First Crossing by Tyla Grey Page B

her eyes at him. “I know you. Or I have known you.”
    “Yes.” He leaned back, his green eyes piercing. “How much do
you remember?”
    Eve gave a brittle laugh, trying to control the tumult of
emotion in her chest. “Nothing . That’s it. You’re somehow familiar, but
you’re not part of my conscious memories.” She studied him carefully. “Who are
you?”
    “Hunter.”
    “Is that your name, or your job?”
    She detected a flare of amusement in his eyes, although his
face didn’t move a muscle. “It is my name.”
    “Huh.” She regarded him warily. “Okay. Hunter, then. Tell
me, should I remember something?”
    Beside her, she heard her father sigh. Hunter caught the
sound and his eyes flicked to the older man. Eve followed his gaze, to see her
father now staring at the floor, his hands linked between open knees. “Tell
her,” he said tonelessly. “I had hoped this day would never come; that Eve
would live out her life here. That we both would.”
    That sounded less than promising. Ignoring her increased
heart rate and a growing dread, she squeezed his knee and turned her attention
back to Hunter. “Go on.”
    “You know me because I brought you here when you were just a
few hours old,” he said. “Your mother ordered me to accompany you. Your safety
was her only concern.”
    My mother? For a moment, Eve stopped breathing. What
did he mean, a few hours old? According to her father, her mother had
died when she was a babe of three months. Why had he lied? What could her
mother have been protecting her from? And… the thought almost made her heart
stop – was her mother still alive?
    Eve put a hand to her forehead, not knowing which question
to ask first. Maybe that’s why Hunter was here; people were after her mother.
Maybe now they wanted to hunt Eve down, too.
    That phrase again. Hunt her down.
    His name was Hunter.
    Should she be worried?
    With an effort, she yanked her mind back to focus on him.
“Is she –” She moistened her lips. “My mother…are you saying she’s alive? Did she
send you here?”
    “She’s alive, yes.” His words were decisive; his tone even.
He didn’t even seem to realize that his words were smashing her life asunder.
“My coming here was a joint decision: your mother and… others. They have
learned that you are in danger here. There is no choice but to take you away.”
    “Hang on there,” said Eve, instantly annoyed by his
presumption. “There’s always a choice. I’m not some soft, helpless female, you
know. Tell me what’s going on and I’ll let you know if I want to leave.”
    A muscle moved in his jaw. “With all due respect, Eve –”
    Eve rolled her eyes, her irritation growing. “Oh, please . 
Anytime someone says ‘With all due respect’, I know that means they’re about to
patronize the hell out of me. Believe me, I know how to take care of myself. I
do martial arts, boxing, and hey, I can even shoot. So your reasons for wanting
me out of here better be good.”
    He sat looking at her for a long moment, and although his
expression remained completely calm, Eve could tell that he was keeping a lid
on his temper. When he finally spoke, his measured tones made more of an impact
than a shout.  “Oh, I’d say my reasons are good.” His voice grew softer, yet
more menacing. “You might be able to handle yourself well in this world, Eve,
but you have no idea of the kind of beings that are hunting you right now. You
won’t even see them coming.  How well equipped are you to deal with beings that
can enchant you with one gaze, and make you go with them willingly? Or who can
dematerialize and attack you from behind?”
    Eve shook her head stubbornly. It was all moving much too
fast. “Where do you plan on taking me?”
    Before Hunter could answer, her father finally found his
voice. And some backbone.
    “Eve.” He sat upright and seized her arm in his strong
tradesman’s grip. His palm was rough against her skin. “I know this is