Page 58 of Gray Dawn

“Stand back.” I retreated to a safe distance before the fire could melt off my face. “Goddess.”

There would be no evidence left in that smoldering mass, no hints as to where its occupants had gone.

A glint in the distance caught my eye, and I rocked forward, seconds from launching a pursuit.

Marita and Derry stepped in front of me, their furry bodies penning me in, refusing to budge an inch.

“For all we know, that could be the director.” I shoved them, but they didn’t cave to my pleas. “He’s getting away.”

The wargs shook their heads, growling softly at me, then Derry broke away.

“I don’t have access to my magic, but I’m not useless.” I set my jaw at Marita. “I can still fight.”

She set a paw on my foot, I thought to comfort me, but she was staring past me.

Following her line of sight, I swallowed as a rock dropped into my stomach.

Clay.

He was here. Right there. Behind me.

Our gazes clashed and then held for an eternity I spent searching for any hint of my friend. Neat rows furrowed his brow as he stared at me. Maybe he was doing the same. Looking for answers within me.

Stubborn hope I had never quite managed to stamp out resurfaced. He didn’t know me. I knew that. Iknewit. I wasn’t delusional enough to believe I could talk to him, break through to him, but I stood there with my heart in my eyes for as long as he could stand it before ripping his attention away to assess the other threats.

“That’s Rue.” Derry walked up behind me on two legs. “She’s your best friend.”

Clay didn’t speak, but he didn’t attack or flee either. That was a good sign, right?

“She was your partner once, at Black Hat.” Derry held his ground. “Do you remember?”

“This is ridiculous.” I kept crushing my hope, grinding it down to dust. “You’re wasting your breath.”

“Rue.”

The buzz in my ears kept me from pinpointing who, exactly, was yelling my name.

“Colby not in Blay’s hand.” Blay ran a zigzag pattern, tracing her evasive maneuvers. “Colby get Blay inbigtrouble.”

I should have warned him not to trust her where Clay was concerned. The kid was as loyal as they came. I shouldn’t have believed she would hang back when there was the slightest chance of recovering him.

“Clay,” Colby hollered at him. “Do you remember me?”

The tension drained out of him, and he stood there, transfixed by her. “Moth girl.”

A pinch of hurt pleated her features when he didn’t call her by name, but she soldiered on.

“That’s right.” She pirouetted above his head, careful to remain out of reach. “Did you miss me?”

“I…” Clay cocked his head to one side. “Moth girl left.” His lips pulled down into a frown. “I was. Glad.”

The broken language confused me when Clay had always sounded like a detached version of himself in the past. Not that he had spoken to me, exactly, but I had heard him converse with the director often.

Catching Blay’s eye, I motioned for him to hold steady while she tried reasoning with Clay.

“I was glad too, but when I got home, I missed Clay. I missedyou. I had to come see you.”

“Clay,” he repeated. “I’m not. Clay. He’s. Not me.”