Chapter 14 #2
I felt a hand on my shoulder. Heard someone calling my name. But I was still staring at Ethan with my mouth hanging open, stunned by what I’d witnessed.
His eyes met mine suddenly, as if he’d felt me staring. He looked down at the hydrant, then back at me, brushing his hair away from his face with a trembling hand, so that for the first time in days I could fully gauge his expression.
He was as stunned as I was.
Yes, I told him silently. You did that.
I had no idea whether what he’d done was normal. Probably not. Nothing about either of us was normal, and I already knew my magic was squirrelly by Idrian standards.
But if he could fix something like this?
What else could he do? What more was he capable of that no one could have dreamed or guessed?
And how could we help him learn to use this power in ways that helped instead of hurt?
Ways that gave him hope, instead of digging him deeper and deeper into despair.
“Raine.”
Faris had stepped up beside me and offered his hand to pull me to my feet. I could see him gauging the mood of those who’d gathered to gawk at the destruction. Wondering how many might prove hostile, and how many would assume he was as much a victim as the humans who’d been attacked.
“We need to get Tairen out of here before the police try to talk to her,” he said in a low, urgent tone.
“Also, you and Logan and Ethan. I’m going to give them a statement as a concerned business owner.
I can cover for most of it, but I don’t want them questioning you or Kira about her part in this, even if it’s just as a witness. ”
Apparently, the mysterious “Voice” she’d used wasn’t part of the public’s knowledge about dragons.
“But before you go?” His green eyes met mine. “Thank you. Thank you for saving my people. My business. All of it.”
It was my first time on this end of such a conversation, and I found that I didn’t care for it at all. I still felt like I owed him far more than I could ever repay, and besides, this attack somehow felt like my fault.
“It was Kira,” I said uncomfortably. “She forced the dragon to leave. I just threw some water around.”
He wasn’t falling for my equivocations. “It was you who put out the fire and saved all of us from cooking to death down in that basement. So don’t you dare ever talk about how much you owe me again, you hear?”
I nodded hastily. Swiped at my face with my filthy sleeve.
I was a mess. Exhausted. Still shaking. And that storm of untethered emotions was still raging in my head, locked behind the wall I’d constructed, battering against the barrier like a frantic bird in a cage.
I needed to check on Callum.
“Can I…”
“Go. Take Logan,” Faris ordered. “I’ll make sure Ethan and Tairen get to safety.” He must have seen my dubious expression. “And stop fussing. I’ve been dealing with human suspicion for over fifty years now. I know what I’m doing.”
I had to believe that he was telling the truth. That this would all blow over, and that fifty years of peace would be enough to counterbalance whatever attempts Blake was making to set us at each other’s throats.
But realistically, I knew better. There was no greater motivator than fear, and Blake had always been masterful at manipulating fears.
During our shared captivity, he’d used his skills to keep new prisoners compliant so they didn’t hurt themselves, but those same skills meant he would know exactly how to fan those embers into a flame.
And what better way to stoke fears than an unprovoked attack by a monster straight out of humanity’s darkest stories?
If he could make humans fearful and suspicious of their Idrian neighbors, there wouldn’t be nearly enough laws in place to keep anyone safe.
History was a long tale of violence against those who were different, motivated as much by fear as by hatred.
And Idrians might well be the next target, unless we could find Blake and put a stop to his efforts.
While also managing to convince the human authorities that Callum wasn’t involved and that the city wasn’t in danger.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure I could promise them that last bit.
And in the meantime, there were seemingly countless other fires to be put out. Callum unconscious, maybe slipping away from me. Kids missing in what might be part of a larger conspiracy. Kes still potentially being hunted…
No.
That way lay despair. I had to face one thing at a time and remember that I was not alone.
Logan tugged on my arm, so with one last backward look at the gathered crowd, I followed him through the kitchen, out the back door, and down the alley towards The Assemblage.
I was perfectly ready to pick the lock again if I had to, but in a testament to Angelica’s genuinely awe-inspiring skills, in the hours since I left that morning they’d already established a guard at the door.
And if I’d been less exhausted and shell-shocked, I probably would have cheered at the sight of him.
“Hi, Kevin.”
I had no clue where Angelica had found him on such short notice, but I couldn’t fault her choice.
Kevin was the human security guard who’d been on duty the night of the Symposium.
He hadn’t run then either, so it was little surprise that he’d remained stubbornly at his post in spite of the fiery chaos he’d just witnessed only half a block away.
He took one look at me, and I could see his mustache start to bristle in annoyance.
“Still don’t have a badge,” I admitted, my words coming out a little shaky thanks to the aftereffects of fear and adrenaline.
He opened the door anyway, not cracking so much as a smile. “You’re on the list,” he said sternly. “But next time I’ll need some ID.”
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to cry. “Thanks, Kevin. Missed you too.”
We found Angelica pacing in the foyer, every hair in place, wearing a perfectly pressed business suit and heels. She was staring at her phone, folding her arms, and muttering to herself… until she spotted me.
“Why aren’t you answering your phone?” she demanded, and I could have sworn I saw color returning to cheeks that were noticeably paler than normal.
“Dead,” I answered coolly. “Didn’t have my charger last night.”
“Well, we have a new problem.”
When did we not?
“What is it now?”
“The court found out what happened in Colorado.”
Well, crud.
“They claim to want proof that Callum is still alive, so they’re sending a delegation and threatening to fire me if I don’t provide his location and access. I don’t know how long I can keep them from finding out about his condition.”
And after what she’d said about the possibility of traitors in the Shapeshifter Court…
We couldn’t allow this delegation anywhere near Callum until he was awake.
I looked at her sharply. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I need to know where your loyalties truly lie. If your oaths conflict, what are you going to choose?”
She stared back at me, for once without her usual sneer of disdain. “If I answer that question honestly, will you believe me?”
There might have been a day when I would have said no, but I felt like I understood her better now.
We were wildly different people, but like me, Angelica was a fierce defender of those she cared about.
She was uptight, exacting, and made every effort to exert control on the world around her, but it was out of a desire for rightness.
For safety. She was not a liar or a traitor.
I’d already staked Callum’s life on that, and I was willing to stake mine too.
“Yes.”
“No siren magic?”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t always work that way.”
She stared at me as if she could somehow deduce the genuineness of my response by boring holes in my head with her eyes. And after a few moments, I could see some undefinable change in her posture. A settling. A choice.
“This isn’t what I wanted,” she muttered savagely. “I never thought I would be asked to choose between loyalty to my king and my court. But… if the court has betrayed Callum, then I cannot stand behind them.” Her gaze met mine, burning amber with defiance. “I will defend him to the death.”
For a gryphon, that was no insignificant promise, and I felt a sudden surge of gratitude and… was that affection? Weird as it seemed, I might actually be starting to like her.
“And if I bring my family here?”
Angelica’s nostrils flared, but she nodded tightly. “I will defend them as well.”
It might be grudging, but it was enough. My family would be safe, and I would be free to choose my battles.
Find the missing kids.
Defend the peace between humans and Idrians.
And fight for Callum’s life.
I wasn’t giving up on a single one.
“Also,” Angelica said, “I should probably mention that Callum is awake.”
Forget friendship. For about five seconds I envisioned myself punching the blonde gryphon right in the face. Messing up her hair and ripping a few buttons off that perfectly pressed suit.
But as it turned out, I was a perfect model of manners and restraint who somehow managed to inform her of my opinion using my words rather than my fists.
“You suck,” I hissed fiercely.
And I had no idea how she responded, because by the time the final syllable was out of my mouth, I was halfway up the first flight of stairs and couldn’t see her face.
By the time I reached Callum’s apartment, I was two full flights ahead of both Angelica and Logan, and I found Ryker pacing just inside the door, his phone to his ear, his hair mussed, and his eyes wild.
He grabbed my arm, his grip so tight it nearly bruised. “Raine! What happened out there? Is everyone okay?”
“Everyone’s alive,” I told him with a weary shrug. “It’s not going to be an easy fix, but the danger is over for now.”
He let out a long breath through pursed lips, and his chin dropped to his chest in relief. “We heard a dragon, but we couldn’t leave to help or find out what was going on. One of the worst moments of my life.”
“Callum,” I said, gripping his arm in return and shaking it a little to get his attention. “Tell me what’s happening. He’s awake? He’s okay?”
He hesitated, so I pulled away and started for the bedroom, not willing to wait another moment.
Ryker didn’t let me get far.
“Yes,” he said hesitantly, “but also, no.”
I stopped, but kept my back to him, not trusting myself to look him in the eye. “What does that mean?”
“It means that he’s in and out of consciousness, but we aren’t actually sure how stable he is.
He’s sleeping right now, but he fights us when he’s awake, and we can’t tell for certain whether he recognizes anyone.
That’s why we’ve been calling you. I think you may be the only one who can reach him. ”
My heart constricted, and I could barely swallow, but I wasn’t going to stop. I was scared, yes, but it didn’t matter. As long as Callum was alive, I would fight for him.
“Have you talked to your mom yet?”
He shook his head. “We wanted you to know first.”
“Call her,” I said grimly. “In fact, you may as well call an official family meeting, cause we’re about to have a whole lot to talk about.”