Riders (Riders, #1)(45)

“So what then, Marcus?” Daryn said. “Are you going to leave? Ignore your ability, and the fact that you can call a horse from thin air and just go about your life?”

“There’s horses?”

“Well, yeah.” Bastian shrugged. “I mean, we’re horsemen.”

“Tell me something,” Marcus said. “Do I look like a cowboy to you?”

“We have to do whatever’s needed,” Daryn said. “If the Kindred—”

“I don’t have to do nothin’,” he said.

“Yes, you do,” she pressed. “You do, because right now there are demons out there who are organizing, and if we don’t—” She stopped suddenly, realizing what she’d just said. Then she sighed. “I didn’t want to drop that on you yet. But I guess I just did.”

Sebastian and Marcus weren’t moving. That word—demons—had shocked them both into silence, but I’d been expecting it. I think I’d known from the first time I saw Samrael at Joy’s party, but then there were the bone blades magically summoned at the studio, and the unnatural speed with which they moved. And last night, my little blind buddy. But hearing it from Daryn was still crazy. Having the confirmation. It still hit me hard.

Marcus spoke first. “Demons have come after you?” He didn’t wait for an answer. Just did an about-face and walked away.

“I’ll talk to him,” Bastian said. “I’ll make him hear reason.”

“Thanks, Bas,” Daryn said.

He went after Marcus.

My gaze went to Daryn. I’d only known her a few days. Not long. But I’d been kind of avoiding some obvious things about the way I felt around her. “Martin.”

She turned and saw me, then hopped off the hood and came over, pulling the door open. “How long have you been awake?” she asked.

“Long enough.”

Bastian and Marcus had stopped at the Mustang. The freeway was getting busier, cars and semis speeding past.

Daryn propped her foot on the skid bar. “He might actually be more work than you are,” she said, following my gaze.

“He’s the troublemaker. You’ll get used to me. But about last night…” The situation with Marcus had gotten way out of control. I was partially responsible for that. Time to own up. “I didn’t know he was going to be such an *, and—”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“I probably deserve that.”

“You definitely do. Let’s just forget about it.” She glanced through the windshield again. “We’ll get him on board. He doesn’t have anywhere else to go.”

“He said that?”

She paused, then shook her head. “No.”

“You know things, don’t you? About us? How much do you know?”

She watched me for a few moments like she was thinking about how to answer. “More than I want to sometimes,” she said. Then her foot came off the skid bar.

“Wait.” I didn’t want her to leave. I scrambled to say something. “How’s my face looking? Black and blue?”

She leaned back into the Jeep and squinted a little. Her hair slipped out of its knot and spilled over her shoulder. “You have a few bruises but they’re already getting better.”

“Bet you wish they weren’t.”

“I’m glad you’re healing. But I’ll admit … I didn’t mind seeing you get put in your place.”

She meant Marcus, but she put me in my place all the time. “Daryn…” I felt like I was staring at her, but I couldn’t make myself stop. She was just so steady. And pretty. “I know I wasn’t very cool to you last night. I just didn’t want you in harm’s way.”

“Thanks for saying sorry. I’m pretty sure that’s what that was.”

“You’re correct. Thanks for interpreting my apology.”

She smiled. With the desert glowing gold and amber all around, so much like her, it was a perfect smile. No secrets. No hesitation. Like she’d laid the full measure of herself on me.

It leveled me.

I reached for her hand, which was surprising to both of us. But I was already committed so I wove my fingers through hers, keeping it smooth. Under control. Maybe I even came across a little jaded, going into instant damage control.

Daryn went really still. She stared at her hand in my hand. Hers, perfect and smooth. Mine, bruised and crusted with dried mud. I could’ve probably thought through this a little better. “What are you doing?” she asked.

At least we were on the same page there.

“I just wanted to hold your hand for a second. It’s nothing. I hold hands with people all the time.”

Her smile made a small comeback, but she didn’t look up. “Are you going to hold Sebastian’s hand?”

“Uh, no. The thought hasn’t crossed my mind.”

“Marcus?”

“No.” He was no joking matter. The guy was a problem waiting to happen.

“Gideon, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

That didn’t seem like a very clear directive. “If you want me to stop holding your hand, I will. Do you?”

She met my eyes. Everything stopped. The clouds. The planets. Time. Everything. “There’s something I have to tell you,” she said.