she did, it’d still take us a few hours. I’m sorry, Princess.”
“There’s another way,” the recalcitrant Jeremiah said, speaking for the first time. He looked at none of them, just stared angrily at the floor.
“Yeah?” Elias asked. “What other way?”
Jeremiah looked up, glancing once at Rune before putting his stare firmly on Elias. “The bird.”
Elias frowned. “You joke, and that’s not cool.”
“No joke,” Jeremiah muttered. “He’ll do it for me.”
“What bird?” Z asked. “If there’s a bird that can fly her to Flesh, you need to let us know right now.”
“There’s a bird all right,” Elias said. “But he lost his mind to the witch a long time ago. She set him free because…” He shrugged. “For a few reasons, I reckon. Heard tell he does errands for Flesh now. If he flew you anywhere, it’s not likely it’d be anywhere you wanted to go.”
“I’ll chance it,” she said, her voice weak.
“She’s worsening so quickly,” Blue whispered to Z, as though Rune had also lost her hearing.
But the girl wasn’t wrong.
“Princess,” Elias said. “This bird. He’s fucked up. You can’t trust him to do anything but hasten your death.”
“How do we find him?” she asked.
“Rune,” Z said. “I don’t—”
“I’ve got no choice, Z.” She smiled, or tried to. “I’ll see you there.”
He swallowed, then looked at Elias. “Call the bird.”
Elias sighed. “Jeremiah. Fetch him.”
Jeremiah stood, then began to undress.
“The fuck?” Rune asked. “I need a bird, not a peep show.”
Blue starting humming a few bars of a raunchy tune, and even Elias laughed.
Jeremiah ignored them all. He finally stood naked before them, his body hard and lean but too skinny, and, unsurprisingly, covered with scars. He gave Elias a sharp nod.
Elias threw open the door. “Be safe, my friend.”
Jeremiah leapt from the doorway, and before he was halfway through it he shifted to a large, shaggy, gray wolf.
And then he was gone, a single mournful howl drifting back to those he left behind.
Chapter Fifteen
“Can the bird fly two?” Rune asked, her voice steady.
Elias shrugged. “I don’t think so. He’s not well.”
Rune tightened her grip on Z’s hand. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“I know.”
Splitting up might mean they’d never see each other again.
Even if she came back—if she could come back—the world of Skyll was a tricky son of a bitch and had no sympathy for despairing lovers.
“You’ll do what you have to do for our world,” Blue said, drawing a long look from Elias, “and yours.”
“Even if it destroys you,” Lem said, still not turning to look at them.
Rune said nothing. She knew.
She understood she might have to sacrifice herself.
“This bird doesn’t sound like the cooperative sort,” Blue said. “Does he owe Jeremiah?”
“Yeah,” Elias said. He didn’t elaborate and Blue didn’t push it.
No one cared, really.
Elias leaned over to open a compartment built into the wall. “Hungry?”
“We could eat,” Blue answered.
“Do you have water?” Z asked.
Elias gave him a flask of water, then opened a canvas bag and handed out packets containing jerky and dried fruit.
Rune shook her head. “I can’t eat.”
“Would it help you to feed?” Z asked.
“Maybe for a few minutes. Not worth it.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “The bird will be here soon.”
Lex had been weak from the rot when Rune had left. Surely she was dead.
“I failed her,” Rune said.
“Who, honey?” Z asked.
“Lex.”
“She’s okay,” he replied. “She didn’t have crawlers to fight.”
She didn’t reply. She closed her eyes and listened to the quiet sounds of them eating.
She dozed.
She dreamed of the berserker, of his rage, his love.
His absence.
The vehicle grinding to a halt startled her awake sometime later. She sat up, her heart beating with a painful quickness against the wall of her battered chest.
Fear, sharp and laced with dread, coated her tongue.
“What is it?” she asked.
“The bird.” Elias looked at her and his eyes held pity. “You ready?”
God no.
“Yeah.”
Z held her face between his palms. “Be safe.”
She wrapped her fingers around his wrists. “I’ll see you soon.”
Elias shoved open the door. “Enemies are close. You’ll need to go now, Princess.”
Shit.
“I love you,” Z whispered. “With everything I am.”
“I’ll see you soon,” she repeated, and struggled to her feet. Her breathing was laborious, her limbs heavy.
“Princess,” Lem called, when she was almost to the door. Z tightened his fingers around her arm as he helped her walk.
She looked back, and finally, the driver turned to look at her.
His face bore two huge scars, crossing from temple to opposite side of his chin like a ghastly x. One of his eyes was milky