Page 24 of Oathborn
“Music,” Javen said, through gritted teeth. “There’s music.”
Shoving his way past, Javen moved as if the building was on fire. He grabbed his coat, pulling it on without bothering to button it. His hand dropped, checking the sword at his hip, and then, he swung the front door open.
Only then did the actions register to Tobias. “Hey! Where are you going?” Tobias scrambled to grab his own gear, though his pistol, belt, and coat were all in opposite corners, and his hat was nowhere in sight.
By the time he got outside, Javen was glaring at a young woman whose dark brown curls bobbed as she argued back. She stamped a foot, clearly frustrated with the conversation.
As Tobias drew closer, he realized the woman speaking was none other than Zari Ankmetta, the nurse from the hospital. She’d played chess with him on her breaks, helping the long days of recovery pass a little faster. Tobias had appreciated her company, even if she’d beaten him every game.
Now, he saw the same intelligence in her eyes as she stared down Javen. Though much shorter than him, she clearly wasn’t intimidated by him. “You insufferable man, I need you to listen to me.”
“Is that not what I’m doing?” Javen drawled. “I believe you meant to say,I need you to do as I say, which I assure you, I will not.”
Zari glared at him. “My friend has gone missing.”
“My condolences.” There wasn’t a trace of sympathy in his tone.
“I suspect the fae are involved.” She brandished a small piece of thick, off-white paper. “You were so helpful with the silverbane, I thought you might—”
“Might what?” Javen cut her off. “Have something to do with this missing acquaintance of yours?”
“No! I thought you’dhelp!She’s clearly in danger, and—” Zari didn’t finish her sentence. The words were snatched away by the howling of a sudden gale of wind. It knocked her backward, and Tobias sprang forward to support her. The gust carried an unmistakable hint of seaweed and salt, reminding Tobias of the shift in weather that would precede a hurricane back home.
They were far, far, from any shoreline here in the capital.
“You alright?” he asked Zari, who stood, frozen, staring instead at Javen. The captain seemed to have been mostly unaffected by the current of wind, though his cigarette had fallen from his hand, and his usually perfectly held back black hair tumbled over his ears and face.
The dark strands did nothing to hide the fury in his glare.
“Don’t let the girl leave your sight,” Javen snarled. “And tell no one else of her message.” Javen turned up the collar of his jacket, as if to block the wind’s chill from his exposed neck. The gale had already died down, as quickly as it began.
Tobias stared. Perhaps the stress was getting to him, because he was sure he’d seen somethingglowingon Javen’s skin. “Captain,” he began.
Javen ignored him. He cut past them both, despite Zari’s shouted complaints, to where the motorbikes were parked. With a roar of the engine, it took off, and Javen disappeared down the road.
As Zari pulled away, she said, “Did you see his eyes?”
“See what, exactly?” Tobias cleared his throat and decided not to mention what he thought he’d seen, either. Giving voice to something made it real. “The captain’s always like that. Not really the warm and fuzzy type.”
“No,” she said. “Didn’t you see…” but she trailed off, shaking her head. “Forget it.”
“Hold on just a minute.” Tobias tried his best to sound like he was in control, rather than completely lost. “Maybe you should come in and have a seat, miss. A glass of water and some food, before we—”
“No.” Zari shook her head. Her brown eyes were wide, but he saw no other signs of fear in her, only stubborn conviction. “I’m going to go after my friend.”
“But Captain Javen said—”
“Do you have a better idea?”
Tobias pulled at the collar of his uniform. No, he had no better ideas at all. “The cathedral is close by. I pass it on my way here.” He turned, hoping he might see a trace of Javen’s motorbike on the road, but there was nothing, not even another car.
The roar of another engine made him leap in shock. There had been no one else stationed here tonight, no one with keys for a motorbike. When he saw who had revved the engine, he cursed with every word he knew.
Zari was astride the second motorbike, her hand turning the key he’d stupidly left in the ignition. She didn’t hesitate. Instead, she took off, the bike wobbling unsteadily as it moved. Tobias leapt out of the way before she ran him over.
“Stop!” Tobias cried, which was pointless, because she’d already ridden out of earshot. In other words, he’d managed to completely fail at the one task Javen had ever given him.
Chapter eight
