97 (Rise of the Battle Bred) Read online

  Whatever the case, he usually had time to get a progress report from whatever school he was attending. This had to be a new record for them finding him and his dad, he thought drily.

  His dad came in to the garage while he polished her bike. “You’re positive it was a Lochspawn,” His dad said, disbelief evident in his voice.

  William knew his dad didn’t doubt his word, but rather the speed with which they were found this time. William just looked at his dad, and Jacob shook his head.

  “More will follow, naturally,” Jacob said needlessly. He looked like he was barely containing rage.

  William sighed. “You’re angry that I fought again.”

  Jacob squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I know you did what you had to do. But William,” he looked up at him, and William thought he saw moisture in his father’s eyes. “What do I do if I lose you?” He shook himself and shrugged like he wanted to change the subject.

  William nodded. He sat Jane’s bike up and readjusted the seat. “I made her crash.”

  Jacob leaned against the workbench that was in the house when they bought it. He stared at William for a long moment before he asked, “What do you mean?”

  William faced his dad and looked at him square. “I don’t know exactly.”

  Jacob’s brow furrowed in confusion.

  “I kind of willed her to crash. I couldn’t let her get to the playground before I did. I just kind of focused my energy, and it worked. Her bike hit the curb, and she fell,” William put the kickstand down and folded his arms. “You should see her, Dad. She looks like…like a belt sander got to her,” His voice cracked.

  Jacob stood up straight. “William. Don’t do this to yourself. You know what she would look like if the Lochspawn got to her first,”

  William nodded.

  Jacob approached William. They weren’t an openly affectionate family. Jacob awkwardly put a hand out and touched William’s arm. “We need to talk some more after you take her bike back.”

  William nodded again. He used one leg to get the pedal going so he could check the chain. He tested the brakes and called it good. He would take the bike to her, but he couldn’t tell her anything.

  He had to keep their secrets as long as he could. Maybe her cousin had been out of it enough to not know what had happened. Even if he saw everything, he probably couldn’t believe it, and maybe wouldn’t tell anyone.

  William sighed.

  Of course Mick would tell Jane. Jane was the kind of person a family member could confide in and trust. He wished he could tell her everything himself. He started walking her bike down, and there she stood on her front lawn, with a bewildered expression on her face and her phone to her ear. At least he’d been able to find her phone for her.

  At ten yards away, her skin looked really pink. At five yards, he could more clearly see the scratches that covered her arms and knees. At two yards, he caught his breath when he saw the concern in her eyes as she talked to her mom, presumably. She had dark circles under her eyes from fatigue and worry, and her skin seemed even paler. Then there was the pink glow that surrounded her, permeated her, pulsed from her. At one yard, the scent of lavender assailed him. This was going to be a problem.

  “Going somewhere?” Geez he was an idiot. Why else would she be on her lawn staring at her car?

  “The hospital. Mick’s asking for me,” She said simply.

  Of course he was.

  He was so screwed. “Good. Tell him I hope he recovers soon,” There. He sounded concerned but uninvolved. Maybe he could salvage their secret. But he doubted it.

  He turned to go. Then she said his name and put her hand on his arm. It was like the heat of the sun on his skin. He couldn’t breathe. When she took her arm off, her pink handprint remained, along with the sensation of a warm breath. He couldn’t pull his gaze away from it.

  She thanked him for fixing her bike, but he couldn’t really understand a word she was saying. She smiled, and if her touch was like the heat of the sun, then her smile was like the moon breaking through fog. It was bright and welcome, and he determined to do everything in his power to get her to smile like that at him at least once a day. He smiled back at her, and thought that maybe things were going to be okay. “You’re welcome, Jane.”

  He left, realizing he should probably think about how best to tell her everything. And he would tell her everything. For now he would wait until she came to him. He had no doubt she would come prancing over and demanding information. She wasn’t the kind of girl to meekly ignore trouble. Which was exactly why he better train even harder for the next several days. If the Lochspawn were here already, then the game had changed.

  His dad was waiting for him when he got back. He sat down in the living room on the floor. They didn’t have a lot of furniture, what with the transient lifestyle they led. Some places they had barely unpacked before the Lochspawn found them and they were fighting for their lives. William wondered if Jacob was going to change his mind about what he said earlier.

  Jacob sat in a metal folding chair. “Thank you,”

  The statement surprised William. “For what?”

  “You’ve never complained. Our whole lives on the run, the fighting, the early morning regimen, the lack of…” Jacob gestured around the room, included himself as well. “Of home and hearth. You’ve fought alongside me, trained with me, saved me more times than I care to count. Thank you for all of that,”

  Uncomfortable with the praise, William thought maybe he was blushing himself, and felt a sudden kinship with Jane. “You’re welcome.”

  Jacob appeared satisfied. “You’re special, William. More special than I think your mother or I realized,”

  William sat with hands upon his crossed legs. It wasn’t unlike the meditative pose he adopted after a sparring session with Jacob.

  Jacob continued. “You’re familiar with the history of the Warriors. The Warlochs created our race of nearly-invincible soldiers to fight their battles. What the world recognizes as the Magyars of ancient Russia, the Visigoths, and the Vandals…our ancestors. During the Byzantine era, a better leader arose out of obscurity. Our ancestors recognized that the blind loyalty to the Warlochs was misplaced. Their better natures overcame their disposition to do evil, thanks in part to the First Mothers. The First Mothers taught their sons about compassion and forgiveness. In time, the Old Ones remembered those early lessons from their infancy. They eventually revolted against the Warlochs.”

  William interrupted him. “They deserted the battlefield,” He said with some scorn in his voice.

  Jacob merely nodded and continued, ignoring the accusatory tone in his son’s voice. “They no longer wanted to fight the Warlochs’ battles. They wanted to live their own lives and to swear fealty to leaders they respected and admired.”

  William nodded. He’d heard this before.

  “The Warlochs had bred certain traits into them. Some, Hunter Warriors, had the Sight for humans’ paths and a sharp sense of smell. Some, Vanguard Warriors, had the ability to send waves of energy at will and could see a great distance. Rearguard Warriors were the mightiest in size and ferocity. Some could even heal.”

  “All of the Warriors had agility, prowess. And all had the other…” Jacob didn’t say it. He didn’t have to.

  William knew about the lives.

  “But no one ever had all the gifts. None I ever heard of, anyway,” Jacob scratched his chin with a large paw. “Over time, Warriors procreated with humans, and in some cases, diluted those gifts. It’s been centuries since a Warrior came along with both of those I mentioned. You’re presenting with them all.”

  This piqued William’s interest. “I can only see one path, though.”

  “True,” Jacob admitted. “But you can see her path over time. I’ve never heard of a Warrior with the ability to see a person’s path from days, weeks or even years before. Have you ever used this other ability, this energy to focus your will before?”

  “No,” William shrugged. �
�Just on her.”

  Jacob sat back in his chair. “It’s possible that this girl is the only way you will be able to access these abilities. Do you feel a bond with her?”

  William thought he might be blushing again, which would be the second time in all 96 of his previous lives. Ridiculous. “Dad, I just met her yesterday. How could I feel a bond with her?”

  Jacob shrugged. “Stranger things have happened. The Lochspawn, for example,” They shuddered together.

  William cleared his throat. He felt uncomfortable talking about Jane with his father. Time to change the subject. “I think they’re planning. I think it planned that attack as an ambush for me.”

  Jacob agreed. “Things have accelerated. Perhaps the Warlochs have found my Easter eggs as well. We need to prepare. We also need to go back to the playground and see if it left any sign. If we’re lucky, this particular one was just acting on its own.”

  “I sure hope so.”

  “Me too. Let’s check out that park,” Jacob said. They drove to the park and started looking around. The earth was disturbed by the Lochspawn’s talons. William walked around looking for any kind of clue. Jane’s path was faded on the actual equipment, suggesting she hadn’t played on it in years, yet the rosy glow was strong where she stood to watch him using Misrillet just yesterday afternoon. He could trace her path across the field to the sidewalk and down the street. A thought occurred to him.

  “Dad,” Jacob walked up to him.

  “Did you find something?” He asked.

  William swallowed. “What if…” he looked all around and stared at the streaks that only he could see. “What if the Lochspawn can see Jane’s path as well?” William hated speaking the thought out loud.

  Jacob frowned, considering. “No.”

  William sagged a little in relief. Jacob continued.

  “The Warlochs started over from scratch. It’s been passed down over the years that they took everything they learned from creating Warriors and scrapped it. They didn’t want to risk the same thing happening again.”

  “Why wouldn’t the Warlochs create their spawn with many, if not all, of the same attributes as their original Warriors?” William asked.

  “Because. They feared another revolt. They feared another uprising from what they had created,” Jacob explained.

  “But how are these Lochspawn tracking all of us?” William asked. “The one that attacked Jane’s cousin, maybe it wasn’t trying to get Jane’s cousin, but Jane herself. Maybe it could see her path and was waiting here. When her cousin showed up, he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe,” William’s palms began to sweat. “It’s because I was here yesterday afternoon,” William’s voice trailed off. “Jane and I walked home from school, and we stopped here,” He murmured. “It’s literally tracking me. It can see my path,” William wanted to be sick.

  “No. That can’t be it. Save your worry,” Jacob’s was the voice of reason. He continued to scan the ground as they talked.

  “It’s only been a few days. They usually don’t find us right away,” William said. “We usually have time to take a deep breath, you know?”

  Jacob squatted down. He agreed, but focused on something on the ground.

  “Look at this, William,” He pulled a small silver square from out of the tanbark. It dangled from a filament.

  William leaned down closer. It looked stained with blood. The wire filament looped around; the square chip could be a pendant, but it was extremely delicate. There were tiny marks on the square, lines and dots.

  “It looks like a computer chip,” William said in wonderment.

  “It’s meant to be subdermal. I think we just got a breakthrough,” Jacob announced.

  “We wouldn’t be safe anywhere. We’re staying. We’re done running. And if you’re as unique as I think you are, you’re done fighting as well,”

  23

  Zarastrid’s Log

  Day 260

  Still no word from Agnes. I suppose she meant it when she told me to leave. Her passing fancy must have run its course, and doubtless the tiny babe with the strong grip has captured her heart in place of my stone.

  I await Zeko. He sent word that we would visit Agnes and the babes. Agnes was chosen to raise the extra infants. The Coven voted collectively that she was the choicest of the mothers due to her strength of will and tireless efforts.

  I feel somewhat gratified that I was not alone in recognizing the treasure that Agnes is.

  Perhaps the Coven will be more lenient if I should decide to visit her more regularly now. Except I fear I will no longer be welcomed.

  24

  Satisfied that Mick was going to live, I decided to try and salvage the rest of the weekend paper route. The news doesn’t sleep, and all that. The Advil was doing the trick, (is that an old phrase, or is that mainstream?) so I saddled up my bike with my newspaper bag. I realized I should probably wear my bike helmet, but I drew the line at elbow pads. I had to be able to throw the papers. My first stop was the playground.

  The tanbark was a mess, and some of the wood was stained with blood. I decided it was highly disturbing and made quick work of gathering up all the stray intact newspapers I could find. I stuffed my bag full and returned to my bike.

  As I finished the route, I pondered the events of early this morning. So William didn’t want to fess up to his role in scaring off that…that whatever it was. He never said how he got hurt, either, of course. And furthermore, how could he have gotten to the playground as fast as he did without a bike or a car? As I recalled, we had driven him back, and by his own admission, he hadn’t left his house until after seeing me blow by on my bike. I supposed he could have cut through yards, would have to have done that, in fact, if he was going to beat me to Mick. It sounded feasible to me, and could even explain all his scratches. We had some neighbors who liked their hedgerows.

  When I finished my route, I stowed my bike and stirred up lemonade. I expected my mom would be returning soon, and decided to make up lunch as well. I had my head in the fridge when I heard a voice clearing behind me in the kitchen.

  I banged my head on the freezer door and spun around wielding a bottle of ketchup. William was in my kitchen. “Holy-snot-you scared the crap out of me!” I yelled at him.

  “Sorry,” He didn’t smile, as usual, and didn’t look repentant either, I might add.

  “What the heck are you doing?” I asked him, replacing the ketchup and getting lunchmeat out of the drawer.

  “I knocked but you didn’t answer. I knew you were home because I saw your bike go by.”

  I pursed my lips. If I brought up the fact that it felt like he was spying on me, I would probably start blushing again, and I would like to not have that be the status quo of our relationship to date. “Well, you caught me,” I said. I admit I might not have been as polite as I should have been, but geez.

  “I’m sorry I just came in,” He said. “How’s Mick?”

  Ah, of course. That was why he was here. He wanted to see if he still had to lie to cover his butt. I started making sandwiches. Glancing at his bulk, I made a triple batch. “He’s great. Told me everything, of course,” I peeked at him to see if he was squirming uncomfortably. Nope. He was standing there with hands behind his back like he was at ease. Ever the soldier. This led to other thoughts. I decided to try my best to make him squirm. “Where’s your sword?” I put the butter knife down and turned to face him, my hip leaning against the counter.

  “I can explain,” He said. His eyes flicked down my body, probably by accident, but he covered it well anyway. “You should sit down,” I was disappointed. He wasn’t admiring my curves, but checking out all the scrapes and cuts.

  “I’m fine,” I said. I cut the sandwiches into triangles and piled them on a platter. I found chips in the cupboard. “Take the lemonade to the table,” I directed.

  “You’re feeding someone you’re mad at?” He asked me.

  “I’m not exactly mad,” I looked at him. His s
trong body took up half the galley kitchen. His hair fell in his eyes a little. His expression was calm, his deep brown eyes unreadable. I felt my body sway towards him slightly, but caught myself in time. Ridiculous. Just because he was this giant masculine guy who smelled like the woods, my body thought it should send out emergency blush flares and be all swoony and junk.

  “Okay, I’m a little mad,” My hands were shaking so I put the platter back down on the counter for a minute. “But first, I think I should say thank you for saving Mick’s life. He and I know, and I think you do too, that if you hadn’t come in time,” my voice cracked. “Well, I don’t have to finish that sentence. Thank you,” I nodded for emphasis.

  He bowed his head to me. Then he looked up at me through his lashes. Puppy dog eyes? For real? From a guy who looked like he could take on a Navy Seal and make it look like a play date?

  “Oh for goodness’ sake,” I said in exasperation. I shoved the platter of sandwiches at him and carried the bowl of chips to the table. “My mom should be back soon, but go ahead and start,” I snatched a sandwich out of his hand. “Talking, not eating,” I gave him a stern look. This attitude I adopted was keeping the blush at bay, so I was working it.

  “I have access to some amazing technology,” He said.

  That was so far off from what I was expecting to come out of his mouth that I kind of gaped at him like an idiot.

  “My sword is cleverly concealed, so as not to make situations like these,” he gestured to our cozy and domestic kitchen, “wildly uncomfortable,” Then he smiled, and it was like a sunbeam. Oh dang here it comes. I felt my face get hot.

  He continued, mercifully. “My dad and I have been running from these Lo…these creatures…for years. They hunted us down in Toledo too. I haven’t attended the same school for longer than two semesters.”

  I’m pretty sure my mouth was still gaping, but I didn’t close it. I suspected there was more jaw-dropping stuff coming, so why bother?