Bronco nodded, his movements slow. He spat into the dirt. Chewed for a bit. “I don’t know why Ivers bought ’em,” he said at last. They’re too old to make good eatin’ except you grind up the meat for burgers. Too dangerous to put ’em in with the regular herd. And one of ’em was hurt last night. Took a horn to the flank, up into the belly. Vet’s done seen him.” He shook his head. “Might make it. Might not. Mean-as-snakes-on-fire,” he repeated to himself and Ed. “Meanest, stupidest bulls I ever did see. They got no use at all except to eat, shit, gore each other, fu—ah, screw—sorry ’bout that—and tear up pasture and fencing.”
“You will follow us into the countryside on horseback. Back to the mean-as-snakes bulls.”
“Mean-as-snakes-on-fire,” Bronco corrected.
“Mean-as-snakes-on-fire,” Ed agreed, his mesmerism deepening, tightening. “You will stampede the mean-as-snakes-on-fire bulls right at the Hummer. When they are running, you will depart until I need you again.”
“That’s a stupid way to hunt. But you paid the man.”
“I did.”
Bronco limped to his cow pony, which was already saddled, and swung into the saddle. Without another word, he and the horse rode into the darkness.
“That was creepy,” Alex said from the small porch of the log cabin. “When did you drink from him?”
“Never,” Eli said shortly, his eyes on Ed, calculating, disgruntled, suspicious. He leaped in and started the Hummer, and the huge engine filled the air with its diesel roar. Over the sound of the roar, he continued. “That was like Onorio power on steroids. I’ve never seen anyone, including Leo, do that so fast and so totally.”
Ed raised a hand, grabbed the passenger-side roll bar, and swung himself up and into the passenger seat. The shotgun seat. He didn’t look at Eli,but he could feel the man’s glower. The former Ranger was dressed all in charcoal camo and was armed to the teeth. His scent was hostile and dangerous. Ed liked it. “It’s a small but useful gift.”
“Useful, right. That gift is why Leo picked you as his emperor. Isn’t it?”
The tone was even more aggressive than the scent. Eli had been itching for a fight for some time, though Ed wasn’t certain exactly why. He had decided on the reason being the loss of Leo, though there might be more to it. The military man hadn’t confided in him. “It played a part.”
“How often do you use it?” Eli asked, the sound almost too soft to be heard over the engine, even with Mithran ears.
“I don’t mesmerize my friends.”
“That doesn’t tell me a damn thing.”
Ed looked at Eli. “You may not bemyfriend, but I amyourfriend.” His tone became more acerbic. “Now please put away the weapon you have aimed at my heart and let’s take Jane’s cat creature to hunt cows with trees on their heads.”
Eli didn’t put the weapon away.
Ed assumed the conversation wasn’t finished. He leaned back in his leather bucket seat and stretched an arm toward his adversary and friend. This turned him so his chest made a larger target to the weapon. “Silver ammo?” he asked, nonchalant.
“Yes.”
“Good. If you ever shoot me with anything less,” Ed said, still just as casually, “I’ll have plenty of time to rip off your head.”
“As long as we have that cleared up. Friend.”
Ed’s small smile grew.
“If I ever think you’re using that gift on me, I’ll—”
“You’ll behead me as I sleep.” Edmund smiled slightly. “Yes. I know.”
The weapon vanished.
“You people are crazy,” Alex said from the front porch.
Neither of them disagreed.
“No way am I letting you two nutcases go off together without me.”
Carrying a large box, Alex climbed into the Hummer and took the seat directly behind Ed, leaving the higher bench seat behind him empty. They all buckled in. This ride was likely to be jarring.
Jane’s cat appeared from the shadows at the edge of the cabin. Shewalked to the front porch and lapped at the water in the bucket Eli had placed there. She drank and drank. When she was done, she licked her jaw, her eyes on them in the dim light of the small bulb over the door, her pelt buff and tan and darker gold.
