“How’s he doing?” I asked, no one inparticular.
Danny walked up from where he’d been having a conversation with Logan and peered at me. “Alive. Which is a miracle even I couldn’t have pulledoff.”
It was a miracle. He’d been so weak, so much blood lost … and then a tree freaking … what? Gave its life for him. I had so manyquestions.
“Your magic is back?” I askedhim.
He sidled in next to me, peering at the dog, who stared back at us withapprehension.
“Eighty percent. Should be full power bymorning.”
We’d found the elf and we’d gotten Dominic’s long-held revenge. I guess it was a productiveday.
The door swung open and the smell of meat wafted into the bus. The dog whined, and Dominic stirred in his bed with a growl. Meat would wake a hungry shifter.Always.
“Sorry for the delay. Apparently making forty burgers takes a lot of time.” Roxy held up four heavy, greasy paper bags, and my mouthsalivated.
“Thanks, girl.” Nadine snatched one and pulled two burgers out, tossing the bread back in the bag. “Alright, Sloane, rub this meat all over your palm. Get your scent on it and then slowly toss it tohim.”
“Do what now?” I raised an eyebrow, unsure if I’d heard her right. I loved a good burger just as much as the next guy, but rubbing meat on myself wasn’t my idea of a good time. Nadine smiled. “Just do it. He needs to know you’re the master. That you feedhim.”
I groaned and grabbed the two patties from her. With a grimace I rubbed the meat up and down my palms. The dog was whining, a puddle of saliva on the green leather seatbench.
“You hungry, buddy?” I askedhim.
He whined again and I slowly reached close to him with the meat. When I got a few inches from him, hegrowled.
“I’m not gonna hurt you, baby,” I toldhim.
“Throw it. Don’t push him,” Nadine coached me, and I did as she said. The second the meat landed before him he gobbled it upferociously.
“He needs a name,” Nadine toldme.
I nodded. She was right. Roxy was perched at the edge of Dom’s bed, tossing him burgers, and I thought of the tree that had saved him; it was incredible. What was its name again? Mountain hemlock? I was going to be a tree to this dog. I was going to save him from the darkness and fear that currently saturated hismind.
“Hemlock. His name is Hemlock,” Istated.
I hadn’t realized that Isaac was standing right behind me until he spoke. “It’s a greatname.”
I turned and faced those startlingeyes.
“Burger?” Nadine held one out forhim.
Isaac smiled kindly but shook his head, holding up a bag of sunflower seeds. “No thank you. I don’t see the point in taking a life to fill mybelly.”
Every person in the bus froze, their burger held halfway to their mouth.Shit.When he put it like that, I felt awful. The rest of the crew didn’t though. It was a spilt second of hesitation and then they were chewing again. Isaac had sunflower seeds in one hand and a potted plant in another. “We’re not leaving without that staff, Sloane. I’ll do whatever it takes.” His eyes peered into me and it made me think I needed that staff more then he let on. Like without it we couldn’t defeat Ardan, or something bad wouldhappen.
I just nodded. “Okay.”
With a bob of his head he walked to the back and claimed a bunk. I peered around at the amazing bus. The lights were on due to the solar panels; we had a sink to wash up in; and more than enough room for all of us. What Isaac had built was pretty incredible. The bathroom situation was more of a camping style thing, but it was goodenough.
“I’m gonna go take these to Gear,” Nadine told me, grabbing four burgers and leaving the rest withme.
Oh yeah. Gear! Geeze, I was really self-involved tonight. “Where ishe?”
“Bird form. On the roof taking night watch,” she said, before wishing me goodnight and walkingoff.
Logan appeared then and sat next to me as I unenthusiastically ate my dead cow. I just wasn’t sure sunflower seeds were going to cut ittonight.
