My phone buzzes in the console tray just as I notice Wolf-Eye has finally shut up. He's slumped in the passenger seat with his arm half-covering his face, probably thinking I can't tell he's still awake. His breathing isn't even close to sleep rhythm.
I glance down at the notification, swiping to read Violet's message.
[Violet: Made it to the spot. We're alive. Also... no water…]
I swipe a quick reply.
[Echo: Why didn't you fill the tank before you left? Fresh water tank connection's right next to the city water.]
[Violet: Uhhhhh... oops?]
A snort escapes before I can stop it. Endearing little disaster. At least she's safe for now.
The truck hits a pothole the size of a small child, and Wolf-Eye's head jolts up. He groans, reaching for the dashboard to steady himself. "Could you not text and drive?"
"We've all got to live dangerously sometime." I toss my phone back into the console tray. "Besides, vampires text and fly all the time. I'm practically a safety expert by comparison."
In the rearview mirror, I catch a glimpse of Jasper's panicked expression. He's seated in the middle, between Rowan and Evan—both sleeping—and he has nowhere to grab for safety. He was probably asleep until the pothole, too.
Humans and their pitiful need for rest. Not that I'm immune. Even my energy has limits. Mine just don't come as quickly as theirs.
A flickering vacancy sign appears in the distance—some questionable roadside establishment. It probably hasn't seen fresh sheets since the Reagan administration and the carpet inside likely smells like despair and decades of poor life choices. Someone's definitely selling bodies in this place. Not dead ones, obviously.
Violet and Asher are far enough from Fiddleback's immediate zone now. They're safe enough to allow myself a few degrees of relief, and maybe grant these pitiful tagalongs some rest.
Especially the wizard.
I pull into the shady motel's parking lot, ignoring Wolf-Eye's confused stare, and grab my phone again.
[Echo: Check the truck bed. Two 7-gallon Reliance jugs + three 5-gallon Aquatainers. Use a siphon or pump into the freshwater tank. Should hold you over.]
Violet would have no idea the jugs carry potable water. We'd normally have a full tank of fresh water, but it's been used. I would have topped up before we left, but—well, the current situation is what it is.
The fact she remembered enough to get the trailer packed up and ready to go is already impressive.
[Violet: You're a goddess. A terrifying, beautiful goddess. I love you. I'll think of you when I shower tonight.]
[Echo: Sponge bath. The water will go fast. Either have Asher fill up the jugs in town or wait until we're back and use the water sparingly. Don't forget there's bottled water for drinking in the pantry.]
She sends a thumbs-up emoji in response.
I set the phone down and twist in my seat to get a better look at Jasper. His aura is flickering like a dying flashlight, dim around the edges. Pathetic. Even with the kiss I gave him—an energy transfer most wizards would kill for—he's running on fumes.
"Burns fast. Doesn't replenish well," I mutter, mostly to myself. The boy can't regulate his arcana circulation for shit. Typical of modern witches.
I sigh, shutting off the engine. "We're stopping for the night. Everyone needs to sleep."
Wolf-Eye immediately straightens. "You're getting your own room."
I roll my eyes. "I'm not wasting money. I'll just get a double."
"One double for five people? With you in it?" Wolf-Eye looks at me like I've suggested we all sleep in lava. Forever, obviously. "You're out of your damn mind."
Rowan stirs in the backseat, blinking his unsettling silver eyes. Even half-asleep, his voice is firm. "She should have her own bed."
Of course the angel-blood thinks I need special treatment. He probably still believes in the old legends about my kind. As if I'd burn the sheets or something. Or eat one of them.
"Fine," I concede, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel. "Two rooms, two queens each. Someone can share with me."
I turn toward the backseat. "The wizard can—"
"I'll stay with you." Wolf-Eye hastily announces.
Evan snorts. I guess he woke up, too.
The interruption startles me, genuine surprise breaking through my usual composure. My brows knit as I study his expression. The wolf looks oddly... determined. He even throws the wizard a faint glower. His lip even curls a little.
"He might need another top-off—" I begin, but the Lycan cuts me off again.
"I said I'll stay with you." His tone brooks no argument, though he has absolutely no authority to make demands.
I hold his gaze long enough to make it clear I'm choosing to acquiesce, not being commanded. Then I glance back at Jasper, who looks horribly dejected—like someone just told him Christmas is canceled. The last thing I need is the wizard getting clingy, thinking my magical assistance means I have any interest in him.
Better to share with Wolf-Eye before something awkward happens with the weak-willed wizard.
I push open my door and slide out of the driver's seat and head toward the front office, leaving them behind without another word. The Lycan falls into step beside me, and I can practically feel the smugness radiating off him.
"I'll pay," he offers, with a charming smile.
He's the Beta of a wolf pack. As independent as most packs are, especially one as impressive as the Lycan Pack, there's no way they have money just floating around to spare on random adventures. Few wolves aim for successful businesses in the human market, so every pack juggles financial woes.
"I've got it. You're all here because of me, anyway."
"Don't argue with me, Jack."
He goes quiet for a minute, still tagging along. "My name isn't actually Jack, you know."
I roll my eyes. "Yes, I know, Wolf-Eye."
"Well," he concedes, "It's not far from my name. It's just that people always butcher it."
Not interested, but he keeps going, "My real name is Marcus. Marcus Volkov. X-H-E-K-A-J, pronounced Wolf-Eye." The way he says it, though, is with a slightly different inflection than we've been using.
"Congratulations. You have a name. I already forgot it. Can we just get these rooms in silence? We don't have to pretend to be friends."
"Right," he mutters. "Silence. Since I can't talk magic with you or anything."
His sour face comes out of freaking nowhere, and I sigh. Keeping these damn humans corralled and happy is going to be the death of me.