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“What did you tell him?”
I filled Collin in on everything I remembered.
“He’s grasping at straws if he’s making those leaps,” Collin finally said.
“He’s desperate.”
“Obviously.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, Ellie. You did the right thing. We can’t risk you getting locked up.” He paused. “How much of your mark is left?”
“None.”
I expected him to blow up, but instead he asked, “You haven’t found Ahone’s symbol yet?”
“No.”
“I’m giving you three days, Ellie.” He sounded like the Collin I’d first met. Dictatorial and condescending.
“We have bigger issues, Collin. Tom thinks Ukinim is baiting me.”
“Then that’s exactly why the disappearance of your mark is our biggest issue.”
“They’ll still kill me, Collin. Ukinim doesn’t care about my manitou. He just wants to get me before Okeus does.”
“Fuck, Ellie. Stop being so stubborn. You have to let me protect you.”
“Let you protect me?” I spit into the phone. “You’re the reason I’m in this situation. The marks on my door are still working.”
“Ellie, be reasonable.”
“Tell me what you know about the Ricardo deal.”
“No.”
“You owe me something for dragging me into that mess, along with everything else.”
“Forget Marino and focus on the bigger issue. This thing is getting stronger, Ellie. The daylight is protecting you for now, but I suspect it will soon be able to make short excursions into the sunlight.”
The blood rushed from my head. While I knew that day was coming, I’d hoped it would be further off. I’d become a prisoner in my apartment. “Then help me get rid of it.”
He hesitated. “I can’t.”
“Why not? You’d seriously let this thing kill me rather than help?” Hurt and resentment filled my chest. “If you really wanted to protect me, you’d help me send this thing and his mate back to Popogusso. To hell with your principles.”
“His mate?What are you talking about?”
“You really don’t know anything about Ukinim or his wife?”
He paused. “No.” A low grumble filled my ear.
“And you were so certain that David would be pointless and get me killed. Well, he’s the one who’s actually giving me information instead of trying to keep me in the dark. Unlike you.”
“Ellie,” he pleaded.
The bathroom door opened, and I flushed the toilet. “I have to go. But watch out for Tom.” I hung up before he could respond and washed my hands, ignoring the strange look from a young mother trying to corral her two small children into the other stall.
