swallow was audible. “Right. Anything else?”
“Can you look up sub-species? Like, if I ask for anything with wings?”
Liam nodded in approval, and then stood and went to the door, opening it. As Kyle searched for me, I turned to see Dox standing in the doorway, a glower on his face, the silver piercings in his lip, eyebrow, and ears standing out even more in the morning light.
Two things happened at once. With a grumble Dox, tossed me his truck keys. “I can’t damn well let you go on your own. But you have to listen to me, when we get there. You have to trust me when it comes to my own kind.”
I gave him a sharp nod and Kyle spoke softly in my ear.
“Rylee, you aren’t going to believe this.”
Contrary to what Kyle thought, I knew that I would believe it. And knowing how the world was when it came to me and mine, whatever ‘it’ was wouldn’t be good.
I was right; it wasn’t good, not by a long fucking shot.
I hung up the phone, plans already whirling through my mind. As difficult as it might be, there were going to be no surprises this time around. Just a simple, straightforward salvage. Before I could tell Dox and Liam what Kyle had shared, the phone rang. I scooped it up, thinking the kid had forgotten something.
“What did you forget?”
A low chuckle whispered through the line and I recognized Doran’s charming tones. “Rylee, I need you to swing by my place before you leave on this blind salvage of yours.”
“Doran? What are you talking about? The salvage is on this side of the veil, I don’t need extra help.”
He laughed again, any reluctance he’d shown earlier in the bar completely gone, and more than a hint of his old confidence rolling through the phone line. “Rylee, you need to come see me, because I just found out something rather interesting about you, something you are going to want to know.”
“Yeah, like what?”
The bastard hung up on me. Damn him, he knew me too well for my liking. I hung up the phone and turned to see Dox and Liam waiting on me. Liam spoke first.
“You think he’s bluffing?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t. We’ll go to him, but we’ll make it quick.”
Dox let me drive, since I was the one Tracking and could make adjustments as we went. That, and he didn’t look to be doing all that well. Much as he’d agreed to come with us, to act as a guide and help, I was pretty sure he’d rather be anywhere else. I glanced over at him, took in the pale tones of his blue skin, not the bright vibrant blue that I was used to at all. Yeah, something was going on with him for sure and I couldn’t help but think about what Doran had said. That Dox had been kicked out for being weak. If that was the case, Dox might be more of a liability than an asset.
Dox stared out the window and scrubbed a hand over his head. “What took the foal, do you know?”
“Kyle said that the only thing with wings big enough to carry the foal, and actually identified as using the Pacific Northwest would be a Roc.” I took the turn onto Shawnee Rd.
The ogre sucked in a sharp breath and turned his face to me, eyes wide with alarm. “Seriously? Please tell me you’re joking.”
I shook my head. Nope, I was not joking, though I wished I was.
Liam lounged in the back seat, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Of course, he still didn’t have the full understanding of the supernatural to scare the shit out of him. He leaned forward, placing a hand on each of our seats.
“So what is a rock?”
Dox beat me to it. “Spelled R-O-C. Giant bird—”
“Like a Harpy?”
“No, bigger.” I slid my hands over the heated steering wheel, pleased that the truck had started with the three of us in here. Though it had been questionable, the engine managed to turn over. I hadn’t been looking forward to getting into ogre country on my own, or even with just Dox at my side. No way was I leaving Liam behind. Not this time. Not with a Roc and ogre country coming
“Can you look up sub-species? Like, if I ask for anything with wings?”
Liam nodded in approval, and then stood and went to the door, opening it. As Kyle searched for me, I turned to see Dox standing in the doorway, a glower on his face, the silver piercings in his lip, eyebrow, and ears standing out even more in the morning light.
Two things happened at once. With a grumble Dox, tossed me his truck keys. “I can’t damn well let you go on your own. But you have to listen to me, when we get there. You have to trust me when it comes to my own kind.”
I gave him a sharp nod and Kyle spoke softly in my ear.
“Rylee, you aren’t going to believe this.”
Contrary to what Kyle thought, I knew that I would believe it. And knowing how the world was when it came to me and mine, whatever ‘it’ was wouldn’t be good.
I was right; it wasn’t good, not by a long fucking shot.
I hung up the phone, plans already whirling through my mind. As difficult as it might be, there were going to be no surprises this time around. Just a simple, straightforward salvage. Before I could tell Dox and Liam what Kyle had shared, the phone rang. I scooped it up, thinking the kid had forgotten something.
“What did you forget?”
A low chuckle whispered through the line and I recognized Doran’s charming tones. “Rylee, I need you to swing by my place before you leave on this blind salvage of yours.”
“Doran? What are you talking about? The salvage is on this side of the veil, I don’t need extra help.”
He laughed again, any reluctance he’d shown earlier in the bar completely gone, and more than a hint of his old confidence rolling through the phone line. “Rylee, you need to come see me, because I just found out something rather interesting about you, something you are going to want to know.”
“Yeah, like what?”
The bastard hung up on me. Damn him, he knew me too well for my liking. I hung up the phone and turned to see Dox and Liam waiting on me. Liam spoke first.
“You think he’s bluffing?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t. We’ll go to him, but we’ll make it quick.”
Dox let me drive, since I was the one Tracking and could make adjustments as we went. That, and he didn’t look to be doing all that well. Much as he’d agreed to come with us, to act as a guide and help, I was pretty sure he’d rather be anywhere else. I glanced over at him, took in the pale tones of his blue skin, not the bright vibrant blue that I was used to at all. Yeah, something was going on with him for sure and I couldn’t help but think about what Doran had said. That Dox had been kicked out for being weak. If that was the case, Dox might be more of a liability than an asset.
Dox stared out the window and scrubbed a hand over his head. “What took the foal, do you know?”
“Kyle said that the only thing with wings big enough to carry the foal, and actually identified as using the Pacific Northwest would be a Roc.” I took the turn onto Shawnee Rd.
The ogre sucked in a sharp breath and turned his face to me, eyes wide with alarm. “Seriously? Please tell me you’re joking.”
I shook my head. Nope, I was not joking, though I wished I was.
Liam lounged in the back seat, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Of course, he still didn’t have the full understanding of the supernatural to scare the shit out of him. He leaned forward, placing a hand on each of our seats.
“So what is a rock?”
Dox beat me to it. “Spelled R-O-C. Giant bird—”
“Like a Harpy?”
“No, bigger.” I slid my hands over the heated steering wheel, pleased that the truck had started with the three of us in here. Though it had been questionable, the engine managed to turn over. I hadn’t been looking forward to getting into ogre country on my own, or even with just Dox at my side. No way was I leaving Liam behind. Not this time. Not with a Roc and ogre country coming
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