Slip Song (Devany Miller Series) (22 page)

“
Nothing is, it seems,” I said.

He nodded, his face solemn, then walked on to his wagon.

“All righty then. You know, I used to watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom when I was a kid. This is so much better.” I walked to the edge of the barrier and gazed out at the glowering animals. My eyes locked with the giant hyena, its golden eyes amused rather than malevolent. But maybe that was just fancy on my part. Then he opened his giant jaws, his tongue lolling out and I couldn’t help myself, I grinned back.

Sharing a moment like that with an animal that looked like he could probably break my thigh bone in one bite was surreal.

“What are you?”

And it figured the animal would be able to talk. I glanced around at Jasper, who gestured at me to answer. I faced the hyena again. “I get that question a lot.”

The animal grinned wider.

“
Who are you?”

“
Kroshtuka. Leader of Meat Clan. You and your people are trespassing on our land.”

Fascinating, really. His jaw wasn’t moving but I wasn’t hearing his voice in my head. It was definitely coming from the hyena. “I’m sorry. I’m looking for someone and I was told this was the safest way to travel through the Anwar.”

He made a yipping noise that I took to mean he was annoyed with me. His words confirmed it. “Stupid witch-folk, scared of the wild magic. This is Wydling land. Not Anwar. The Wilds. We own it and we name it. And someday the one who walks out of tune with nature will make a mistake. Then we will end his life and restore balance to this land.”

“
Leon?”

He barked and the animals started slinking away. “You are not one of them, you are not witch-folk or one of the walkers between worlds. Yet you smell of them all.” He lifted his nose and sniffed. “I will meet up with you someday when you are not behind a barrier. Then we will really know each other.”

My pulse sped and he laughed—a real laugh, with undertones of animal and power. He spun and ran into the gloom, leaving only dust and tracks behind.

“
You talked to him.”

Sharps stood behind me, her hands jammed into her pockets. She was wearing a baggy shirt and pants, her body shapeless in the outfit. Her goal, probably.

“Yeah, I guess I did. You could hear him?” It may have sounded like a stupid question but she didn’t laugh.

“
I did. I didn’t think he talked to anyone outside his people. What did he mean when he said you were everything but nothing?”

“
He didn’t say that.” Technically. “Maybe I smell funny because I’m a human.”

“
There are hooks in the Anwar, they just aren’t stable. So he knows humans.”

A mini dirt-devil kicked up dirt and wiped away some of the prints. There was a bite to the wind and I wrapped my arms over my chest. “Bit by a fleshcrawler.”

“Uh huh. It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me.” She held out her hand. In it gleamed a small, blue ball. “Zed asked me to give this to you. He said you could use it to focus. Teaching you magic, huh?”

I took the ball, finding it warm and heavy in my palm. It also rang lightly as I rolled it around between my fingers. “Yeah. I’m afraid I suck at meditating.”

She laughed, taking off her ball cap to scratch her head. “Me too. It makes me crazy.”

“
I hear ya, sister.”

The smile faded. She pushed her hands back into her pockets. “Right. Gotta go. Night.”

“What did I say?” But she was walking away, almost jogging so I stood and watched her go, feeling bad and not knowing why. In my hand the ball sang and I held it up to the light of the moon. It glowed a deep indigo blue but the longer I stared at it, the more convinced I became that I wasn’t looking at the ball at all but inside it at an entire new universe.

“
Devany?”

“
Hm?”

Jasper pushed my hand down, blocking the ball from my sight. I blinked. “You’ve been standing here for ten minutes.”

“No. Just a second. Sharps gave me a ball from Zed.”

“
I know, I saw. And then you stood there gazing at it forever.” He slipped the ball from my hand, keeping it hidden. “Mayhap you should come to bed? It’s getting cold.”

“
Right.” I hadn’t been staring at the damn thing for ten minutes, surely. “What is that thing?”

“
I know not, but were I you, I’d exercise caution with it until you understand what it is.”

I climbed the stairs and sighed as I took in the tiny place. Last night I’d been tired but tonight I was awake enough to regret that I didn’t have my jammies or a change of clothes. “Hey Nex.” No answer. I looked up at his bunk but it was empty. “Nex?”

Jasper was grinning.

“
What?”

“
Quorra came over and pleaded with him once more to visit her in her tank.”

My eyes felt like they might bug out of my head. “He went?”

“Yes.”

“
Holy shit.” This trip was going to change us all. “Quorra and Nex. Huh.” Of all the odd couples in the universes, that was definitely one of the weirdest. “Well.”

“
I have a surprise for you.” He reached over the sink and pulled a bundle down, sitting it on the tiny table top. “Open it.”

I did and let out a whoop. “Clean clothes! Oh thank you. That’s exactly what I needed.”

“We have to return them but Alton was kind enough to find some hands who would part with a few pieces for each of us.”

On impulse I hugged him. “You are awesome.” He was warm and hard against me and very still. I pulled back, embarrassed but he didn’t let me get to far. “Sorry.”

He looked down at me and I remembered that he was a very handsome man. Gorgeous, really, with supernaturally sexy eyes and a mouth I could imagine would be soft yet firm against mine … Whoa. Shut up, brain. “I’m not.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that. No. I can’t. I just lost my kid’s father. I wasn’t ready. Nope. Didn’t say any of those things, just stood there in the circle of his arms, breathed in his scent and enjoyed the closeness of his body.

When he leaned in, I wasn’t surprised and didn’t pull away either. Maybe I was a horrible person but I wanted the kiss, wanted to have him touch me gently and have a connection with him that I hadn’t had in a long while with Tom. Of course my annoying mind immediately compared it to Tytan’s kisses. He set off rockets. Jasper inspired peace.

I’m not sure what it would have led to―me making an idiot out of myself, probably―but Jasper pulled away, his lips wet and pink and swollen from our kiss. “Now I can say that I think you are awesome too.”

My mouth moved before my brain did. “You mean you didn’t think I was awesome before?”

He laughed and the moment ended. Damn my mouth. If I’d said something different, maybe the moment would’ve turned into something more. Lord. Did I want something more? With Jasper?

Oh god, I was so messed up.

“
Do you want the shower first?”

I nodded, unable to make anymore coherent sentences. I took my clean clothes, squeezed into the little box that was the bathroom and showered away my dirty thoughts. At least, that’s what I told myself.

Screams woke me in the middle of the night again. I slid out of bed and away from Jasper’s warmth. He was snoring, tired from wrestling with the oxen all day, I guessed. I slipped my shoes on and went in search of the distress. This time Leon found Tam first. He was taunting her with a freshly killed rabbit, the blood dripping to the dirt at the edge of the camp.

“
Leave her alone.” I wished I had a weapon or, in the case of the heart, something I knew how to use. Worse came to worse, I would make a hook under her and fling her to Earth.

He didn’t answer me. Instead he tossed the rabbit at her. It hit her in the chest and she screamed again then snatched the rabbit, bringing the bloody bunny to her mouth. “You’ll be happier once you change, Tam my girl.”

“Leon!” His sister came running, her hair hanging free of her hat for once. She wore a long flannel nightgown and her feet were bare. “Stop it. Please.”

“
She’s got to earn her keep.” He flung out his hand and Tam staggered backward, her face still buried in the rabbit’s guts. “Go on, duallie. Change for me.” His voice held a certain cadence that reminded me of the chants the Coven of the Lotus had used during one of their rituals.

Tam’s eyes sparked in the darkness and a throaty growl sounded warning. Her skin rippled and fur sprouted, faster than yesterday.

“Control it, Tam. You don’t want to be a dog, do you? On a leash for this asshole?”

For a moment I had her, she turned her animal eyes on me, then the light grew and she collapsed to the ground, her body contorting, the bones snapping loud enough to make me cringe.

“Don’t. You can’t!” Sharps was running toward her brother, trying to prevent something I couldn’t see. I started forward too but he upended a bag of powder onto Tam’s glossy red fur as Sharps reached his side. She gasped, then clapped her hand over her mouth, staring in horror at Tam’s powder covered fur. “Oh Leon.”

“
She’ll be happier this way.” He dropped the bag and kicked Tam in the side. Not hard but it made her yelp.

“
Leave her be.”

“
This is the last time you interfere.” He wasn’t looking at me but I knew the words were for me. “Do it again and I’ll kill the Wing while you watch.” His beefy hand closed hard on Sharp’s arm but she didn’t make a sound. “Come dog. Mind your master.”

I started forward and he barked a word that sent fire racing at my feet. I scrambled back then threw myself to the side as the flame roared into the barrier and exploded. Sharps yelled at me. “Stop! He will do what he said. Just stop.”

Once again, I watched her leave with her brother, unable to do anything to help her but vowing that I would figure out how to free her from his grip and end him. I passed the rest of the night plotting then discarding how I would kill the bastard.

The next morning, I told Jasper what had happened. His disgust made me feel better though he didn’t want to discuss ways to kill the bastard. He didn’t have it in him and I wished Tytan were here. He’d probably have better ideas than I did and would be able to carry them out.

“I spoke with Yorloff this morning and he said we should arrive in Galleia tomorrow eve. Soon, Devany, we can be away from that filth.”

“
Yeah, we can be away from him but what about Tam? Sharps? Inna? If he’s an asshole to them, then he’s probably one to all of them.”

“
You want to save them all? Arsinua was right about you. You have a strong sense of responsibility.”

“
It comes from being a mom, I think. I hate the idea of some mother’s child living in fear or pain and figure every time I do something to help another person, I’m building up good karma that protects my own kids.” I rubbed at my neck. “Maybe that’s stupid.”

“
Caring isn’t stupid.”

Sharps rode back to check on us, her pale face marred by a swollen eye and murderous bruise that covered half her cheek.

“That’s not okay,” I said.

“
Just mind your own damn business.” She glared at us both but didn’t ride off as I expected her too.

“
I want to help.”

“
You can’t. Okay? You’re just making things worse. Anytime someone challenges him, he gets worse and each time it takes longer and longer for him to calm down.”

“
I’m sorry if I made things worse.”

She looked exhausted. I wondered if he’d kept her up all night then forced myself to stop thinking about that. “Thank you. Just. Let it be.” She looked down at her hands. “We’ll get away from him someday.”

“You will.”

She nodded. We rode in silence for awhile, the rutted track we were on causing the wagon to rattle wildly.

“What was that powder your brother dumped on her?”

She brushed at a few strands that had escaped from under her hat and winced when her fingers touched the bruise. “Stasis. It’ll hold her in that form as long as he uses it on her every day.”

“So it stops her from changing? Why didn’t she use it to keep from becoming a dog?”

“
Because it’s expensive. She’d never be able to afford it.”

The wagon jolted again. My already tired ass protested the new atrocity. On impulse, I stretched then slid to the edge and jumped off the wagon. Sharps’ horse shied away from me but she reined him back in and took up pace beside me. “You can’t walk. We’ll hit another fast track soon. If you aren’t on the wagon, you’ll get left behind.”

I sighed. “Now you tell me. Why don’t you get left behind?”

“
The saddle. It has a piece of the same cloth tied on the horn.” She showed me the ragged yellow strip. “Every vehicle here has a piece. Tam too.” Her jaw worked as she gazed ahead. “It links us all.” She looked up ahead. “You should really get back on the wagon. Now.”