Page 45 of Wild Wolf

“No,” he growled. “Just forget it.” He headed for the door but Rosalie entered before he made his escape.

“We forgot Hastings,” she blurted, her eyes bright with concern.

“Jack,” Cain cursed, trying to move up the stairs to exit the cabin, but Rosalie pressed a hand to his chest.

“We’ll turn back. We’ll find him,” she reassured him then hurried back up the stairs with Cain in tow.

I shot after them, moving so fast that I crashed into Cain on the deck, my foot catching on a rope and sending me flying. He caught me by the collar before I could faceplant and righted me then snatched his hand back and stalked away before anyone noticed what he’d done.

I followed Rosalie along the deck to where Sin was sitting on the railing, humming a song and casting wind at the sails.

“We need to turn back,” she called to him and Ethan looked up from his spot further down the deck. “We forgot Hastings.”

“Isn’t that Hastings?” Sin pointed at Cain.

“That’s Cain,” Rosalie said with a frown.

Sin barked a laugh. “Oh right yeah, he looks like a totally different man with that moustache drawn onto his upper lip. Perfect disguise.”

Cain glared at him, prowling forward like he planned on punching Sin, but Rosalie placed a hand to his chest to stop him.

“Wait, I think…I can hear Jack,” Cain said and I realised I could too as I angled my attention towards the sea.

“Yeah, we all hear the echoes of his death cries,” Sin said morosely. “Long shall we remember little Hastlings.”

“Hastings,” Cain snapped at him, then hurried to the rail and looked over the side. I shot over to join him, peering out too and blinked in surprise as I spotted Hastings far out on the water clinging to a barrel and propelling himself along with water magic.

“Guysss!” he called. “I’m heeeere!”

Cain pulled off his shirt, drawing Rosalie’s attention then he kicked off his shoes, dropped his pants and dove overboard. He powered through the waves, swimming for Hastings and rounding him up, using his Vampire speed to increase the pace his friend was moving at.

When Cain hauled him on deck, I took in the bedraggled Hastings who looked like he’d been through hell and back. He fell to the floor, panting then rolling onto his back and giggling, kicking his legs.

“What’s wrong with the bub?” Sin asked, butting in between Cain and Rosalie to inspect Hastings. Ethan came hurrying over to look too and Hastings started laughing again.

“The sea went awoosh and asplash. Saw a sharky out there who nipped at my toes, but I’m the king of the critters now. They won’t harm me. I led them all to safety, you know? It’s their island now. Their haven of wilderness. Boom and a splash I went. I saw the fire, oh it went burn, burn, burn it did.” I noticed some scratches and small bite marks beneath the torn, dirty shirt he was wearing.

Sin nudged Hastings with his toe. “He’s broken. Better put him out of his misery.” He took a damn machete from his hip which he’d gotten from the stars only knew where but Rosalie swore at him in Faetalian until he stowed it at his hip again.

“Did you…use the jazzy eyes by any chance, Jack?” she asked softly and he grinned up at her.

“You’re pretty like a strawberry cake,” he sighed.

“Thanks. But, the jazzy eyes? Do you remember taking a shot of it?” Rosalie pressed.

“It stabbed me in the…ass,” he whispered.

“Oh that sounds all kinds of accidental,” Sin said, winking at him and Hastings blinked back very slowly and intentionally.

“Is that the shit your great uncle Marco swears by?” I asked Rosalie in a low tone. “You know, the one with the twitches and that weird, faraway smile who always kinda smells like cabbages and-”

“The side effects are only permanent in him because he used it too often,” Rosalie cut me off, giving Hastings a wary look. “Jack probably just needs to rest and I’m sure he’ll be back to himself in no time,” she said. “Ethan, carry him into the cabin.”

He did as she asked, scooping him up and carrying him away while Cain took a syringe of jazzy eyes from his pocket and tossed it overboard with a scowl.

“How far from shore are we?” I asked Sin who was twisting his syringe between his fingers while his eyes skipped from me to Cain then Rosalie as if he was making a very important choice.

“Two plops and a skippity hop,” he answered and I plucked the syringe from his fingers with a whip of water magic while he was distracted, tossing it overboard after Cain’s. He scowled at me in outrage and I gave him a dry look before turning to Rosalie. “Translation?”

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