as she spoke. “I mean, I was five when it happened. So that makes me seventy-five. I know in human years that would only make me a little over forty, but you don’t need an old lady like me around.”
“Rose, stop. Look at me.” He lightly took her by the chin and turned her face to his. “I want you.”
“You don’t have to say that.”
He leaned down and gently kissed her burns. His female put her hands to her face and began to sob.
“Oh, my Rose.” He draped her robe back over her shoulders and pulled her in close, tucking her against him. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
He covered her with his body as much as possible, like he could somehow shield her from her past. If only he could.
Ana was at a full-out run with Dimitri at her side. She pointed left down an alleyway and her partner continued on his own. She turned in and when she hit the end, she hopped the fence and went flat against the brick wall of the building. She looked down at her torn sleeve and swore under her breath. Brand new leather. Fuckers. She should start sending Toltec the bills from her tailor. At that moment, she picked up on the soldier and hellion . She gleamed to the building’s roof and looked over the side. They had a young female shifter with them and from the look of things, she wouldn’t be around much longer. Damn. If she was fast enough, she could still save the nagual.
Quickly, Ana drew her crescent knives and gleamed behind the mutant. In one sure blow, she took off its head and it burst into a shower of sand. She turned to the Tolie who had just capped his evil little bottle and was replacing it around his neck. She could see the nagual spirit glowing inside it. The Tolie drew his nine and she kicked it out of his hand, pushed all her weight forward, and decapitated him. She caught her breath for a moment. Time to release the spirit energy and dump the bodies. She sheathed her knives and bent down over the soldier’s body. She could see the shining coyote inside the vial and she bent down to release it. She unscrewed the top and watched as the nagual took to the air. It seemed confused somehow. Usually they were gone in mere seconds, but this one kept to the air, buzzing around like a firefly. Why wasn’t it crossing into the Otherworld?
“ Elanh .” She encouraged in Mayan. “Go on.”
Instead, the tiny form began to glow brighter as it came toward her. It leveled its flight in front of her and flew straight into her body, vanishing from sight. What the…? She checked first left, then right, panicking. Where the hell was it? A warm sensation filled her chest and she tried to swallow past the lump forming in her throat. She slowly turned her head and looked over her shoulder. Reyn was standing at the entrance to the alley, his mouth agape, his eyes wide with shock.
Oh, Goddess. What have I done?
CHAPTER TWELVE
Seth stood outside his old crib. He was about to put the key in the lock when he froze.
She shouldn’t still be here.
He’d shown Grace how to take enough k’ul for survival. Sure, she’d taken too much, but they all did that at first. Personally, the only reason he didn’t drain them dry was because it left a trail of bodies all over town. But she’d been so upset over the killing, even though it had been accidental. So, he waited a couple of nights and convinced her to try again when the hunger was becoming intolerable. Things had gone fine. It was time to give her the key and let her make her own way.
Except he couldn’t. Instead he was risking everything to help her. What a total jackass. If Batiste found out he’d started skimming money off the top of the payments for the rogues, he’d be ganked for sure. But it was the only way he could make enough cash to get both of them the hell outta Dodge in less than maybe a year.
He turned the key in the lock and went into the apartment. Grace was in the kitchen making coffee. It was funny. Until he met her, he’d
“Rose, stop. Look at me.” He lightly took her by the chin and turned her face to his. “I want you.”
“You don’t have to say that.”
He leaned down and gently kissed her burns. His female put her hands to her face and began to sob.
“Oh, my Rose.” He draped her robe back over her shoulders and pulled her in close, tucking her against him. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
He covered her with his body as much as possible, like he could somehow shield her from her past. If only he could.
Ana was at a full-out run with Dimitri at her side. She pointed left down an alleyway and her partner continued on his own. She turned in and when she hit the end, she hopped the fence and went flat against the brick wall of the building. She looked down at her torn sleeve and swore under her breath. Brand new leather. Fuckers. She should start sending Toltec the bills from her tailor. At that moment, she picked up on the soldier and hellion . She gleamed to the building’s roof and looked over the side. They had a young female shifter with them and from the look of things, she wouldn’t be around much longer. Damn. If she was fast enough, she could still save the nagual.
Quickly, Ana drew her crescent knives and gleamed behind the mutant. In one sure blow, she took off its head and it burst into a shower of sand. She turned to the Tolie who had just capped his evil little bottle and was replacing it around his neck. She could see the nagual spirit glowing inside it. The Tolie drew his nine and she kicked it out of his hand, pushed all her weight forward, and decapitated him. She caught her breath for a moment. Time to release the spirit energy and dump the bodies. She sheathed her knives and bent down over the soldier’s body. She could see the shining coyote inside the vial and she bent down to release it. She unscrewed the top and watched as the nagual took to the air. It seemed confused somehow. Usually they were gone in mere seconds, but this one kept to the air, buzzing around like a firefly. Why wasn’t it crossing into the Otherworld?
“ Elanh .” She encouraged in Mayan. “Go on.”
Instead, the tiny form began to glow brighter as it came toward her. It leveled its flight in front of her and flew straight into her body, vanishing from sight. What the…? She checked first left, then right, panicking. Where the hell was it? A warm sensation filled her chest and she tried to swallow past the lump forming in her throat. She slowly turned her head and looked over her shoulder. Reyn was standing at the entrance to the alley, his mouth agape, his eyes wide with shock.
Oh, Goddess. What have I done?
CHAPTER TWELVE
Seth stood outside his old crib. He was about to put the key in the lock when he froze.
She shouldn’t still be here.
He’d shown Grace how to take enough k’ul for survival. Sure, she’d taken too much, but they all did that at first. Personally, the only reason he didn’t drain them dry was because it left a trail of bodies all over town. But she’d been so upset over the killing, even though it had been accidental. So, he waited a couple of nights and convinced her to try again when the hunger was becoming intolerable. Things had gone fine. It was time to give her the key and let her make her own way.
Except he couldn’t. Instead he was risking everything to help her. What a total jackass. If Batiste found out he’d started skimming money off the top of the payments for the rogues, he’d be ganked for sure. But it was the only way he could make enough cash to get both of them the hell outta Dodge in less than maybe a year.
He turned the key in the lock and went into the apartment. Grace was in the kitchen making coffee. It was funny. Until he met her, he’d
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