Coldbloods (Hotbloods #2)

“Continue your story,” Bashrik urged. “You haven’t filled us in on exactly how Navan got kidnapped. I want to know everything that happened since that last comm I had with you, right after you first arrived in this village. I also feel like I’m missing out on a bunch of details of what happened before then, too. Navan’s comms were always so brief, in between the two of you traveling.”

“You’re a glutton for punishment, aren’t you, Bashrik?” I said grimly. But I acquiesced. I told them the rest—the whole grisly story—filling them in on every detail to the best of my memory. The one thing I didn’t mention was just how close Navan and I had become… Sharing that hotel bed together, how he’d heated me with the hot wax, our lips touching in those last, fevered seconds we had together. Those memories felt somehow sacred, and I wanted to keep them all for myself—those moments that made me feel warm and whole.

“You really care for Navan, don’t you?” Ronad asked in a low voice once I had finished.

I shot him a startled glance. “How did you know?”

He smiled sadly. “He called me one night when you were sleeping—extremely agitated. He made me promise not to tell Bashrik because he knew he would worry too much. He begged that I didn’t ask any questions, that I just remind him what the punishment for interspecies mingling was back on Vysanthe. It had been so long since a case was reported that he’d forgotten what punishment was doled out, he claimed. I think he remembered, just hoped it wasn’t true. Anyway, I told him: the punishment was death for both involved. He thanked me, and then he hung up.”

Butterflies danced in my stomach at the thought of Navan already putting that much thought into… whatever it was we had. They were shaky, sputtering butterflies that brought tears to my eyes. God, Navan had been so stoic… and yet he’d clearly cared so much for me. I wished I had known sooner.

Everyone’s gaze was now on me, and I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. “I do… care for him very much,” I stammered.

Bashrik eyed me. “I hope you realize just how taboo this is. It’s comparable to you or your friends coupling with… well, a dog.”

Anger flared through me, but Angie and Lauren exploded into disapproving objections before I could make my thoughts heard.

“You’re comparing humans to dogs?” Lauren said, her eyes goggling out at him.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Angie said to Bashrik sarcastically. “You guys are better than dogs.”

A pink tinge appeared in Bashrik’s cheeks, and he bowed his head. “I apologize. My statement was a bit rash. I just wanted Riley to understand the seriousness of her… possible relations with Navan.”

“I do,” I said. “I… I didn’t plan for any of this to happen, and I don’t have any idea what will happen once Navan’s free. All I know is that I’d do anything to save him.”

“So let’s get him back!” Bashrik said forcefully.

“Okay, okay,” Ronad said. “Although I think we should be making these plans back at the bed and breakfast we’re staying at. We’re not exactly alone here.”

He cast a glance at the kitchen door, where a boy who looked to be about twelve ducked out of sight. A group of rowdy teenagers had also arrived while I’d been talking and had seated themselves on the opposite side of the room.

“Good point. But first I’m ordering some food,” Galo said, his belly rumbling out the seriousness of his statement. He turned his gaze to me. “You want to order, or should I scare the poor waiter into good service myself?”

I rose quickly. “I’ll go.”

I walked up to the kitchen door and gently knocked. The boy poked his shaggy brown-haired head out.

“My friends and I were wondering if we could be served—just stew or anything hot you have, really,” I said to him as gently as I could, hoping he, like many in this old tourist town, spoke English.

I wondered why he was ducking down like that, what he’d seen that had scared him so much—whether it was Bashrik and Ronad’s hulking forms or Galo’s angular face. Or maybe he was afraid of the tonrar, just how people had been when I was here with Navan.

The boy gave a quick nod before scurrying off and fetching a cauldron-like bowl of soup. I followed him back to the table, where he plopped it in the center. After shakily handing out four wooden spoons, he moved swiftly back to the kitchen.

“My friends and I can share,” I offered, handing a wooden spoon to Lauren.

“Good,” Galo said. He grabbed a spoon and took a few hearty slurps. Halfway through one, he raised his shaggy, still half-hooded head. “There’s nothing like food in the belly to get the brain going. Anyway, where were we…” He did a figure-eight in the air with his spoon, stopping it to point to me. “Ah yes. We’ll make the plan back at the bed and breakfast. Luckily for us, I brought some invisibility suits and some other superior Fed technology, too—one of the best ships we have.”

“We have superior technology, too. We just don’t have access right now—it’s back on Vysanthe,” Ronad pointed out with a grumble.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure you do,” Galo said patronizingly, as if he were consoling a child.

Bashrik was fiddling with his spoon, eyeing Galo with apparent distrust. “How do we really know that you’re telling the truth, and not trying to betray us so your other Fed agents can pick Ronad and me up?” he said. “I’ve seen how your kind treats mine.”

“And I’ve seen how your kind treats every other kind in the galaxy,” Galo replied smoothly. “But as to your question: you don’t know. I can only assure you that I believe I am supporting Riley because of the noblest of reasons.”

“Is that so?” Bashrik said.

“Yes,” Galo declared stoically. “Because it is right.”

This had a less-than-impressive effect on the table—Bashrik scoffed outright, while Angie and Lauren whispered tensely between themselves.

“I’m a veritas,” Galo declared. “So when I say that I know it’s right, I’m not kidding.”

Ronad and Bashrik stared at him for a long moment.

“No,” Ronad said, shaking his head. “Veritas are a myth among the lycans—no one’s ever met an actual truth-smeller.”

Galo lowered his hood partway so he could direct his lime-eyed gaze at Ronad.

“Not many, I’m sure. Except for you now.”

This brought a hush over the table, which was broken by Bashrik. Directing his glare at Galo once again, he said, “So let’s just say you’re telling the truth and that we can trust you. What do we do now? Just march you to where we’re staying and have you help in the plan?”

Galo smiled sanguinely. “Yes,” he said. “That’s exactly what you’ll do.”

“And Riley, what do you think?” Angie asked.

Everyone’s heads swiveled in my direction.

I exhaled. “I think Galo’s right,” I said slowly. “I do trust him, and I think he’s our best chance at rescuing Navan. He’s already proven his loyalty by rescuing me. If he were going to betray us, it wouldn’t make sense for him to steal a ship, steal invisibility suits, and take me out of the Fed Headquarters. Navan’s deep in that coldblood camp, and there are thousands of them in there. We have to give this a shot—for Navan.”

There was a span of silence. Ronad nodded, while Bashrik had stopped outright glaring at Galo.