Bitten to Death

“Sibley is going to call and tell him tomorrow would be better,” she said, in such an offhand tone I wondered if she truly understood what kind of danger she’d put her Trust in by delaying the negotiations. Not that they were an issue anymore. But she didn’t know that.

“So where are you headed?” Tarasios asked so casually I gave him a thumbs-up.

“We’re taking a flight north. Don’t worry, we’ll be back by tomorrow. And I’ll have such a surprise for you all then!”

“Do you need a guard?” Tarasios asked quickly, before she could end the conversation.

“Not necessary. See you soon!” she sang.

Dave’s conversation had ended by the time Tarasios handed back my phone. “Cassandra didn’t See any of what just happened, since I was involved.” He stopped. “That’s probably a good thing. But she’s been getting flashes of Vayl. And you. She says you shouldn’t kill Disa.”

That woman was becoming a broken record.

“She also says to trust Vayl.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. Just that he knows what he’s doing.”

Which meant whatever danger he was in, he’d welcomed. Typical. “Well, I know the two of us need to get our butts moving if we’re going to catch up to them in time.”

Admes tapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t you mean the three of us?”

“Yeah, uh.” I looked up at him. How do you say, We’re not sure we can trust you now, without offending a guy you’ve just fought beside and nearly died with? I shrugged. “Our work here is essentially done now that Samos is dead. So it’s really just a matter of collecting Vayl and then we’ll be out of your hair.”

“How old do you think I am?”

“Um—”

“I understand precisely what Cirilai means to Vayl. Did I not see it dangling from a chain around his neck every day he walked in the Trust? And then he left, something none of us ever managed, yet we all understood the ring was what allowed him to survive when the rest of us would have shriveled up and died.”

“Admes—”

His raised hand cut me off. “He came to us with you on his arm and his ring on your finger. And, during the battle, I saw how it took you down. Vayl is in dire straits, is he not?”

I gulped. “I think so, yeah.”

Admes put his hand on my shoulder. “Then I will help you save him.”

“Why?”

“Because I hope it will mean Disa’s fall. And that will be the best thing that has happened for Niall and me in decades.”

He headed for the villa, and without the energy or numbers we needed to tackle the Trust’s best warrior, we plodded after him.

After a few minutes Tarasios said, “Can I go too?”

“No.”

“But—”

“What’s Disa going to say when you show up after she’s already told you to stay home?”

“Oh.” His face fell. “I see your point.”

“Tell you what you can do,” I said. He actually looked more eager than Jack, whose tail had started wagging the second we began moving again. “Find Niall. Tell him Koren was working for Samos.” I gave him my number and hoped he’d actually memorized it as we reached the villa’s outer wall.

Since I still had the keys to the minibus, Dave, Admes, Jack, and I piled in, leaving Tarasios to trudge into the mansion and spread the word about Samos.

I’d never been so glad to slip onto the smooth, cool seats of some wheels that could speed me toward my goal. I gripped the door handle, leaning my forehead against the window as Dave took the wheel and Admes grabbed a rear seat. I was sick and sore and, from the way my shirt stuck to my back, pretty certain my cut had reopened. But none of that mattered. Trouble was, the pains Cirilai kept shooting up my arm at odd intervals made it hard to put my real problem into a perspective that didn’t leave me utterly crazed.

Finding Vayl. Just make it a goal to press toward, not a quest that will destroy you if you fail. Don’t think about what happens if the ring goes cold on your finger. If you never have another moment when he looks into your eyes and suddenly you feel happy, and whole, and alive.

Jack jumped into my lap. Which practically gave me whiplash as I heaved backward, trying to take all that weight without yelling. He shoved his face into mine.

“Okay, let’s get one thing straight,” I told him. “I know where that tongue has been. No, don’t give me that innocent look. I’ve seen you giving the privates a good washing. So there will be no licking of my face, hands, or any other area of exposed skin. Got it?” He laid his head on my shoulder and blew something wet in my ear. “Gross,” I said, “but acceptable.” I rubbed the side of my face against his and whispered, “Thanks.”

Dave had backed us onto the lane leading to the main road to Patras. As soon as he threw the van into drive, without warning, he slammed the accelerator. Admes swore as he dropped something metallic on the floor. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the next sound I heard wouldn’t be an accidental burst of automatic-weapons fire.