“Once you have the humans, we’ll be leaving to spread the word to the Skins,” Bran said.
That made sense. “The Draco will be out in force, their drones watching for any suspicious activity. Be careful.”
“As always,” Nile said, “I’ll make sure Bran keeps out of trouble.”
“Like fuck you will,” Bran said good-naturedly. “It’s always me pulling you out of scrapes.”
“Nah, that was Denny’s role.” They fell into silence.
My throat tightened for their loss. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, us too,” Bran said. “But we’ll make the bastards pay. We’ll fucking shaft the fuckers.”
Helgi snorted. “You have a way with words.”
“And you can have your way with me anytime you want,” Bran retorted.
Helgi blinked in surprise and Bran guffawed.
“Look at ya face, woman.”
Helgi shoved him playfully. “You fucking wish.”
“Ah, the path of true love,” Nile said, hand on heart.
We continued our journey, lost in banter and laughter, allowing ourselves to forget for a few minutes just where we were headed.
Into the jaws of danger.
* * *
We made camp an hour later surrounded by rock formations that would provide a buffer from the night air once the sun went down. The sky was already orange. Not long now until we could take the leyroad to Sector 8.
The mercs were playing cards with Wex and Yasra, and Vesper was talking to the other two guards in a low voice. Lorance was propped up against a rock with his eyes closed and his arms folded in his signature pose.
I crouched by the small fire Helgi had built and Wex had lit with a breath, staring into the flames, working through my play. What if Dad was unconscious when I got to him? Would I be able to get him to safety? I was strong, but the leyroad would be closed once the humans got on it. The deal would be done. I’d have to get back the old-fashioned way. How would I do that? I had no buggy, no transport. I had no real plan, and where was Azazel?
He'd promised to find me. Would he get to me in time? I fucking hated his epic, last-minute entrances. I needed him with me right now.
“Spill it,” Helgi said. “Something’s bugging you. Anya, we promised no secrets.”
Fuck. “I’m going to get Dad back once the humans are free.” I blurted out the words, and damn it felt good to get them out.
She stared at me for a long beat and then her mouth flattened. “And were you going to tell me if I hadn’t just asked?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know if I can pull it off. I don’t want to drag you into something we may not be able to get out of. I don’t fucking know what I was thinking.”
Helgi looked into the flames. “This is your final pass, Anya. You keep shit from me again and we’re done.”
Her tone was flat, but there was that tell-tale vibration behind it that told me she was struggling to hold back her anger.
“Helgi—”
“You don’t get to decide what I can and can’t handle, dammit.” She looked at me, her eyes bright with angry tears. “You don’t get to decide whether you get to leave me behind.”
Oh, fuck. “Helgi, I—”
“What were you going to do, huh? Just fucking run off once we had the humans?” She paused to read my face. “Fucking hell, Anya, you were, weren’t you?”
“I know where he is. Azazel told me.”
“Yeah? And you should have told me.” She looked torn between punching me and hugging me. “Don’t you get it. You’re all I fucking have. I love you, you bitch. Not a shitty love but a soulmate, forever kinda love, and there is no journey for me without you in it.”
My throat choked up and my eyes began to water. “Fuck it, Helgi. What are you trying to do, eh?” I sniffed and wiped my face.
“Serves you right.” She pulled me into a hug. “Together. Whatever happens, we face it together.”
Pain lashed across my ankle. The anklet. I sucked in air between my teeth and pulled out of the hug.
“What is it?” Helgi asked.
I reached for my ankle but movement over Helgi’s shoulder caught my eye.
The huge rock formation a few meters away shuddered. I blinked. My eyes were playing tricks.
And then the ground rumbled, and the rock formation began to move.
Chapter Fourteen
My cry of warning came a moment before Vesper’s bellow, and then the rock was standing over us, a humanoid form that raised its rock arms and brought them down on the ground hard.
I leapt back, pulling Jezebel from her holster, ready to attack. Flames lit the evening air, spilling over the rock monster with no effect.
“What the fuck?” Helgi cried out.
A fist hurtled toward us. “Watch out!”
We ran in opposite directions and the fist landed in the exact spot we’d just been. The monster stomped and slammed its fists with no apparent agenda aside from crush and smash. I’d never seen anything like this, and I’d lived my whole life in the Outlands. Vesper had morphed into dragon form and was in the air, raining fire on the beast. The rest of us employed tactical avoidance maneuvers because there was no cutting or stabbing a rock beast.
And then twin blue orbs popped open on the beast.
Eyes.
Irises formed, flicked from side to side, and then settled on me. A prickle ran over my skin and then the monster made a beeline for me. I leapt to avoid a swipe, running between its massive legs to escape a thunder punch it dealt to the ground.
Helgi joined me, running alongside me. “It’s gunning for you.”
A shadow loomed over us. I shoved Helgi out of the way and threw myself in the opposite direction as a foot came down in the spot we’d just been. I rolled to avoid a fist. Fucking hell.
“Anya!” I caught sight of Bran running toward me, but the rock monster had
