Vagabonds

Chapter Twenty-Six: Blame Game

The tears came fast and torrential as she turned on the faucet, red and white blurring into a watercolor stain on the sink, a symbol of everything that had gone wrong. Eliza scrubbed at the gore on her hands, taking out her fury on the tender skin of her palms. She'd made a mess of things and worse, she'd dragged Joe into it. They were now a target, hunted by the army and that woman. Those privates had seen Aquila, shot Moose, and it was all her fault.

She turned off the sink and braced herself against its porcelain edge, trying to inhale past the sobs that threatened to crash over her like a wave. Adrenaline still pulsed through her, a rampaging stampede with nowhere to go.

We're safe, she said sternly to herself. Calm down. We're safe now.

But were they? How far would Amile Robillard go to find the Vagabonds?

What would Ian Eckelson think about her now?

She lifted her head only to see Aquila in the mirror, standing behind her.

"Don't," he said, holding out his hands as she opened her mouth to cry out in surprise. "I just... I wanted to see if you were okay."

Eliza swallowed, breathed. Snatching a hand towel, she scrubbed her face, furiously wiping at the tear-tracks on her cheeks.

"I'm fine." She turned to face him. "Totally fine."

"Daisy feels really bad about what happened."

"I bet he does," Eliza said with a wry smile. And then her smile faded. "But I don't think it's Daisy's fault. I have a feeling this wouldn't have happened if not for me."

Aquila shrugged, rustling the iridescent blue feathers and making them shimmer like seawater in the sun.

"Otto likes to push. If it wasn't you, it would have been something else."

"Has Daisy ever run away like this before?"

He ducked his head and Eliza knew the answer.

No.

"Aquila, there's nothing I can say to make this better. I feel like I've broken everything and I don't know how to make it right."

The tears were coming again, blurring Aquila around the edges. But then he stepped closer and she could see his features, open and warm and so damn understanding that she wanted to shove him away.

She didn't deserve his forgiveness.

"What are you talking about?" he said in a voice like velvet. You're the best thing that's happened to us in years. I mean, Ian's nice. He gets us everything we need. But it's not enough. You can't imagine how hard it is to live like that."

Oh, I think I can, Eliza thought. But when Aquila put a finger under her chin to lift her face, forcing her to look at him, her mind went as still as the lake outside.

"No matter what happens, we are glad to have met you. Remember that, okay?"

"Okay," Eliza said, barely able to get the word out as her thoughts became a wild tumble, as if someone had shoved them in the dryer. Aquila's mouth was so close, so perfect, his wings curving around her, making her feel safer than all the security features of the lake house combined.

He smelled like grass and pine needles and men's deodorant.

She leaned in.

"Sorry to interrupt," Joe said, making both of them jump. "But I think you should talk to Daisy."

Aquila and Eliza leapt apart, both blushing, both scrambling for something to grab.

"Of course," Aquila said, gaze flickering to Eliza. "I'll be right back."

He ducked out to where Moose lay in the middle of the living room, Daisy curled into a tight ball next to him. Joe folded his arms in the doorway, the wry, mocking smirk not quite hiding the ache in his eyes.

"I'm clean now," Eliza said, holding out her hands. She winced. Really? That's the best you can do?

"Look," Joe said, his smirk falling away. "I don't want to... I mean..."

Her heart fisted painfully as Joe's face flickered through a range of things she longed to wipe away. Anger. Hurt.

Betrayal.

She stepped forward and curled one dripping hand around his forearm, squeezing.

"It's been a long night. We're all confused."

Joe winced.

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Don't —"

"Look, I get it. He's tall and I guess he's kinda interesting with the wings and all that. That's not what... Well, I guess..." Joe sighed, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. "I thought we were friends."

Eliza reeled back, not understanding.

"Of course we are."

Joe dropped his gaze to her, holding her eyes with the vastness of his disappointment.

"Then why didn't you tell me what was going on before you had to?"

She opened her mouth but was saved having to respond as Aquila shouted from the other room.

"Eliza! Your phone!"

Meeting Joe's eyes one last time and praying she could fix the damage she'd done, Eliza crashed back into the main room. Aquila was holding out her Android, his other hand putting pressure on Moose's wound. She took the vibrating phone, glancing at the cracked screen.

It was Tori.

Eliza frowned, looking at each of the boys in turn. They were staring at her, waiting for her to decide, the air dense with worry.

She swiped to answer.

"Hi Tori, what's up?" Eliza cringed at the false cheer in her voice, but it didn't matter. Tori was sobbing on the other end of the line, her icy cool long forgotten.

"I-I... Eliza, I didn't know who else to call."

Eliza hunched over her phone, spinning away from the curious stares.

"Tori, what's wrong?"

"Look, I know you don't like me and I don't like you and this is probably a huge mistake, but no one else knows. And you went in the base and came out and I think you saw something and I don't know what else to do."

Wait, slow down, what's going on?"

Tori took a shuddering breath on the other end of the line and it crackled like static.

"It's my brother. He isn't answering his phone and no one at Fitzgerald will respond to my calls. Eliza, I think something happened to him."