Stone Guardian(72)

He turned back to her. “You’ve learned a lot in a relatively short period of time.”

“Did you think I was sitting on my butt waiting for the zombies to eat my brains?”

Laire turned away from the mirror. “It’s not really true that zombies eat brains, it’s an urban legend…mrph.”

The impromptu lesson was finished when Fallon placed her hand over Laire’s mouth. Wanting to move the conversation forward before any possible explosion between the two could take place, Larissa said, “So why me?”

Wulver settled in the chair, the smile and charm fading as weariness settled over his features. He half opened his mouth before closing it, his gaze shifting away for a bare moment. His confusion was tangible. “We’ve searched and dug and researched and watched, but there is nothing about you that tells us what is going on.”

That was not telling her anything she didn’t already know. She pressed on. “Do you know how the spell works that the necromancers would use?”

“It isn’t one spell. There is a final spell that would need to be cast at the end – the one that rips the realms asunder. That one doesn’t change, but before that spell can be cast certain requirements must be met. The problem we have is there are a lot of ways and a lot of roads to get things ready for that spell.” Wulver’s jaw tightened, and certainty once again infused his demeanor. “Bottom line is you are in danger. We still don’t know why you’ve been targeted, and all the paths we’ve traveled thus far have led to dead ends. With you here, maybe together we can figure this out. Isn’t that why you were going to meet us tonight, to get some answers?”

“Yes, by talking and working together, not to be treated like a criminal. I came to you in good faith, to answer questions and open up my life to you so we could get answers together. But now I’m in jail and while you can take your sweet time figuring out what’s going on, my life will be in shambles. Isn’t that special?”

“I promise I’ll get you home as soon as possible.”

“Forgive me for saying that your promises don’t mean squat.”

He drew in a deep breath, his eyes searching hers, as though he was trying to figure out how she worked, at least enough to say something that would have her agreeing to stay by her own free will.

The door creaked and opened and a man entered. He had curly ginger hair with sideburns and was wearing jeans and scuffed up tennis shoes, with a grey t-shirt under a battered dark brown leather jacket. He walked over to Wulver, leaning close and whispering into the leader’s ear.

Wulver’s eyebrows furrowed and he shifted to stare at ginger boy, seeking confirmation without words for whatever was heard. Ginger’s mouth turned down and he nodded, then left the room.

Laire, Fallon, and Aislynn looked on in curiosity. Not a sliver of sound reached Larissa, but from the way Wulver’s mouth tightened and his eyes narrowed, she knew he didn’t like what he heard.

Wulver’s eyes settled back on her. “For having the cleanest record I’ve ever seen in my life, a whole lot of people want to meet you. What is your secret?”

“Wulver,” Fallon called, “What’s going on?”

Yes please, what the hell is happening now?

Wulver sighed. He closed his eyes and scrunched up his face, the way people do when they’re expecting an explosion. “The Oracle has summoned her.”

“Ah, hell no!” Fallon said, and Wulver really could have warned her about the volume Fallon could achieve, at least given her some ear plugs. “What do you mean summon? We only got her to the safety of the compound.”

Wulver stood, facing the swordswoman. “The Oracle commands that Larissa be brought to her at moonrise.”

“The Oracle can also feel the backside of my boot.”

Anyone who irritated Fallon that much couldn’t be all bad. This might be fun. And hey, she was an Oracle – hence the name. Maybe answers would finally be forthcoming.

Larissa stood, looking to Wulver. “Can she tell me why all this has been happening to me? Is that why she wants to see me?”

Wulver didn’t look like he believed that was a possibility, but after a moment he plastered on a smile and said, “I don’t know why you’ve been called, but yes, the Oracle may give you some answers.”

“Wouldn’t count on it,” Fallon muttered.

Wulver pinned his gaze to Fallon, command and authority in his bearing. Yes, this man was leader here. “She is to go to the Oracle.” Do you understand? was not said, but Larissa felt it floating in the air.

Fallon crossed her arms over her chest, slouching back against the mirror. “Yeah, got it.”