Winter's Edge

Chapter 29 - Questions

Abby

"SO, how did Ian look when you saw him yesterday at his room?" Joseph said, shifting his weight onto his arms, propped against the table in his quarters. Artie stood in a corner with a notebook, watching and writing down things from time to time.

Ian sat beside me, across the table from Joseph. Why Joseph had me in the room I'd never understand.

I glanced at Ian, worried that my statement wasn't going to help him in any way. "His face was red in a few spots. He looked like he'd been in a fight."

"And?"

"He said Jesse and Braden had tranqed him and beat him up, but that he didn't want anyone to do anything about. He said he didn't think it would happen again since they'd finally gotten even." I glanced at Ian again.

Joseph looked at him. "Is that all you told her?"

"More or less," he said.

"And did you plan to do anything to get even with them?" Joseph said.

Ian shook his head. "I didn't wanna stir the pot again."

Joseph looked back to me. "On the last supply run, were you with Ian the entire time?"

I nodded. Why was he asking about the supply run? That had nothing to do with the murder.

"Did you see Ian use his powers to keep Artie from being shot?"

I tensed, seeing where he was going with the questions. "Yes."

He turned to Ian. "You knew our protocol. No powers unless absolutely necessary. But you used them anyway."

"There were already Hunters there." Ian turned his palms up, confused. "Why not use my powers if I don't have to worry about drawing Hunters? They'd probably already called for backup."

"Artie carries a scrambler." Joseph's eyes darkened a shade. "There's no way they could've radioed out. Using your powers drew more Hunters. You're lucky you got out of there before they arrived."

Ian's jaws clenched. "Look, if I hadn't used my powers when I did, Artie would be dead. I thought you'd be happy your friend's okay." Ian looked back at Artie for a second before he leveled a harsh stare back on Joseph.

Joseph didn't move, as if he couldn't care less what Ian had said. "You won't be going out on a supply run for a while."

Ian rolled his eyes and let out a huff.

Joseph continued his barrage of questions. "So where were you last night?"

"In my room, asleep," Ian said.

"Can anyone vouch for you? Did anyone else see you?" Joseph peered at Ian through the tops of his eyes, not looking particularly friendly.

Ian shook his head.

Joseph turned to me. "You live next door. Did you hear or see Ian in his quarters?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line. "No. I was asleep."

Joseph turned back to Ian. "So you ran right to Mathis in Denver and he takes you right to our city. Sounds like something Hunters might do to find the location of Winter's Edge."

Ian jerked backed from the table, sitting up straight, rigid. "Are you serious? I get beat up by your people, save Artie, and sleep through the night last night like a normal person and now suddenly I'm a Hunter spy?"

"Come on, Joseph," I said.

He ignored me. "Or maybe Braden and Jesse pissed you off a little too much." Joseph played it cool, not getting upset, just stating it as if it were a fact. "You took a knife to scare Braden. Things got out of hand, and you killed him."

"That's absurd!" Ian stood up. "I get to this city and you people attack me for a test, then act like it's completely normal."

The table moved toward Joseph and he slid his chair back, eyes widening. My chair slid away from Ian with me still on it. If he didn't watch out, the power would explode out of him with that kind of rage at the surface.

"I defended myself during your little test, and Jesse and Braden beat the crap out of me for it. How the hell did I become the bad guy here?" Ian stormed off toward the door. "I should've just left after the test."

"Hold on," Joseph said. "I didn't say you did it."

Ian turned around. "Then what are you saying?"

Joseph stood. "I'm saying that things were calm here before you arrived. We rarely ran into Hunters on runs. And people weren't turning up dead before."

"I didn't kill Braden," Ian said. "I'm just here to train a little longer, then I'm gone." Ian slammed the door as he left the room.

I turned a burning glare on Joseph. "He hasn't been here long. You didn't have to be that way with him. You realize he could've killed us all just then if he'd lost control of his powers?"

That's when I realized why Joseph had me in the room. He knew Ian would make sure he kept his power from exploding out and killing them if I were in there.

I stood to leave. "Are we done here?"

Joseph put his hands on his hips, giving me a flat stare, then nodded.

I left to find Ian and caught up with him outside the town square. "Sorry, about that,"

"You don't have to apologize for him." Ian turned the corner by the showers.

"Well, you can't blame them for thinking you might be the murderer. Our biggest fear is of the Hunters sending someone out to purposely get caught by us. It wouldn't be too hard to figure out where we are and lead them here if they could see through walls."

Ian's brow furrowed at me. "Are you defending them, now?"

"No..." I stared at the ground as we walked. "...just trying to help you understand where they're coming from."

"Look, I just need to cool off right now, okay?"

Before I got an answer out, Ian reached his door and disappeared inside his quarters, leaving me in the hall...alone.

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