Highway of Bones

Chapter Three

Glaris leaves me to finish butchering the deer. I remove the choice bits from the carcass and let Egon and Ray eat the rest. I wrap the steaks up in the cloth, keeping three for our dinner, and weave a small preservation spell over everything. The cut on the heel of my palm stings briefly, and I wet my thumb, pressing it over the open wound. When I pull my thumb away, the skin is unbroken, save for a thin white line.

I clean up, pick up the steaks and walk back to the campfire. Glaris has his map out and is explaining our new route to Kayleigh.

"Can I get some new clothes?" the kid asks as I sit down on a rock and toss the venison steaks onto the wire grill top Glaris provided.

Glaris catches my eye over the campfire. I ignore him and look at the kid. Kayleigh Abbott is twelve-years-old, with thick black curls caught back in a puffy bun, and honey-colored eyes. She looks like a regular kid, except underneath the thin pajamas and jacket is the mark of the nephilim—a capital "I" with a capital "X" laid on top of it, right at the base of her neck, with a feather on either side. The white mark stands out against the light brown of her skin.

My heart might be cold and dead, but I'm not cruel. Traveling across the country in pajamas isn't practical.

Also, I still have the thousand dollars her father gave me at the beginning of the trip. I used some of it on food and hotels, but there's a good chunk left.

"Yeah," I tell her.

I flip the steaks, watching the meat sizzle and fat pop and crackle. "Did Glaris tell you where we're going?"

"Yeah," she replies in a monotone that I know all too well. The kid is starting to sound like me.

I take a deep breath and flick my eyes over to the demon hunter. Conveniently, Glaris is looking away. I'll get him back for this, I grumble but clear my throat. "So you know that it's going to be dangerous. Most people don't make it out of there alive."

Kayleigh shrugs.

"That means that you need to learn how to use your powers."

The kid's head snaps up and she levels a glare at me that nearly knocks me back with its intensity. I mean, I literally felt a telekinetic push.

"No." Kayleigh jumps to her feet and stalks off.

Great, I growl and stand up, too. But Egon beats me to the kid, pressing his muscular chimaeric body against Kayleigh's. As I approach, she knots her hands in his cream-colored fur.

"Look," I say, walking around the enfield. When Kayleigh tries to turn away, I reach out and grab her by the shoulders, holding her in place. "Stop it!"

"Let go of me!" she cries, struggling.

"That's enough!" I shout back, fingers digging into her shoulders. Ignoring her tears and the snot dripping from her nose, I continue, "You don't have a choice in this, kid. I guarantee you, if you don't master your powers, we're all going to die."

Kayleigh glares at me defiantly and lifts her arm to wipe her nose. "I've done it before," she sniffs.

"So?" I counter harshly. "Neither time was on command. You need to be able to do it consistently. Every time. This ain't some movie where you've got plot armor, kid. Am I making myself clear?"

The kid looks away. Egon snuffles into her hand, licking her fingers.

I let her go and cross my arms. "Am I clear?"

Kayleigh balls her hands into fists and looks at me. "Yes."

I cock my head, then uncross my arms and walk back to the fire. Glaris's lips are pressed into a thin line. I ignore his censure and plop down on the rock, turning the meat. If he wants me to teach our little nephilim, then I'll do it.