Page 37 of Wonder
“A family of three. The daughter is in her twenties.” We both stared at the screen. “I can’t think of a benign reason for someone to have a costume this detailed and accurate.”
“You’re thinking about the Wonder trafficking.”
“Yep. Have someone stand in a shadow wearing this, and she might go investigate? Or any Wonder would, really.” I ran my hands through my hair and blew out a breath. “I don’t want to alarm anyone unnecessarily, especially with everything else going on. I’ll find out who lives in that apartment and make a plan from there.”
“A reminder not to go anywhere alone wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
I nodded and clicked on my web browser to bring up Discord. I winced at all the unread posts in both the District server and my private messages. “I’ll deal with these later.” I didn’t bother scrolling through them. I posted asking everybody to remember to always have someone with them when in public, and I promised to read all their messages and get back to them as soon as I could.
It was a relief to close the browser.
“That was a lot of messages. They’ve been texting your phone as well?”
I groaned. “Yeah. I responded to most of the texts earlier, but I haven’t touched Discord for a day or so.” I sighed. “It’s not their fault. Having a connection to a DM, who has DM abilities and can tell when they’re in trouble, is a lot more reassuring than having me as merely a kind of point of contact for relaying any important information.”
Simon studied me. “You’re holding yourself to the same standards as someone who was born with the magic to do the job?”
I rubbed my forehead and peered at him from underneath my hand. “No. Well, not intellectually. But my gut doesn’t like letting them down. And now this.” I sat up and waved at the laptop. “How the hell can I figure this out when we have two vampires running around putting all the Wonders in danger?”
Simon looked at me like I was missing something obvious.
“What?”
“You don’t have to do everything yourself. I’m here. I can hack into most systems. If we need to go somewhere in person, we can either leave Nicky and Jackson with the Hunters or we can take them with us.” He put his hand on my arm and our magics danced together in happiness. “Reno, you’re not alone.”
Oh, shit. I couldnotget a crush on Simon.
FIVE MILES OUTSIDE ZALIM, SAUDI ARABIA – MAY, 1964
I braked sharply, unable to believe my luck. In town, the locals had exclaimed over how I’d just missed two men who’d “looked like me”, and I’d raced to catch up to them. A car was stopped on the side of the road, both doors open. Several yards into the desert, an abandoned pack, walking stick, and a trail of clothes told me they’d spotted a shifter and had given chase.
I put the car in Park, then grabbed my knife and gun and jumped out. The trail was easy to follow. The shifter had been making for some rock formations up ahead, and theluchd-òl folafollowing them weren’t being quiet about it.
“Here, puppy!” They made laughing noises. “We’re not going to hurt you. We only want to talk to you!”
Yeah, no one ever believed that.
Not wanting them to hear my footsteps, I misted to the top of the tallest rock and reformed, crouching down to peer over the side.
Ruari and Murdo were trying to capture a hyena shifter who’d backed into a divot between two rocks. Ruari, the one who’d been taunting them, darted forward, causing the shifter tolunge and swipe with their claws. He danced back, staying to the shifter’s right side. Murdo stood off to the left, hiding behind the rocks. The shifter would either tire itself out defending against Ruari, or they would bolt for what appeared to be an opening to the left, and Murdo would take them down.
Ruari made the weird laughing sounds again, and I realized he’d been trying to mimic a hyena. Badly. I aimed my gun at his head and fired. He dropped. The shifter backed further into the crevice, and Murdo flattened himself against the side of the rock.
I jumped to the ground, firing immediately at Murdo when he looked around the corner.
“Sìomon? What the hell are you doing here?”
I didn’t answer, misting over the rock and reforming in the air above him. His instincts had him ducking away, and the knife I’d been aiming at the back of his neck as I fell hit his hip instead.
He collapsed beneath me but then misted before I could stab him anywhere else. Cursing, I got to my feet as he flew toward the car. If I chased him, there was no guarantee I’d catch him, and Ruari might wake up before I could return here.
“Fuck!” But better one died than neither.
I trudged around the rock, startling when I came face-to-face with the hyena shifter, who I’d stupidly forgotten about in my eagerness to kill Murdo. They were bigger than they’d seemed from above, with impressive claws and teeth. Their growl echoed against the rocks.
“Hey, I’m not here for you. You’re free to leave.” I forced down my battle mode, causing my claws to retract and my eyes to return to their normal color. Holding my hands out to the side, I leaned down and carefully placed my knife and gun on the ground. Then I backed up against the rock and gestured at them to return the way they’d come. “Go on now. Maybe stay around people for the next few days, though. I don’t know where the rest of them are.”
They edged past me, watching me warily, and with one last contemptuous lip curl they ran for their belongings and the road.
