Caravan Witch (Questing Witch Book 2) Page 9

  “Thirty minutes, give or take.” He scooted to sit up. “Thank you.”

  I bobbed my head. “Who is the worst?”

  “Neil got hit bad, both arms.” Lynx said. He held a hand out to me and helped me to stand. I let him lead me to Neil.

  Our scout was in trouble, if the blood pooling around him was any indication. I didn’t hesitate, just dropped to my knees and pulled spirit to me, slowly, carefully, gathering it in me until there was enough that I could send it into Neil to repair the damage. From there, I just kept pulling it through that crack in the bracelet, my only opening to my ability to heal. I wanted it so badly, I didn’t care that it was draining me.

  Healing Mac with my energy, then healing Lynx with spirit hadn’t left me much. But I wasn’t holding back. This, this was what I was meant to do. To heal.

  Not to kill.

  Neil gasped and his arms flung out wide as spirit poured through him, stitching, healing, mending breaks. His innards were full of scatter shot. And I realized he’d been hit when he was in his bird form. One by one, I pushed the shrapnel out of him. He gritted his teeth against the pain and I fought the nausea and fatigue as they threatened to crush me.

  “Almost there,” I whispered. There was a final plink of steel shot rolling out of him to the ground. I did a quick sweep of his body. “I’m leaving you with the bruises,” I said and slumped away from him. Lynx caught me. I let him hold me there as I sucked wind as if I’d been physically fighting or running for miles.

  Neil leaned over me. “You saved my life.”

  “That’s my job.” I smiled, but it wobbled. “I’d like to keep us from having to save one another. Maybe we could just exist for a while. No fighting.”

  Neil smiled, I think it was the first time I’d seen him do it. His rubbed at his hawk nose. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

  The two men helped me stand and I waved them off once I was on my feet. Not because I couldn’t use their help, but because I didn’t want them to know how fucking tired I was. “No one else is critical?” I asked as I turned to walk away.

  “No.” Lynx shook his head.

  “Find me if that changes,” I said, even though I knew it was a bad idea. I couldn’t draw from Mac, and Oka had already given a lot to him and me.

  I made myself take slow steps as I worked my way through the camp once more.

  I found Marley and the kids front and center. Frost had Oka around the middle and was squeezing her so hard, her eyes were bugging out a little bit. I snorted; that explained why she hadn’t come running when she felt my energy drop. Besides, she secretly liked it, although I’d probably hear complaints about being squeezed like a pincushion later. She loved those kids and wanted to protect them as much as I did. Particularly Frost. He was only three, born just after the breaking. He had no parents here, and I still didn’t know how Richard had come across him. There just hadn’t been a quiet moment to ask.

  Chris walked up with the new baby in her arms. She looked good for being about a week post-partum, and I would’ve told her as much if she hadn’t given me a look so cold, she’d have frozen me to my spot if she could’ve.

  I sighed as I turned to watch the kids fawn over Oka. All three of them had survived the attack apparently unscathed, along with Chris’s new baby. I should be thankful for small favors, but the losses crept into my mind. Ten deaths were a heavy toll, and we might lose more if I couldn’t pull my shit together and get spirit to work with me.

  On cue, Richard put a hand on my shoulder. “Walk with me,” he said.

  “Really? It’s like three in the morning. Just because that’s the witching hour does not mean this witch wants to still be awake.” I was toast after all that healing, and my body craved rest.

  “This is important,” he said, and the concern in his voice was what did it.

  I followed him until he slowed and let me catch up to his side. We were clear of the main part of the caravan, enough that we wouldn’t be overheard.

  He rubbed a hand over his face and lowered his voice. “We lost almost everything, Pamela.” His face was taut as if sheer worry had stretched it too tightly across his skull.

  “Tell me,” I said, steeling myself. “All of it.”

  “They hit the supply truck. Nearly all our food is gone. We might have a week left with what’s scattered about. To feed fifteen people and the shifters.”

  “We lost four to Stefan.”

  Crimson walked up. “Plus our four.”

  “What were their names?”

  Crimson rattled off her names first. “Sky, Brent, Devlin, and Greg.”

  I glanced at Richard and he added his to the list. “Hank, Kurt, Rick, Merk, Hannah, and Ashling were ours.”

  I recited their names over and over in my head. I didn’t want to forget those who’d sacrificed their lives so we could keep on living. These were the costs of this new world.

  Crimson nodded. “We took yours and buried them by the side of the road along with our own.”

  “Thank you for that,” Richard said.

  “Their sacrifice is not in vain, Crimson. I swear.” I looked at the kids as Chris worked to settle them down for the night. Even now, so close to a battle there was still innocence there, innocence and hope. I’d die keeping that promise if I had to.

  “Pamela. How will we survive now? The food . . .” Richard trailed off. “The kids need to eat.”

  “We all need to eat,” I said. My belly grumbled as if to remind me just how long it had been since I’d eaten, and that I’d expended huge amounts of energy. So I did the only thing I could. I lied through my teeth. “I’m not worried. We’re not that far from the river, and between our hunters and the shifters, we can bring down game for everyone. We’ll be fine. The tents and things like that will be missed more than the food, I think.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Richard said, skepticism heavy in his voice. “I’ll divide up what we have. Everyone will be on rations from here on out.”

  He left and Crimson raised a brow at me. “So, Alpha, what is the truth? Because you just fed that man a heap load of lies that I could smell three miles off.”

  Goddess save me from shifters.

  8

  I shot a look at Crimson that I’d seen Rylee use on me more than once. Basically, it was the “shut up, I’m dealing with it” look. Crimson shook her head. “For tonight, I will let the question lie. But as your second, your beta, it is my job to question when things do not add up. There are no guarantees in this world, and you know it.”

  I held up a hand to her, frustration flickering through me. “I do know it. But it’s the middle of the fucking night, and we are all exhausted. Tomorrow, or today, will be soon enough to figure it out.”

  I brushed past her, locking on the energy of Mac. I just wanted to curl up in his arms and sleep for days. The camp was quiet, and the few guards that were awake were hyper alert. Another time I would have taken my turn at watching over the camp but not tonight.

  Mac had set up not a tent but a blanket near the far side of the caravan and I made a stumbling beeline for it and him. He reached out to me with his uninjured arm and caught me as I slid to my knees.

  “Pamela?” The worry in his voice was evident but I had nothing left, not even for him.

  “I think she used spirit,” Oka said, and their voices faded a little as I lay on the hard ground, wrapping my cloak around me.

  “Damn it, does she never stop to look at what it takes from her?” Mac growled.

  Oka wasn’t the one to answer him. Alex was. “No, she won’t,” he said. “She never knew when to admit she’d done all she could.”

  Oka sniffed and I kept my eyes closed, feeling like I was listening in on conversation I wasn’t supposed to. “She’s sleeping now.”

  Mac grunted. “Right. Which means it’s time for you to go, wolf. Let her rest, you can see her in the morning.” There was a pause. “And thanks for the help.”

  Alex sighed. “Do me a favor?
”

  “If I can,” Mac said.

  “Cut back on the Twinkies. Your ass is heavy.” There was a scuffle and I almost opened my eyes until I heard Alex laugh.

  Oka curled up against my chest, right under my chin, and a moment later, Mac settled in behind me, spooning me.

  “That wolf is a smart-ass.”

  I smiled but said nothing, mostly because there was no way I could defend Alex. Not on that.

  *_*_*_*

  The next morning came too early, but there was work to be done and food to be dealt with. I pushed away slowly from Oka and Mac, untangling my limbs from them. The three of us hadn’t moved so much as an inch through the hours we slept and my left hip and shoulder protested. I rubbed my shoulder as I stood. Mac rolled to his back and touched his injured arm.

  “How is it?” I asked.

  “Good enough.”

  I did a slow turn. There were a few people awake and moving about, but the majority were still sleeping.

  Richard, of course, was not. He stood at the back of the only supply truck we had other than the Humvee. His dark hair was mussed and he had heavy bags under his eyes, but he smiled at each person that he handed out small packs of food to. That was his job, to be the leader, the emotional gauge of the caravan. And he was good at it, for the most part. Far better than I would have been. He saw me coming and gave me a chin pop. “Pamela, good to see you up and moving. You looked to be half dead last night.”

  “You don’t look so good yourself, Dick,” I said. The person ahead of us laughed, shook their head and walked away, still smiling. Well, maybe I could bring a little to the group in terms of emotional wellness.

  Richard held a pack of food out to me and I shook my head. Mac held up his hands too.

  “Nah, I’m still queasy from the injury,” Mac said.

  I took note that the shifters that were up had no packs of food. Richard saw me looking.

  “Most of them passed on the food.” He smiled, but it was still tired. “You were right to bring them into the caravan, they are good people. We’re lucky to have them.”

  As we stood there, someone bumped into my shoulder from behind, a petite dark-haired woman who smelled like wolf.

  Jasmine held out her hand to Richard and had the nerve to snap her fingers when he hesitated. “I want my ration.”

  Richard shot a look at me and I reluctantly nodded.

  I bit my tongue as I watched her dig into the meager portion that could’ve gone to one of the kids.

  My stomach growled as we left Richard to hand out the rest of the day’s rations, but I ignored it. I’d gone hungry before, and I could do it again. We’d hunt later, and everything would be fine.

  Crimson’s question from before curled through me.

  I couldn’t put my finger on why, but that question heightened my already sky high anxiety. Because I needed that like I needed another hole in the head. It was as if a pool of anxiety sloshed around in my belly now instead of just a few manageable droplets. An ocean to a puddle.

  Alex found the three of us as we walked a circuit around the camp.

  He had a small pack of food, surprising me. He held it out to me as we drew close. “Richard said you didn’t take one.”

  “I’m fine,” I said.

  He shoved it at Mac. “You make her eat, then.”

  Mac laughed at him. “The two of us together couldn’t make her eat if she didn’t want to.”

  Alex frowned and then his lips curled up. “Wanna try? I could take her legs, you take her arms. The cat can pour the food in her mouth.”

  The men shared a look I didn’t like. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  The pair of them turned to me and the looks on their faces were nearly identical. Cheeky bastards were actually considering it. “Oka, if they try, you bite them right in their asses.”

  Oka snorted. “They wouldn’t dare.”

  They deflated, but I saw it in their faces. Some unspoken male bonding had just happened, and much as I was glad for that, it was strange to see.

  “Men are weird,” I muttered.

  “You just figuring that out?” Oka leapt up to my shoulder. “I thought you knew that by now.”

  I shrugged and she draped herself across my back like a shawl.

  “You really should eat,” Alex tried again. “I won’t force it. But I know how this works.”

  Irritation flickered again. “Alex, I’m fine. Let the others eat. They need it more.”

  “Sure, but you need something too. You need to build your strength if you expect to protect everyone.”

  “Lay off, wolf. She’ll eat when she’s ready,” Mac said.

  Alex shot a glare at him. “You lay off. Aren’t you supposed to be protecting her? Keeping her safe? How is letting her starve herself doing that?”

  So much for male bonding.

  Mac glared at Alex, and Alex glared right back. The testosterone floating in the air was almost enough to choke on.

  I smacked Mac on his good shoulder, and then smacked Alex too. “Enough, you two. I need you both here, but I swear to the Mother Goddess, the next one to pick a fight is out. Exiled. No questions asked.” I hoped the threat sounded less empty than it felt.

  I didn’t realize we had additional company until the feminine snort rolled from behind us. I turned to see Jasmine finishing her rations.

  I let my dislike of her slide over my face and the darkness in me tried to swell up with it. I held it back, but barely. “That includes you . . . runt.”

  Mac tipped his head and then his eyes widened. Alex didn’t pick up on anything. Not really.

  Jasmine rolled her shoulder back and her nostrils flared. Her eyes were cold and hard, and I had no doubt she’d gut me in an instant given the chance. But the truth was she was nothing but drama. If she’d been any kind of fighter she’d have been in the mix last night, helping.

  Even Alex had to see that.

  Didn’t he?

  “What did you say, you dirty little witch?” She spat the word little at me like it was shit in her mouth.

  “You heard me. Fighting amongst our people will get you booted.”

  Oka dropped from my shoulder to the ground and puffed up, her fur standing on end as a tiny growl rippled from her. Cute, if you didn’t know she could shift into a full-sized tiger.

  Jasmine closed the distance between us slowly, and I stood my ground. Mac made a motion and I shook my head.

  Alex reached for Jasmine and she shook him off. “This is between Pamela and me, love.”

  Love? Even I could see he didn’t love her. But his face closed down and I couldn’t see what he was thinking.

  She and I were similar in height, but she was more angular than I was, making her look stronger. Harder. But she didn’t have magic on her side, or the training of Rylee behind her.

  Teach her a lesson.

  The darkness didn’t even have to suggest it. The desire to take her down a peg was already burning through me. No, that wasn’t entirely true . . . I wanted her gone, not just humbled.

  Jasmine curled one side of her mouth in a snarl. “You are weak, Pamela. You have this whole caravan thinking otherwise, but I smell the truth on you. So does Crimson. She knows you’re full of shit.” She spoke louder than she needed to and I knew I could be in trouble. Not because of her, but because of what she might say, and how it would look to the caravan.

  Runt indeed.

  On cue, the humans that were awake gathered around, listening to what she was saying as she drew closer and closer to me.

  “Pamela isn’t weak,” said Clark, one of our men. He was a good shot, and almost always hit his mark. In fact, he took out a few trolls during our last battle. “She’s saved us from more dangers than I can count. Without her, we’d all be dead.”

  Jasmine looked at him and gave him a pout. “Or would you? Maybe she is attracting those dangers? Is she bringing them on, just to make you think she’s strong?” Jasmine turned and looked straight at me,
as she spun her lie.

  “Jasmine, that’s—”

  She cut me off and turned back to the growing crowd. “There’s no food left. How will your little tutelary feed you?”

  I’d give her this, she was a good actress. Very good.

  It took all I had not to flip out and slam her into the ground. Magic or fists, I didn’t care which. I settled for calm.

  “Scare tactics aren’t the most effective thing in the world when survival is on all our minds, Jasmine,” I said. The darkness curled through me harder. Damn it, I was too tired to fight it and the magic seemed to know it. Just what I needed. I closed my eyes a moment and breathed through it. When I opened them, the crowd had grown.

  Chris, of all people, stepped up, with her new baby in her arms. “That new girl is right. Pamela is willing to sacrifice any one of us for her idea of the greater good. You’d just better hope you’re part of that picture.” She glared at me.

  My jaw dropped, I can admit it. I knew she didn’t like me, but I’d never have thought she’d throw me under the oncoming bus.

  “Chris, that’s not true,” I said, but Jasmine took another step toward me, forcing me to face her or give her my back.

  Oka let out a hiss and Jasmine barely looked at her, those eyes locked on mine.

  “And these shifters. She brought them to you, didn’t she? Put you all in danger. Your children in danger. You know most shifters feed on children? And she brought the wolves right to your door, let them in.”

  The crowd murmured and I took that last step between me and Jasmine so we were close enough that our clothes brushed against each other.

  “There is only one wolf that is causing a problem here, Jasmine. One wolf can easily be dealt with.” I said it so low, it came out as a growl, as if I’d become some kind of shifter animal myself.

  Mac stood firm at my side. “You need to step back, Jasmine.”

  Jasmine laughed in my face. “Oh right. I forgot, the teddy bear and the kitten will protect you.”

  “Call me a kitten again, you hairy bitch,” Oka said, her body tensing, the energy between us spiking. I held my hand out, stopping her from any sort of aggression. We would not throw the first punch here. If Jasmine wanted to start something, I’d finish it, but I refused to draw first blood.