watched Quicksilver unlock the shed and push the bike inside.
After s winging the wooden door shut, she twisted the lock shut and joined him.
“This is it.”
“You live here?” He looked around.
She pointed to a narrow wooden stairway going to the floor above one of the shops. “Up there.”
A rippling, slapping sound echoed against the bricks. When he touched her elbow, he felt her body stiffen. A short, stocky man emerged from the shadows.
“Sutton,” Kethan said, stepping in front of Quicksilver.
She straightened, her hands going behind her back.
“Mr. Hilliard,” Sutton acknowledged, staying at the edge of the deep shadow cast by the brick building at his back.
“Isn’t it late?” Kethan asked.
“Aye. Late enough,” Sutton agreed, crossing his arms over his barrel chest. His eyes gleamed red as he studied the woman at Kethan’s side. “You’d best be on your way , then.”
“No.” Kethan placed a restraining hand on Quicksilver’s arm when she moved. “I’m staying here.” He felt her thrumming at his side, her muscles tense. Don’t argue, please . “To ensure peace.”
“Peace?” Sutton laughed, his needle-sharp fangs flashing. “I have business with this lady. You know how it is, tit for tat. Best be on your way, Mr. Hilliard.” He cocked his head to one side. “It might get messy.”
“You’ve no business here. I’m staying as a guarantee of peace. There will be no fighting on either side.”
“ Don’t trust him.” Quicksilver tried to edge past him. “We need to finish this. Now. You know we do.”
“She speaks the truth,” Sutton agreed complacently , giving himself the illusion of height by rocking forward onto the balls of his feet. He seemed to loom over them, filling the space around them with a deathly chill, before rocking back to stand flat-footed in front of them.
“No , killing each other won’t solve anything.”
“It will , my fine lad. It most certainly will. If you wish to negotiate, we must have even ground.” Sutton moved in a blink to stand a few yards away. “She killed Tyler. The deed is done. The debt must be paid.”
“No . There’ll be no more death. It ends now.”
Ignoring him, Sutton shifted in and out of the shadows, circling them. “So you’ll leave her to hunt us? Day is coming.”
“I will ensure your safety. I’ll stay with her—”
Sutton’s eyes flashed with crimson anger before he stepped back, disappearing into the dense shadows shrouding a fire escape. “Watch her, then, and luck be with you. You’ll need it.” The whisper bounced off the bricks, echoing into silence.
The sound of rushing wind slapped their backs.
Quicksilver pirouetted and crouched. One whip snapped out, the silver fall merging into the swirling darkness before Kethan caught her wrist.
“Stop!” he ordered, searching for the vampire.
Soft laughter greeted him. It drifted away on the morning breeze.
Quicksilver straightened. The popper at the end of the whip jerked across the pavement in an uncoordinated movement as she coiled the weapon. He studied her, noting her pallor and the slight tremor in her hands. Fear tightened her features into a porcelain mask.
Sutton hadn’t agreed. Despite Kethan’s efforts, she wasn’t safe despite the coming of dawn.
Kethan glanced around , studying the alleyway. They were vulnerable here, trapped in the narrow gap between the buildings.
“Come on. We can’t stay here.” When she didn’t move, he climbed the rickety stairs ahead of her. He was half-way up before he heard the thuds of her steps following him. He grabbed the railing, feeling the wooden structure sway under their combined weight.
But the wooden stairs held despite their groans. When they got to the tiny deck at the top, she pushed him aside with her shoulder in silence. She unlocked the deadbolt on her gray metal door and shoved it open.
Meow .
He turned quickly, scanning the area, his heart thumping at the noise. A marmalade
After s winging the wooden door shut, she twisted the lock shut and joined him.
“This is it.”
“You live here?” He looked around.
She pointed to a narrow wooden stairway going to the floor above one of the shops. “Up there.”
A rippling, slapping sound echoed against the bricks. When he touched her elbow, he felt her body stiffen. A short, stocky man emerged from the shadows.
“Sutton,” Kethan said, stepping in front of Quicksilver.
She straightened, her hands going behind her back.
“Mr. Hilliard,” Sutton acknowledged, staying at the edge of the deep shadow cast by the brick building at his back.
“Isn’t it late?” Kethan asked.
“Aye. Late enough,” Sutton agreed, crossing his arms over his barrel chest. His eyes gleamed red as he studied the woman at Kethan’s side. “You’d best be on your way , then.”
“No.” Kethan placed a restraining hand on Quicksilver’s arm when she moved. “I’m staying here.” He felt her thrumming at his side, her muscles tense. Don’t argue, please . “To ensure peace.”
“Peace?” Sutton laughed, his needle-sharp fangs flashing. “I have business with this lady. You know how it is, tit for tat. Best be on your way, Mr. Hilliard.” He cocked his head to one side. “It might get messy.”
“You’ve no business here. I’m staying as a guarantee of peace. There will be no fighting on either side.”
“ Don’t trust him.” Quicksilver tried to edge past him. “We need to finish this. Now. You know we do.”
“She speaks the truth,” Sutton agreed complacently , giving himself the illusion of height by rocking forward onto the balls of his feet. He seemed to loom over them, filling the space around them with a deathly chill, before rocking back to stand flat-footed in front of them.
“No , killing each other won’t solve anything.”
“It will , my fine lad. It most certainly will. If you wish to negotiate, we must have even ground.” Sutton moved in a blink to stand a few yards away. “She killed Tyler. The deed is done. The debt must be paid.”
“No . There’ll be no more death. It ends now.”
Ignoring him, Sutton shifted in and out of the shadows, circling them. “So you’ll leave her to hunt us? Day is coming.”
“I will ensure your safety. I’ll stay with her—”
Sutton’s eyes flashed with crimson anger before he stepped back, disappearing into the dense shadows shrouding a fire escape. “Watch her, then, and luck be with you. You’ll need it.” The whisper bounced off the bricks, echoing into silence.
The sound of rushing wind slapped their backs.
Quicksilver pirouetted and crouched. One whip snapped out, the silver fall merging into the swirling darkness before Kethan caught her wrist.
“Stop!” he ordered, searching for the vampire.
Soft laughter greeted him. It drifted away on the morning breeze.
Quicksilver straightened. The popper at the end of the whip jerked across the pavement in an uncoordinated movement as she coiled the weapon. He studied her, noting her pallor and the slight tremor in her hands. Fear tightened her features into a porcelain mask.
Sutton hadn’t agreed. Despite Kethan’s efforts, she wasn’t safe despite the coming of dawn.
Kethan glanced around , studying the alleyway. They were vulnerable here, trapped in the narrow gap between the buildings.
“Come on. We can’t stay here.” When she didn’t move, he climbed the rickety stairs ahead of her. He was half-way up before he heard the thuds of her steps following him. He grabbed the railing, feeling the wooden structure sway under their combined weight.
But the wooden stairs held despite their groans. When they got to the tiny deck at the top, she pushed him aside with her shoulder in silence. She unlocked the deadbolt on her gray metal door and shoved it open.
Meow .
He turned quickly, scanning the area, his heart thumping at the noise. A marmalade
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