“Killing that dude was completely unavoidable, and a good thing,” Leo says.
Nice of him to put a positive spin on that.
“But when he died, it left a hole. There’s no one to take over…” I look at the village, “…except it’s obvious someone is trying to take over.”
“So you need to find out who that is and why?”
“No.” I stare at Wyatt’s surprised face. He doesn’t get it. How could he? He wasn’t here. He didn’t see what they put me through. “I need to find Kera. That’s why I’m here.”
“Am I missing something? What you did with those things, that was amazing. I can see why that guy wants you to help.”
“Sure, they want me now, but I wasn’t invited back. They don’t really want me here. They’re desperate. When it’s all over, trust me, they’ll turn on me, and I’ll be dead within a week.”
I know it sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. I peer through the smoke and patches of fire Granel’s men have yet to put out. “Where’s Bodog?”
“Gone,” Leo says.
I’m not surprised. He’s a shadow of the man he used to be. “Where’s Lucinda?”
I spy the woman in question a dozen yards away, lounging on the ground as she peels an orange. It’s such a simple, ordinary activity, but she looks dead sexy doing it. Her long, white hair fans out over the grass like a thick blanket. The fitted black dress she’s wearing makes the white of her hair stand out like a beacon. I have to hand it to her, she’s perfected the bored expression on her face as she watches the people file past.
I’m about to call Lucinda over when a little girl wanders close—a little too close—and stops. Lucinda stiffens. A low growl comes from her throat. The little girl doesn’t seem to notice the warning; completely captivated by the stretch of Lucinda’s impossibly long, sleek hair. The girl’s hand slowly reaches out toward the shining mass.
Leo takes a step forward, a look of horror on his face. “Oh God, she’s not going to pet her, is she? That’s not a good idea.” Leo takes off and reaches the girl, jerking her away from Lucinda just as the woman springs forward, all claws and gleaming white teeth. Leo yells something to the extent of “bad kitty,” and while he gently pushes the little girl on her way, Lucinda yanks her hair out of reach with a hiss and glares after the little girl.
“Whoa!” Wyatt says. “What’s with the blond chick?”
“She’s Leo’s...special friend.” How do you explain Lucinda? She’s one of a kind.
“How’d he bag that kind of friend?” He asks, clearly confused. Leo isn’t a guy you’d peg as a chick magnet. Not that he’s ugly; he’s sort of awkward in that lanky, disjointed way loads of tall guys are before they hit twenty-five.
“I think it’s more of a cat and mouse kind of relationship. Take my advice; you don’t want to get too close to her.”
Wyatt starts to move their way, a predatory glint in his eye. “I’m pretty sure I do.”
I stop him. “Seriously, you don’t.”
And just as I say that, Lucinda morphs into cat form and jumps into Leo’s arms, rubbing her fluffy triangular-shaped head beneath his chin and playfully nibbling at his ears. Leo sighs and tucks her beneath his arm, petting her between her ears and down her chest.
There’s a heavy silence in the air, one born of disbelief. I’ve gotten so used to the oddities of Teag, I forget how everything must seem to someone not used to magic. Wyatt blinks a few times, and the hair on his arms prickles when Leo approaches.
Without a word, Wyatt steps back, his eyes centered on Lucinda and her sleek, white furry body. “That’s freaky, dude, and not in a good way.”
Leo covers Lucinda’s ears. “Be careful. She’s sensitive.”
“I don’t care. Keep her away from me.”
But the damage is already done. The fur on her back spikes and she hisses at Wyatt before leaping to the ground. “Don’t be that way,” Leo calls. With a twitch of her tail, she stalks off. “I’m not coming after you,” he threatens as she disappears behind a building.
Leo sighs and turns back to us. “I’m going to have to go after her.” He faces me. “You know how worked up she gets when she’s in a mood. There’s no telling what she’ll do.”
Alarms go off in my head. “I thought you weren’t interested in her?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but our arrangement is of a temporary nature. We’re testing the waters.”
I’ve never seen a cat who liked water, but I keep that to myself.
“Where are you going to be?” he asks.
“Nothing’s changed for me. It’s all about finding Kera.”
“But we don’t know where she is.”
“I think Bodog has an idea—that’s why he brought me here. I’m going to go find him.”
Irritation sharpens Leo’s relaxed stance. “Really?” At my nod, he mutters, “Fine. Let me tell Cin and—”
“You can’t come along. If Bodog’s scared, which I know he is, he’ll barely trust me.”
Wyatt claps his hands, bringing our attention to him. “Sounds like you’ve got a plan.” He nods toward Granel and his men. “I’ve got one, too. While you’re gone, I think I’ll have a talk with your not-so-friendly friend about what they’re planning to do if those things come back. And if they like me, which let’s face it, everyone does, maybe they’ll let loose a few of their trade secrets.”
As Wyatt heads toward the soldiers, Leo’s deep voice calls after him. “Am I the only one with serious reservations about Dylan wandering the woods alone?”
Wyatt spins around and shrugs. “He’s more equipped to deal with what’s out there than we are.”
“So you’re just going to let him go? Alone?”
Wyatt keeps walking.
“You’re an ass.”
Wyatt flips him off without missing a step and Leo turns, pinning me with a worried frown. “People are dead. Butchered outside their own homes. It’s not safe here anymore.”
I snort. He’s got to be kidding. “When was it ever safe?”
With Friends Like These
Leo has my back…and I appreciate the fact that Leo has my back, but there are some things a guy has to do on his own. Finding Bodog is one of them. He knows where Kera is, but the little guy is skittish even on his best days. For some reason, he’s decided to trust me. I can’t drag along an entourage just because there are a few uprisings going on.
Wyatt’s right. I can handle whatever magic pops up. They can’t.
But Leo won’t let it go. As we make our way through town, he starts in on me. “You know what you have? A classic case of zombie magic.”
I step around a broken cart. “I get the apocalyptic destruction of a village by unknown beings may lead someone to question their belief system, but,” I shake my head and glance his way, “there’s no such thing as zombie magic.” At least I’m pretty sure there isn’t.
His eyes grow big. “There must be, ’cause it’s eaten all your brains since you started this magical mystery trip.”
It’s hard not to laugh when Leo says stuff like that. We jig around a man who’s desperately trying to calm a horse, and I nearly get kicked in the head for wandering too close. “I’ll be careful.”
“Careful. Riiiight.” His voice deepens with doubt. “That’s not exactly a word most people associate with you, bro. Where are you going to start looking for him? Do you even know? There’s a lot of acreage out there to cover, and that’s assuming he’s found a little nest to hide in. You could be out there for days. These people need you here. Now.”
I get what he’s saying. The air is thick with the crumblings of the battle. It’s sad, really. Kera’s town had been a place like none other. Lively, clean, and picturesque. Even now, some of the firsts are using their magic to repair the buildings; some have pulled out tables and sit around sipping tea like nothing odd has happened. Others wander aimlessly as if the small amount of magic they have left is the only thing keeping them upright. It’s the mark of denial, of hopelessness, of sheer terror in the face of an unknown future.