Page 120 of Gates of Tartarus

I sigh. “Well, if you’re going to be grown up and sensible… But couldn’t you just grab Tennireef and beat the tar out of him until he gives something up?”

“The first opportunity that presents itself,” Seef observes, “people will be standing in line. But we have to do things by the book; otherwise, he’ll weasel out.”

“Ugh! You’re right, of course; you’re right but…” I turn to Emlyn, “Was Vicky one of the women found?”

He shakes his head, elegant features looking drawn. “We don’t know. They’re in bad shape right now. Identification will take a while.”

“Oh.” I look searchingly at him. “Then, we wait?”

He nods gravely: “We wait.”

Throuples

Friday, 30 November – Kailani

By the time I get released from the hospital with some heavy pain medication and a long list of strict instructions for Lachy, the sun is just peeking over the horizon. The doctors are very concerned about some sort of brain injury but are confused because there’s been no impact to my head. We can’t explain the situation, but staying in the hospital surrounded by all of that emotion while exhausted is making things worse, so the team decides as a whole to move me and keep a rotating watch on me. I don’t have much say in any of it.

Despite his joking, Lachy is happy to have Jonah accompany us to the main cabin. Lachy’s had a migraine coming on for the past couple of hours – I can see his face tightening in pain and watch his eyes dilate, but he hides it well. I think having Jonah along is making him feel better regarding my aftercare. I’m wheeled downstairs against my protests that I can walk, but secretly I’m pretty glad they made me take the ride. Everything inside my head is still throbbing and feels stitched together. If I close my eyes, I can almost see the ugly black lines inside my head, haphazardly holding bits and pieces in some semblance of order. Nothing feels right, but I’m trying to calm the wildness inside of me.

Jonah carries me to the car, leaving his behind at the hospital, and hops in the driver’s seat, clearly seeing that Lachy is having trouble now. We’re just about to pull away when the back door beside me is wrenched open, and Walker throws himself in the seat next to me, closing the door behind him. Jonah throws open the driver’s door, stalks over to Walker’s, almost pulls it off the hinges, and grabs Walker by the collar.

“Out!” he snaps, voice crackling like early-morning ice.

Walker shakes his head stubbornly. “I’m coming.”

“The fuck you are!” Jonah’s arm flexes and inexorably draws Walker off the seat. Surprisingly, Walker doesn’t fight back, just lets Jonah pull him from the car. Once he’s out and they’re face to face, Jonah’s jaw set like it could cut glass, Walker holds up his hands placatingly.

“Look man,” he begins, tone level. “I wasn’t part of any of that shit. I didn’t know. I thought Smith had called you. Christ. If we’re in groups here, which I... I don’t know. But if we are, this is my group, okay? I don’t... Smith and I go way back, so I’m hoping there’s something I’m missing here. But right now I’d just... what the fuck, man! Just let me come with Kai, okay?” He may have started calm, but he’s growing more and more frustrated as he keeps talking, though he still doesn’t throw off Jonah’s tight grip.

Jonah’s eyes are dark and wild, ringed in white, and I’m worried about my happy friend. There’s nothing but chaos in his glare, like the seams are straining to keep something dark inside. He holds Walker there, unmoving, for a long minute, then, without breaking his gaze, surprisingly calls over his shoulder, “Lachlainn?”

Lachy is quiet up front, his shoulders tight, and I know just looking at his back how much his head is hurting, but he finally mumbles, “It’s fine.”

Jonah immediately drops Walker and shrugs. “Fine,” he snaps. “Get in the car. Don’t be an asshole.”

Walker’s face is studiously blank, but I can feel the surprise rolling off him in waves, rocking through me and making me nauseous, and I moan quietly.

“Get in the damn car!” Jonah snaps, though his energy is forcibly still. “And control whatever fucking emotion you’re feeling right now, because it’s affecting Kai.”

Walker frowns and mumbles uncomfortably, “I, uh... I’m not sure I know how.”

“What the fuck are they even teaching you there?” Lachy says quietly from the front seat, sighing deeply. “Just focus on something soothing or calming right now.” His voice changes, becomes sweet, like hickory smoke from an evening fire. “Hey, Suge. How ya’ doing back there?”

I press my hands against my eyes. “Trying to keep my eyeballs from falling out of my head,” I reply. “And keep my head on my neck. And my blood in my body. Other than that, I’m good.”

“You... you want to lie down on the way home?” Walker asks hesitantly, and I nod. Reaching over, he pulls me down gently so my head is pillowed on his lap, and I close my eyes, trying to quell the nausea. Gently, he starts to run his hand over my head, fingers combing lightly through my hair, and my breathing evens out under his careful ministrations.

“Can you sing, Walker?” I mumble, and I feel him tense at the question. “I think it would help…” The guys up front are quiet, and Walker doesn’t answer.

“What do you want to hear, Kai?” Jonah asks sweetly.

“The Goodbye Song?”

Jonah fumbles with his phone, then turns it on and turns it up. Walker pulls me up a little, so I’m cradled on his lap, my head against his shoulder, and he sings quietly to me in my ear, an octave lower than the song, his voice reverberating through my bones like a cat’s purr. And studiously ignores the tears that are pouring down my cheeks, getting us both wet with my breaking heart.

???

When we get to Lachy’s, Walker carries me inside carefully and tucks me in gently on the couch. Frowning, he looks around, then turns to Jonah and Lachy.