bad idea.”
I ignored Ryu. I wasn’t talking to him, yet.
“You know I have to do this,” I demanded, spearing Anyan with my gaze.
The barghest shook his shaggy head. “Which is exactly why you’re not coming, woman. You’re furious and this isn’t a vengeance quest. This is bigger than any of us, and I’m not going to waste time chasing after you chasing shadows.”
“Anyan, I swear to the gods that if you treat me like a fucking child I am going to take that saddlebag and shove it up your…”
From behind me, my rant was interrupted by an unwelcome hand on my shoulder.
“Jane, listen to me, I know you’re upset…”
Suddenly, it was as if something broke and all the feelings of shame, hurt, and anger that had been roiling around impotently inside me for the past two months lashed out. I was so tired of playing these games; so tired of being underestimated, and overlooked, and manipulated. What happened in Boston had changed me, and although I still looked like mild-mannered Jane True, the selkie-halfling, backing up my comfortable little body was a whole fuckload of thuggishly brutal elemental force and pure, un-Jane-like venom.
Still in control enough that I didn’t actually hurt him, I allowed my power to flatten Ryu. One minute he was standing behind me, hand on my shoulder, and the next he was sprawled on the ground. I let my force sit on his chest like a lolling mastiff, effectively pinning him and keeping him quiet at the same time.
Anyan’s eyes widened, staring behind me to where Ryu lay prostrate. Before the barghest could snap up his own powerful shields, I was on him.
I surrounded Anyan with a ball of my own energy, keeping him open, exposed, and vulnerable. I narrowed my power into a rough imitation of two fingers that poked him squarely in the chest. The big man grunted, taking a small step backward.
“Now you listen to me, dog breath. I am
not
a child. I am
not
weak.”
To emphasize my point, I gave him another hard jab to the sternum. He took another startled step back.
“I know when to stay out of shit, and I know I’ve been weak in the past. But I’m not that girl any longer.” One more poke and Anyan gave more ground.
“You have two choices. You say this isn’t personal; I say that’s bullshit. So either you take me with you on your official investigation or I’ll come anyway. You can’t keep me from following you.” I shoved him again, much harder than before, hard enough to make him stagger. I stalked toward him, using my power to punctuate my points.
“You can’t keep me from being one step behind you, the entire way.”
Shove.
“You can’t stop me from going into the Borderlands and meeting these contacts of yours.”
Shove.
“You aren’t my father.” Shove. “You don’t control me.” Shove. “You don’t tell me what to do.” Shove. “I’m strong now, and you can’t stop me from coming with you.”
With those words, I let the wodge of power that I used to hold down Ryu spread out, pressing him harder into the earth. I knew the baobhan sith wasn’t the issue, however; the one who stood between me and my goal was standing in front of me. But not for long.
“I’m coming with you, Anyan,” I said as I pulled a Gladiator and unleashed hell.
I let my Atlantic’s power manifest itself forward, blasting out of me to lift the barghest off his feet. It took him up, up, and then flipped him over onto his back. Anyan hung there, in midair, for a split second. And then I drilled him back down into the earth. Feeling him call to his element, I knew the ground helped to cushion him from the brunt of the impact. But he still landed hard enough to create an Anyan-shaped crater. He lay spread-eagled, the wind undoubtedly knocked out of him. When he didn’tbreathe for a long handful of seconds, I began to worry. But finally the barghest exhaled with a whoosh, and I saw the big man blink a few times. Probably clearing the stars from his eyes.
I reined
I ignored Ryu. I wasn’t talking to him, yet.
“You know I have to do this,” I demanded, spearing Anyan with my gaze.
The barghest shook his shaggy head. “Which is exactly why you’re not coming, woman. You’re furious and this isn’t a vengeance quest. This is bigger than any of us, and I’m not going to waste time chasing after you chasing shadows.”
“Anyan, I swear to the gods that if you treat me like a fucking child I am going to take that saddlebag and shove it up your…”
From behind me, my rant was interrupted by an unwelcome hand on my shoulder.
“Jane, listen to me, I know you’re upset…”
Suddenly, it was as if something broke and all the feelings of shame, hurt, and anger that had been roiling around impotently inside me for the past two months lashed out. I was so tired of playing these games; so tired of being underestimated, and overlooked, and manipulated. What happened in Boston had changed me, and although I still looked like mild-mannered Jane True, the selkie-halfling, backing up my comfortable little body was a whole fuckload of thuggishly brutal elemental force and pure, un-Jane-like venom.
Still in control enough that I didn’t actually hurt him, I allowed my power to flatten Ryu. One minute he was standing behind me, hand on my shoulder, and the next he was sprawled on the ground. I let my force sit on his chest like a lolling mastiff, effectively pinning him and keeping him quiet at the same time.
Anyan’s eyes widened, staring behind me to where Ryu lay prostrate. Before the barghest could snap up his own powerful shields, I was on him.
I surrounded Anyan with a ball of my own energy, keeping him open, exposed, and vulnerable. I narrowed my power into a rough imitation of two fingers that poked him squarely in the chest. The big man grunted, taking a small step backward.
“Now you listen to me, dog breath. I am
not
a child. I am
not
weak.”
To emphasize my point, I gave him another hard jab to the sternum. He took another startled step back.
“I know when to stay out of shit, and I know I’ve been weak in the past. But I’m not that girl any longer.” One more poke and Anyan gave more ground.
“You have two choices. You say this isn’t personal; I say that’s bullshit. So either you take me with you on your official investigation or I’ll come anyway. You can’t keep me from following you.” I shoved him again, much harder than before, hard enough to make him stagger. I stalked toward him, using my power to punctuate my points.
“You can’t keep me from being one step behind you, the entire way.”
Shove.
“You can’t stop me from going into the Borderlands and meeting these contacts of yours.”
Shove.
“You aren’t my father.” Shove. “You don’t control me.” Shove. “You don’t tell me what to do.” Shove. “I’m strong now, and you can’t stop me from coming with you.”
With those words, I let the wodge of power that I used to hold down Ryu spread out, pressing him harder into the earth. I knew the baobhan sith wasn’t the issue, however; the one who stood between me and my goal was standing in front of me. But not for long.
“I’m coming with you, Anyan,” I said as I pulled a Gladiator and unleashed hell.
I let my Atlantic’s power manifest itself forward, blasting out of me to lift the barghest off his feet. It took him up, up, and then flipped him over onto his back. Anyan hung there, in midair, for a split second. And then I drilled him back down into the earth. Feeling him call to his element, I knew the ground helped to cushion him from the brunt of the impact. But he still landed hard enough to create an Anyan-shaped crater. He lay spread-eagled, the wind undoubtedly knocked out of him. When he didn’tbreathe for a long handful of seconds, I began to worry. But finally the barghest exhaled with a whoosh, and I saw the big man blink a few times. Probably clearing the stars from his eyes.
I reined
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