Better to know that now. Another man might have played her for a few months, stealing key parts of her heart and soul before dropping her.
Ash bent her knees and bowed her head to rest on them. Summer and Kiera had somehow fallen under the sway of the people at the fort. She thought of Selena’s regretful expression as she’d said, It isn’t up to us.
What did that mean? Ash sure as hell did have her free will. And so did Summer and Kiera. She had to get them out of there. Somehow.
14
Sam smiled as he wrapped his arms around Summer later that night. Her pale skin looked like a sandy shore in the moonlight. He always felt there was something magical about her.
“What’s got you so serious tonight?” he asked. “Worried about what happened with Ash and Merc?”
“She hasn’t been herself since she returned. I don’t really know what’s going on with her. She came back withdrawn and hasn’t shaken it off.”
“It’s a long trip from here to Colombia. Maybe she just has jet lag.”
“She doesn’t usually after a trip. At least, none that persists this long.” Summer’s blue eyes held his. “And that weird thing that happened with Merc threw her for a loop.”
“Yeah, that was bad.”
“I don’t know what’s up with them, but I don’t want her hurt if he’s too broken for a healthy relationship.”
“I agree, but it isn’t up to us.”
“There’s something else. She thinks she was in the same village Merc was in. She has a fantastical story about him—or someone—doing miraculous things. The villagers think he’s a saint. She has a necklace made of dirt in a bit of handblown glass—dirt where Merc almost died.”
Sam sighed and flopped back on the mattress.
Summer sat up and frowned at him. “Merc was in Colombia, wasn’t he?”
“He was.”
“Is it—is it possible he met Ashlyn there?”
“No. He was back before she left. So other than sending him in astral form to protect her that night in the jungle, their paths didn’t cross.”
“Kiera and I thought the entire town played a hoax on her, getting her to believe a crazy story about a saint who saved the village.”
“It wasn’t a hoax. Merc fucked up. He got too involved and messed with things he should have left alone.”
“Oh. God. Then it’s all true. How can he have made what the villagers are calling miracles?”
Sam leaned on his elbow, looked at her, then sat up. “You’ve seen the strange things I can do. Well, it appears Merc’s skills branched out into new and different areas. We’re still trying to understand it.” He paused, giving her a considering look. “Ash isn’t one of us, Summer. I don’t want her brought in on things she doesn’t need to know. It’s for her own good.” He sat up. “You know the Omnis will use her any way in they can. You, Kiera, now Ash, you’re all vulnerable to their incursions. I don’t want any of you hurt.”
“Well, Kiera already knows about you. And I think Ash is getting in over her head, dealing with forces she doesn’t understand. What was Merc doing down there?”
Liege considered his answer. “I sent him to find the man who trained us in the jungle. I need him here to train you and Selena.”
“Selena, maybe, but I’m not a fighter.”
“You aren’t, but you have new skills you’ve never had before. You need to learn to use them. You’re one of us now, Summer. An artist, not a fighter, it’s true. But there are things about your new chemistry that you need to understand.”
Summer nodded. “Thank you for telling me the truth.”
“I regret you may have to lie to your friend.”
“Me too. So what is happening between Ash and Merc?”
“Don’t know. He’s still keeping himself shut off from us.”
“Has the Matchmaker gotten to them?”
“Merc lost his family. They were murdered—we think by the Omnis. If the Matchmaker is involved, it makes Merc’s response to Ash even more understandable. He’s panicking, Summer. And I don’t blame him.”
“You didn’t panic when the Matchmaker brought us together.”
Sam grinned. “You didn’t see my first reaction to him. And then once I met you—hell when I just saw you—there was no going back for me. I was prepared to spend infinity camouflaging myself from my daughter, just so I could have you.”
“Why did you change your mind?”
“Because you and Kiera are close. Because she’s mixed up in whatever’s going on with her clients and the Omnis. Because the truth is occasionally better than a lie.”
“Only occasionally?” Summer didn’t like the sound of that.
“Mutants are living, breathing, walking lies. We hide our appearance; we hide our presence; we scramble minds to save ourselves. Lies are easier than truths. For us, at least.”
“But not you and me.”
Sam slowly grinned. “Of course not.”
Summer laughed. “I can’t wait until your trainer gets here. I’m sure he’ll help me learn some of the mind tricks you use, and then I can beat you at your own games.”
“I accept the challenge.” His grin became a smile. “I’m sending Merc back to Colombia in the morning.”
Summer nodded. “Maybe that’s for the best. Time away from Ash will help them cool things down.”
“Maybe not, if the Matchmaker is involved. Being separated could cause a mental collapse. Once a couple has been bonded by the fiend, there’s only one way out of it.”
“Death.”
Sam nodded. He pulled her close and rolled over with her. “We’ll keep a close eye on both of them.” He kissed her forehead, holding his mouth against her skin as he compelled her to sleep. When she was out cold, he summoned the team to meet him in the upstairs sitting room.
Acier and Lautaro joined via their mental connection. The others came in person, disheveled, having been roused from sleep—all except Merc, who didn’t appear to have slept at all. If a person could be all teeth and knives, that was Merc right then.
Liege felt a wash of sympathy. The sooner Merc surrendered to his fate, the sooner he would find balance in his life.
“Tonight, I learned that Ash has a token she bought in Valle de Lágrimas—a handblown glass medallion containing traces of dirt from the site where the village saint spilled his own blood.”
Liege, Lautaro’s astral projection said to the group. I was able to clear his blood out of the pit, but not before the town’s priest soaked a lot of it up in one of his robes. He has that robe in the church.
“You couldn’t have dealt with that when you were there?” Liege asked.
Didn’t know about it until after the fact. I blocked the church from being accessed by any Omni, but Flynn’s been there and is curious about what’s in the church that needs protecting.
Liege glared at Merc. “I don’t like Flynn hunting your blood.”
Merc’s hard eyes met his, but still he said nothing.