I’m free? I can walk away? Just like that?”
“Yep. Just like that.”
I stared at him for a long time. I’d suddenly gotten exactly what I wanted. I was free. I could go home. I could go back to my quiet, boring life. I could even disappear into a new one if I wanted. Luna and I would be safe.
But, honestly, now that I had a choice, I had no idea what I was going to do. Was I going to stay? Was I going to slink back home to my little bookstore? Was I going to kiss the asshole who’d ruined my life again? I had no fucking clue.
Luna drifted out from wherever she’d been hiding and floated between us. She flashed in a weird, random pattern that looked almost like a language, like she suddenly had something to say about all this.
I shook my head at her. “Sorry, Luna.” I wished for about the millionth time that I could hear what she was trying to tell me.
Richard smiled at her like he understood. He lifted his hand, and Luna settled on his palm, still flashing, like they were old friends sharing a secret.
At the sight of them, a strange jolt of excitement mixed with cold fear went through me, now familiar. I remembered what I’d confessed to the trees, when I was begging them for the power to save Richard’s life. What I’d said then was the absolute truth—that I didn’t know exactly how I felt about Richard, but I knew that I felt something. Was I falling for this guy? Could that really be happening?
Luna floated back up, now quiet, her blue light subdued and dim.
Richard watched her for a moment, an inscrutable look on his face. “Stay for the night,” he said. “I’d be happy if you decided to stick around and help us out. But if you want to go in the morning, you can go. I’ll leave it to you, Jack, to decide what you want to do.”
“You’re not…” I swallowed. “You’re not going to tell anyone about my House? About who I am?”
“No,” he said, his blue eyes solemn and sad. “I won’t tell anyone. Your secret’s safe. Promise.”
He squeezed past me to grab a pillow from the bed. My body got all excited again, just having his heat brush up against me. I closed my eyes and shuddered, cursed myself for the dumbass I knew I was.
“I’ll sleep on the floor,” he said. “You take the bed.”
And that was that. I’d blown another perfectly good opportunity to get laid.
***
I slipped out of our little trailer just before dawn. Richard was passed out near the foot of the bed, his mouth half open, still dead asleep. I had no idea how he managed to look so content on the cold, hard floor. I guess some people had a knack for sleeping anywhere.
Me? I apparently had no knack for sleeping at all.
The same drowning dream had woken me again—I saw it now every time I closed my eyes, each iteration clearer and more intense than the last one. There was no way I’d get back to sleep after that. Luna bobbed in front of me in the chilly air as I made my way past the circle of trucks and RVs and down to the banks of the river. I had to see it. Just to check.
The KOA sat in the middle of a wide, flat valley. The river here was fast and shallow, meandering through along the campground. I wandered over to the grassy bank and stood near the edge, stared out across the water. Not muddy, but clear. I could see boulders and rocks under the surface, flashes of light and shadow that might have been fish. The water had that milky blue tint I associated with a high mineral content, but it wasn’t muddy. I was oddly relieved about that. This wasn’t the place from my dreams.
The sun rose inch by agonizing inch. Golden light dripped down from the tops of the canyon walls like cold honey. I pulled my blanket tighter around my shoulders and stomped my feet in the damp grass to keep warm.
A little while later, Richard appeared beside me as if by magic. He didn’t say anything, as respectful of the quiet morning hush as I was. He stood there, sipping a mug of coffee, watching the light move across the water. We were both silent for a while. Neither of us mentioned the obvious fact that I was still here.
Eventually, I could hear low voices talking, car doors slamming behind us. Even over the sound of the rushing water. Our new cult friends were finally waking up.
I took one last look around the peaceful valley and sighed. “Are we really doing this?”
“Doing what?”
I supposed that was sort of an ambiguous question, considering all the stuff we could be doing right now. But there was one thing that seemed a bit more pertinent than everything else. The thing I’d made up my mind about sometime around midnight when I’d been tossing and turning and wondering what the rest of my life would be like if I just ran back to Keyes Point.
“Saving the goddamn world,” I said.
Richard took a sip of his coffee while he contemplated that. Steam swirled up around his face. “Yep.”
“Okay then.”
I guess we were doing this shit.
Chapter 12
WE GOT THAT EARLY START TAMARA PROMISED.
They separated the two of us—some kind of security measure that Richard seemed okay with, even if it irritated me. Though I grudgingly conceded it was only fair. I mean, we weren’t exactly trusted members of the Pure Blood, were we?
I ended up sitting in the front beside Tamara as she drove the old pickup pulling the Airstream trailer. Richard was behind us somewhere, probably pissed off that he couldn’t pass us, with Ivan riding shotgun. We headed out onto the highway, going northeast.
For a time, the road twisted and turned along the river, following the still-shadowed valley. Eventually, we came out of the mountains, and then left even the pine-topped foothills behind. We’d reached that long, boring, flat expanse of nothing but farmland and grass and emptiness that stretched up through the middle of Washington all the way to Canada.
Tamara had the radio on low, playing something twangy, her hand casually draped over the top of the steering wheel, going five miles under the speed limit. She was still a far better driver than Richard.
Despite that, I’d been on edge since getting in the car with her. The Pure Blood may have kept me alive while I was in a coma and fed me mashed potatoes once I’d woken up, but these people were still our enemies and I didn’t trust them. I was pretty sure the feeling was mutual.
Tamara seemed comfortable letting silence linger in the truck cab, but I wasn’t. I cleared my throat. “So,” I said, “you guys hang out with a lot of demons?”
She gave me a puzzled look. “What’s that now?”
“You seem pretty chill hanging out with your mortal enemies.” I shrugged. “I just wondered if you do it all the time.”
Tamara huffed a soft laugh out under her breath. “No, I most certainly do not. But strange times require strange bedfellows. As they say.”
“Right.”
She glanced over at me, and her eyes became more serious. “Look,” she said. “I know we’re old enemies. Have been for just about forever. And after we get done dealing with this shit, we’ll probably go back to being enemies. But I can also acknowledge that not all of you are monsters.”
“Right,” I said again, because that wasn’t exactly a glowing endorsement.
She frowned at the road. “Try to see it from our point of view, Jack. Your people are powerful. You’re powerful. And you’re dangerous. Not just to us, but even to your own kind. Everywhere you go, throughout history, chaos follows. Death follows. Good, ordinary folks keep getting caught in the middle of your wars. I’m just tired of seeing innocent lives lost. People who have no idea of the shit that’s going down all around them. They need protection. They need someone who’s on their side. That’s what the Order is about. That’s all we’re about. We’re advocates for the real humans.”
The real humans. “I’m as human as you are,” I said. “But even if I wasn’t, that doesn’t justify the crap your group has pulled. You’ve terrorized my people for hundreds of years. Burned our Houses, attacked us, killed us. Called us demons. You’re still calling us demons.”
“True,” she said, her voice soft. “I can’t deny it. All of that is true.”
I couldn’t help it. I got a little angry. I’d become pretty good at avoiding conflicts over the course of my life, but now I was suddenly starting them left and right. Maybe the stress of everything that had happened over the last few days was finally getting to me.
