Sin & Spirit (Demigod of San Francisco #4)(80)

My mood soured. “We won’t be kidnapping anyone, if that’s what you had in mind.”

He chuckled. “I figured. Your Demigod walks a fine line of morality, thanks to dear old dad, right? I doubt he’d want to tempt his dark side. Luckily, he probably won’t need to. He’s got…a way about him. People seem to like him. Want to hang around him. That Kraken is still working for him, for example. Most Demigod staffers, like the woman your kid killed, escape in death like they were afraid to escape in life. But not that Kraken. He’s just hanging around, hoping to be useful. It’s pretty…strange.”

“Jack is a good guy,” I said, sadness trickling through me. I’d been so focused on finding Daisy that I hadn’t gotten a chance to grieve. “He was dealt a bad hand.”

He paused for a moment, letting silence cradle us as we walked. I closed my eyes, taking in the comfort of the spirit around us. I’d much rather do that than let my brain focus on the fact that there was zero visibility, the colors were disco-style crazy, and I had no idea how to get back to reality. All I had right now was my potentially stupid trust in this guy.

“What I am saying is, if he hopes to guard you and keep his territory, he will need to expand. He probably already sees this, but if he doesn’t, you’ll need to prod him toward it. Maybe amass your own people, and the two of you can lead them together.”

“Why are you telling me this? Why not tell him?”

“Because I am of Hades, and he doesn’t trust me. I’m not sure if the former caused the latter, or if the two are unrelated, but there we are.” He paused again, and I felt a little hesitation in the air between us, a little resistance, as if he was debating how much to say.

“Out with it. No more clues. I always realize what they mean too late.”

“I don’t know about that, but you certainly do read clues where there weren’t any. Pulling your Demigod out of his body was an extremely risky thing to do, given your experience level. I’m not even sure the situation called for it.”

“You were watching and you didn’t help?”

“Yup. I’m a trainer, not your real-life training wheels.”

I nearly pushed him away in frustration, but fear kept me from doing it. I didn’t want to get stuck here—wherever this was—if I wasn’t touching him in some way. So I settled for a scowl he hopefully sensed.

“Well,” he said, and the feeling of his voice lowered to a whisper, “you didn’t hear this from me, because I really shouldn’t get involved unless I want to be dragged into this with you, but your Demigod will wish to react to this treachery, and he absolutely must not. He’ll know this, but if he needs guidance, you must give it. His strength is in the long game. His survival is in the long game. And your survival is with him. Unless you are a Demigod, you are exposed. Sad but true. And you are exposed most of all. You must seek shelter with him. Aid him, so that he might aid you. Protect him so that he might protect you. You are his armor. He is your future.”

I blew out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. “I was hoping for some light chatter and maybe a massage.”

“I can give you a massage. Which area were you thinking?”

I felt myself leaning on Harding less. Worry crept in. I needed to make sure everything worked out all right with Kieran, that his soul was soundly in his body and his body was mending. I needed to make sure Zorn didn’t have any damage, Daisy was seen to, and that Bria had that guy subdued.

Without realizing it, I was drifting, feeling my body now and letting its natural suction guide me. The feeling was faint, almost nonexistent compared to the soul link, which I didn’t want to tug for fear it might harm Kieran. Then I noticed the little silver string connected to my soul, strobing light. Hadn’t Bria told me that I reminded her of a strobe light?

I tugged on it and felt the anchor on the other end. My spirit drifted faster. This little string was the way home.

“Amazing.” Harding drifted with me, letting me lead. “You’re such a natural. I wonder…what is helping you through all this chaos?”

“My upbringing. Nothing has ever been normal. All you can do is adapt.”





32





Kieran





Kieran sat beside Alexis’s still body, laid out on the couch. The bleeding from her head had stopped, and if she’d had a concussion from falling, it was likely healed by now thanks to the blood connection.

“Still feel her?” Bria asked, sitting on the couch arm with the Possessor knocked out on the floor at her feet. She didn’t feel he deserved to be comfortable, and Kieran couldn’t agree more. If it weren’t for the information Kieran wanted, the man would be dead already.

“Yes,” Kieran said as Boman finished stitching up his neck. “She never fully disappeared this time. Nearly—she was a wisp for a while—but I could still feel her. It wasn’t like the other times.” He couldn’t know for sure, and likely Alexis wouldn’t either, but he had a feeling he’d developed a keener sensitivity to spirit after being fully immersed in it.

“She needs to go to the hospital.” Zorn stood next to Daisy, who was sitting on the floor against the couch, her eyes so heavily lidded that Kieran didn’t know how she hadn’t fallen asleep by now. Boman had fashioned a sling for her arm, but her wrist was broken, there was no doubt about it. She needed to have it professionally seen to.