Home > Harvester of Bones (SPECTR Series 3 #4)(5)

Harvester of Bones (SPECTR Series 3 #4)(5)
Author: Jordan L. Hawk

On the other…

“I do not want this,” Gray seethed. “This mortal hurt him. We cannot let John face him alone.”

“We’ll drive you,” Caleb said. “I don’t need to sleep much.”

John sighed. “Caleb, I just got back from a long road trip.”

“It’s less than a two hour flight from here to Miami,” Zahira said, peering at her laptop. “It could be a day trip, or overnight at the most.”

Great, now Zahira was taking John’s side. Didn’t she understand they needed to be with John? What if Dr. Walsh did something to him? They had to be there to protect him.

No. Caleb took a deep breath and walked to the balcony door. He flung it open and stepped outside into the cold air. The branches of the huge live oak they sometimes used to come and go at night offered shade to the balcony. In the spring and summer, it would be a wonderful place to sit and people-watch. At the moment, Saint Charles Street was mostly deserted, though, only a few cars whisking along the gray pavement.

This isn’t about what we need. Caleb wrapped his fingers around the cold iron on the balcony rail. This is about what John needs. We can’t make this about us.

Gray didn’t like it. “But I do not wish him to go without us again.”

Neither do I. This was the second time John was leaving them behind, while doing something important to him. It was hard not to feel left out. But that’s just too bad. He needs our support—and this isn’t it.

“But the naga might have killed him, if not for Night,” Gray argued. “Night will not be able to go either, if John gets on one of these airplanes.”

Have you ever flown? Before the spirit wards and security and all.

“Do not be foolish.”

It had been a stupid question. But some of your hosts have. You have their memories.

“Yes. But this is a distraction.”

Sort of. The streetcar clanged past down the median, its windows fogged up from the breath of the riders. We’re making things worse for John right now. Do you get that? We have to let him handle this his way.

Gray didn’t get it, at least not entirely. He didn’t see why they couldn’t just all drive to Boca Raton together. Maybe stop and snack on a demon along the way. But he relented. “Very well. If it would be better for John to have us stay here, then we shall.”

Thank you.

Caleb turned back to the apartment and guiltily realized he’d forgotten to shut the sliding door. Both Zahira and John were watching them warily.

Damn it. The last thing John needed right now was more stress.

“Sorry,” he said, closing the door behind him.

John sighed. “Listen…if it’s that important to you…”

Guilt flashed through him. “No.” Caleb crossed to the couch and took John’s hands. “It makes zero sense for us to force you into another long road trip when you can just take a plane ride.”

“Are you sure?” John’s blue gaze searched Caleb’s face.

“Yeah.” Caleb pasted on a smile. “Are you taking Ryan with you?”

“I thought I would, yeah.”

“Why does this mortal get to go, when we do not?” Gray asked sulkily.

Ryan had been there with John every step of the way. From the initial interview with the Starkweathers, to the confrontation in the hospital when the man John had thought was his grandfather died, to the abandoned Center. And each time, they’d been off doing something else.

He ought to be happy Ryan and John had hit it off so well. He was happy about it. It was ridiculous to feel like John was leaving them behind in favor of Ryan.

Caleb forced a smile. “Good. Maybe he can help you get something out of this asshole.”

“I will hunt the fifolet,” Night said from the corner.

Caleb jumped and swore. It was far too easy to forget Night was even there sometimes. “Great idea. Gray and I will go with Night and take care of things while you’re gone. Nothing cheers him up like mauling something.”

“I’ll help,” Zahira said.

Caleb wavered. “Maybe this one would be better left to Night and me. You’re a great exorcist,” he added hastily. “But it sounds like this thing has a powerful psychic lure, going by what the survivor said.”

“Intoxication probably made them more vulnerable to mental tampering,” Zahira pointed out. Then she shrugged ruefully. “But I remember the vila. Exorcists are as vulnerable to psychic lures as anyone else.”

“Whereas drakul aren’t.” Caleb glanced from Zahira to John and back again. “Hey Gray, would it make you feel better if Zahira went with John?”

Gray considered. “Yes.”

“Perfect.” Caleb clapped his hands together, striving for cheer. “Then while you all arrange your trip, I’ll try to figure out where I can rent a canoe. Maybe some waders.”

John still looked uncertain. “Are you sure you and Night will be okay together?”

Night merely stood expressionless in the corner. Caleb suppressed a sigh and made himself grin. “Absolutely. By the time you come back, we’ll be camping out in the swamps, singing songs and roasting demon s’mores.”

 

 

Louis Armstrong International Airport was an absolute madhouse. With only four days left before Christmas, holiday travelers jammed ticket counters, security lines, and terminals. Exhausted children screamed, and overstressed adults glowered as tempers grew short.

John opted to go through regular security to keep Ryan company, while Zahira used her SPECTR badge to avoid being “randomly” pulled out of line for extra screening. “I’m glad I’m not an empath,” John said as the line inched slowly forward. “I can’t imagine being stuck in the middle of all these stressed-out people and having to absorb it all.”

Dark circles showed under Ryan’s eyes. The last few days had been as hard on him as they had on John—harder in some ways, since John had at least been able to act instead of just go along for the ride. “That would be tough,” he agreed. “So Caleb had to stay here again?”

“He had work,” John said neutrally. Caleb hadn’t been happy about being left behind, but Gray had seemed downright distressed about it.

The question, as always, was why? Some facet of drakul psychology? The more prosaic desire of wanting to support their boyfriend in person, and being frustrated it wasn’t possible? Something else?

He wished he’d had time to talk to Zahira about it. But he could hardly bring it up in front of Ryan.

“How did the two of you meet?” Ryan asked

The line inched forward. “On a case back in Charleston,” John said, which was true enough.

“How so?”

John gave him as much of the truth as he could. “His older brother had died, and the body was stolen by an NHE. I was investigating the case. We clicked, and now here we are.”

Ryan nodded thoughtfully. “I see. He seems like…an interesting guy.”

“They are,” John said, then caught himself. “He is, I mean. The crowds are getting to me.”

It wasn’t fair. Gray might not care—most mortals weren’t at all interesting to him—but somehow it had never quite dawned on John that he’d have to hide Gray’s existence for the rest of his life. Any friends he and Caleb made could never know about the third party in their relationship.

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