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Gavin turned and left, and the two women followed, with Queenie taking up the rear.
Lauren walked with her weapon in front of her right shoulder, pointing up so she could aim and fire in most directions quickly. Having it pointed in front of her meant if something came from the side, she was in a shit position to shoot them. Also, she didn’t want to sweep Gavin with her weapon.
And then Lauren’s hawk lifted its head and looked backwards, so she could see Queenie, and Lauren said, “It’s going to take some getting used to, but with Ying looking behind me like this, I can see in front of me and behind me, and a good bit off to my right, which means I’ll do the most good at the rear. I have a blind spot to my left, but otherwise, I can see almost all the way around me.”
“Neat trick.” Queenie stepped up even with Lauren on her left side. “Master has all unfriendlies within the perimeter naked and in a jail cell or otherwise locked away. Now he’s focusing on the people outside the fence. If you’re the primary target, you don’t get to be at the very back, but I also don’t need to be blocking your field of vision. State the position on the clock if you see someone, and then drop down so I can get them, please.”
“If they want me alive, they won’t shoot to kill me, but they aren’t going to feel the same about you,” Lauren countered. “You’re in more danger than me when they’re at a distance.”
“Lauren is correct,” Gavin said from up front. “But until we reach the upper floors, no one will be in a position to come up behind us.”
“You can’t exit the stairwell on the upper floors, Master,” Queenie said.
“I’m aware. Lauren will stay with me, and you’ll have to be my eyes and ears. Grab a few protein bars and get another high-calorie drink to tide you over, and then I’ll need you on the roof.”
“Of course, Master.”
While they were stopped, Lauren finally took a moment to consider how easily Gavin had taken control of not just her mind, but her body. She had missing time because he slid into her mind without her even feeling it.
When Queenie was gone, Lauren told Gavin, “I want you out of my head. I’ll deal with whatever pain I feel.”
“And I want my home to not be under attack, but we don’t always get what we want.”
“Don’t speak to me as if I were a child.”
“I need you focused on our surroundings in this moment. As soon as the danger is past, I’ll get you to a hospital and release the hold I have on your pain levels.”
She’d been stowed away with a lion pride outside of Cambridge during the big battle between good and evil, but just working out with the lions had been enough for her to learn that you don’t argue with leadership in the heat of battle, no matter what, so she shut her mouth and used her eyes and ears to monitor their surroundings. While danger might be around the corner, she’d follow Gavin’s orders because she trusted him to keep them both alive.
And she saw something in a corner, something her hawk could see and she could sense. Not something, so much asnothing, but the lines on the bricks didn’t exactly match up.
She was about to say something to Gavin when she heard Mordecai’s voice in her head.I’m not technically permitted to be here, but I need to make certain you’re safe. I’d rather Gavin not know.
Lauren backtracked in her mind and realized Mordecai had shown up sometime during the initial gunfight.
The Norse, Greek, Roman, and other pantheons exist because the gods had, once upon a time, shown themselves to humanity. At some point, it’d become clear the gods were doing more harm than good, since more humans died from fighting over which gods were better than the others than for any other reason. And so, the gods had decreed that from that point forward, they would stay out of human affairs.
Mordecai frequently bent the rules to protect the humans he cared about, but he tried hard not to break them. So, he was here, watching over Lauren, but he’d likely stay in the background unless it became necessary to break the rules in order to save Lauren.
“I’m in her mind Ares,” Gavin said, his back still turned towards them while he kept watch for people coming down the steps. “If you’re going to pull her attention away from her task, perhaps you could help stand watch.”
“My attention is fine,” Lauren retorted, “though wewillhave words later about you not leaving my head when I made the request.”
It’s a strategic decision,Mordecai telepathed. I would do the same in his position.
Gavin said they’re after me.
That’s what the minds of those he went into were told.
Then if I leave, the rest of the house will be safe?
I don’t believe that’s the case.Ten seconds later, he added.Gavin is expending a lot of energy, and he needs to feed.
“Feeding from a god-of-old would be nice, but I will not feed from Lauren,” Gavin said, his back still to them while he watched through a doorway.
Mordecai came the rest of the way into the room, so Lauren could see him, and said, “I’m not supposed to be here at all, but I can call myself a neutral observer at this point.”
Lauren looked from Mordecai to Gavin, and sensed what Mordecai was talking about. “I didn’t realize it before, but I can sense your—” She stopped herself before she called Gavin weak. “I’ll offer my forearm for you to drink from.”
