“It’s fine.” Hawk took a step away.
“I’m not good with…protection,” Zab continued, his gaze following the retreating Hawk’s back.
“You’ll be fine,” Hawk said without glancing back. He turned to me. “You ready?”
I got up from my seat and grabbed my jacket. Bibbi was still smiling wide, and Zab looked like someone had dragged him out in the alley to shoot him.
“Your girlfriend might be a bit upset with you tonight,” I said as we left the office.
“Gillian will adapt,” he said, without hesitation.
Did that mean she was his girlfriend or not? Considering how he was all over me last night, I wouldn’t answer in his place either. Was he the perpetual playboy? Or did Gillian think they were together and he was a cheater? Neither was good. I’d better remember this next time I got all hot and bothered.
The factory came into view up ahead, filling me with another unsavory feeling. I kept my pace, refusing to slow or show any fear.
Mertie was on the stoop, smoking a cigarette as we approached. I gave her a single shake of my head. She got the message loud and clear, turning away from us and singling out a Whimsy witch working on the outside of the building.
“What are you doing? That’s not the way to do that. Do I have to show everyone everything?” She walked toward the Whimsy, leaving her spot by the front door and giving her back to us as she made a show of grabbing the trowel and shoving cement in the line between the stones. “See? That’s how you do it. I’ll do a few more to make sure you really understand.”
Hawk pushed open the door.
“Do you have a plan?” I asked.
“Walk in and ask. If Marvin doesn’t answer, hurt him and ask again.”
That was it?
Seemed to be. And here I thought the man couldn’t do simple.
“Sounds good to me.” It was fairly close to what I would’ve suggested.
As soon as I was in the building, meaning to or not, I fell a few steps behind Hawk. Taking a couple of deep breaths, I felt for the knife in my pocket and forced myself not to fall too far behind.
I didn’t remember the factory that well, but it seemed as if we were going the long way to Marvin’s office after a couple of wrong turns.
“Do you know where you’re going?” He’d been in Marvin’s office before. Had the rooms been reshuffled? Did he know something I didn’t?
“Yes,” he said.
But then he slowed down in front of every door, looking for Marvin. Typical man—he didn’t want to admit he was lost.
“I think we should turn around and go back the other way,” I said, as he kept stopping at every door.
He glanced back at me. “I know what I’m doing.”
I’d never been called slow, but I might’ve been a bit duller today. It took three hallways before the truth of what was happening sank in. He was stopping by every room, letting them see us together, to send a message.
“You don’t need to do this,” I said as we passed another door. “I can handle myself.”
“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for them.” His tone was all business.
“How’s that work?”
“You’re with me, and they should know better. I don’t feel like killing more people, and I’m sure they don’t feel like getting killed.” His grim reply left no doubt how serious he was.
Kill more people? Had he already killed some of the ones who’d attacked me? Or was he talking about other deaths? Was that better? I’d probably lost the high ground when I killed Belinda and Raydam. Although that hadn’t been intentional. There might be a little leeway for some judgment left, even if I couldn’t seem to dredge any up.
Had I recognized any of the faces from the alley? It wasn’t like I’d memorized them that day when they were beating me to a pulp, but still, I didn’t think I’d seen a single one since walking into the factory.
I was in the process of trying to remember when Hawk kicked open Marvin’s door.
It might have been unlocked, but it was an effective entry, judging by the startled look on Marvin’s face.
Marvin got to his feet. “Mertie! Mertie!”
“She’s not out there.” Hawk walked around his desk and sat him back down with a hand on his shoulder.
Marvin’s eyes flickered to me as I attempted to close the door, with hinges that weren’t working as well as they had been a few moments ago.
“What do you want?” Marvin asked, his eyes bouncing back and forth.
“What’s the hill?” Hawk perched himself on the corner of the desk, leaning over Marvin.
I walked to the other side, staring down at the warlock.
“What hill? There are hills all over the place. How am I supposed to answer an idiotic question like that?” His forehead was looking a little moist and his bony hands were gripping the chair like it could save him from drowning.
I gave his chair a little kick until it was flush against the wall. “Marvin, we’re not leaving until we find out. You either tell us now, or he’ll torture you and then you tell us.” I tilted my head toward Hawk.
“I think you know what I’m capable of when crossed,” Hawk added calmly.
“We have a way we do things. A balance here in Xest. A mutual respect,” Marvin said.
“There was, but that’s over. Xest is going to hell, and I’ve got a feeling you had something to do with it.”
Hawk’s voice was deep and rough, and somehow reminded me a little of how he’d sounded the other night. There was never a good time to think about that, but this moment was definitely wrong. Very, very wrong.
I kicked Marvin’s chair again, pulling his attention to me. “We’ve got an angel and a demon breathing down our necks, ready to take over. You think you’re going to get to keep your little labor camp here if they step in? You won’t. And you know why? I’m going to be the first person pointing at this place and telling them to dismantle it stone by stone. If you know something, you better spill it now, because you will be going down with the rest of us if they take over.”
He slumped back, almost as if he’d realized he’d lost a war he’d just discovered he was in. “So the rumors are true?”
“Yes,” Hawk said.
Marvin’s shoulders fell and he looked like he’d just aged a decade. “There’s a hill, but I don’t know what it is. I stumbled upon it and realized something was different.”
“Keep going,” I said.
“I used to buy furs from Bautere and some of his people. Everyone knows they have the best pelts. Sometimes I’d bring another witch or warlock with me to help carry them back. I noticed that the Whimsys I brought with me on these trips seemed to live a bit longer, but only if we went one particular route, by this hill area.” He shrugged. “So, I started only going that way, and maybe I bought more furs than I used to. I didn’t realize there was a problem until things started to get weird in the unsettled lands. I still don’t know if it had anything to do with me, but I stopped then and there.”
He slumped in his chair, looking as if he had no fight left in him at all.
I might never get a better chance to ask.