Shadow Borne by Angie West Page A

dislodge the Coatyl and almost drop it into the street. Aranu's
hands came up in a single fluid motion, one gripped my upper arm to
steady me and the other caught the bag and took it from me. My back
appreciated the gesture even if my pride wasn't quite sure what to
make of it.
    "Hey, give me that." I frowned. "And what
are you doing here? We're supposed to meet at Mark and
Claire's."
    "Yes, we were." he agreed, dodging the grab
I made for the bag. "You're late."
    "So? I told you I had things to do this
morning."
    "Yes, you did." he said conversationally and
began striding down the sidewalk toward the woods.
    "Fine, take the damn bag." I shrugged,
remembering now why I had been so short tempered with Aranu
yesterday at patrol switch–he was a high handed bastard.
    "Hey, where are you going?" He finally
noticed I wasn't following his lead, that I was walking in the
opposite direction.
    "I'm going to get coffee for Juliette and
me."
    "You're joking. Aren't you forgetting
something?"
    "Why would I be joking? Oh wait, where are
my manners? Would you like a cup?" I asked, stomping down the
sidewalk without waiting to hear his response.
    "No, I do not want a cup of coffee."
    "Suit yourself."
    "Aries."
    I twirled around, walking backwards now, to
find that Aranu had come to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk.
He did not look happy. Well, too bad. "What?" I demanded when he
continued to stare at me in mute irritation.
    "You can't leave me holding this thing while
you stop off for coffee. And we have an important meeting, which,
as you already know, we are now late for."
    I shook my head and spun around to face the
door to the coffee shop. "Hey, don't blame me. You're the one who
insisted on carrying the bag and if you're in that much of a hurry
then go." I tossed over my shoulder.
    "This is a serious situation." he pointed
out.
    "You don't think I know that?" I swiveled to
fix him with a fierce glare. How dare he have such nerve as to
accuse me of not taking the fate of the world seriously.
    He had the good grace to look sheepish, even
though the look, and probably the feeling, was fleeting. Within
five seconds his face looked as stern as it always did.
    "I apologize."
    "That's the best you can do?" I raised a
brow. "I didn't ask you to come here this morning and..." I waved a
hand between us. "And do your take over thing."
    "My take over thing?" he frowned and seemed
genuinely puzzled.
    "You don't even know you do it, do you?" I
sighed. "If that isn't just like a damn man."
    "I'm trying to help you." He shifted his
immense form, clearly impatient to get going already.
    "I don't need your help."
My eyes narrowed on him when he opened his mouth. Long moments
stretched between us and I wondered if he would have the gall to
bring up the one time when I had needed his help. If he did I thought for sure I'd
have to kill him, but he closed his mouth and said
instead.
    "I only meant to point out that we are short
on time this morning."
    "Five minutes will not make or break the
day, Aranu, and I intend to be awake and alert for this meeting. If
the others have any sense they're using this time to drink some
coffee, too. See you at the meeting."
    "I'll find Juliette and wait for you." he
sighed.
    "Like I said, suit yourself." I let the door
bang shut in my wake and marched up to the counter. "Three extra
large coffees to go, please. Two black, one with light cream and
three sugars." Not that either of them deserved it.

Chapter Six
    China Doll
     
    The trip to the big mansion on the hill
seemed to take forever and all at once not nearly long enough. I
walked between a silent Juliette and a stern Aranu. I sipped my
coffee and trailed a step or two behind my companions. The overall
mood of our trio grew increasingly somber the closer we got to our
destination and I knew each of us was slowly easing into our game
faces; Juliette tended to grow quiet and thoughtful and for the
most part Aranu had two sides to show the world–grim and