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A jerk of his arm, and Grey stumbled forward before digging his heels into the gabs of the street. “Please!” he cried, his voice pitching high enough this time the other macharomancers paused until soles on wood planks rang out. Guns were pulled, Grey was spun around, half-shielded by his captor.
“Whoa—” came Cy’s immediate reply. Her hands flew up in the shadow of the station’s doorway, followed by Noel, whose eyes went wide when they landed on Grey.
“Let him g?—”
A gun flew up to point at his face. “Show us your marks. Now.”
Cy ripped down her sleeve. Sciomancer.
Noel’s jaw set, but he tugged down the denim of his jacket’s sleeve. Macharomancer.
Guns lowered slightly the second that mark was in full view. “What are you doing out here, boy?”
Cy’s scowl from them not addressing her at all might as well have been a personal offense, but she kept her hands up, despite the sour look.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Noel demanded through gritted teeth. “We’re here for fucking fuel, and you’re kidnapping my friend. I think the better question is what are you doing here?”
Cy shot him a glare. “Could you not get us kill?—”
“Where’s the station owner?”
Noel hesitated. “I’m assuming one of the dead people upstairs.”
A couple of the macharomancers exchanged looks, and Grey twisted in his captor’s grip.
“We didn’t do it,” Cy quickly jumped in. “They were like that when we got here. They look like they were poisoned or something.”
“Out,” the gruff guy said, motioning to the street.
They did as instructed, holding still as half the group stayed outside and the others filed in. A handful of agonizing minutes later, the gruff guy reappeared with his gun at his side.
“You can put your hands down. We hadn’t heard from anyone out this way in a few days. You’re lucky you didn’t make it here earlier and stick around, kid.” Back to only addressing Noel again.
“And I’d appreciate it if you’d let my friend go,” Noel said sharply, nodding toward Grey.
The guy shook his head. “You and your sciomancer friend can go, but we’re taking this one.” He shook his finger in Grey’s direction, and his stomach dropped.
“He didn’t do anything,” Noel growled. “He’s with me, just let him?—”
“There’s a fucking curse spreading, boy. Whatever came for these people is coming for us.” He stepped forward and pulled down his goggles to rest around his neck, coming face-to-face with Noel. “It eats people alive—macharomancers alive. And we’ve fucking driven out all the hemomancers because they lost their damn minds, likely to whatever this fucking thing was. So, if this one can reverse whatever’s happening to us, he’s staying.”
Noel’s lip curled in a near-snarl. “And if he can’t? You’ll let him go?”
The man stepped back. “I’ll consider it. But I’m not making any promises.” He paused, seemingly examining them for a moment. “It’s going to get dark soon. If you two are in need of shelter, you can follow, but you’ll be put under lockdown. No funny business like trying to take that one.” He pointed at Grey again before his guard dragged him toward the gate again.
His body trembled with every step toward the beat-up cars parked just outside, even more so when his captor wrenched open a door and pushed his head down to force him into the back seat. A door slammed, and he shrank down against the ripped upholstery. More of the machoromancers approached, two zipping out on bikes to idle by the rest of the caravan.
Grey’s heart almost snapped in half when more doors slammed shut with no Noel or Cy in sight. Noel had finally given up on him. Finally left him to be someone else’s problem. Finally?—
The appearance of Noel on his bike filled him with relief. Every tight muscle shook the second he knew he wouldn’t be alone. He fell back into the seat as the car started forward, and the world blurred past, whisking him away from one looming fear to another.
37
GREY
Grey sank further down into the seat with every passing minute. Whispers from the front highlighted mentions of Grey being possibly too young or inexperienced with his abilities before the other passenger would say that was a benefit. He swallowed, fighting back the nausea that they were discussing him like a new dog they needed to train.
The squeal of the brakes and the car being thrown in park sent his pulse pounding in his ears. Doors opened, and he was yanked out onto the gravel leading to the wide mouth of a cave. Pine trees swayed around them, covering the luminescence of the LEDs running along the top of the metal fence while also concealing anything lurking in the woods that might jump out under the fast-approaching blackness of night.
