Riders (Riders, #1)(91)

I’d lost it. I’d sat down on the gravel and cried like a baby.

Everything became clear to me in that moment. How my anger had actually been guilt. How my guilt had actually been a crutch. How that crutch was what I’d been using to avoid the pain. I felt the pain that afternoon. My heart broke on that riverbank. It felt so broken, I thought it was going to kill me. But then I’d felt hot horse breath on my forehead, and when I’d looked up, there he was. Riot. Looking at me like, I’m still right here. Get up. Let’s keep going.

And we did keep going. I did. I have.

Because of him.

My horse.

I never expected it.

That Riot would give me what I needed to let go. To move on.

But he did.

“I’m curious.” Cordero sits back in her chair and studies me. “How does it feel to become fire?”

“Indescribable.”

Cordero rubs her knuckles, and then taps her fingers on the desk. “Some people might call that a cop-out, Gideon.”

“You’re asking me what it’s like to transform into something else?”

Black eyes hold on mine.

I instantly regret opening my mouth. I’m strapped down. Defenseless.

I glance at the door.

Where the hell is Beretta? It’s been at least half an hour since he left.

Cordero notices. “He has been gone a while, hasn’t he? Maybe he got tied up.”

Cordero stands and rounds the desk, coming toward me.

“Ma’am,” Texas says, “I don’t think—”

“It’s fine,” she says, cutting him off. “I want to take a look at something.”

Cordero’s smart, approaching from my right. Steering clear of any chance I have with my sword.

Texas’s hand drifts toward his sidearm.

“I wanted to see this up close.” Cordero kneels beside me—but it’s Malaphar’s stench that invades my nose. She places her hand on my arm, and my muscles jump. A sick feeling climbs my throat. “Are your abilities linked to this?”

I can’t even answer.

“Let’s try another question,” Cordero says. “You’ve said you can sense the other riders through this, like you’re pieces of a whole. Can you sense them now?”

All I hear is Daryn’s voice.

With the four of you together, they’ll be able to track us faster.

The Kindred are attracted to its power.

I see Alevar on the streets outside the Vatican, pointing at the radio in my hand.

Not at the radio.

At my wrist.

At the cuff.

“You’re not answering. Am I invading your personal space?” Cordero says, except it’s not her voice anymore. There’s gravel in it, and it’s getting slightly deeper.

“Sorry, Gideon. It seems like I’ve made you uncomfortable.” She rises and sits on the edge of the desk, right in front of me. “You’ve been extremely helpful so far, so I’m going to bend the rules a little and tell you something I probably shouldn’t. You’ve been worried about Daryn, I’m sure. Dare. I do like it when you call her that. But you don’t need to be worried anymore.” Her smile is mocking. “She’s here. Daryn is right outside with some of my colleagues. Isn’t that great news?”

Breathe, Blake. Breathe.

Cordero smirks. “You’ve gone so quiet on me, Gideon, just as we’re reaching the final showdown. Well, I’m assuming it’s the final showdown. Maybe it isn’t. I haven’t heard the full story yet, have I? Let’s finish up. I’m sure you’re eager to see Daryn. Keep cooperating, and you’ll see that she’s doing fine.” Cordero pauses, giving me a hellish smile. “And still in one piece.”





CHAPTER 52

In a lot of ways, the night the Kindred showed up was like any other.

The five of us were inside the hut, crammed around the tiny fireplace as we tried to stay warm. Our new hobby was betting on horse races and, not surprisingly, Jode was becoming a rich man. Our betting currency—Norwegian chocolate bars—sat in front of him like a miniature stack of gold bullion.

“Never bet against me,” he said, his mouth lifting in a cocky smile. “You’ll only regret it.”

“Can’t we have other kinds of competitions?” I asked. In elemental form, no one was faster than Lucent. In horse form, Shadow and Ruin ran pretty even. Riot and I were the only ones who never won and it was starting to get old. “Tests of strength, for example.”

Bas smiled. “How about which horse can plow the fastest? That’d be fun. Riot would definitely win that.”

“Or which horse has the finest high-step,” Jode offered.

“Or is the most conspicuous,” Daryn said.

“Weighs the most,” Marcus said.

They were having fun messing with me, but I could feel the tension beneath the surface.

Earlier that day, Daryn had told us she felt one of her headaches coming on. We were all wondering if this was going to be it. If we’d finally learn where we needed to take the key.

As the night wore on, despite our efforts to keep things light, it started to feel like we were on Daryn watch. Then as it grew even later, like we’d gotten our hopes up for nothing.