Crais(81)

“Clever,” I said, “and I have to say my feelings about this gathering are very up and down. A storm is coming, Brace, and I can’t tell if we’re going to get caught in the centre.”

“I’ll keep you dry, baby. One thing I have is a really big –”

“Don’t,” I interrupted him with a laugh, “don’t say it.”

“Umbrella,” he finished. “What did your dirty little mind think I was going to say?”

I shook my head. “Go to sleep.”

“Love you, Red.”

I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face all night.





Chapter 17





Day one of the Walker gathering was off to a brilliant start. I was following Brace and Josian across the field as they sped over to defuse a confrontation. And we hadn’t even started any of the organized events yet.

I really couldn’t believe how quickly the last month had sped by, even with our few days away. The open field was now packed to capacity. Josian estimated, based on Doreen’s numbers and their last gathering, that each clan had approximately ten thousand members. So now we had almost seventy thousand hot-headed, egotistical god-like creatures filling the mountain space.

Suffice to say the view was awesome. There were plenty of very fine male specimens, but most of them needed major personality overhauls. I’d never met so many asshats in my life. The stories of gods and the hell they’ve caused were entirely believable. And their fanatical obsession with us half-Walkers, both positive and negative, was destined to result in some butt-kicking. Mostly by Fury.

I heard that, Red. Fine male specimens, huh? I’m thinking I’ll lock you in our tent until this is over. Brace might be busy keeping the peace, but he always occupied a corner of my mind.

I’d love to see you try that, I said, following at my much slower pace, dodging around Walkers.

In the early days I’d questioned why we had to camp out here when we could trace back home in seconds. Apparently there were two reasons.

No one wanted to leave in case all hell broke loose, and there were also rules for these gatherings. The most important centered on honor.

You could not run from anything that happened here and, to make sure everyone obeyed, a sacred spell was cast over the circle of moonstale stones. From the moment of entering the perimeter, no one would be able to leave until the final day. Seven days from now. I wondered how much the damage this many Walkers could do in that amount of time.

I had to decrease my pace as I arrived at the fight, pushing my way through the crowd toward the angry voices.

“I’m going to kill you, dog. Don’t think there’s any place where you’re safe from my wrath.”

I wasn’t surprised to see an angry Relli Walker with both hands wrapped around Colton’s throat, holding him against one of the thud trees. Colton was one of those who just found trouble, wherever it was hiding. Glancing around the animated crowd, I felt a sense of ... patriotism almost, to see everyone’s marks on display. I still thought the pulsing red of Doreen’s lace network was the most beautiful, followed closely by the Whar clan’s purple design. It was an intricate indigo square-style pattern. Of course, as I stared at Brace, his heavily muscled arms crossed as he stood at Colton’s side. Abernath’s was hands-down the sexiest. His head swung around to lazily pin me to the spot, the slightest smile creasing the corners of his lips. I bit my own lip as the blood rushed through me, spreading a path of heat.

Damn.

I managed to wrench my gaze and focus on the fight; okay, it may have been after Brace turned away. But everyone has a weakness. Mine just happens to be six and a half feet of sexy Abernath Walker.

The giant shook Colton again and involuntary laughter burst from me, drawing their attention. I shook my finger at Colton. Brace’s friend was proving to be great entertainment – unlike his sister, who was teaching me the concept of ‘watch your back’.

“What have you done this time, Colt?”

He was always sticking his white-blond head where it wasn’t welcome.

“This dog was sniffing around my tree.” The Relli Walker must have loosened his grip minutely; the color was starting to return to Colton’s ivory features.

I glanced at my father. “Is he speaking literally? Or are there some Walker metaphors I’m missing here?”

I heard Colton waste some of his very precious breath snorting out laughter.

“Either officially challenge or walk away, Edmond,” Brace interrupted before Josian could answer me. “You know the rules; random fighting is not tolerated.” His lilting accent, adopted from years on First World, was calm.