On the way back to the truck she spotted Vargr, and he wandered over, looking worried even if his gait was relaxed.
“How’d the scouting go?”
“Good. Another day’s travel left. I see you had your problems.” Thumbs tucked into his belt, Vargr indicated the circle of beasters.
Bandages were showing on several, though she thought their numbers were the same.
“No deaths?”
“I was told not.” He sucked in air though his teeth. “We’ll make it. There are more out there shadowing the convoy. Willow is wishing she’d planned a more circuitous route but them’s the fuckin’ breaks. And you and Maura? No problems?”
She glanced back. Time to board, Maura had slipped inside. “We’re good. I just want my gun.”
“Hmmm. Persistent girl.” Tapping the butt of one of his twin guns he had holstered at his waist, he eyed the truck. The outside was smeared with blood, hopefully not a beaster’s. “I’d give you one of mine, but maybe we should play it low key.”
“And if it gets worse? Another day you said.”
He nodded. “How’s your head? If those tentacles are screwing with your pretty brain…”
“Pretty?” From the chuckle, he’d seen her eyeroll. “Damn you, Vargr. I can still shoot straight.”
“I know, but I’ll give it to you unvarnished. Straight truth. The others are worried, Willow is, that the GL bits will take over. We’re erring on the side of caution.”
She cocked her hip then propped her hand on said hip. Then she waited, slowly raising one eyebrow—enough to make clear her disgust at that implication.
“I may love your sweet ass, Cyn, but even I object to sticking a gun in the hands of a Ghoul Lord’s puppet.”
His words thudded in like a blow. Maybe he didn’t quite mean it how she felt it? Fuck, though.
There was not a lot she could say to that. She sucked in a breath while assimilating the hurt in his statement then she exhaled. “Okay.” She turned and climbed back into the truck and found Little Mo scrambling in after her. He found a place on the driver’s seat.
“Hey.” Maura took her hand and squeezed it. “I heard that. I’m sorry.”
“I admit, I don’t have an answer to what Vargr said. It’s just…”
She wished they’d trust her anyway. Even if it was crazy wrong.
“We will fix you. I swear.”
Those words were easy to say, but she smiled. The sentiment was good. She wanted to believe them.
As the beasters hauling it took the strain, the truck lurched, but a second later it stopped, and the door opened. Vincent thrust in his head.
“I have something I thought Maura might like to have. It’s to do with your problem, Cyn.” He reached across her withsomething dangling from his rock-like lumpy fist. When Maura opened her hand, he dropped a pendant onto her palm.
The chain was plain with chunky, silver links. The pendant itself was a locket. When Maura clicked it open, the inside was revealed to be an irregular oval of clear resin with some white shreds set in the middle.
“What is it?” Maura raised her head.
“Lennox made this. I never knew until he showed me just now. These are the bits left over from when he ate the Ghoul Lord tentacle. They were steaming in the light, he says, so he stuck them in this locket. He’s a bit of a collector of shiny stuff and has pockets of jewelry. Can’t break him of the habit. When he found himself a tube of resin, he sealed these in.”
“Lord,” Cyn whispered. “He’s lucky they didn’t worm into him.”
“They were already dead, he thinks. We’re pretty impervious too, though sharp things do pierce our skin, like stinker claws do. Anyway. Maura?”
“Yes?” She was studying the pendant. “I think I see your point. This is a sample of GL, and with it, I can do tests. Providing this survives sectioning and Big Daddy has a microtome, a microscope, and a few other things a research vehicle must surely have, then I can use this.” She looked up and searched their faces. “If it does, I can see what to use on you Cyn. What will make the GL fragments visible inside you.”
“Okay.” She swallowed. “I guess theoretically… you could use anything inside me, and I’d heal it?”
