Black Dog(114)
Alejandro nodded – not in agreement, but in acknowledgement of his brother’s anger.
Miguel glared at him. “You think I’m wrong!”
“Sí,” Alejandro agreed. “Estás seguroque estas correcto?”
The glare intensified. Miguel snapped, “Yes, I’m sure! And if everyone else thinks I’m wrong, maybe it is because you’re all black dogs and don’t know how to think!” He whirled to his twin and demanded, “Y túy qué piensas?”
Natividad held up both hands palm out, shaking her head. “Oh, no, no. I don’t think anything. Don’t look at me!”
Miguel whirled on Alejandro again. “Think on everything Vonhausel’s done so far and tell me he’s a normal black dog!”
“He’s strong and clever and he may be using undead magic,” Alejandro conceded. “But he’s still a black dog. That’s what he is. Grayson’s right, Ezekiel’s right, Keziah’s right, and for once you’re wrong.”
Miguel shook his head. “Let’s entertain the idea, just for a moment, that you’ve got it backwards. That I’m right and all you black dogs are wrong. What would that mean?”
Alejandro snarled soundlessly. He was too tired and angry to argue. He was not human. When he tried to frame his brother’s question to himself as though it made sense, he couldn’t do it. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, trying not to sound as frustrated as he felt. “It doesn’t matter that we have no way to protect human towns from Vonhausel! Because you’re wrong. He will come here, and then we’ll kill him. We’ll use silver, and then it won’t matter whether he’s using undead magic or what he’s been doing with the shadows of dead black dogs, because he’ll be dead.”
Miguel gazed at Alejandro. He was not used to being so unable to sway his brother, and he looked like the recognition that he’d lost this argument might be choking in his throat. He said at last, his shoulders rounding with defeat, “Puede que tengas razón. I hope you are right. I think Vonhausel wants a war of all against all, I think he truly believes he can use his new kind of magic to win it, I think if we let him attack Brighton or wherever, we may have no hope of stopping him at all. But I hope I am wrong and you are right about everything.”
Despite his anger, Alejandro did not like to see his brother like that, so defeated. He said as gently as he could, “Lo siento. But if Vonhausel does what you say... entonces estamos fregados. We can’t guard every village and town in Vermont.”
From the doorway, Keziah said in a very dry tone, “I think we have seen quite clearly that we can’t guard any town in Vermont. This enemy of yours has too many black dogs and we don’t have enough.”
Alejandro snarled at her, furious because once again he had not heard her approach. He moved sharply toward her, his shadow rising fast – it was so tempting to let it up all the way, to let himself fall into the cambio de cuerpo. He could not fight Grayson Lanning, he didn’t even want to, but he could fight this arrogant too-beautiful Saudi girl, he could force her to recognize that he was stronger, he could make her respect his strength and dominance…
Keziah did not want to fight. She turned her head aside submissively, and Alejandro, found his shadow subsiding almost willingly. He snarled, “Well?”
The girl watched him warily through the lashes of her lowered eyes. “If your human brother is right, then Vonhausel will begin a war with all the many ordinary human people. Then either he or they will destroy Dimilioc. What if he is right? If I knew it was like that, I would go to your enemy and join him, except what if he uses that undead magic of his on me, on Amira? I could not stop him if he wished to do that. I would take Amira and run, except what place will be safe if Dimilioc falls?” She turned to Natividad, “So, I came to ask, what is this about your mother’s special magic? Have you found a way to counter your enemy?”
“I’ve thought and thought about it,” Natividad said earnestly. “But I don’t know what Mamá thought I could do, I don’t know what she could do that was special, Miguel doesn’t know either. We don’t know.” She bit her lip. “I want to help. But I don’t know how.”
Miguel said, his tone flatly certain, “But we have to go after Vonhausel tonight anyway.” He took a step toward Keziah, hoping for the support his brother hadn’t given him. “You know Vonhausel won’t expect an attack tonight.” He turned back toward Alejandro. “We can’t wait. No podemos esperar más tiempo. Not past tomorrow. After that, you’re right, nos fregamos, it’s too late.”