“Dave, what are you doing here?” I groan.
Dave pushes past Gabrio, who flexes his fist like he’s about to take off Dave’s head. Funny how Dave has that effect on everyone.
“You haven’t been answering your phone, and I was worried. I have a check for you and—” Dave’s eyes go wide as he takes in my emaciated form. “What happened? Are you sick? Is that where you’ve been, in the hospital?”
I look down at my horribly thin body. Underneath my dirty plaid shirt are ribs that stick out and tons of bruises I acquired while escaping the Blood King. I haven’t seen myself in a mirror yet, but I can only imagine what I look like. For sure, my long dark hair is matted. I haven’t brushed it in days. My brown eyes are probably framed by a lovely swath of red from the lack of sleep.
“I’m getting better now,” I say. “But you can’t be here, Dave. It’s not a good time.”
Dave flashes a worried look at Gabrio, who’s still standing in the doorway with clenched fists, the veins on his strong neck popping out.
“Who’s he, your bouncer?” Dave asks.
“A friend,” I say. “And you really need to go.”
“Yes. That is an excellent idea. And take her with you,” Gabrio says.
I snap my head in his direction. What is he doing? “I’m not leaving.”
“Yes, you are.” Gabrio looks at Dave. “Give us a moment.”
Dave frowns, his gaze bouncing between us. “Lake?”
“It’s fine, Dave. I’ll be out in a minute.” I get to my feet and wave him out.
“Be sure you take her to eat fatty meat,” Gabrio says. “She will need the protein to regain her muscle.”
Dave hesitates until I give him the nod.
“I’ll be right outside,” Dave says.
Gabrio slams the door behind him.
“What are you doing?” I whisper, stepping closer so Dave won’t overhear us through the door.
“I smelled something outside,” Gabrio replies, his voice low.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Like what?”
“Not what. Who.”
“Someone’s here? Now?”
“Yes. Benicio did not waste time. You must leave. I will prevent them from following you. Have Dave take you to Bardolf’s nephew. His family will know somewhere safe.”
As hard as it is to believe, I’ve never met them, but now that I’ve learned Bard is originally a Wall Man, I can only assume this family is from the same clan, group, kingdom—whatever. I don’t know why they ended up here in my world, but Alwar said they crossed over before the War People vowed not to enter. It makes me wonder just how many monsters, or ex-monsters, reside here. Nope. Nope. Actually, I don’t want to know.
“I don’t have Mike’s address,” I say. “I’ll have to call.” Bard used to visit Mike every once in a while and gave me the number so I could reach him in case of an emergency.
Gabrio goes into Bard’s bedroom and returns with a small leather notebook. I’ve never seen it before. “The location is in here, along with a note Bardolf left you.” He holds it out.
My heart thumps loudly inside my chest as I stare at the book. “A note? For me?”
“Yes.” He shoves it into my hands. “Now go.”
I press the book to my chest. “What about Master?”
Master is now standing, ready to sprint out the door. The strip of hair down the center of his back is standing straight up like a mohawk. I’ve only seen him do that once before.
“Master has vowed to protect you,” Gabrio says, “and he knows his best chance of doing so is by helping me hunt the Blood King’s soldiers who’ve come for you.”
I gaze down into Master’s big brown eyes. I still can’t handle asking what sort of creature he is. Or was. “I love you, furball. Be careful, okay?”
He grunts and snarls at the closed door, as if to say I’m being ridiculous and to stop wasting precious time.
“Lake! Are you coming?” Dave knocks from the outside.
Gabrio reaches for the door but stops. He stands silent for a moment.
Does he hear something? “Are they out there?”
He turns his head and stares with a pained look.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” I frown with confusion. The air in the room suddenly feels heavy. My heart feels heavy, too. The expression on his face—the shrugged brows, the intense green eyes, the flat lips—reminds me so much of Bard. Over the years, I’d come to learn that Bard’s silence had more meaning than his words. Is it a Wall Man thing? Because I somehow know what Gabrio’s trying to say. “This is goodbye, isn’t it?”
He nods.
Oh God. Gabrio doesn’t expect to have more time no matter what happens with the men who’ve come here for me. That means he’s expecting the No Ones soon, or he’s still determined to cross the bridge and go home. This is where we part ways.