I hadn’t realized how afraid Cyrus had been that this whole thing wouldn’t work.That his crazy experiment would fail, with the boys scattered to the winds, save maybe a few we could support.He hadn’t said so when I’d dragged back hundreds more from Tartarus; he hadn’t said so when the clans dumped their old and infirm on us, to make them our burden instead of theirs.
But he’d thought it.Until the other night, when he’d realized that maybe there was a way, one that even the council could understand.And Ihatedthat he was probably right.
“Helping the Corps might be the best way to get the biggest return for the least risk,” Cyrus added, watching my face.“Not a permanent force like Sebastian wants, or that Hargroves floated, but a temporary solution to a pressing problem that affects us all.We find this Reaper, get back that potion, and it might be enough to earn our place.”
“If you survive.”I hated that it came out broken.
“That’s what we do, what we are,” Cyrus said, taking both my hands in his.“What our people have always been.Survivors.”
I looked at him, wanting to believe, but I was scared out of my mind.I could lose him.I could lose all of them and not even be there to see it.Or to fight alongside them and die with them, if need be, with my family, my pack, my everything.
I could be left alone, with nothing but their memories to remind me of what I’d had.It was the hardest thing anyone could ask of a Lupa.And Cyrus knew it.
His hand cupped my cheek, his touch soft, his eyes sad and gentle and kind.
And yet, he asked.
“Get me a lead, Lia, no matter how tenuous, and we’ll do the rest.You have my word.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Oooh, look!A new window display!”Sophie took off for a shop on Dante’s main drag before I could stop her.
It was halfway through the next morning, which was ridiculous considering the pressing nature of the issue we were dealing with.But after my talk with Cyrus, I’d begun to feel seriously unwell and had decided to lie down for a few minutes—and ended up sleeping until midnight.After which I’d gotten up, staggered to the kitchen, and eaten half a pound cake.
It had had a sticky note taped to the little aluminum pan that read: “Eat and Die (anybody but Lia),” so I’d supposed it was for me.I had then cleaned out the fridge of the cold fried chicken and potato salad I guessed had comprised everyone else’s dinner, scarfed down a bag of pretzels, and even eaten an old frozen meal I found in the freezer.Cyrus hated the chemical smell of them, but I’d liked it just fine, and had had my head stuck in the fridge, debating what to gobble next, when the man himself padded in wearing a pair of pajama pants and a sleepy expression.
He had nonethelessinsisted on making me the world’s biggest omelet and half a package of bacon to go with it.I’d protested that I couldn’t possibly eat that much, and had then proven myself a liar before falling back into bed, face-first, not to wake up until morning.When I had discovered that I felt somewhat better.
I was better still after a huge breakfast of pancakes, griddled ham, orange juice, and pie.Cyrus had gotten up early to make some apple pies for later in the day, which did not survive the onslaught of a bunch of hungry, teenage Weres led by their ravenous Lupa.But after all that, I felt strong enough not only to get dressed, but to avoid staggering around like a drunk when walking from valet parking into Dante’s.
Unfortunately, the trip had been a complete waste of time.Sienna had informed me that juniper berries, which ghost beads were made from, were often used to make jewelry that was sold at every roadside stand.And since they were a natural product, just dried out and strung onto a string, there was no maker to be identified.
These could have come from anywhere.
And now, because Dante’s believed firmly in the adage of exiting through the gift shop, we were having to traverse the length of the drag to get back out, and of course, the girls had become distracted.The shop in question was the one I’d visited a week ago, but a line of mood ring clothing had replaced the rodeo line.According to the sign, the fabric was supposed to change color based on the wearer’s aura, and it appeared to work.
The whole display flushed Barbie-pink as soon as Sophie got anywhere near it.
“Ha!”she clapped her hands like a delighted little girl, and spent the next few moments running back and forth along the window display, watching the pink blush follow her across a bunch of sixties pastiche: bell-bottoms, tie-dye, mini dresses, and fur vests, with oversized peace signs on the wall as a backdrop.
Then she darted inside the store, followed by Jen, who never passed up a chance to shop.Where they found display after display of the new clothing line happily morphing to suit them.Sophie was followed everywhere by a blush of pink and red, while Jen found herself in a tie-dyed swirl of different shades of green.
“Try it, Lia!”Sophie said, coming over to the bench I’d found just inside the entrance, to prop up my weary bones.
She was carrying a bright blue sarong-style skirt that immediately shifted to black when I touched it—fair considering my mood.But to my surprise, it didn’t stay that way.Tendrils of scarlet, orange, and yellow began threading through the fabric, creating a design that almost resembled smoke.
Or fire.
“Ha!”Sophie laughed.“It looks like you picked the right colors for Fireborn.”
“Yeah,” I said, my hand fisting in the silk.“It does.”
She ran off to explore the rest of the shop’s wonders, but I just sat there, watching the fabric morph and feeling guilty.The cheerful red and yellow seemed to mock me, peeking through the black to give proof of my lie.Because my mood wasn’t nearly as dark as it should have been.
The ghost beads hadn’t helped, but a part of me—a large part, as evidenced by how wide the swath of colors was becoming in the skirt—had been glad of it.No leads meant no danger for Cyrus or the clan.Because they couldn’t fight what they couldn’t find, could they?
The boys were out there now, using the contacts they’d made in their street days, none of whom would have talked to the Corps, to try to get a lead.Meanwhile, Cyrus was having a chat with our newest clan members out at Wolf’s Head, hoping to do the same.Somebody had to know something about a Reaper suddenly having a far more deadly line to flog than usual.
