AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I curled up on the sleeping bag. “Wake me up when you’re ready.”
I woke on my own a little before seven and rolled over, searching the dim space for her. She sat in a corner, head against the wall, eyes closed. She appeared to be asleep, but as soon as I moved, she straightened and opened her eyes.
I smiled. “’Evening.”
“’Evening.” She looked me over. “How are you feeling?”
I sat up and stretched my arms over my head. Testing how I felt. I was still weak and edgy, and my blood felt weirdly hot, like the silver was heating it. It would take a while to work its way out of my system.
But all I said to Reaper was, “Better.”
She nodded and handed me the rest of my sandwich and a bottle of blood-wine. I ate a good meal—the sandwich and most of the wine.
When I was done, she grabbed the backpack and the bag of dirty clothes. She led the way up the ladder, moving the slab aside, while I followed at a slower pace.
At the top, she jumped out and offered me a hand, but I shook my head and heaved myself out of the opening. Proving to us both that I could do it on my own.
The thunderstorm had passed through, leaving the grass wet and giving the air a cool, fresh-washed scent. The setting sun sent golden light shafting through the trees.
As we walked down the hill to the bathroom, I eyed her backpack. She didn’t seem to go anywhere without it. I’d love to have a look inside.
For one thing, I knew it held her wallet. That alone would be worth something to me, because I had nothing but the clothes on my back and the T-shirt and boxers. Even if I escaped, I wouldn’t get far without a credit card and an ID, but even some cash would be welcome. With enough cash I could buy a cheap phone and enough minutes to call one or both of my brothers.
When we reached the bathrooms, I took the bag with my dirty clothes from Reaper, saying, “I can handle them myself.”
I used the toilet, then removed the clean T-shirt to wash up. I barely recognized myself in the mirror. My dark stubble had morphed into a short beard and mustache, and my dirty, matted hair curled over my collar.
But that was good. Incognito was good. I was too drained to produce my “human,” viewer-deflecting glamour.
I squirted some hand soap onto my palms and cleaned my body. Next were my hair and beard. When I was as clean as I was going to get, I washed the dirty T-shirt and boxers and returned them to the plastic bag.
Reaper appeared in the bathroom door. “Ready?”
She’d washed her hair and left it to hang in wet strands around her face. She looked younger, her eyes big, her skin dewy.
Something clenched in my chest.
She’s a slayer, Zaq. She might look sweet, but don’t fool yourself. She’s out for blood. Your blood.
I reached for the clean T-shirt. “Almost.”
In the mirror, I caught her eyeing me again. She glanced away and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
The pit of my stomach tingled.
I was nothing special to look at right now. I’d lost so much weight, my shoulder blades probably looked like the wings of a chicken. An underfed, scrawny chicken.
But she seemed to see something she wanted, and I took a dark satisfaction in how she couldn’t seem to stop staring at me. The Kral in me couldn’t help wondering how I could use her want against her.
Like the humans said, all’s fair in love and war. And this was both.
I put on the T-shirt and picked up the plastic bag. “Ready.”
Back at the tomb, we hung the wet clothes over some tree branches to dry.
“Take a seat,” Reaper said. “We need to talk.”
I nodded. I had plenty of questions. “Your neighbors aren’t a problem?”
