Tempest Reborn (Jane True) - By Nicole Peeler Page 0,9

hand again found mine over the table.

‘We will get him back, Jane,’ he said.

‘Why do you care?’ I asked, snuffling. I couldn’t help it. He was being so good to me, and after everything that had happened between us, I didn’t understand why.

‘For a few reasons,’ he said, withdrawing his hand and leveling a serious look at me, so that I knew he wasn’t just being friendly. Ryu was also strategizing, and for once I was glad to be on the receiving end of his ceaseless Machiavellian manipulations. ‘First of all, I’ve become a leader, too, just like Nyx. I’ve learned a lot about myself these last few months. I realized how selfish I’d been with a lot of things, including with you. So no matter how I felt about you and Anyan at one time, I have to put aside those feelings for the good of our people. All of our people. If the Red and the White aren’t stopped, everything we know will come to an end. All life may come to an end. I can’t let my own pettiness stand between me and that reality.’

Wow, I thought. He really had grown up. I don’t think I could have thought that clear-headedly, if I were he.

‘Not to mention, how can I live without Anyan?’ Ryu asked, giving me a broad wink. ‘He’s the Moriarty to my Sherlock, the Road Runner to my Wyle E. Coyote, the Tom to my Jerry.’

‘But you’re both good guys.’ He acknowledged my compliment with a smile and a small nod in my direction.

‘Finally, I owe you, Jane.’

‘What? You don’t owe me, that’s ridiculous.’

‘No, I think I do. I did love you, you know. But I loved you in the wrong way. And I know I hurt you because of that.’

For the umpteenth time, I blinked back tears. This time, however, they were the good kind.

‘Ryu, you’re a better person than me,’ I said, meaning it.

‘Nonsense. Although that does mean a lot to me.’

We ate the rest of our meal in companionable silence, and then we even ordered pie.

‘So how long are you free from your duties?’ I asked Ryu as we ate our desserts – cherry pie for him, pecan for me.

‘As long as you need me. Nyx really is capable of running things without me, especially now. Everyone’s basically paralyzed, waiting for the next appearance from the Red and the White. Makes ruling easy. Oh, and Daoud will be here tomorrow. Camille is now running things in Boston, although she sends her regards.’

‘The old gang,’ I said with a smile.

‘Yes, the old gang.’

And right then, I knew we had a shot. Because I did have a gang. I had a massive, incredibly smart, incredibly loyal, and incredibly loving team of people whom I could count on.

People who just might make getting Anyan back possible.

So I briefed Ryu on what we had, in terms of our own strengths, and what we knew, which was very little. I also promised to show him the labrys later. I hadn’t taken it out since I’d gotten back, partially because I knew I’d think of Blondie when I did.

Grief for her death was something I couldn’t deal with at that point, so I’d just bottled it up and stashed it somewhere deep inside. It probably wasn’t too healthy, long term, to do stuff like that, but it got me through the short term.

When I was done talking, Ryu looked speculative as he put money down for the check. I had to let him pay, as I had no cash. I actually had no wallet, passport, purse, anything, since it was all still back in London with my backpack.

I made a mental note to ask the creature about that, forgetting the creature was actually in my mind. So as soon as I had the thought, I felt a feeling of confirmation run through me, and I knew I’d probably return home to a backpack full of dirty clothes.

‘Well,’ Ryu said as we made our way toward the Sty’s double doors. ‘We don’t have a lot to go on, but maybe that’s a good thing. The fact is, everything we know about how to take care of these monsters hasn’t worked. So we have to think up something entirely new.’

I nodded as we pushed our way into the warm spring evening.

‘That’s the next step. Find somewhere to start—’

My sentence was never finished as an explosion rocked Ryu and me off our feet. Protected by our instinctive shields, we bounced