Wren immediately starts to panic.
“What are you doing? Where are we going? I have to get back!” His voice is sharp with alarm, his breath coming fast and uneven. He scrambles upright, eyes darting wildly around the car as he shifts toward the door. But Roxy is in the way, her large frame taking up most of the space beside him. Even if she weren’t, we’re moving too fast for him to have any real chance of jumping out. That kind of thing might work in an action movie, but in real life? It’s a terrible idea. Not to mention terrifying. It’s basically impossible… Right? I keep my voice as steady as I can, though my stomach is twisting itself into knots.
“Sorry, Wren, but you can’t go back there. We’re going to get you somewhere safe.” I tell him. I hope we’re getting him somewhere safe. I hope we’re doing the right thing. But if I let myself dwell on that now, I might start second guessing everything again, and it’s kind of a little bit late for that. Wren shakes his head violently.
“No, you don’t understand. I HAVE to go back. Like, I don’t think I can physically stop myself from trying.” He explains. His voice is tight with fear, his entire body coiled like a spring, as if at any second he’ll try to bolt. Sure enough, he inches closer to the door again, testing the limits. Lukas, still calm as ever, cuts in.
“I think you’re misunderstanding us, Wren. We won’t let you go back there. If you try to get out of this car, we will stop you.” His voice is so even, so unwavering, that it sends a chill down my spine. It’s not a threat, not really, but it’s not NOT a threat, either. It’s a simple, undeniable fact. Honestly, I don’t know HOW we would stop him. But I’m sure we could figure it out. I don’t have a lot of magic right now, but I bet I could come up with something. As soon as Lukas finishes speaking, Wren goes still. I expect him to argue. To keep fighting. Or even to lunge for the door anyway. Instead, he just sits back. His hands drop to his lap, his posture relaxing ever so slightly.
“Okay.” He says quietly. I blink at him, kind if confused at his sudden compliance.
“That’s it?” I ask. Three seconds ago, he was ready to launch himself out of a moving vehicle. Now he’s just… Sitting there? Wren shrugs, expression unreadable.
“Apparently you guys meant that, because the magic, or deal, or whatever it is, stopped trying to make me leave.” He frowns slightly, as if testing some invisible barrier in his mind.
“I guess it won’t make me risk myself? Although I still feel like I need to go back… And once we get out of this car…” His fingers tighten into fists in his lap.
“I’m pretty sure I’m going to run.” He admits reluctantly. Lukas and I exchange a glance.
“Oh.” I say awkwardly.
“Well… I guess we’ll have to deal with that when we get there.” I conclude. I mean, it’s something, right? This is actually going way better than I expected. Wren’s resistance isn’t really his resistance, it’s the influence of whatever magical contract or demonic deal he’s caught up in. Which means he’s not actually opposed to this whole rescue slash kidnapping operation. It’s just the compulsion trying to pull him back. That makes me feel… A lot better. This isn’t a kidnapping, not really. It’s protective custody. Lukas is already on his phone, his fingers moving quickly over the screen. Probably texting Rina and Torin, letting them know we’re on the way. His face is unreadable, but his grip on the phone is tense. Then Cole clears his throat from the driver’s seat.
“So, if you’re not planning to throw yourself out of my cab, this might be a good time for me to say hi.” His voice is light, almost amused, but there’s an odd hint of anxiety in his voice. Wren’s head snaps up, his eyes going wide in pure disbelief.
“U… Uncle Cole? What are YOU doing here?” He demands, incredulous. Cole gives an uncomfortable smile in the rearview mirror.
“Driving?” He offers awkwardly.
All I can do is stare.
“U… Uncle Cole? What are YOU doing here?” Wren demands, his voice high with disbelief. Cole meets his wide eyed stare in the rearview mirror and offers an uncomfortable, almost sheepish smile.
“Driving?” He says, like that’s a perfectly reasonable response. I just stare.
“UNCLE Cole?” Lukas echoes, his tone sharp, his entire posture stiffening.
“Surprise?” Cole shrugs, as if this is some casual family reunion and not the most insane revelation of the day. Wren still looks absolutely shell shocked beside me, his mouth slightly open, his eyes darting between Cole and Lukas like he’s waiting for someone, anyone, to explain how reality just broke. Cole sighs, his hands tightening briefly on the steering wheel before he speaks again.
“Wren here is my sister’s son. My nephew.” He explains. I blink. Oh. Well. That explains a few things. Like how Cole might have known Wren was the necromancer. Like why he was so quick to get involved in all of this. I turn to Wren, expecting… Something. Maybe relief. Maybe even a little bit of excitement. Finding out you’re being ‘kidnapped’ by your own uncle should, in theory, make this whole thing less terrifying. But that’s not the reaction I get. Instead, Wren goes completely pale. Not just surprised pale. Not just anxious pale. No, he looks ghostly. Like every drop of blood has drained from his face all at once. His breathing turns shallow and uneven, his hands curling into fists against his knees. And just like that, a sick sense of wrongness settles over me. This isn’t a normal reaction to seeing a family member. I don’t even react this badly to seeing my family, and they’re certifiably insane. Something is very, very wrong. I feel my stomach tighten as a horrible thought slithers into my mind. Have we screwed up by trusting Cole? We don’t actually know much about him. He’s been helpful, sure, but has he really told us anything about himself? And from the look on Wren’s face right now… We might have messed up big time.
“Wren? Is everything okay?” I ask softly, leaning slightly toward him. His breath hitches sharply.
Then, all at once…
“NO!” His voice cracks as he practically yells the word, his panic bubbling over into something raw and frantic.
“No, it’s not okay! Because I haven’t seen Uncle Cole in over a year, and now he’s here?” He yells. His agitation is rising fast, his voice getting louder with every word. I glance up at Cole. He’s still staring at the road, his knuckles white on the steering wheel, his mouth pressed into a tight, pained line. But he doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t interrupt. Doesn’t offer an explanation. And that makes my heart race even faster. I turn back to Wren, keeping my voice as careful as possible.
“And… That’s a bad thing?” I question. Even as I ask, I already know the answer. Everything about Wren’s reaction tells me the answer. His head whips toward me, his expression raw with frustration, terror, and something else, something I don’t quite understand yet.
“YES, it’s a bad thing!” His voice breaks as he practically screams it. Then he stops. Like something has just caught in his throat. His mouth opens, then closes again. His whole body is trembling slightly, and for a second, I think… Oh, shit, is he about to cry? The silence stretches, thick and suffocating. Even Roxy isn’t making a sound. Then…
“He’s DEAD!”