Page 13 of Wonder
Ophelia and Morris scrambled to their feet. “Is that Misha Collins?”
I blinked and reassessed Ms. Jackson’s appearance. “Hah. No. Ms. Jackson has chosen that form to represent themselves for now. You may see them in a different form later.”
I ignored the muttering as all of the former captives went to stand in a group by the table. Ms. Jackson gave us all a brief wave before sitting down cross-legged on the other side of Nicky’s head from me.
“Thanks for coming, Ms. Jackson. This is Nicol, but he’s going by Nicky now. You were originally his companion when you were both young. Do you remember?” They hadn’t remembered me when we’d met again a few months ago, but they’d had a much closer relationship with Nicky.
“No.” They examined Nicky’s body. “He will require a long convalescence.” They met my eyes. “Is he safe from the other vampires?”
I made a face. “Not yet. Two still live.”
They nodded and looked down at Nicky again. They reached under their rune-covered trench coat and dug their fingers into their side, pulling out a handful of their essence, which glittered in the sunlight. Gently lifting Nicky’s head, they smeared the essence over the bloody spot and rubbed the remainder over his chest.
I looked up as Shane told Reno that Ms. Jackson would need to eat soon.
“Shit, they’re not the only one. Hey, Shirley?”
She’d been speaking to Anika by the snack table, but she walked over immediately. “What’s up, hon?”
Reno gestured at Nicky. “Any idea what foods would be easy for Nicky to digest when he wakes up?” He glanced at me. “Shirley used to be a nurse.”
She frowned. “Soup. Broth. Small quantities frequently.” She turned and addressed the former captives. “Is he vegetarian?”
They shook their heads. “No.” Thomas scowled. “And there’s no reason for him to be so thin. Those fuckers never gave Nicky as much food as the rest of us got. And he was always tied up, so it wasn’t like we could toss him some of ours.”
Ms. Jackson’s expression turned sad, and they ran their hand over Nicky’s forehead.
Shirley put her hands on her hips and turned her head to consider the snack table. “We’ve got some puddin’ cups and applesauce we could try him on, but he’ll need protein.”
“On it.” Reno tapped at his phone, then lifted it to his ear. “Hey, Tia? Do you have any of yourcaldo de polloalready made?” His shoulders relaxed. “Yeah? Would it be too much trouble for you to run some of that by my house? I’ve got a crime victim who’s not in good shape.”
My mouth curled up. I had the best mate anyone could ask for.
As if he felt me watching him, Reno glanced up and met my eyes. He gave me a puzzled smile but said into the phone, “I’m going to ask if he wants to stay with me, and that’ll probably mean three or four people total. I can let you know. Your tamales will be much appreciated.” He dropped his head forward andpinched the bridge of his nose. “No, Tia, sorry to disappoint you.”
Nicky’s fingers flexed in mine, and I whipped my head around to stare at him. His face had a little more color, and his breathing was stronger. His magic even threw off a few sparks, and I could see a faint outline of his core.
I looked over at the former captives. “Can one of you come over here, please?” I jerked my chin toward Nicky. “He’s waking up. He’ll want to see a familiar face.”
“Yes!” Thomas rushed over and sat on the ground next to Ms. Jackson. I kept my hands in plain sight and gave him a nod of thanks.
“The rest of you, please give him space until he gets his bearings, okay?” They all agreed, hanging back but watching intently.
Nicky squeezed my fingers again. Ms. Jackson stroked his head right as his eyes opened. He blinked and squinted up at them. “Castiel? What...? Am I dreaming?”
Thomas patted Nicky’s leg. “Hey, Nicky. You’re okay. We’re free now.”
He frowned. “Thomas?”
“Yeah, it’s me.” He waved a hand around. “Look! We’re outside!”
Nicky blinked again, glanced at the sky, then focused on me. His eyes went wide, and he emitted a high-pitched keening sound. He raised up on his elbows and tried to scoot away from me. “No! No!”
Oh, shit.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER, 1946
I steeled my nerves and approached the wolf shifter I’d been following for the last twenty minutes. We were alone on the street, and I assumed he was headed back to his lodgings from the pub where I’d noticed him.
