Page 46 of Wolf Queen Ruin
The car—a different car than last night, this one a nondescript black sedan—pulled away from the curb, carrying us toward the private airfield where Damien’s jet waited.I watched Felix, one arm raised in farewell, and the Repository recede in the back window, taking a piece of my heart.
“Someone wants you to stay with your maker instead of chasing a legend,” I guessed.
It’s what I would want if I were dying—loved ones near, not risking their lives on a desperate quest.
Damien’s gaze remained fixed out the side window.“Elliot wants me to find the cure.He’s not one for deathbed sentimentality.”
Something in his tone suggested a complicated relationship, like respect and duty mingled with something less easily defined.
“What will you do if we don’t find the Shadow Fang in time?”I asked.
“That’s not an option.”His fingers tightened on his phone until I heard the plastic case creak in protest.“For either of us.”
He was right.
Hours later, as Panama City appeared several thousand feet below, Felix’s question echoed in my mind.Do you trust him?
I glanced at Damien’s profile, his features carved in stone as he stared into the gathering clouds below the plane.
Whether I trusted him or not, we were two desperate people heading into one of the most dangerous places on Earth, guided by fragmented legends and driven by the imminent loss of those we loved.
What could possibly go wrong?
Chapter fourteen
Luna
“Youdounderstandthisis suicide, yes?”Eduardo Vega’s weathered face creased as he examined our equipment on the rickety dock.“The Gap doesn’t forgive mistakes, especially not from outsiders.”
Panama City’s humidity clung to my skin like a second layer as I double-checked my waterproof pack.We’d spent the afternoon locating Felix’s contact—a process that had involved three different bars, an uncomfortable conversation with a parrot-keeping fortune teller, and more cash than I liked to think about.
“We’re aware of the risks,” Damien replied, his voice carrying that particular blend of aristocratic boredom and subtle threat.
His attention remained focused on the small, flat-bottomed boat bobbing in the murky water.He’d been increasingly tense since receiving yet another call during our flight.He even snapped at me for having to go to the bathroom at the airport.
“Fine, I’ll just go right here, then.”I’d thrown my head back and pretended to go right in the middle of the baggage claim.
Needless to say, I’d won that battle, and he hadn’t complained about my tiny bladder since.
Eduardo laughed, a sound like gravel in a tin can.“No, señor, you are not aware of the risks.Nobody is aware of The Gap’s risks until they’re already dead from them.”He tapped his scarred left temple.“I’ve lost thirty-two men in those jungles over the years.Good men who knew the terrain.You are tourists with expensive toys.”
“Yet you’re still willing to take us,” I said, pointing to the boat.
Eduardo shrugged.“The fee you’re paying will support my sister’s children for years.If you wish to die, who am I to refuse such generosity?”
We had offered triple his asking price, not double as Theo suggested—partly to ensure his cooperation and partly because the gleam in his eye when we’d mentioned our destination suggested he might sell our location to less savory interests otherwise.Like Marcel.
Of course, he might do that anyway.
“We don’t plan on dying,” I said, strapping a machete to my hip.
“Nobody does, bonita.”Eduardo’s gaze lingered on my face.“You have shifter eyes.Wolf?”
I stiffened and looked away.“Once upon a time.”
“That might help you.The old magic in The Gap responds differently to different bloods.”His attention turned to Damien, his eyes narrowing.“But you, señor… The jungle does not welcome your kind.”
Damien moved closer, his presence suddenly filling the dock space as though the air itself had condensed around him.When he spoke, his voice had dropped to a register that raised goose bumps along my arms.
