Page 48 of Tin God
“Brigid, are you awake?”
Tenzin.
“Yeah.” She sat up and shook the dreams from her mind. Talking with Oleg the night before had been confusing, and she’d dreamed of fire all night. “Gimme me a few minutes.”
It wouldn’t take her long to get ready. She ran a hand over her head instinctively, but there was nothing but the smooth velvet of buzz-cut black hair. She ran a hand over it once, twice, remembering the feel of Carwyn’s massive palm on her head. He would hold her head between his massive warm hands, brushing her temples with his thumbs.
“I don’t like it when most people touch me, but I don’t mind it when you do. Why do you think that is?”
“Why don’t you let me take care of you for a bit? Will you let me, Brigid?”
“I’m a monster.”
“No, you’re not. Just hold on to me. I’ve got you. Don’t let go.”
She felt like her chest caved in at the memory of her mate’s arms around her, holding back the world when she’d been a brittle, screaming mass of anger and fear.
Brigid wanted him so badly she felt like her skin would erupt with it, the fire would spread out along the whole of the Alaskan wilderness, searching for anything to consume the void that Carwyn’s absence left in her chest.
“Brigid, I smell smoke.”
She blinked and saw that the blanket clutched in her hands was burning. She smothered the flames, wiped the burning tears from her eyes, and sucked in a hard breath.
“I’m fine.” She cleared her throat and rolled her neck to the right and the left. Then she pulled a jumper over the black tank she’d worn to sleep and thrust her feet into the boots next to her bed. “Give me five minutes and I’ll be ready.”
“They found another raid.” Tenzin’s voice was soft. “From weeks ago. Lev’s supply boat just went out and found the damage. There was one survivor, but Mika doesn’t think he’ll last much longer.”
This timethey traveled by water, and Brigid’s usual aversion to that mode of transport was the last thing on her mind. Tenzin, Brigid, and Lev caught a boat at Oleg’s dock and sped across the waters of the Cook Inlet in a fast boat, heading toward open water and the tip of the Kenai Peninsula where the gusting wind and churning sea battered their vessel even with a water vampire standing at the bow.
Brigid glanced at Tenzin. “I’m surprised you’re not flying.”
Tenzin sat next to her in the enclosed cabin. “I don’t mind boats.”
“Ben hates them.”
Tenzin shrugged. “That’s probably my fault. I trapped him on a freighter for several weeks once.”
Brigid blinked. “Why?”
“He needed to practice his Mandarin.” She leaned forward and spoke to Lev. “Why didn’t your men bring this human back to Oleg’s camp if he’s injured?”
Brigid answered. “Mika said he shouldn’t be moved. He’s elderly, and he managed to keep himself alive despite the blood loss, but survival is still in question.”
“Sheer spite,” Lev said. “That’s what my men said. The human was alive purely from spite.”
Brigid glanced at Tenzin. “You could prob’ly move him with the least damage.”
“I’m willing to try,” she said. “The men who found him obviously couldn’t fly.”
Lev said, “Oleg says he can’t be moved to a human facility. There would be too many questions about his injuries.”
“Fuck that,” Brigid said. “I’m not lettin’ anyone die because Oleg doesn’t want inconvenient questions.”
“It’s not a problem,” Lev was quick to add. “We have a clinic we use near Seward. If he survives being moved, they can help him.”
“Human doctors are butchers,” Tenzin muttered. “But I’ll try to fly him there if he’ll let me. If he fights me though, I’ll drop him in the ocean.”
Lev laughed as if he thought Tenzin was joking.