Silverthorn by Sydney Bristow Page A

of his instincts, he may have singled out the sound of my engine or muffler, and remained far enough behind on the road to prevent me from noticing him.
    “Did he see us?” Nolan asked.
    “I don’t think so. I’m going to follow him.” I didn’t want to obey that piece of logic, but it felt right.
    “Really? Because if he’s a vampire, won’t he hear you or see you?”
    “Not if I’m careful…if I stay far enough away.” If I followed him home, and he let his guard down, while I had the Soul Sword, I might be able to sever his head. I turned to go. Half a second later, I felt a hand grasp my right forearm, swinging me back towards Nolan. “Once more, I felt a little woozy. “What gives?”
    “I can’t let you do that,” he said, standing tall. “I won’t let you put yourself in jeopardy like that.”
    I wouldn’t emasculate him by stating that I could take him in a fight. “I can handle myself.” I tried to shrug off his hand, but he wouldn’t release it. “If I don’t go now, I might lose him. So…” I glanced at his hand then met his gaze.
    But the concern lining his eyes looked much more worried than that of a simple bandmate. Confused by his intentions, I said, “What’s wrong?”
    “You can’t go alone. I’m coming with.”
    I smiled at his naiveté. “I don’t want you to get hurt.” I swung my arm, unlocking his hold on it. The haze in my mind instantly cleared up. I felt a little weak, but not enough to track down Darius. After all, that sensation only lingered for a few moments before I regained my full energy. “Don’t wait up for me.” I headed for the door.
    He took heavy steps behind me. “I said, I’m coming with you.”
    Irritated, I spun around. “Look, I don’t have time for this. I might not get another chance to get him one-on-one. I’m not going to blow it by arguing with you.”
    “Then let me come.”
    I couldn’t ignore the determination in his eyes. For whatever reason, he wouldn’t let me handle this alone. I considered knocking him unconscious, but even though I didn’t know him too well, I was certain that doing so would hurt his pride and result in him quitting the band. He was too integral, too valuable of a band member to allow him to leave.
    I exhaled in surrender. “Fine.” I glanced toward the kitchen, where Brandon and Kendall were arguing about the integrity of the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Bringing Nolan might jeopardize my mission. If Darius somehow got hold of him, I might have to capitulate in order to let him to go free. But if I brought Brandon and Kendall…
    Without further thought, I hurried to the kitchen, where I found Brandon placing a large, plastic bowl on the countertop. “I’ve got a lead on Darius. I plan to kill him.”
    Brandon let loose with a giant grin. “I’m down for that!” He removed a bag of popcorn from the microwave, but the heat burned his fingers, and he immediately dropped the bag with a high-pitched howl. Cringing, he flicked his fingers and then hit me with a dubious expression. “That just destroyed my tough guy status, didn’t it?” He scooped up the bag and pretended that he held a telephone. ‘Thank you for calling Wusses R Us, how may I direct your call?’”
    Kendall offered a shy smile, completely enamored by his self-deprecating humor. “Of course not!”
    He met her gaze and shrugged. “I’m doomed to spinster-hood. Might as well get out my yarn right now. Hey, Nolan: do you have any cats? It’s probably a good idea if I start collecting them. He exhaled, dejected. “Guess I’ve got a new stage name: ‘Spinster Cat Man.’”
    Nolan broke out laughing.
    In every other instance, I thought I’d seen Nolan completely disarmed, but I now realized that he’d put up a false front. Only now did I see his shoulders slump and his easy smile truly relax. Until now, his charisma and quiet personality had always given the impression he could enter any conversation and fit in with ease.