way in…I left.” He held his hand out. “Give that to me before the damned thing’s ruined.”
She realized he meant the knife, and she obeyed. The dried blood on her hand itched, and she tried to wipe it away as Simon cleaned off her blade, swiping it expertly over the side of his jeans. He handled it so easily, comfortably, and she felt a little shiver, imagining him putting it to use. The image came readily, and seemed to fit all too well with the underlying violence she sensed.
Without speaking, he gave her back the knife and she slipped it into her boot. She realized that he must have cut his exploration inside short when he noticed her from the building, and had either come to her rescue…or simply came to rush her off, back to Envy.
Looking up at him, Sage said, “Great. So, why don’t you show me the way inside and we can finish checking things out? Obviously, you know a way in past the
gangas
.”
He looked at her for a long moment,
“absolutely no way”
all over his face and stance. Then at last, he said, “Because if I don’t take you in now, you’ll come back on your own.”
She grinned at him. “Right you are.” She didn’t mention that she’d probably bring Theo with her. Why give him an excuse to change his mind?
“Better be careful with that,” he said, turning away, fingers tucked into the front pockets of his jeans as he sauntered a few steps off.
“The knife?” she said, glancing at the hilt sticking up from her boot as she started to follow him.
He cast a quick look over his shoulder, fast, liquid, and dark. Her belly dropped. “Not the knife. That smile.” Simon slowed so she caught up with him, but he was staring at the Beretta building in front of them.
The rush of embarrassment heated her face and Sage didn’t know what to say. But it didn’t matter, because he continued, “You try that out on Theo Waxnicki, and he’ll do anything you want.”
What about you?
Sage stumbled on a rock and reached for Simon, who easily caught her arm and steadied her. Now her face blazed hot and red, as if she sat directly in front of a roaring fire.
Where did that come from? I didn’t say that out loud, did I?
“As you’ve already realized, there are
gangas
in there,” he said. His long, deceptively easy strides had taken them around the perimeter of the barricade once again, nearly to the hundred-eighty-degree mark from where she’d first approached. “They appear to be living on the lowest level—what’s left of it.”
“And feeding off wolves?”
Again he gave her that quick flash of a look. “Right. Wolves, and I’m guessing any humans who might venture into their area.” Simon bent forward and opened the sagging door of a large wheelless vehicle. “Follow me.”
For the second time that day, Sage crawled into an automobile. But at least this time, she wasn’t running for her life. This auto was larger than the one she’d tumbled into, and though the roof was smashed into a deep vee, leaving the door unable to close properly and little head room, she still had plenty of space to crawl through.
Despite the ache in her thigh and the hand that had been cut, Sage moved quickly and saw that the other side of the car was missing its door. Someone had already created a passageway through, and following Simon, she made her way up, down, left and right through a tunnel-like maze of the ruined cars.
Mildew and mold grew beneath her hands, and their musty scent filled her nostrils. She noticed items left by the occupants of the cars a half-century earlier—rotting shoes, nibbled-upon bags, cans, and bottles. Some of them even had strings and ornaments dangling from a little mirror in the front of the car. Leaves and other debris crunched beneath her, and flaking rust and curling plastic caught at her hands and knees. Just as she reached the other side of the fifth vehicle, she felt a tug on her jeans.
Startled, Sage turned to look behind her, certain that someone had
She realized he meant the knife, and she obeyed. The dried blood on her hand itched, and she tried to wipe it away as Simon cleaned off her blade, swiping it expertly over the side of his jeans. He handled it so easily, comfortably, and she felt a little shiver, imagining him putting it to use. The image came readily, and seemed to fit all too well with the underlying violence she sensed.
Without speaking, he gave her back the knife and she slipped it into her boot. She realized that he must have cut his exploration inside short when he noticed her from the building, and had either come to her rescue…or simply came to rush her off, back to Envy.
Looking up at him, Sage said, “Great. So, why don’t you show me the way inside and we can finish checking things out? Obviously, you know a way in past the
gangas
.”
He looked at her for a long moment,
“absolutely no way”
all over his face and stance. Then at last, he said, “Because if I don’t take you in now, you’ll come back on your own.”
She grinned at him. “Right you are.” She didn’t mention that she’d probably bring Theo with her. Why give him an excuse to change his mind?
“Better be careful with that,” he said, turning away, fingers tucked into the front pockets of his jeans as he sauntered a few steps off.
“The knife?” she said, glancing at the hilt sticking up from her boot as she started to follow him.
He cast a quick look over his shoulder, fast, liquid, and dark. Her belly dropped. “Not the knife. That smile.” Simon slowed so she caught up with him, but he was staring at the Beretta building in front of them.
The rush of embarrassment heated her face and Sage didn’t know what to say. But it didn’t matter, because he continued, “You try that out on Theo Waxnicki, and he’ll do anything you want.”
What about you?
Sage stumbled on a rock and reached for Simon, who easily caught her arm and steadied her. Now her face blazed hot and red, as if she sat directly in front of a roaring fire.
Where did that come from? I didn’t say that out loud, did I?
“As you’ve already realized, there are
gangas
in there,” he said. His long, deceptively easy strides had taken them around the perimeter of the barricade once again, nearly to the hundred-eighty-degree mark from where she’d first approached. “They appear to be living on the lowest level—what’s left of it.”
“And feeding off wolves?”
Again he gave her that quick flash of a look. “Right. Wolves, and I’m guessing any humans who might venture into their area.” Simon bent forward and opened the sagging door of a large wheelless vehicle. “Follow me.”
For the second time that day, Sage crawled into an automobile. But at least this time, she wasn’t running for her life. This auto was larger than the one she’d tumbled into, and though the roof was smashed into a deep vee, leaving the door unable to close properly and little head room, she still had plenty of space to crawl through.
Despite the ache in her thigh and the hand that had been cut, Sage moved quickly and saw that the other side of the car was missing its door. Someone had already created a passageway through, and following Simon, she made her way up, down, left and right through a tunnel-like maze of the ruined cars.
Mildew and mold grew beneath her hands, and their musty scent filled her nostrils. She noticed items left by the occupants of the cars a half-century earlier—rotting shoes, nibbled-upon bags, cans, and bottles. Some of them even had strings and ornaments dangling from a little mirror in the front of the car. Leaves and other debris crunched beneath her, and flaking rust and curling plastic caught at her hands and knees. Just as she reached the other side of the fifth vehicle, she felt a tug on her jeans.
Startled, Sage turned to look behind her, certain that someone had
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