Slip Song (Devany Miller Series) (37 page)

Our bodies were covered with a soft blanket and under us a soft fur that wasn’t as comfortable as one might think. Still, I had a leg nestled between his, my thigh just touching the part of him that made me forget everything last night. I waited to feel guilty but so far, nothing. I should feel guilty, I told myself. Waited again. Nothing.

“
What are you arguing about in your head?” His deep, sleep-roughened voice hummed through his chest into mine. I rubbed my cheek against his arm for a moment like a cat then eased away enough to look at his face again.

“
Whether or not I should feel guilty?”

“
Mmm.” He slid his hand slowly from my hip to a spot just under my breast. “About finding comfort in another person’s arms?” His thumb moved and I shut my eyes with a sigh.

“
When you put it that way.”

His lips touched my forehead. “We have a saying here. ‘Take your love where you may, for you might not have another day.’”

“I’ll bet a man wrote that.”

His chuckle made me smile. I decided if he was going to explore, then so was I and moved my hand to a place that made him suck in his breath.

This time we weren’t gentle with each other and that was okay by me. I needed something to hold onto in the coming hours. Days. Written by a man or not, the Wydling saying was true. Amara could kill me. Or convince one of my Skriven to do the deed. I could lose one of my friends. I could lose Kroshtuka before I’d even gotten to spend time with him. (Which tried to lead me back to my guilt but I pushed it doggedly away.)

Tears spilled, though I fought them. Didn’t want him to think he’d hurt me and opened my thoughts up enough to show him why I was crying without having to try to put it into words. He kissed away my tears and helped push away the terror and fear with his body and hands. With the connection open, I saw myself through his eyes and it took my breath away. I gave him the same, letting him know what I saw. Who I saw.

Then there weren’t anymore thoughts.

-TWENTY-SEVEN-

I wanted to linger there with him, to enjoy the new found infatuation I hadn’t experienced for years, not since Tom and I first met in college. But Nex needed saving and I didn’t want to live the rest of my days feeling guilty because I’d been rolling around in bed instead of searching for him.

I gave Kroshtuka the rundown on much of what I’d done and wanted to do. Most importantly, I told him why. Part of my involvement was saving my ass, that was true, but there was more at stake than that. The Theleoni, the slave trade, the distrust between species, and I suspected that a lot of the discord was sown by the Originators. I answered what I could about the Slip and my part in it. I told him about Tom’s death, though I didn’t mention that his soul was still inside me.

Kroshtuka’s relaxed manner compelled me to reveal more than I should have.  But I wanted him to know the importance of finding Nex and helping me get to Cyres before Amara did. He asked a lot of questions about the Originator, and more about Tytan. When the questions stopped, I listened to him breathe and made separate plans in case he decided he wouldn’t help or risk his people for a woman he barely knew. I could do the ole smash and grab. Maybe set something on fire to distract the Theleoni holding Cyres long enough to hook her to safety.

As I was imagining everything going right and me in the center kicking all the Theleoni ass, Kroshtuka said, “We have not gotten involved with the witch-folk and their politics because we do not agree with their laws or the way they chain and break the wild magic. For all that they have taken our lands and stolen our people, I never would have thought them to collude with monsters.”

I nodded, hoping he wasn’t forgetting that I was one of those monsters, albeit a tamer version.

As if he knew what I was thinking he ran a hand over my arm. “I never would have thought of them as anything other than monsters but for you. Which made me wonder if that’s how the witch-folk view us.”

“Could be. I know there’s a lot of misunderstanding between everyone. And don’t forget that the Skriven are monsters.”

“
Yet you are not.”

“
Well, no but,”

“
And this Tytan that you speak so highly of, he doesn’t sound like a monster.”

I spoke highly of Tytan? He’d get a kick out of that. “He has his moments.” I wasn’t going to go as far as to say that he was a good guy. I still remembered him threatening to harm my kids when we’d first met. I knew that talking big was part of his schtick but it hadn’t set well with me then and stuck with me now. It might have been the one thing keeping me from falling for his lust-inducing touches.

“We will help find your friends. I’ll also talk to the council members about treating with the witch-folk. These Theleoni and slavers won’t be stopped by our clan alone. Perhaps the time has come when there are more reasons for us to work together than live separately.”

It made my stomach hurt to think of them talking with the witches. I mean, yeah, I knew two witches who were good. No, three if I counted Zech. Arsinua, Marantha, and Zech had all helped me when I’d been stumbling around wrecking things as I fought to keep myself alive. But there had been more who had ignored me, outright distrusted me, or turned a blind eye because I wasn’t one of them. I wanted to make him promise me to be careful but he was a grown man and knew more about this world than I did.

“Thanks for helping me.”

He picked up my hand and kissed my palm. “You’ve got my help. But you’ll have to ask the others. I am their leader but they have a choice when it comes to risking their lives.” He kissed my wrist and I had to pull my hand away to keep him from tempting me to allow him to continue exploring me with his mouth.

“I don’t suppose there’s someplace where I could wash up?”

“
I’ll show you to the wash-house. Come.” He rose and helped me up, then gave me space to dress before showing me where I could take a bath. “I will ask my sister to bring you something to wear.”

“
Thank you.”

The village was built around a network of hot springs and each wash-house boasted baths refreshed by the naturally bubbly mineral water. I sunk up to my neck in the warm water and enjoyed the invigorating pop of bubbles against my skin. The warmth helped ease my stiff muscles though it didn’t do much for the bruises covering my body. Thanks to my attempt at healing and Jasper’s more adept touch, most of them were days’ old yellow instead of livid purple and black.

As I dried my hair, Mina came in. I smiled and said, “It’s good to see you again.”

She stared at me, a frown wrinkling her forehead. Of course she wouldn’t know me. Except for Kroshtuka and, I suspected, Lizzie, no one else would remember they’d ever met me because I hadn’t been here yet.

“Uh. I must have mistaken you for someone else,” I said. Lame, Devany.

She tipped her head. “You stayed with my brother last night.”

A flush of warmth crept up my neck, lighting up the fleshcrawler bite despite it being mostly healed. “Yes.” Small towns. News traveled fast and gossip faster. I put my hand up to my scarred neck and willed the zinging to go away.

Her chin inched up. “He is a good man. See that you do not hurt him.”

“I’ll try.”

She flicked her gaze over me as if assessing my assets or something. “The Wilds are a special place but they aren’t for everyone. To be with him is to accept this place as it is. You’d do well to consider if that’s something you can do.” She handed me a bundle of clothes. “Do you have things I can have washed for you?”

I handed over my dirty pants, shirt, and underthings. She took them without comment and without replying to my, “Thank you.”

It was strange being on the receiving end of such an admonition. My father had used the same type of warning in his conversation with Tom after my would-be fiance made the mistake of asking Dad for my hand in marriage. Dad had said, “I don’t own Devany, what the hell do you need my permission for?”

I’d warned Tom. My father didn’t put much store in tradition or other people’s feelings who weren’t members of his family. Tom never really got my dad and Dad hadn’t ever liked Tom. Tolerated him, sort of, but never liked. I wondered what he would think of Kroshtuka then muttered, “Too soon.”

Not soon enough.

‘Hey,’ I said to my spider companion, ‘I mated. Don’t get pushy.’

Too slow.

It felt too fast but whatever. I thought sometimes Neutria argued just to argue.

I dressed in the clothes, not leather this time but a soft, well-worn linen tunic and flowing pants, then left the wash-house feeling positive. Kroshtuka had told me where to meet him so I made my way to the amphitheater where we’d had the celebration of the hunt last time. There weren’t as many people as there had been and the air of festivity that had hung over the place was absent.

He welcomed me into the group and introduced me. “Devany, from the Dream Place.”

That got significant looks and not a few sly smiles. I waved and then tried my best to remember their names as they introduced themselves.

“She has asked for my assistance in finding her friends and I have agreed to fight by her side. She needs more help and she is here to ask the same from you. We will only need the bravest warriors, those who wish to charge into glory and stare death in the face.”

Oh boy, Krosh, laying it on a bit thick, aren’t we? I said, “There are world-walkers involved. And witch-folk who like to kill humans to gain their power, humans who haven’t eaten your domar berries.” I didn’t want anyone going into this without all the information I had. I’d feel guilty enough if one of them died because they came along. “I don’t know how things will play out this time.” I bit my lip and glanced at Kroshtuka, but he didn’t seemed concerned. In the time travel stories I’d read or seen, the characters seemed inordinately worried about altering the future or letting those in the past know they were time traveling in the first place. Maybe he’d already explained it all to his satisfaction in his head. Last time had only been a dream. This time was reality.

Kroshtuka continued. “Those of you who do not want to hunt should prepare our village for battle. I don’t expect any invasion—our clan has been safe here for many suns—but I don’t want us to be caught off guard. Make ready. Talk to the elders and ask them to Dream for us.”

The crowd thinned only by five. The rest strapped on weapons or stripped, preparing themselves to change as soon as they were out in the Wilds.

“Are you ready?”

“
Yes.” Inside, Neutria stretched, not enough to force the change but enough that it gave me an uncomfortably full feeling. ‘Wait,’ I said to her.

She said nothing but her satisfaction thrummed through me. I wasn’t sure who was more infatuated, now that I thought about it, Neutria or I.

“Will you change?” Kroshtuka asked.

“
Yes.” I didn’t think I had a choice and anyway, I would be able to cover more ground in spider form and be a damn sight more intimidating to the enemy. “Shit. Are you sure you want to do this?”

He kissed me. It wasn’t a long kiss, barely a smooch but it sent my hormones into raptures. “I am a warrior of Meat Clan. Warriors fight. Then they fuck.” He leaned in close to my ear, “And later still they make love.”

A delicious thrill ran through me. I pushed it away but it didn’t leave completely, just perched on my shoulder and sang a song of desire.

At the village gates, Jasper joined us. “I don’t want to be left behind.”

I pulled him away from the crowd so we could talk without an audience. “We’ll all be in animal form, Jasper. You won’t be able to keep up.”

“
I’m not a child.”

“
I know. And when we go to Galleia to find Cyres, you will be with us.”

He nodded, one sharp movement of his head, then walked away. The tension in his shoulders told me all I needed to know about how unhappy he was but I didn’t feel bad. Much. He would be safe in Odd Silver. Safe from Skriven and save from the Theleoni. Better he be angry than dead.

I rejoined the hunting party and without any further conversation, we stepped through the gates.

The change from human to spider wasn’t as painful this time, and quicker. Either we were getting better at it or I was learning not to fight it. I always had trouble not fighting. It was in my nature to doubt, to push back.

Neutria expanded our awareness of the natural world, using her unique senses to began the hunt. I didn’t think we’d find Nex so near, then remembered that we’d cheated by hooking to Odd Silver and he could very well be nearby. I counseled Neutria to let Kroshtuka take the lead since he hunted these lands. She ignored me, taking the lead, being her usual stubborn self until she wandered into some sort of natural hook the Wilds sported and came out over a tarpit.

‘
Watch out!’ I shouted, but she had already shot silk to save herself inches from the bubbling black liquid.