“Appears that way.”
“I’m going to follow them.” River’s voice didn’t leave any room for discussion. She had come all this way; she wouldn’t let a bit of darkness scare her off.
Arlo’s thoughtful gaze swept over hers for a long moment before they dipped their chin. “Okay.” They rose to their feet. “I have some equipment in the car. I’ll grab it.”
While Arlo was out, River snapped a series of photos and sent them to Ryker. She’d barely had the chance to send a follow-up text, letting him know what they’d found, before her phone rang.
She accepted the call. “Hello?”
“River. Thank the gods.” Worry was woven into his words.
“Hey, Ryker.”
“You need to get out of there, right now.”
His voice, full of authority, was that of a man who wasn’t used to being disobeyed. Unfortunately for Ryker, River wasn’t one of his soldiers, and she didn’t have to listen to him.
“Sorry, but I can’t do that.” Pressing the phone against her ear, she kneeled over the hole and peered into the darkness. “Nik is in trouble.”
A frustrated huff. “I know. Now that you have those pictures, I can get a team there faster. Obviously, something went down. I appreciate you gathering that evidence. Now, let the professionals look after this.” That stung, even though River acknowledged that she wasn’t a soldier. “Let them look after it, River. You need to?—”
“Don’t,” she said, interrupting him.
“What?”
“Don’t tell me to leave. I can’t. Iwon’t.”
“But you’re not trained for this. I can get someone else there. You don’t have to?—”
“Yes, Ido,” she said firmly. Ryker wasn’t the only one who could fill their voice with authority. She had Waterborn blood running through her veins just as much as he did. “You can’t stop me, Ryker. I am going after Nikhail.”
Even if it was the last thing she ever did.
“Fuck, River, please just listen to me.”
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I love you, Ryker, but I can’t do what you’re asking. Iwon’t.”
He was ranting on the other end of the line, saying that he would get someone there soon and couldn’t she just have an ounce of self-preservation, but River ended the call.
Arlo returned, carrying two flashlights and a black backpack. “Everything okay?”
River’s phone lit up with another call. She sent it to voicemail and turned the device to silent before slipping it into her back pocket.
“It’s fine,” she said, accepting the flashlight Arlo held out to her.
Ryker was angry, but she could handle that. It wasn’t that she enjoyed arguing with him or going against his wishes, especially since she knew he had her best interests at heart, but in this, he was wrong.
River couldn’t sit on the sidelines when Nikhail’s life was potentially on the line. She might’ve lacked military training, but she was still powerful. Still a force to be reckoned with. She was a Waterborn, for the gods’ sakes, and she wasangry.
Angry that Nikhail might be injured.
Angry that he was in danger in the first place.
Angry that some stupid, bureaucratic rule might play a role in his demise.
And anger, she was learning, wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. For once, she didn’t resent the storm battering against the dam within her. She didn’t hate the churning of magic in her veins.
Both were reminders that she wasn’t weak or useless.