harm.
No response.
I started checking Ivan’s standard hiding spaces, the secret places he used to hide from his wife and sleep off the occasional binge. I lucked out in the crawlspace above the bar. Ivan lay sleeping in a ball of rented skin.
“Ivan.” I shook him. “Wake up.”
“Indeara?” He cracked his eyelid open, showing off grey eyes like Quinn’s, but yellowed with age and drink. “What’d you want, girl? It’s my nap time.”
“I need your help.” I lifted him up, nearly overpowered by the stench of whiskey. We climbed from the crawlspace to the main bar where Nobody waited, a icy beer in his hand. I raised an eyebrow. “Make yourself at home.”
“Ivan? Is that you? You look different.” Nobody stood and shook Ivan’s hand, the giant cyclops towering over the older man. I tilted my head to examine Ivan. He did look different, and not because he wore a new skin. Nope. Ivan had grown by two inches at least.
I put my hands on my hips. “Are you wearing lifts?” Body dwellers used various items to fit into a new skin. Foam rubber shoulder pads were just one of them. They turned an average man into a broad-shouldered superhero if large enough.
“Can’t help it.” Ivan pulled at the folds of skin at the curve of his neck. “The suit’s a rental. The wife took a pair of scissors to mine.”
Nobody smiled, so Ivan added, “While I was wearing it.”
“What for this time?” asked the giant.
“A simple misunderstanding, son.” Ivan sucked at his teeth. “That woman just gets crazier every year. She needs some grandbabies to spoil.” He emphasized his statement with a glare in my direction.
I held up my hand. “No, she needs a husband who doesn’t bet her good china on a fairy match.”
“You’re a mean one, girl.”
Nobody laughed. “If you only knew the half of it.”
“Enough.” I reached over the bar and grabbed a beer. Its coldness, not to mention alcoholic content, eased the throbbing in my backside. “Ivan, I need to find the Resistance.”
He snorted. “When are you going to give up on those childish stories? There is no Resistance. Never was one.” Gesturing to the back room, he added, “Now go clean out the fairy stalls.”
“I’m not a kid anymore.” I touched his hand. “I can protect myself. No more lies. Please.” My eyes locked on his. “When Calvin got sick, he told me and Quinn stories. Tales about the Resistance. About you and him fighting side by side.”
“Calvin lied.” Ivan pushed my hand away and rose from his barstool to pace. “He was dying, girl. The plague took his mind. Forget the Resistance. Forget everything beyond the wall. It’s easier that way.”
“Like you forgot Quinn?” Anger rushed through me. Calvin hadn’t lied, not to me. The Resistance was real. It had to be. “Some things in life aren’t that easy to forget. Resden has a vaccine—”
“I don’t wanna know, girl.” Ivan covered his borrowed ears. “I’m old and tired.”
“But—”
Nobody patted my shoulder. “Let it go.”
I took a deep breath releasing the frustration clawing up my esophagus. Ivan wasn’t going to help me, at least not consciously. I smiled, a plan forming in the back of my mind. It wasn’t a nice one either. But I needed the Resistance. The outcome outweighed the journey, or so my mutant-rock addicted friend, Tony used to say.
“Fine.” I faced Ivan. “But this isn’t over. I’ll find the Resistance and destroy Resden. You wait and see.” I didn’t add Quinn to the list, but the unspoken hung in the air between us.
“Sounds fun,” in the darkness of the doorway a man spoke, “can I get a beer first?”
Chapter 14
I twisted the cap off a Budweiser and placed it on top the bar in front of Jake McClain. The hunter looked the same as he had earlier, his blond hair cropped tight against his head, his eyes filled with mockery. I wanted choke the amusement from his face. “What are you doing here?” My eyes
No response.
I started checking Ivan’s standard hiding spaces, the secret places he used to hide from his wife and sleep off the occasional binge. I lucked out in the crawlspace above the bar. Ivan lay sleeping in a ball of rented skin.
“Ivan.” I shook him. “Wake up.”
“Indeara?” He cracked his eyelid open, showing off grey eyes like Quinn’s, but yellowed with age and drink. “What’d you want, girl? It’s my nap time.”
“I need your help.” I lifted him up, nearly overpowered by the stench of whiskey. We climbed from the crawlspace to the main bar where Nobody waited, a icy beer in his hand. I raised an eyebrow. “Make yourself at home.”
“Ivan? Is that you? You look different.” Nobody stood and shook Ivan’s hand, the giant cyclops towering over the older man. I tilted my head to examine Ivan. He did look different, and not because he wore a new skin. Nope. Ivan had grown by two inches at least.
I put my hands on my hips. “Are you wearing lifts?” Body dwellers used various items to fit into a new skin. Foam rubber shoulder pads were just one of them. They turned an average man into a broad-shouldered superhero if large enough.
“Can’t help it.” Ivan pulled at the folds of skin at the curve of his neck. “The suit’s a rental. The wife took a pair of scissors to mine.”
Nobody smiled, so Ivan added, “While I was wearing it.”
“What for this time?” asked the giant.
“A simple misunderstanding, son.” Ivan sucked at his teeth. “That woman just gets crazier every year. She needs some grandbabies to spoil.” He emphasized his statement with a glare in my direction.
I held up my hand. “No, she needs a husband who doesn’t bet her good china on a fairy match.”
“You’re a mean one, girl.”
Nobody laughed. “If you only knew the half of it.”
“Enough.” I reached over the bar and grabbed a beer. Its coldness, not to mention alcoholic content, eased the throbbing in my backside. “Ivan, I need to find the Resistance.”
He snorted. “When are you going to give up on those childish stories? There is no Resistance. Never was one.” Gesturing to the back room, he added, “Now go clean out the fairy stalls.”
“I’m not a kid anymore.” I touched his hand. “I can protect myself. No more lies. Please.” My eyes locked on his. “When Calvin got sick, he told me and Quinn stories. Tales about the Resistance. About you and him fighting side by side.”
“Calvin lied.” Ivan pushed my hand away and rose from his barstool to pace. “He was dying, girl. The plague took his mind. Forget the Resistance. Forget everything beyond the wall. It’s easier that way.”
“Like you forgot Quinn?” Anger rushed through me. Calvin hadn’t lied, not to me. The Resistance was real. It had to be. “Some things in life aren’t that easy to forget. Resden has a vaccine—”
“I don’t wanna know, girl.” Ivan covered his borrowed ears. “I’m old and tired.”
“But—”
Nobody patted my shoulder. “Let it go.”
I took a deep breath releasing the frustration clawing up my esophagus. Ivan wasn’t going to help me, at least not consciously. I smiled, a plan forming in the back of my mind. It wasn’t a nice one either. But I needed the Resistance. The outcome outweighed the journey, or so my mutant-rock addicted friend, Tony used to say.
“Fine.” I faced Ivan. “But this isn’t over. I’ll find the Resistance and destroy Resden. You wait and see.” I didn’t add Quinn to the list, but the unspoken hung in the air between us.
“Sounds fun,” in the darkness of the doorway a man spoke, “can I get a beer first?”
Chapter 14
I twisted the cap off a Budweiser and placed it on top the bar in front of Jake McClain. The hunter looked the same as he had earlier, his blond hair cropped tight against his head, his eyes filled with mockery. I wanted choke the amusement from his face. “What are you doing here?” My eyes
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