was fooling myself because it was the only way I could do what needed to be done.”
“You could have told me. You could have sat down with me and explained why I needed to come here.”
He may have smiled. “No. I couldn’t have done that. Words are just noises, Rune. You had to see for yourself. You had to come here yourself.”
“I would have.” She wondered if her face was as strained as her voice.
“You would not have.”
“Maybe you’re right. We’ll never know. But you should have fucking tried.”
He gave a hoarse cry and pressed his hand to his chest.
Her belly tightened with concern, despite the rage and blame waiting beneath the surface. Rage and blame she dared not release. Not then.
“Where is your pain?”
He laughed. “I am pain.”
“I’ll feed you.” She dropped her fangs and lifted her wrist to her mouth, but he stopped her.
“I’ll heal. Save your strength, Rune. You’re going to need it.”
“I’m going to feed you, because I’m going to leave you. I have to hope my blood will be enough to help you survive. I have to leave you because I can’t think while I’m looking at your condition, at your pain, at your…at your dear, familiar fucking face.” She sobbed, once.
He shuddered and she thought she saw uncertainty flitter across his face.
“Cowboy,” she whispered.
He smiled, and the doubt, if it was ever there, disappeared. It left something hot in its place. Something hot enough to burn her.
“I have to leave you,” she said. “Take my blood.”
“My monster,” he said.
“Is me,” she replied.
“Is mine,” he insisted.
“That can’t be, baby.”
He ignored her words. “With us, it would be different.”
“Already is. And someday, we might have to go ahead and finish this thing.” She moved into his arms, allowing herself to forget, for one long moment, that she should hate him. “We might have to finish it.”
His chest was warm—no, not warm. It was hot.
So much heat.
“We’ll never be finished. Never. I promise you that.”
“There’s always an end. And always a beginning.”
His lips were parted, just a little.
Tempting her.
“I’m so fucking obsessed with you, Rune. You, your monster…”
“No,” she said. “No more.”
Maybe someday…
Someday when she straightened shit out in her head.
But not then, with him shattered and hurting. Not then, with Z in the evil clutches of the witch and Strad Matheson screaming his own pain to the world she’d left.
With the knowledge in her heart that he’d killed Lex, and countless Others of her world.
“Rune.”
“What?”
“Do you…” He swallowed. Finally, he continued. “Did you care about me?”
She closed her eyes. She understood the importance of the question. And the answer. “You’re part of me. Yeah, I care.” She clenched her fists. “But you fucked that up.”
That was all she could say.
Some of the crows began cawing.
Back and forth, they had a conversation only they were privy too. At least, that’s what she thought until Ian spoke.
“Princess,” he said, materializing suddenly from the darkness. “Crawlers are in the area. We need to run.”
The crawlers had run from her once. She had no idea why. But if they’d feared her, they wouldn’t be coming back.
If they’d feared her crow, well, the sky was full of crows.
No. Something else had frightened them away when she’d fought side by side with Z. Something.
“With my crows and zombies,” she said to Ian, “you don’t think we can take the fucking crawlers?”
He cradled his shotgun. “I don’t think we can all escape. I think some of the crawlers will spirit at least one of us away while the others are fighting. And believe me. None of us wants to be captured by the crawlers.” His gaze slid to Owen.
Shit.
She would leave Owen, but she wouldn’t leave him to the crawlers. No matter what he’d done.
“I expect,” Ian continued, “that’s what happened to your people.”
“The witch has my people.”
He shrugged. “She could’ve sent the crawlers to pick them up.”
She climbed from the cart. “The crawlers obey Damascus?”
“Not always. They have allegiances with no one. But if the witch sends a direct command, they—like everyone else—know obeying is the wisest option.”
She found it difficult to draw a deep breath. “Then let’s get out of here. See if we can outrun them.”
“No shame in that.” Ian turned to the shadows. “We’re taking off.”
The zombies circled Rune and her little group as they rode on, and there was a quiet urgency in the unfeeling zombies.
Even they would rather not face the crawlers.
They needed to move on, anyway. Dawn was beginning to break and they had a long,