Cold Moon Rising (28 page)

Liz looked sideways at me for a long moment, as I eased the car into traffic, bound for the airport. She started shaking her head, but her scent was cold-metal determination, blended with the slightest touch of fear. “Then yes, I suppose I’d have no choice. I couldn’t just walk away and let her die. I guess I would.”

I eased to a stop at the traffic light and turned my head to catch her gaze. I let my eyes fade to the blank, expressionless killer ones I’ve had for a really long time. She shivered abruptly, unable to ignore what she saw. “So did I.” I let that sink in for a moment before I returned my eyes to the road. “Like I said . . . it’s real life. What kind of person do you think that makes me?”

The wheels started turning in the girl’s mind so fast you could nearly smell smoke. I liked that she didn’t have good answers and was thoughtful. I figured eventually she’d get tapped for Wolven, being an alpha and an animal most Sazi would naturally fear. The cab was silent for a long time, until we were on the freeway headed east. That was fine with me. The sun was already long past hitting me in the eyes, and the day was perfect for flying—clear and cloudless. Denver’s a pretty city, so I just enjoyed watching the scenery, trying not to sneeze. The blend of scents from her was pretty much every one in the book and it was like walking into a flea market where every smell imaginable assaults your nose at once. Finally, when we were less than a dozen miles from the airport, she shook her head again. “You’re a very unusual man, Mr. Giodone.”

It was the first time she’d called me by that name. I tried to remember where she’d heard it. I’d been Davis to this point. The traffic in front of me began to dissolve in favor of trees and vines. Crap, crap, crap! Really bad timing here!

Clouds began to appear like magic and I could taste thick creosote, like licking a railroad tie. I dove quickly onto the shoulder of I-70. So quick, in fact, that Liz threw her hands forward onto the dashboard, and luggage flew from the backseat to bounce against the headrests. We stopped in a swirl of gravel, horns honking all around us. “You have no idea, kiddo. See, I’m about to disappear from this car, so we’re going to have to switch places. You’ll have to drive and I’ll be really annoyed if we wind up anywhere but the airport.” At least she was unlikely to ditch me, being on the side of an unfamiliar highway.

She unbuckled her belt and opened the door, confused as all get-out. Rather than risk opening mine when I couldn’t see clearly, I unbuckled and scooted over to the passenger seat. I was fading in and out now, the black hole in my mind threatening to eat me alive.

As soon as traffic cleared enough to open the door, she hopped in. “But I don’t know where I’m going. I’ve always been a passenger coming out of Denver.”

I reached for the lever next to the door that would lay the seat back. “You can’t miss it. Just look for the Pena Boulevard exit. It’s a two-lane exit to the right and only goes one place . . . the airport. Hopefully I’ll be back with you before we get there. But if not, head for the Departures section and park in the covered lot near one of the United check-ins.”

Now she was looking concerned, because the headache was back and she could probably smell the pain.

“Are you okay?”

I let out a small chuckle and closed my eyes. “Not really, but it’s a hazard of the job. As you learn the ropes, you’ll probably hear a lot about this group of exalted people that the Sazi call the seers. I’m one of them. We have weird psychic shit happen—seeing the future, the past, and all points in between. Oh yeah. Real exalted. It hurts and it’s annoying as hell because you can’t predict when it’s going to lay you flat on your back.” I paused and opened my eyes, ignoring the pain so I could make my point. She glanced at me, blinker on, ready to leap back into interstate traffic. “I don’t recommend it as a career choice.”

And then I was out again.

Chapter Fourteen

NASIL LOOKED DOWN at the gas gauge and tapped it, hoping as I did it would rise above the red line just a fraction. “I’ve never tried to milk the tanks this dry before. The camp’s just over the next rise, but it’s a question mark at this point whether we’ll make it.”

I had no particular fear of plane crashes. I’d survived a dozen before. But I wouldn’t relish telling Lucas the Wolven jet was scattered across the Honduran jungle. “You’ll have to find a way to make it.”

“We’ll land.” It was a solid mass of leafy green below us, with no flat surfaces, leading up to a high peak. Nasil apparently caught my incredulous look because he shrugged. “There really is a landing strip at our camp. I’ve no desire to walk out of the jungle either.”

“Why are you in the jungle? You could have gone anywhere after I killed my father.”

He raised his brows in amusement. “After who killed your father? I seem to remember a certain young female tiger who did most of the killing.”

“Tahira couldn’t have done it alone. You know that as well as I. She would have burned up from his power if she hadn’t shared it . . . with me. You do know I gained a great amount of my father’s power, don’t you?”

He didn’t reply for a long moment, but his tongue flicked out cautiously. There was nothing for him to smell, no way for him to dispute the facts—mostly because he left before the end. Deserted both my father and Antoine in order to escape with his lover. And I couldn’t imagine he’d kept up with news about the council since then. He tried to keep his voice from showing any inflection, but he failed. “Have you? And what have you gained?”

Oh, no. It wouldn’t be that easy. “Betray me, and you’ll discover firsthand. I’m no longer someone to be dismissed as weak or impotent.”

I used those words intentionally. I’d heard them from my father’s lips to his ears, years ago. He stared at me for a long moment, eyes unblinking and cold. But a hint of surprise leaked out from underneath the unfeeling exterior at my lack of expression or scent. I’d never before challenged his authority, nor given any indication I was a match for him. I’d longed to track him down right after Sargon died, when the powers I gained were at their peak. That they were fading now said I’d probably eventually lose them all, which was frustrating. But I was fairly confident I was still Nasil’s equal . . . or better.

Tuli poked her head in just then. I looked toward her, but she carefully avoided my gaze. “Are we nearly there? The terrain looks familiar.”

Nasil turned his gaze from me to her. He had to get in one last dig before we landed. “Just over the next rise. You should both probably resume your discussion in the back.”

If he expected me to flinch or show any embarrassment, he was disappointed. Tuli wasn’t looking at either of us. She was staring out the front window and raised a finger to point. “Is that smoke on the horizon? Why would they be lighting the cans in broad daylight?”

At my questioning look, Nasil explained. “We fill oil cans with gasoline-soaked rags and burn them at night to keep away el tigre. It lets us get a few hours sleep since Sargon left. They never approached the camp when he was here, but now they’ve grown bolder.”

“You have tigers in the jungle?” That did surprise me. Where were they imported from?

“Jaguars,” Tuli answered. “But the locals call them tigers. They don’t realize there’s a difference. And the cats have gotten a taste for snake lately so they’re a real problem. But we normally don’t see them in the daylight.”

As the hillside flowed under us, and the engines began to sputter and whine, my brows raised. “I don’t think the jaguars are your biggest problem anymore.”

It wasn’t just cans burning on the wind. It was the camp. The smouldering remains of brick residences and elaborate wooden buildings were scattered across a broad area. I’d thought of camp as being just a few ramshackle storage buildings and some tents. I’d had no idea of the scale of the project father had been planning. It was a small city down there. Or it had been. I didn’t notice any people around. At least upright ones. There were a number of bodies sprawled in openings between the trees and I could finally see the landing strip. I frankly didn’t think it was long enough for the jet, but Nasil seemed confident.

“Eternal Anu!” Tuli exclaimed. “What happened?”

Nasil let out a hiss of frustration. “Federales, rival drug cartels, maybe even just an accident in the lab. Hard to say. I guess we’ll find out. But let’s see if anyone is still down there.” He adjusted his headset and pushed a button on the console, as I digested that there was a lab. What had they been making?

“Cinco, Cinco, Ocho, Be. Bien?” I supposed it wasn’t surprising they had to speak Spanish down here. It wasn’t a language I was terribly familiar with, but I could learn languages fairly quickly when exposed to them. Nasil repeated his call and then turned a dial. “Maybe they switched frequencies.” He said the words again, even as he was lowering the landing gear. He listened intently and then turned on the speaker for Tuli’s and my benefit. There was only dead air. Not even static. “It doesn’t look good. It might be that the government finally managed to locate the camp. They’ve been trying for nearly a decade.”

He started to lower the flaps. The plane hit a pocket of turbulence just as one of the engines stuttered to a stop. “I think it’s time to buckle up. Will you need help up here?”

Nasil shook his head, concentrating on keeping the jet level. “I’m more worried about taking off again than landing. If all the fuel was burned or stolen—”

Tuli and I left him to the landing, hurrying back to the seats and buckling up. I wanted to ask her things, but she’d closed down from me, careful not to make eye contact—even though she made a point to sit right beside me. I could smell her desire every time we brushed hands or arms, which was often as the plane dipped and slid over the treetops.

Nasil’s voice came over the intercom, making us both look at the ceiling. “Hang on. It’s going to be bumpy.”

He didn’t exaggerate. Branches cracked against the bottom of the plane, making ripping sounds that caused Tuli to lift her feet from the carpeting. The entire plane shook and the oxygen masks dropped from above . . . not from lack of air, but just because they were shaken loose. Tuli finally spoke and it was accompanied by the taste of fear. “Have I mentioned I’m not fond of flying?”

It seemed an odd thing for any Sazi to be afraid of. I shrugged. “You’ll heal if we crash.”

Even if it was what she expected to hear, my matter-of-fact tone apparently surprised her. Her expression and scent turned to one of deep hurt and she looked away from me. Had she expected comforting words? And why?

She gripped the armrests and closed her eyes, her teeth gritted for whatever would come. I heard the slowing whine of the second engine just as we made a steep nosedive, still going faster than I could care for this close to the ground. But then the nose rose rapidly and we were thrown against our belts from the force of the air brakes slowing us. The wheels hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud that made my jaws slam together. We were thrown abruptly backward against the cushions and then forward again as the brakes were applied. Smoke rose from the wheels, invading the plane and coating my tongue. It would take days to get my joints back to normal. Even if I shifted now, I’d ache.

Loud scraping outside came from the front of the plane, with more branches breaking, as we went off the end of the runway. But we’d stopped. Tuli was still gripping the armrests with white knuckles and her breathing was rapid. I touched her hand and she froze, stilling even her breathing. Only her frantic pulse said she was still alive. “I am sorry if you were frightened.”

There was nothing else to be said, so I unbuckled and stood, leaving her alone to get her composure. Nasil was already outside, examining the plane. It would probably need a new paint job and the landing gear was slightly damaged on one side, but it actually fared quite well.

While I loathed giving Nasil a compliment, there was really no choice. But there was nothing saying I couldn’t turn it to my advantage. I lowered my brows with a studied frown, in a passable imitation of my father. “A skilled landing. I suppose I’ll let you live another day.”

He’d finally had enough and stood up to his full height, turning to face me with the confidence of old.

“Be very careful you don’t overstep yourself, Rimush. Your father didn’t underestimate me, and neither should you. While I chose to serve him, I was, and am, every bit his equal. Who do you suppose it was he sparred with? Do you really believe he would hold back from giving his best in a battle . . . any battle? I wouldn’t be alive today if I couldn’t hold my own. You’re here at my sufferance. If you expect to live to return to your plush life, keep your mouth shut.”

It was time to increase the stakes, and his nervousness. “I’ve seen you with a sword, Tormentor. I know your skill with all manner of weapons and potions and your magic is strong. But you should be careful as well, for my back is now fully black. I hold death in my hand—” I let the smile that bared my teeth rise into my eyes. “And I’ve been practicing.”

Inheriting power wasn’t the same as inheriting gifts and he knew it. He was likely still faster, but you can’t outrun a killing touch. His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t respond. He simply stared. But even the scent of burning brakes couldn’t hide his anger, or his sudden fear and wariness.

Tuli found us like that, staring across the distance of half the plane, neither one giving ground nor advancing. She seemed back to her old self. She descended the stairs and stood precisely between us, turning her head from side to side. She let out a low, angry hiss and thrust her chin forward. “You both stink of challenge and we have no time for that. We have work to do. I’ll go make sure the temple is safe. You two find out what happened here. If you can’t work together then, for Her sake, at least stay apart!”

For her sake? At last we were getting somewhere. “I would like to see the temple, if I could. Father talked much about it.”

Again Nasil’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, but I gave nothing away except the excitement I really did feel. Tuli nodded. “Of course. You’ve every right to see what we work for and meet those who will serve you. You’ve claimed the right of succession.” Now Nasil stiffened, his back going completely rigid. So, that term meant something to him too. Interesting. “Come. It’s this way.” She walked away and I followed, careful not to pay any attention to his reaction. After all, you don’t notice those who serve. They do their job competently without your supervision or they die.