Jagged Embrace

Chapter 77 - Ander

The door opened behind Ander, but he did not turn to see who it was and continued to stare at the trees across the road. For a while, he had slipped and found he walked in a forest full of pine trees and crisp air. It was much more pleasant than the muggy, humid air that surrounded him now. Fortunately, a car backfired and yanked him back to reality. Will stepped forward and lit one of his black cigarettes.

"Are you finished?" Ander asked, unable to keep the curt tone from his words.

Will inhaled and raised an eyebrow.

"You know I prefer some warning before you engage in..." Ander averted his eyes.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Wasn't a planned thing. You know how it can be sometimes." He inhaled again. "Well, maybe you don't."

Ander wanted to respond, but could not disagree with Will's words.

"I'll try to be better about that."

"I suppose things are mended between you two again?" Ander forced his tone to be more conversational.

"Yeah, it's weird. I don't stay angry at her. Not like I do with other people." Will's voice turned thoughtful.

Ander agreed with his statement but remained silent. His own frustration or ire surged often, but a look or a small touch from Maeve and it disappeared from existence. It was disconcerting to Ander how often his temper spiked now. He no longer felt in control of his emotions. It was extremely dangerous for many reasons.

"Thanks for talking to her. Before, I mean. I think it helped."

"Of course," Ander replied. His mind strayed to their conversation, how she gazed at him. His blood pressure increased.

"I don't think she's let go of the mission. She's probably gonna try to convince me."

Ander turned his head toward his cousin. "Are you going to allow her to?"

"Your arm really not that bad?" Will inhaled again and gestured to Ander's sling.

"I have a limited range of motion, but it is healing quickly because of Mason's efforts. Why?"

"I have a bad feeling about going back there by myself. I can't keep fucking things up, or Mason is never gonna let us back in the field. I want its head," Will said through clenched teeth and gripped onto the wood beam that held the overhang up. The wood cracked from the applied pressure. "I don't know if I can stop myself without you there," he admitted. "We need the page and the coordinates Mason sent me are within fifty feet of that thing."

"Will I remain point on the mission?"

"Yeah, I said you were planning it. You're better at retrievals, anyway."

"All right, then I should accompany you, but you must keep to the code. If I am point-"

"Then you call the shots. I fucking know that, Ander." Will stomped on the butt of his cigarette.

"Good, then Maeve will accompany us as well," Ander told Will.

Will's face reddened at his words. "What?"

"Initially, I did not want her to accompany us. In fact, I was going to request that she rest. However, after reviewing the information regarding the document, creature, and our previous conversation today, I have changed my mind."

"You think the spell you're working on will hide her from the monster at the cotton mill?"

"I am uncertain, but it is an excellent test to find out."

"That sounds risky," Will replied, but had not flat out refused, which boded well for Ander.

"Our life is full of risk. You are not one to shy away from danger."

"It's not me I'm worried about," Will muttered.

Ander's eyebrows shot up. Will had confirmed several times he was worried about Maeve's safety. It affected his judgment and his ability to make decisions. Mason was correct, he was compromised. Ander leaned against the other wooden post. His mind drifted to Maeve, her deep eyes and soft voice. He raked his hair back. They were both compromised.

"If she is to remain with us, then we need to test our methods. I would prefer to do so in a less hazardous situation."

Will nodded. "You're right, this thing is setting me off, but it's less dangerous than a fleabag, angel, or demon. Okay."

"I will need a few days to finish my research and create the spell."

"I told you, it's fine. Take it. I'll deal with Mason if need be. You find anything about the mind fucking fleabag?"

"No, there is no mention of mental abilities in anything that I have found yet. I will continue to look. Perhaps it was a spell?" Ander asked.

Will shook his head. "I don't think so. She didn't say anything or move her hands around."

"More powerful spellcasters do not necessarily need to do all of those things," Ander reminded Will.

Will grimaced.

Sensing he did not want to be reminded of what more powerful spell casters could do, Ander changed the subject. "I believe the creature to be either a draugr or revenant, but I would need to go to the location to be certain."

"We could probably get in and out without much trouble, but with Maeve..." Will's words died away.

"Perhaps I should go alone," Ander offered.

"Not happening. I may be desperate enough to take you with me, but I'm not that far gone. It's only been a couple of weeks. I get that Mason fixed you up good, but... no." Will's voice was firm at the end.

Ander accepted that he could not debate that point with Will, but in the situation, it was the correct choice. Will was too volatile to go alone. Maeve created uncertainty, which created risk, and although Ander was wounded, he was still the quietest among them. He could enter and exit without the creature ever being aware of his presence.

He sighed. "Then we will have to return tonight or tomorrow night to get more information before we plan how to obtain the document." He did not wish to return tonight; he craved to lie with Maeve in his arms, her warm skin against his. He shifted his position and looked at the concrete below his feet.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Will asked.

Ander heard him lighting another cigarette and shook his head.

"Didn't think so." Will inhaled.

Ander's eyes flicked to Will, who faced the road in front of them and blew out smoke.

"Well then, not tonight. You need to rest to finish healing." Will inhaled again before he rubbed the back of his skull.

"I understand." Ander tried to contain his relief and excitement for the night.

"Good. Put the barrier up tonight. I need a night off," Will said.

Ander nodded. Maeve would not like Will's choice, but perhaps she had been with them long enough to accept his cousin's behavior and choices. They did not seem to deter her lust for Will, Ander recalled miserably.

Their door opened and Maeve peeked her head out. Her damp hair fell over her shoulder. Ander understood she had just had sex with Will. He had been livid, but now that her dark eyes peered at him, the only emotion he registered was adoration and his own shameful lust. Perhaps it was a positive thing that Will had such destructive behavioral patterns. Not long term, of course, but it meant tonight Maeve was his, only his.

"Do you want to eat now? We have to heat stuff up in the microwave but..." she stopped and blushed.

Ander grasped why she blushed, but instead of the anticipated irritation, he wanted to touch her reddened cheek. Run his fingers down the side of her face and onto her neck before... He shook his head to force the images away.

"Oh, okay, well, we don't have to eat yet."

"I could eat." Will tossed his cigarette butt to the ground and put his unlaced boot on it.