Killing Time (22 page)

“And?”

“The fear gradually lessened. I learned to speak English and to handle technology. I discovered jelly beans.” I grinned at his chuckle. “Ninja motorcycles.”

“Cheeseburgers.”

“Mmm, especially cheeseburgers.” I thought for a moment. “As for Onas and Târre, don’t forget that Halloween is only weeks away. At minimum, it wouldn’t hurt to have additional allies against Philippe.”

Koda was rigid against my back. “Cian said most of the stable was killed. There can’t be very many bitterns left to free.” He shifted his weight. “Or is this about your deal with Althea?”

I snorted. “There is no deal.”

“But I heard—”

“Cian and Althea are fae, remember? If they claim it’s day, assume it’s night.” I tilted my head back against Koda’s shoulder. “I agreed with the so-called agreement because they think I’m actually stupid enough to believe a word Cian said. That I’m desperate for the kill-order to be lifted and will accept anything I’m told.”

“So why did he track you down? Why leave the bitterns behind?”

“That’s what I’d like to figure out.” I sighed.

“Then why go—”

“Through with my plan?” I asked, hiding my smile when he huffed irritably at being interrupted again. “It’s not just the bitterns from my own stable I care about, Koda. It’s all of them, no matter their kith. Besides, the geneticists are constantly producing more. Those who died in the attack—assuming Cian’s story is true—have probably been replaced already.”

Koda made a rude noise.

My gaze strayed again to the trussed forms on the other side of the fire. “Could you just walk away from your people?”

“Never,” he whispered.

“Then don’t ask it of me. The cycle has to end. It damn well has to end.”

I could feel his reluctance when he nodded, but figured his not arguing was a good sign that he’d at least accepted how important this was to me.

“You need to rest now,” he murmured after a long moment, easing me back onto the thick, quilted sleeping bag.

The lynx grumbled and opened a golden eye, then settled her whiskered chin on my stomach and went back to sleep.

“She’s so beautiful,” I murmured.

“That she is,” Koda responded, gazing at me. When I blushed, he smiled a soft, lopsided smile. “Sleep now.”

I looked up at him, for once not looking away from the intensity in his eyes. His expression deepened and he laced his fingers with mine, letting our clasped hands rest on my belly. It looked like he would say something, then he shook his head slightly, like he was chastising himself.

He asked, “Would you like me to sing to you?”

“That would be nice, but I’m not really up to dealing with more sad memories.”

Koda considered me. “I think that maybe they wouldn’t be an issue anymore. I think that the person you are becoming is past that now.”

“What do you mean
becoming?
” A sudden, irrational panic made my voice sharp.

He kept his expression serene. “Don’t worry about it, Coyote.” Smiling at my annoyed huff, he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “Sleep.”

The next day, after a breakfast of cold-cuts Koda had in a cooler in the back of his truck, I figured Onas, Târre and I were healed enough to travel. We’d cleaned up as well as we were able but our clothes were mostly gore-stained scraps hanging off our bodies. And although the dried blood was gone and we were ambulatory, we were a mass of knife wounds, contusions and florid bruises. Onas’s nose appeared to have been flattened by a battering ram and I didn’t even want to consider what his nether regions had to be like; judging by his bowlegged gait, not at all good. Târre held her head canted at an angle, courtesy of two ruptured eardrums messing up her balance. One eye was swollen completely closed and she was having great difficulty chewing—a broken jaw will do that.

As for me, I was grateful there weren’t any full-length mirrors to look in and resolutely steered clear of the truck’s reflective surfaces. My leg was functional, thanks to Koda’s having stitched the muscles back together, but it hurt like a bitch, throbbing in time with my hyper heartbeat. My face was a mass of aches, my ribs even worse. Surprisingly, my broken arm was the least of my problems. Only when I bumped the damn thing or forgot and tried to use my left arm did it bother me.

Except for birdsong in the trees overhead, the campsite was silent. The lynx had left while I slept and the other animals fled with the rising sun. Koda was strangely quiet this morning, which I chalked up to his open animosity toward the bitterns. The tension was oppressive and I spoke only when I had to direct our unwelcome guests.

I also kept myself between Koda and them at all times. Not as subtly as I’d hoped, either, judging by his watchful expression after the second time I sidled between their hostile gazes and him as he moved around the campsite. Their sizing him up, trying to figure out his position in the hierarchy would be as natural—and essential—to them as breathing. No way was I going to give them a chance to observe how he moved, to gauge his habits, to study him for potential weakness.

Up to this point, I’d insisted the bitterns remain tethered and that any food or water come from my hand alone. When it was time to release them, it was my knife that sliced through the bindings.

Ordering Onas and Târre to kneel, I noted without pleasure that neither would meet my eyes. Partly, this was fear—a dangerous, unpredictable thing among predators—but most of it was instinctual. I’d proven myself the most dominant, the alpha, and their meeting my gaze would have been a flagrant insult. In the stable, bitterns had killed for less.

Reinforcing hierarchy was essential to preventing additional bloodshed.

Standing over the bitterns, I spoke Fae in an arctic voice. “Your continued existence is by my leave alone. Nourishment comes from my hand and every action you take is at my pleasure.”

Together, they intoned the ritual response. “By your will.”

I swallowed, trying to ignore the bitter taste in my mouth. Without looking away from their bowed heads, I called out, “Koda, would you come here, please?”

He pushed away from the truck where he’d been leaning, watching without comment. I felt his gaze on the side of my face, but had to maintain the full force of my oppressive will on the kneeling bitterns. It was critical that I establish my unquestioned dominance and maintain it for however long these two were around.

Taking Koda’s hand with my good right one, I snarled in Fae, “This male is mine. He is untouchable. Use him to challenge me and I will cripple you. Challenge or harm
him
and I will destroy you.”

Not understanding my words, but openly surprised by my savage tone and aggressive posture, Koda opened his mouth to speak. I shook my head sharply and he compressed his lips in a tight line.

“Did you hear my words?” I hissed at the cowed bitterns, hating every moment of what I was doing.

“By your will,
meh-los.
”

My stomach clenched. “Never call me that!”

My refusal of the bittern word for “master” drew Onas’s head up, his silver eyes flashing with surprise. I made myself bend threateningly over him and he bowed again, deepening his supplication. The sight of it brought bile to my throat and I squeezed my eyes shut tight.

Best to get the rest of this over with, I thought.

Clearing my throat, I looked down at Onas, now prostrate on the ground. Unable to meet the weight of Koda’s stare, I ground my molars together. “I am Nomad, outside bittern law and rank. I reject the title of First but retain command.” Not wanting to confuse them by insisting they call me Sephti which, after all, meant Second, I damn well didn’t want them calling me master. “You will remain Onas and Târre.”

There was a startled silence and I saw them exchange a shocked look from the corners of their eyes.

“Answer me!” I thundered.

The female joined Onas in prostrating herself. “By your will!”

Realizing I still held Koda’s hand, I let go and had to smile when he kept his hold firm. Looking up at him, my eyes blurred at what I saw in his gaze—he’d figured out what I was doing, and while he didn’t like it any better than I did, he understood. Even more, he could see the effect the brutal but necessary behavior had on me.

Swallowing hard, I gave him a wavery smile, then refocused on the bitterns. “Get in the truck’s backseat. Onas on the right.”

The two shot to their feet and climbed into the pickup. In unison, the doors shut and the bitterns sat rigidly facing forward like they were at attention.

Koda moved to stand in front of me, blocking my pained view of their profiles. “You okay?”

I sniffled and squinted up at him. “Just trying to figure out if I’m as much of a bastard as the fae.”

He touched my face with his fingertips and smiled gently. “Don’t beat yourself up for doing what must be done.”

“I’m glad you understand. Maybe after enough time has passed, when they’re not so indoctrinated, I can ease up. But until then, I’ve got to keep them in line. Otherwise, it’ll be nothing but a series of fights.” I shook my head, depressed.

Koda bent toward my face before freezing. His eyebrows drawing together, he asked, “Would my kissing you cause a problem?”

“For their control? Or mine?” Feeling suddenly bold, I stood on tiptoe and brushed my lips across his. “See? No problem.”

He chuckled. “Not quite the kind of kiss I’d had in mind, but I suppose it’ll have to do.” Koda cupped his warm palm against my cheek, rubbing his thumb across my bottom lip. “For now.”

My brain locked onto that thought and ceased functioning.

Seeing my glazed expression, he smiled. Taking my good hand, he tugged to get my sluggish feet moving toward the truck. “Your bike’s loaded. All that’s left is us.”

I blinked and looked at the truck’s bed, resisting the urge to jump up and check the straps holding my Ninja in place. I knew Koda would have made sure everything was secure. Besides, I didn’t think I could actually manage it right now and I had no desire to embarrass myself or show the bitterns just how stiff and sore I was. Sure, I’d knocked the living hell out of them. But I’d taken double the beating.

Slipping into the passenger seat while Koda held the door open for me, I murmured, “Thanks for taking care of the bike.” That he was strong enough to lift the Ninja by himself and yet touch me so gently, something he was doing more and more often, sent a wildly erotic thrill zinging through me.

He snapped off a mock salute, his eyes dancing, before shutting the truck door and walking around to climb in the driver’s seat. “Where to?”

“South,” I said, laughing as he rolled his eyes at the obvious statement. “Let’s get out of these mountains and see if we can get a cell signal. I’d like to call Siska and Nic, see if they’ve learned anything more about Philippe.”

“And let them know Jack and Kate didn’t kill you?”

“That too.” I squirmed in my seat so my back was to the door and I could easily watch the statuelike Onas and Târre. I really did not like having them behind us, but didn’t see any options. “I also want to let Siska know what Jack said and ask Nic to use her resources to track Philippe’s movements.”

Koda eyed my position, his expression conflicted. Like he was pleased by my caution but not happy it was necessary. Which made two of us.

“You’re not suggesting Nic send humans out after him.” He started the pickup’s big diesel engine. Driving with care, he wove through the trees and back to the narrow road.

I shook my head. “I was thinking she could have somebody check flight and rental car records, hotel databases, maybe even credit card usage. All from the safety of a computer.”

Koda’s brows were by his hairline. “You’ve really assimilated into human culture.”

I grinned. “I’m a huge fan of cop shows.”

“In the real world, I understand it takes more than an hour to see that justice is served.” He laughed at the face I made. “Checking databases is a good idea, assuming Philippe doesn’t pay cash or use another name.”

“I figure Chicago’s on-air murders means he’s done with hiding. His being ‘out there’ is an affront to everyone, especially the Ancients. While he may still protect his travel plans, I don’t see him lying low once he gets wherever he’s going.”

The truck bumped up onto the rough blacktop and Koda accelerated. I let my eyes go out of focus as the woods blurred past, careful to keep my awareness firm on the silent bitterns.

“Where’d you get the bike?” he asked. “It’s just like the one that melted.”

Certain he wouldn’t like the full answer, I said, “Dallas.”

He looked amused, but didn’t press.

We were still so far out, it took the better part of a day’s travel before we got a cell signal. But when I followed Koda’s instructions to call Siska, it went to voicemail. I’d never phoned someone, although I’d observed plenty of others do so. In my ear, Siska’s voice said, “This is Siska. Leave a message.” Then I heard a beep.

My mouth opened, but I didn’t have a clue what to say. Koda smiled as I gaped, then took the phone when I handed it at him.

Into the mouthpiece, he said, “It’s Koda and Sephti. Call me when you get this.”

“I could’ve said that,” I huffed after he hung up.

He shrugged, working to school his face. “Next time.”

By that point, sitting sideways so long had a ferocious pain shooting through the left side of my neck. My partially healed left arm throbbed relentlessly from pressing against the back of my seat for hours on end. My nerves were frayed from being on constant alert, poised to attack if either bittern got feisty. I was tired and stiff and everything hurt.

To say my mood sucked would be generous.

All this while the bitterns rode facing forward, not speaking or making any attempt to interact. I could sense their growing strength as they healed, sense their awareness filling the truck’s cab. I knew they were entirely focused on the…dynamics, for lack of a better word, that existed between the four of us. The constant evaluation of strength and weakness, of the degree to which we were each alert and who was primed to fight.