Page 23 of Homesick, Lovesick
Beside him, Lynwood said nothing, not even looking up from where he was restlessly yanking up grass by the fistful.Looked like somebody was anxious about what would be happening to him.Ronan spared a moment to consider getting them some wet cloths to clean their faces, then said fuck that and went to bed.
He woke up to the sound of Benny's strident voice, and jerked up.Damn it, had Match let him sleep on and on, forcing himself to stay awake?He glanced belatedly at his watch, which said it was a little after seven in the morning.When he'd gone to bed it had been a little after one.No way they should be here already, with prep work, a five-hour drive at least, probably longer, and then hiking out to them.Well, driving, 'cause he didn't doubt Benny had in fact come in on four wheelers.
Climbing out of bed, he stepped from the tent and looked around.Yeah, four wheelers.Five of them, and could seat two apiece.Benny, Traci, Minerva, and a dude he didn't recognize, but who was clearly a cop by his black and purple uniform.
Ronan had never entirely liked cops.He'd seen far too many of them be entirely too buddy buddy with people like his parents.And he hadn't forgotten the way they'd been treated while that dirtbag mayor had been trying to oust Match.But cops were important, because if the Guard had to handle all the petty ass bullshit like bickering neighbors and kids doing dumb pranks with magic, they'd never get any of their real work done.
This one didn't give offassholevibes, though.
"Hey," he said, then cleared his throat and tried again."Hey, nerds!"
They all turned around, and Traci shrieked before bolting over and hugging him tightly."Hey, Ro.Sorry if we woke you.How are you feeling?"
"Homesick, honestly."He hugged her back just as tightly, then slowly let go."How did you guys get here so fast?You should barely be finished driving with all that stupid construction."
Benn scoffed."Driving, please.I called in a favor, and we took a helicopter."
"A…you…a fuckinghelicopter?"
"Yep.Landed close to the camp—with permission and everything, I didn't skip that part, don't give me that look—and immediately set to work.Penny is supervising the people I called to take care of your car.I related everything you told me to Minerva and some of the others."His face said he wasn't terribly impressed with most of them."I also told the police.Two of them stayed behind at the camp to start questioning people and looking into things.One is retrieving the tent you had to leave behind.And Officers Lockley and Thomas came with us.We just arrived a few minutes ago.We were about to wake you up.Would have been here sooner, but meeting up with everyone at camp and coordinating how to get out here to you took some time.Sorry you couldn't sleep longer."
"It's fine.I'll crash when we're home.Where's Match?"
"He went with Officer Thomas to examine the golem.Poor thing," Benny said, looking angry and sad.His first kill, the one that had definitively made him a paladin, had been a rabid golem.He had a soft spot for them, and always did his best to get them home rather than kill them, no matter if it took them hours to do it.He glared across the clearing where Marvin and Lynwood sat like their whole world was ending.Fuckinggood.
Minerva looked somber, and twenty years older, as she faced Ronan."Apologies aren't enough, Ronan, but I do apologize for the behavior of my son.I did not authorize such things, I did not know about them, which is a failing all its own, and I am deeply, deeply sorry they violated and endangered you that way.I am ashamed to call Lynwood my son right now, but his failings are my responsibility, and I won't shirk them.He'll be properly punished, and recompense paid."
"I don't need recompense, I'm well aware that just because some of a family is shitty doesn't mean the whole family is shitty.I'm sorry he let you down in such an awful way."
"You're kind."She touched his arm lightly, then strode across the clearing to crouch down and speak with Lynwood.
Ronan turned back to Benny."I don't understandwhy.I mean, Lynwood I sort of get.He wanted to impress Match, I think, while also making me look bad.Not sure why he was so determined to hook Match, but I mean, I get being crazy about him.Notthatcrazy, but…"
It was Officer Lynley who said, "I can't really say much as it's an ongoing investigation, but it seems to me there's a lot of politics and internal turmoil at play…" He shrugged."May I examine your arm?"
Ronan stripped off his fleece hoodie and held out his right arm.Lynley touched a tattoo on the back of his right hand and pressed it to the scar much like Match had hours ago, and a faint orange light emitted from it before fading again.He snapped several pictures with a small camera he pulled from a pocket."Confirmation of both a draw spell and a time spell."He put the camera away, pulled out a small notebook, and jotted several things down.After he was done writing, he put the notebook away and pulled a laptop from the bag on the ground.Once he'd opened it and logged in or whatever, he said, "So tell me the whole of the tale from your perspective.Every last, seemingly stupid detail you can think of."
Ronan sorely wanted a cup of coffee first, but the idea of a random cup of coffee that could have come from anywhere just made him tense, so instead he grabbed his water bottle from his tent really quick and then told the whole sordid tale.He started with meeting Lynwood and went through to tying the bastards up and going the fuck to bed.
When he was done, he was ready to crawl back into bed.Or just sleep right there on the ground, he genuinely didn't care.
"Thank you, I'm sorry you had to do that," Lynley said."Sit down, get some rest.I might have more questions as this goes along, but for now just relax."He walked off toward the group across the clearing, and Ronan looked around for something halfway decent to sit on.
"Hang on," Benny said with a grin."I came prepared!'
Ronan smiled."Of course you did."
Whistling cheerfully, Benny went to the four wheelers and with Traci's help, soon had improved their campsite by miles.Chairs, a little grill, coolers.Ronan hadn't even noticed until now that two of the four wheelers had little trailers on them.Of course they did.Benny was nothing if not thorough, and a chance to grill outside?Comfort his stressed, unhappy friends?He'd probablyrunto the grocery store and left Traci to do most of the other packing, the dork.
Just as Benny was taking hotdogs and hamburgers off the grill, Match and Thomas returned."You're awake!"Match said."I was hoping they'd let you sleep, but I guess that wasn't possible."
Ronan stood and caught him up in a tight hug, kissed him briefly."What did you do with the golem?"
"Burned it, poor thing, but it will go to the forest now, which is something."Match yawned."Food smells awesome.What did you do, Benny, bring an entire pantry?"
"Obviously.Figured we'd be out here with the questioning and stuff for a bit, and that you'd like better than whatever freeze dried bullshit you've been eating."
"Amen," Ronan said.
