Page 20 of Beyond the Veil (Endangered Fae #4)

Chapter Eight

The Appoquinimink social scale, named after fae researcher Appoquinimink Jones, attempts to quantify the approachability of fae and altered humans.

While the scale takes into account how a class of beings might react to humans, it also reflects that class’s willingness and ability to interact with other fae.

For a full explanation of data utilized in determining scale values, please see Appendix C.

B y mid-afternoon, Theo was beginning the think the end of the world would never come.

He had to drive slowly, the way strewn with rocks alternating with patches of sand and small dunes.

The sun was killing him. Maybe not literally, but he wished a stray cloud would wander by now and again.

It was just so damn bright and there was no escaping it.

If the truck had been an open canopy Jeep, he would have passed out hours before.

Limpet had finally run out of words and dozed fitfully, curled up on the bench seat. Poor little guy, so far from home . It was ridiculous, thinking of Limpet as younger. He was at least seven times older than Theo. It was also ridiculous feeling sorry for him. Limpet had done all this to himself.

But when he glanced over at that beautiful, delicate face, the mane of sea-colored hair tangled and snarled, Theo did feel bad.

He wasn’t an idiot. He knew a lot of his need to protect and to shield came from having four little sisters.

After their father had died, Mama had needed to work long hours, sometimes two jobs.

Theo had gotten the little ones ready in the morning, packed their lunches and made sure they got to school.

He had helped them with their homework and started dinner.

Carajo .

He swiped at his suddenly stinging eyes.

Even though he talked to his mother regularly now, he couldn’t go back to them.

From a distance was fine, but he couldn’t bear the fear in their eyes, the rejection, the living reminder that he had killed for one of his sisters. But, damn it, he still missed them.

When they topped the next low rise, a high-pitched squeaking from the engine yanked him out of his thoughts. It went away on the downhill and started up again on the next incline. When it became steady and edged up toward a shriek, Theo stopped the truck on relatively even ground.

“Crud.”

Limpet, who had somehow managed to sleep through the racket, jerked awake at Theo’s voice. “What is it? Are we stuck?”

“I think a belt’s come loose. Stay here.”

“A belt? Why does this thing need a belt? It doesn’t have trousers. What sort…”

Theo let Limpet rattle on while he got out and went around to the back of the truck to search for tools.

Whoever maintained the vehicle had been prepared, at least. The compartment under the floorboards held a full toolbox, neatly packed, along with a stash of protein bars. You have to love Swiss efficiency .

The sun hammered against his back as he popped the hood and peered into the engine.

At least the hood itself provided some shade.

Theo sighed as he glanced over the layout—this wasn’t a familiar vehicle and he was going to have to run the engine to find the problem.

He trudged back to the cab and leaned in.

“Slide over behind the wheel.”

“I don’t under—”

Theo patted the driver’s seat. “Slide over here. I need you to run this, so you need to be quiet and pay attention. Can you do that?”

Limpet nodded with that wide-eyed look he got when he was anxious.

“Not asking you to drive it, okay? Don’t get so scared.

” Theo reached over and shifted the truck into neutral, trying not to brush against Limpet too much.

Leaning across his lap and breathing in the musk at his groin didn’t do anything to him.

Not a thing. Certainly didn’t send fireflies on crack whizzing through his stomach.

“ Mira . You turn this to start it. When I say so, you press down with your foot on the long pedal on the right. You see it?”

Limpet nodded mutely, his lips pressed together hard, probably to keep a flood of questions inside.

“Short presses. A couple of seconds long. The engine will rev…it will get louder when you do. Don’t get scared. Then when I yell to stop, you turn the key back toward you until it goes quiet. Can you do that?”

Again, he got a silent nod.

“Can you remember all that?”

That got a raised eyebrow. Right. Someone who could remember hour-long stories wouldn’t have trouble with a short list of instructions.

“Don’t touch anything else or you might run me over.” Theo cringed when that got a little gasp. He didn’t think the selkie’s eyes could actually get wider. “Just do the things I said to, all right?”

Theo returned to the engine, oddly pleased when Limpet managed to start the truck and depress the accelerator as instructed.

The selkie was out of his element, but he wasn’t stupid.

The timing belt was the culprit. That was the easy part.

Limpet turned off the engine when Theo bellowed to shut it down, then the fun began, trying to adjust and tighten.

Maybe it would’ve been fine to keep going with the thing squealing, but he couldn’t risk it breaking or coming off and being chewed up somewhere.

Wasn’t exactly a good place to find an auto parts store.

The work went slowly, of course, with dropped tools and lots of cursing.

Theo’s hands shook harder the longer he was in the sun, which sure as hell didn’t help.

He thought he had it, twice, but after Limpet revved the engine, the squeal was still there.

Someone else might have been content to make sure the belt was secure, but it would nag at Theo and make him crazy.

Once more unto the breach … okay, maybe a little dramatic . But he was cutting it close. His stomach churned with nausea and his skin felt tight. The engine tilted in odd ways when he stood up from it again.

“Try it now!” Theo’s voice cracked but he felt a warm slice of triumph when the engine purred without screeching. Now, just need to get back to the truck. Back in the shade.

Every movement suddenly took all his concentration.

Theo swore and tried to keep moving in a straight line, more or less.

Careful, slow sips of breath against the rising nausea.

Another step, another. His stomach cramped so painfully it brought him to his knees and he leaned on his elbows, throwing up in the sunbaked sand.

Limpet drummed his fingers on the wheel, waiting for Theo to bellow at him again. After much longer than the other times, he turned the machine off with a frown.

“Theo?”

Then he heard the miserable retching and flung himself out of the truck.

Theo had made it to the corner of the truck and no further, on his hands and knees, head hanging low between his shoulders.

He didn’t have anything solid to heave up, so the sand drank up his sick like a greedy sponge.

When Limpet touched his shoulder, he moaned and collapsed sideways.

“Poor Theo. I shouldn’t have let you stay out that long.” Limpet took him under the arms and heaved, dragging him into the shade beside the truck. “Poor, poor Theo. Are you dead?”

Limpet put his ear to Theo’s chest. His heart did beat but much too quickly. Normally, Theo’s pulse was slow and strong. This was so weak, rapid like a sparrow’s. Worrisome.

“We really must look after you a little better. Travel at night, perhaps.” Limpet kept talking as he pulled Theo under the truck.

Talking made him less aware that he was afraid.

Maybe not less afraid, but less focused on the afraid-ness.

“The truck’s nice and high off the ground.

It makes a good cave. I’m going to take some of your clothes off.

You’re far too hot. Probably take some of mine off, too.

Dreadful things, clothes. Though I suppose they protect one from this horrid sun a bit.

It’s so dry and dreadfully…dry here. Should get one of the water bottles, I suppose since—”

Theo whispered something while Limpet eased off his boots.

“Pardon? What was that?”

“The hood. The engine cover.” Theo coughed and moaned, trying to draw a deep breath. “Close it. Damn sand.”

Limpet stopped in the middle of pulling off one of Theo’s socks, trying to process.

He thought he understood, so he scooted back out into the sun to puzzle out how to close the truck’s mouth.

He pushed on it, but it wouldn’t budge. Then he realized there was some sort of metal stick holding the mouth up, made of iron since it burned when he touched it.

After wrapping his sleeve around his hand and tugging and pulling, he managed to extricate it.

The stick fell into a groove inside the mouth and the metal maw suddenly slammed shut, catching the edge of Limpet’s thumb.

“Ow! Blasted metal beast!” Limpet hissed in pain and sucked on the wound where the truck had ripped away skin and flesh. “Bad thing!”

Cursing the thing roundly, he climbed in the back of the truck, retrieved one of the heavy water bottles and dragged it back with him to Theo, who looked terrible.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be gray. Or be breathing that fast. Please don’t die, Theo. You’re really a very nice Nightwalker.”

Limpet went back to stripping Theo, the process hindered by his injured hand.

The hat and dark glasses were easy enough to remove, likewise his pants, but when he unbuttoned Theo’s shirt and tried to wrestle it off, Theo began to growl.

It wasn’t the soft rumble that said Theo was annoyed.

This was different. A predator in the dark snarl, a hunter about to lunge.

Limpet froze, all his instincts screaming at him to run.

The growl deepened and Theo’s eyes snapped open, those lovely brown eyes rimmed in red.

“Theo? It’s me. I’ll give you whatever you need. You know that. Please.”