Magic Burns

Page 170

 

 

 

I found Jim in the next room. He sat in the bed, propped up by a pillow, and sharpened a short thick knife with a whetstone.

 

“You fucking owe me.” He showed me his teeth in an ugly snarl. “You had a beastkin buddy. Didn’t tell me. Made me look like I don’t know my business. Made me look like a fool.”

 

I came in and sat on the edge of his blanket.

 

“Get the fuck off my bed.”

 

I sighed. “How are the legs?”

 

“Doc says I’ll be walking by tomorrow.” He pointed the knife at me. “Don’t change the fucking subject.”

 

The same injury would take at least two weeks to heal during normal magic.

 

“You remember that time you put a rat scout into an apartment above me to spy on me and Crest?” The scout who had heard everything that went on between me and Crest.

 

“What about him?”

 

“We’re even.”

 

He shook his head and went back to sharpening his knife.

 

“You still here?” he asked a few seconds later.

 

“Leaving as we speak.” I got up. “Jim…Why did you go?”

 

He gave me his hard stare. “He promised the child she would be safe. The alpha stands by his word and the Pack stands by the alpha. That’s how it works.”

 

He went back to his knife, signaling the end of the conversation.

 

 

 

I NEEDED TO FIND A SINK AND SPLASH SOME WATERon my face. A small room to the left looked promising. I entered. No bathroom. No furniture, either. Just a straight shot to a square balcony connected to something with an outside stairwell leading to the left.

 

The door barely had a chance to close behind me before it flew open with a bang. Curran appeared in the doorway. He was human again, but only in shape. Sweat drenched his face. His hands gripped the door frame as if they still had claws. His yellow eyes glowed with feral need. He snarled, his face wrinkling, and rushed past me to the balcony. He burst outside, leaned on the stone rail with both hands, and stared down below.

 

Alrighty then.

 

I followed and rested on the rail next to him. A staircase led up to a parapet connecting the main Keep with a half-built tower to the left. When they finally finished this place, they would have to rename it.