“That isn’t for you to know,” Danube said, like he could just shove all the worms back into the can without getting his fingers dirty. “Is Val here?”
“Tell him,” Val said again. “I’m here. I did his job. He owes me.”
I glanced at Lu. She didn’t seem worried, but then, it would take more than a strange conversation with a werewolf and ghost to get her riled. Lorde stood at her side, tense as she stared at Danube. Her ears and tail were up, like she was in high alert, but not ready to attack. Not yet.
“Val’s here.”
Danube swallowed and nodded, his hand rising slightly. “Can I… Can you tell me where… Tell him I’m sorry. I couldn’t get to him in time. I tried.”
“He ran. I know he ran,” Val said. “I heard him.”
“Brogan?” Lu asked.
“Yeah, it’s not clear to me either,” I said. “Val said Danube was wrong about the shadow. Said it’s not lost. It’s trapped. That mean something to you?”
I didn’t think the man could look any more ashen, but he did. “Did he…” Danube pulled his hand to the back of his neck. “He didn’t try to…Holy Luna, tell me he didn’t try to free it.”
“Of course I did!” Val yelled. “He told me if I found it, he’d let me in. I’d be a part of them, I’d be his brother, I wouldbelong. But instead, he let them just throw me away like garbage. Like I’mnothing.
“Fuck it. It doesn’t matter. Tell him he owes me.”
“I don’t know what you promised Val,” I said, “but he says you owe him. And I say you owe us an explanation. What is the shadow? Why is everyone looking for it? Why did it get Val killed? And what does this have to do with Abbi?”
I thought Danube would break, that he’d tell us enough for all of this to make sense. But instead he shored up like concrete setting under the blazing sun. His chin lifted, his shoulders drew back.
“I do owe you, Val. I haven’t forgotten. I’ll find a way, to… I don’t know what I can do, but I’ll find a way to do right by you. I was wrong. Stupid to let you go.” Danube swallowed. “I owe you.”
“Fuck,” Val breathed, and there was anger, but more, there was sorrow and pain.
“We’re looking for a rabbit,” Lu said. “Does Abbi have something to do with a rabbit? A magical rabbit?”
“Don’t,” he said. “Abbi is none of your concern. She can’t be. But she is safe in our hands, safe in our territory. She’s chosen to be with us, you saw that. But if you want to stay alive,” his gaze flicked to both of us, and his nostrils flared, as if he could smell the monsters we were, “stay out of the dark, stay out of the caves, and stay away from shadows.”
He searched the middle distance, looking, I assumed, for Val.
“I haven’t forgotten you, brother. I haven’t abandoned you. Not then. Not now.”
Val choked, one harsh sob shaking his head, eyes screwed shut. His wolf paced a circle around the ghost’s feet, then stood in front of him, lifting up to put huge paws on his shoulders. Val’s arms wrapped around the wolf, then the ghost disappeared.
I wiped more sweat off my face. “He’s gone.”
Danube nodded, and nodded, then he turned. “Don’t return,” he said over his shoulder.
Within one step, he was no longer a man, but a rangy grey and brown wolf with a lighter spot on his chest and one foot. The wolf did not look back but ran, silent and swift, into the long grasses and evening shadows.
“I don’t think any of that was helpful,” I noted. All of it hit me at once. My knees turned to room-temperature butter, and I decided it might be time to take a nice rest in the dirt and gravel.
Lu moved to hook her arm through mine. “Can you make it to the truck?”
“Of course I can make it to the truck. I’m fine.”
“I know,” she said.
“I just need some water. It’s hot. Why is it always so hot?” It was more than my knees now. My head was starting to drift and wobble, like a balloon bouncing on a string.
“Because we’re in Missouri.”
“Well, you’d think they’d invest in some shade around here.”
