Page 91 of Wolf of Ashes
I give him a short nod to indicate that I heard him. And I did. The parchment will remain in the box. The message my mother wanted to give me is clear enough: I had a family. Now, there is only vengeance.
Heading into the bedroom, I pull off the witch’s tight clothing and choose one of the few larger, softer shirts to sleep in. I consider returning to the floor in the living room and piling in with the panthers, but I tell myself it will be easier to keep my distance from Diavolo if I stay in here.
I toss and turn before I finally fall asleep, but it isn’t the parchment that clouds my senses and keeps me awake. It’s Diavolo’s scent on the sheets.
* * *
The train station is loud and bright, both of which set my teeth on edge.
We’re all wearing our illusions again. Me with my completely black hair, slate-gray eyes, and sweet-as-a-pixie facial features, along with tight, black clothing and a pair of black flats that I can slip off if I need to. Even though my ears are plugged, I’ve opted for sunglasses instead of a mask, and I’m already regretting it.
Anarchy has resumed her canine appearance, although she now has a harness, which I’m holding on to. Every now and then, she tries to gnaw on the straps, and I don’t blame her one bit.
The main hall inside the station is massive, wide-open, and exposed, but it lets us see in all directions.
We’re early, so we find a spot next to a pillar to wait, quietly cataloguing all the other supernaturals we spot loitering among the early evening commuters. So far, I’m one up on the keeper.
True to his word, Jonah finds us soon after we arrive.
He’s dressed in a business suit, navy this time. It looks a little tight in the shoulders, but it brings out the white-blond of his hair and the amber in his eyes. His features are relaxed, but his gaze is sharp as he surveils both us and our surroundings as he approaches.
He doesn’t bother with niceties. “This way,” he says. “The train departs in fifteen minutes. Vanguard and the package are already on the platform, along with several other members of our team.”
I step to Jonah’s right and the keeper steps to his left, which is possibly a little disconcerting for him, but it allows us to keep our voices down.
“There’s a fire mage in ripped jeans to our left,” the keeper says, avoiding glancing in that direction. “Another one carrying a duffel bag to our right.”
“Always with the fucking fire mages,” Jonah snarls beneath his breath.
“They aren’t part of your team?” I ask.
“No.”
I give him a wry smile. I imagine it would be quite an accomplishment for a fire mage to survive a fight with Jonah, although I’m not sure if they know what he truly is.
Diavolo continues to quietly list off the other supernaturals we’ve identified, who are now all following after us. Some more furtively than others.
When he’s finished, I add, “There was also a witch in a red coat off that way and a bear shifter sporting a significant beard lurking on that far corner, but they moved away a few minutes ago.”
Jonah’s response is grudging. “You’ve identified twice as many potential opponents as our team did.”
I arch an eyebrow at him. “Noneof the supernaturals we spotted are on your team?”
“Not a single one,” Jonah replies. “There are seven on our team—not including me and both of you, which makes ten in total. Our team is already split between the platform and in the sky along the tracks. I’ll introduce you to the three on the platform. They’ll move onto the train with us and the package.”
Which means every supernatural now skulking after us is an enemy.
Anarchy stops gnawing at her harness and gleams up at me.
Funny how I can almost read her mind.
“First chance you get,” I murmur to her. “Just don’t eat them in front of any humans.”
Jonah catches my speech and follows my line of sight to Anarchy, who gives her best doggie growl and frightens some human passerby.
I can see the cogs in Jonah’s mind working and I imagine he’s picturing the speed with which Anarchy took down one of his men the other day.
I nudge his arm, ignoring the fact that any contact with his body is potentially lethal. “We have eleven on our team, not ten.”
