And under the protection of someone who looked like a Ralph Lauren model. She couldn't help but feel grateful, despite Cayne's persistent less-than-chattiness.
The truth was, she was starting to like him, and his company helped her feel something like stable. She'd felt so much more okay in the past 48 hours or so that she'd even managed to seal up her grief for Harry and Suzanne. She planned to pull it out when they got to Sam; after that, she figured maybe she could get Cayne to get her admitted to some college. She could get a job somewhere and he could help her with an apartment before he took off to do whatever Caynes usually did.
Of course this was all assuming, when he spilled his Super Secret Insider Knowledge, he didn't tell her she was going to sprout horns, and that they actually managed to deal with Samyaza. Right now, she was telling herself they could.
Julia rested her forehead on the window, scrutinizing her sidekick through the thickness of her half-shut lashes.
Of course he didn't scrutinize back. He didn't do anything but be intense.
For hours she had watched his eyes jump from the rear view mirror to the road to the sky and back again, a rhythm so practiced she doubted it was conscious. When her eyes finally tired of following his, she gazed at the landscape, rolling hills with lonely trees and grass that looked Etch A Sketched under the light of the moon and a blanket of stars.
The land appeared in her dreams in broken, smeared images. And so did he. Grassy, tree-speckled hills hugged Cayne. The pyramid was there, but she was underneath it, looking up. She saw Cayne fly over it. He was listening to an iPod, snapping his fingers to a tune she couldn't hear. The sky was dark gray. Charcoal .
Julia awoke when her ears began to pop, but for a moment she feigned sleep and watched him out of the corner of her eye. He was humming with the radio and watching the road like a cat eying a mouse. She could tell he was onto something, so she pushed herself up and tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Where are we?" she murmured.
Cayne's eyes slid over her. "In Utah. Twenty miles outside Salt Lake City."
"Did you have any trouble getting gas?"
"No."
"How long was I out?" she asked, opening the visor mirror to inspect her hair.
"Almost six hours."
"Mmm." Julia stretched. "Can we pull over and get me a drink?"
Cayne's mouth tightened; he inhaled. "I've found our friend."
"You have?"
He nodded. "Somewhere in Salt Lake City."
"Somewhere," she said. "So what's the plan?"
He stared ahead, remote as the sun. "Find him."
The mountains that lorded over the city were massive, purple, snow-capped towers of earth. They made Julia's heart thrum with misplaced elation. It was crazy to be so excited about hunting a demon--well, a half-demon. But as Cayne navigated the widening Interstate, her blood pumped 100 miles per hour.
They bypassed the city, and Cayne grew quieter, tucked into himself. He seemed ready. Julia wondered if she was.
He exited a few miles west of town, and her eyes jumped from dusty buildings to matchbox houses and service stations. Several miles later, she was mostly watching trees.
Cayne muttered something about being close. The car slowed. Julia chewed her cheeks as he turned onto a dirt road that twisted between rows of pines. The sun had all but vanished behind the great blue bags that filled the sky. Julia wondered if rain would be good or bad. Could Sam fly with wet wings?
Better question: Could Cayne really take him? She wondered about what he'd told her back in Memphis. About how Samyaza had caught him off guard. If they caught Sam off guard, would they come out on top? She didn't know any of those answers, and suddenly she felt like an idiot for not asking them sooner. Too late now.
Their path led to a squat wood building hidden behind a copse of pines. It had two shuddered windows and a steel door. Someone had painted it the same brown as the tree trunks around it. Definitely not inviting. Julia counted her
The truth was, she was starting to like him, and his company helped her feel something like stable. She'd felt so much more okay in the past 48 hours or so that she'd even managed to seal up her grief for Harry and Suzanne. She planned to pull it out when they got to Sam; after that, she figured maybe she could get Cayne to get her admitted to some college. She could get a job somewhere and he could help her with an apartment before he took off to do whatever Caynes usually did.
Of course this was all assuming, when he spilled his Super Secret Insider Knowledge, he didn't tell her she was going to sprout horns, and that they actually managed to deal with Samyaza. Right now, she was telling herself they could.
Julia rested her forehead on the window, scrutinizing her sidekick through the thickness of her half-shut lashes.
Of course he didn't scrutinize back. He didn't do anything but be intense.
For hours she had watched his eyes jump from the rear view mirror to the road to the sky and back again, a rhythm so practiced she doubted it was conscious. When her eyes finally tired of following his, she gazed at the landscape, rolling hills with lonely trees and grass that looked Etch A Sketched under the light of the moon and a blanket of stars.
The land appeared in her dreams in broken, smeared images. And so did he. Grassy, tree-speckled hills hugged Cayne. The pyramid was there, but she was underneath it, looking up. She saw Cayne fly over it. He was listening to an iPod, snapping his fingers to a tune she couldn't hear. The sky was dark gray. Charcoal .
Julia awoke when her ears began to pop, but for a moment she feigned sleep and watched him out of the corner of her eye. He was humming with the radio and watching the road like a cat eying a mouse. She could tell he was onto something, so she pushed herself up and tucked her hair behind her ears.
"Where are we?" she murmured.
Cayne's eyes slid over her. "In Utah. Twenty miles outside Salt Lake City."
"Did you have any trouble getting gas?"
"No."
"How long was I out?" she asked, opening the visor mirror to inspect her hair.
"Almost six hours."
"Mmm." Julia stretched. "Can we pull over and get me a drink?"
Cayne's mouth tightened; he inhaled. "I've found our friend."
"You have?"
He nodded. "Somewhere in Salt Lake City."
"Somewhere," she said. "So what's the plan?"
He stared ahead, remote as the sun. "Find him."
The mountains that lorded over the city were massive, purple, snow-capped towers of earth. They made Julia's heart thrum with misplaced elation. It was crazy to be so excited about hunting a demon--well, a half-demon. But as Cayne navigated the widening Interstate, her blood pumped 100 miles per hour.
They bypassed the city, and Cayne grew quieter, tucked into himself. He seemed ready. Julia wondered if she was.
He exited a few miles west of town, and her eyes jumped from dusty buildings to matchbox houses and service stations. Several miles later, she was mostly watching trees.
Cayne muttered something about being close. The car slowed. Julia chewed her cheeks as he turned onto a dirt road that twisted between rows of pines. The sun had all but vanished behind the great blue bags that filled the sky. Julia wondered if rain would be good or bad. Could Sam fly with wet wings?
Better question: Could Cayne really take him? She wondered about what he'd told her back in Memphis. About how Samyaza had caught him off guard. If they caught Sam off guard, would they come out on top? She didn't know any of those answers, and suddenly she felt like an idiot for not asking them sooner. Too late now.
Their path led to a squat wood building hidden behind a copse of pines. It had two shuddered windows and a steel door. Someone had painted it the same brown as the tree trunks around it. Definitely not inviting. Julia counted her
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