NocC 003 - Mina Khan - The Djinn's Dilemma - Harlequin 2011-11 by Nocturne Page B
Book: NocC 003 - Mina Khan - The Djinn's Dilemma - Harlequin 2011-11 by Nocturne
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Authors: Nocturne
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tightened as she pulled in one desperate breath after another. The noise must be coming from her.
She slammed up against the cool door, pushing down on the bar until the exit swung open. Despite it being a balmy night in April, Sarah shivered as she stumbled into the parking lot. The tall lights scattered across the empty distance cast intermittent circles of brightness, but for the most part the shadows prevailed. Her pale blue Beetle sat by itself at the far end, facing the shrubs and trees of Lady Bird Lake Trail. The greenery looked almost pitch-black. “Man oh man,” she muttered.
The plan had been to get out while daylight still remained and go for a run. Of course, then she’d gotten lost in work—as usual—and forgotten to even move the car closer. Weariness weighed her bones down as she considered the long hike, the stifling heat, the grasping dark.
Well, moaning and groaning wouldn’t get her any closer. She straightened her shoulders and gripped her keys in a tight fist, with the poky-end of the car key sticking out like a weapon. Then she took off at a fast clip. The air grew heated and thick. Her steps echoed in the emptiness, like gunshots, breaking up the soft noise of traffic and cicadas in the background.
The hair at the nape of her neck prickled in awareness. Sarah stopped herself from turning her head. Instead she cast her gaze sideways and backwards, searching for shadows. Only hers stretched on the ground amidst crumpled candy wrappers and cracks in the hot asphalt.
Breath strangled in her throat as the heat threatened to suffocate her. A forgotten memory pushed into thought. Ghosts. Could there be a ghost or an elemental spirit behind her? Panic welled inside and she stumbled. No, no, no. She hadn’t seen any of those since she was six years old. They’d left her alone twenty years. Why would they return? They wouldn’t, couldn’t , be back.
She took a deep breath of steamy air and visualized the solid walls inside her head. They stood. Unbreached and ivy-covered. Yet her blood ran ice-cold and she couldn’t stop the march of goose bumps along her skin. Hugging herself tight, Sarah hurried toward her car. She could make out the “Keep Austin Weird” sticker. Almost there.
A rustle of movement caught her ear. Then the darkness seemed to shiver and two shadows peeled away from the inky depths of the trees and shrubs. As if the night had given birth. Sarah blinked and slowed. Was she hallucinating?
The shadows solidified into men as they moved forward into the light and leanedagainst her car. Her relief that the figures were real and human was short-lived as she took in their details—messy stringy hair, black jackets with patches sporting skulls and flames, black jeans with silver-buckled black boots. Walking, breathing ads for biker-dude toughies. Or wannabes. Great. Her hand dipped in her bag and fingers searched for pepper spray.
“Lookee here, what do we have?” The larger man on the right swaggered forward, stopped a few feet from her, thumbs planted in the waistband of his jeans.
The other guy, she nicknamed him Skinny, flashed a gap-toothed grin and pulled out a switchblade. Where the heck was her spray? The soft snick of the knife popping out cut through the air.
Stupid. She’d been so busy imagining monsters, she’d walked right into real danger. A whimper escaped Sarah’s lips, a second before her fingers wrapped around the smooth cylinder. “What do you want?” She hated the quiver in her voice.
Using the knife, Skinny indicated her bag. “Just hand it over and no one gets hurt.”
She took a step back. Sweat trickled down her neck. Could she outrun them back to the building?
“Oh, you want to play,” the larger guy leered. His hands moved to the top button of his jeans. “I’m game. I like to chase pussy.”
Her stomach lurched. Bile, bitter and hot, coated her throat. She jerked the canister of pepper spray out and aimed it at them.
Their eyes widened
She slammed up against the cool door, pushing down on the bar until the exit swung open. Despite it being a balmy night in April, Sarah shivered as she stumbled into the parking lot. The tall lights scattered across the empty distance cast intermittent circles of brightness, but for the most part the shadows prevailed. Her pale blue Beetle sat by itself at the far end, facing the shrubs and trees of Lady Bird Lake Trail. The greenery looked almost pitch-black. “Man oh man,” she muttered.
The plan had been to get out while daylight still remained and go for a run. Of course, then she’d gotten lost in work—as usual—and forgotten to even move the car closer. Weariness weighed her bones down as she considered the long hike, the stifling heat, the grasping dark.
Well, moaning and groaning wouldn’t get her any closer. She straightened her shoulders and gripped her keys in a tight fist, with the poky-end of the car key sticking out like a weapon. Then she took off at a fast clip. The air grew heated and thick. Her steps echoed in the emptiness, like gunshots, breaking up the soft noise of traffic and cicadas in the background.
The hair at the nape of her neck prickled in awareness. Sarah stopped herself from turning her head. Instead she cast her gaze sideways and backwards, searching for shadows. Only hers stretched on the ground amidst crumpled candy wrappers and cracks in the hot asphalt.
Breath strangled in her throat as the heat threatened to suffocate her. A forgotten memory pushed into thought. Ghosts. Could there be a ghost or an elemental spirit behind her? Panic welled inside and she stumbled. No, no, no. She hadn’t seen any of those since she was six years old. They’d left her alone twenty years. Why would they return? They wouldn’t, couldn’t , be back.
She took a deep breath of steamy air and visualized the solid walls inside her head. They stood. Unbreached and ivy-covered. Yet her blood ran ice-cold and she couldn’t stop the march of goose bumps along her skin. Hugging herself tight, Sarah hurried toward her car. She could make out the “Keep Austin Weird” sticker. Almost there.
A rustle of movement caught her ear. Then the darkness seemed to shiver and two shadows peeled away from the inky depths of the trees and shrubs. As if the night had given birth. Sarah blinked and slowed. Was she hallucinating?
The shadows solidified into men as they moved forward into the light and leanedagainst her car. Her relief that the figures were real and human was short-lived as she took in their details—messy stringy hair, black jackets with patches sporting skulls and flames, black jeans with silver-buckled black boots. Walking, breathing ads for biker-dude toughies. Or wannabes. Great. Her hand dipped in her bag and fingers searched for pepper spray.
“Lookee here, what do we have?” The larger man on the right swaggered forward, stopped a few feet from her, thumbs planted in the waistband of his jeans.
The other guy, she nicknamed him Skinny, flashed a gap-toothed grin and pulled out a switchblade. Where the heck was her spray? The soft snick of the knife popping out cut through the air.
Stupid. She’d been so busy imagining monsters, she’d walked right into real danger. A whimper escaped Sarah’s lips, a second before her fingers wrapped around the smooth cylinder. “What do you want?” She hated the quiver in her voice.
Using the knife, Skinny indicated her bag. “Just hand it over and no one gets hurt.”
She took a step back. Sweat trickled down her neck. Could she outrun them back to the building?
“Oh, you want to play,” the larger guy leered. His hands moved to the top button of his jeans. “I’m game. I like to chase pussy.”
Her stomach lurched. Bile, bitter and hot, coated her throat. She jerked the canister of pepper spray out and aimed it at them.
Their eyes widened
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